Homeowners are paying more attention than ever to energy efficiency when renovating, but you do not have to commit to a major renovation to improve the efficiency of your home. In fact, you do not have to renovate at all; small steps toward improved energy efficiency can save you money in the long run while reducing your home’s environmental impact. Here are some renovation-free upgrade ideas that will give you a more energy efficient home:
Look for the Energy Star label when replacing... Read Full Story
Astonishingly, Americans generally spend $1600 or more a year on their utility bills. Not only is much of this wasted energy, but more carbon dioxide is emitted into the air from one home than two average cars. The following tips will help you save energy costs both at home and in the car.
*Set your thermostat comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer. Install a programmable thermostat that is compatible with your heating and cooling system.
* Use compact... Read Full Story
In America today, we spend over $100 billion each year on fuel and electricity for our homes. Even Seascape condos, often models of efficient living can have utility bills that can make the owners cringe. Nearly half of this cost is taken by the heating and cooling of the home, with water heating accounting for 14% and appliances account for approximately 41%. If you’re interested in lowering your overall energy bills, there are a number of household items that can help you in your quest... Read Full Story
Market dynamics often demonstrate that subsidies create unsustainable demand for the products to which they apply. Witness the auto sales acceleration in July and August of this year while the federal "Cash for Clunkers" program was in effect. Since the program ended, domestic auto sales have fallen back to pre-program levels. According to a post on the Green Inc. blog in late September, sales of CFL bulbs are also declining as sponsors of rebate programs across the country report trouble in... Read Full Story
The United States Department of Energy has provided a 36 page information package on ways to save on energy. You can view the full PDF file here, but today we will focus on a concise version of the information they have provided. Astonishingly, Americansgenerally spend $1600 or more a year on their utility bills. Not only is much of this wasted energy, but more carbon dioxide is emitted into the air from one home than two average cars. The following tips will help you save energy costs both... Read Full Story
Conserving energy is easier than you might think. Here are a few simple tips.
1. Close your blinds. Window treatments help insulate your home from both the heat and the cold. Drawing the drapes and closing the blinds can lower your energy consumption with the flick of the wrist.
2. Use fans. In the summer, put fans around your house or apartment and turn the AC down. Fans cool people, not entire rooms. A breeze makes the room feel a few degrees cooler. Just be sure to turn it off when... Read Full Story
Sandia National Laboratories scientist Jerry Simmons envisions a future of brighter, more efficient lights, with people even being able to tune the color of light in a room to suit a mood or the time of day. What he has in mind is definitely not Thomas Edison's light bulb. It isn't even a bulb in the sense of incandescent bulbs, the newer twisty compact fluorescent lighting bulbs or the fluorescent tubes that light offices. What Sandia is working toward is a better light bulb using LEDs... Read Full Story
HINKLEY’S ENERGY STAR (EST) PROGRAM
ENERGY STAR qualified lighting provides bright, warm light but uses about 75 percent less energy than standard lighting, produce 75 percent less heat, and bulbs lasts up to 10 times longer.
Hinkley Energy Star® qualified lighting fixtures are equipped with GU24 sockets and include self-ballasted, compact fluorescent bulbs. CFL bulbs use about 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Each fixture also features a daylight... Read Full Story
In many homes outdated lighting is costing homeowners money and using too much energy. It is for this reason that a periodic check should be made of all lighting and a good place to start is with the fixtures. This should be done regardless if your home is up to building code standards.
If you are still using incandescent lighting, you are wasting money. All of your old bulbs should be replaced with compact fluorescent bulbs. You see, the problem with incandescent bulbs is that most of the... Read Full Story
Part of the Department of Energy is the Building Technologies Program. The purpose of this program is to improve on how various buildings across the United States use energy efficiently. The Department of Energy has provided energy saving tips in regards to 10 different types of buildings. Today we will look at 3 of these, and continue through the next several dayson the remaining building types. I have left the links that the department provides within the tips so you can find more detailed... Read Full Story
