Energy efficiency is the goal to reduce the amount of energy used to provide products and services. Energy is wasted daily across the country due to insufficient conservation. During the winter, heat escapes through poorly insulated and unsealed doors, windows, and attics. During the summer, sunlight streams into the house, causing air conditioners to work harder and pump more air. Hallway lights and televisions are left on overnight, wasting crucial energy. Each of these inefficiencies, while by themselves are very small, add up and waste our money and resources. Energy efficiency is measured in many different ways. One of these ways is by performing an energy assessment, which is a series of tests on your home to see where it’s strengths and weaknesses are. The first major area to examine is insulation and air sealing. If a home is not properly insulated, or if multiple cracks are not sealed, it could be losing heat or cooling. The second area to look at is space heating and cooling. Space heating and cooling systems include thermostats and ductwork. Another area to look at is water heating. This is a very important part of a home's makeup, since it supplies a home with all of the necessary water to run most household appliances, including showers and dishwashers. The next area to check would be lighting and daylighting systems, like regular light fixtures and energy efficient light fixtures. Windows, doors, and skylights are also other good places to
From the moment we wake up in the morning until the time we go to bed each night, we all use different forms of energy to perform our daily activities. On a daily basis I use energy for transportation to commute to and from work and run errands; for cooking meals using either my gas range, microwave or charcoal grill; for heating my home in the winter and cooling my home in the summer; for daily showering, and for lighting my home in order to be comfortable and productive. Most of the resources we rely on for energy are nonrenewable and will soon be depleted.
Whenever you take on a home renovation task, you can go beyond making visual enhancements. Home renovation projects also provide you with the ability to increase the energy efficiency of your home. Remodeling for a more energy efficient home won't just be great for the environment - it will also save you money in the long run. No matter what kind of home improvement project you're considering, it's a good idea to find out if there are ways you can enhance your home's energy efficiency. A good renovation project offers you the opportunity to add more beauty and value to your home, but it will be even more successful if you're able to use that project to lower your energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint.
On the daily basis I use numerous energy resources from residential, commercial, transportation to industrial. First, I use residential and commercial the most. At home I have gas heating, stove and fireplace; gas pretty much runs my house. Right now in the winter month’s gas heating is the greatest energy usages in my resident. Then on top of that we have space heaters. The heaters are intended to cut back on the gas usage but I’m not seeing much of a difference. Usage of electricity is also a huge abundance in my residents. A normal routine of using electricity varies from everything like lights
As I acknowledged earlier, heating is the highest percentage of usage in the home, however homeowners can take steps towards reducing that. For example, buying a heater or two can definitely help in reducing the use of heat. The second highest electric usage in homes is cooling, which can also be reduced if homeowners invest in a fan, leave windows open, or even install a ceiling fan. Buying both heaters and/or fans may be a bit pricey but worth it in the long run. Another thing that ups the electric cost is the use of electronics and appliances. Today, our society revolves around electricity. We leave the television on in an empty room, leave on the computer when we don’t use it, etc., consequently raising the electric price. We also rely on many appliances such as refrigerators, microwaves, blow dryers, etc., which also raise the price. By simply remembering to turn off the television when leaving the room and also turning off the computer when not in use will help reduce the electricity cost. Also, chargers for laptops and cell phones, consume energy when they are plugged in even when they are not in use, and should be unplugged. Even though lighting is only 11% of electrical usage every little bit helps. Such as, remembering to turn the light off after leaving the room and
Small changes, if introduced in many areas, usually have a large effect. The insulation of Victorian houses, for instance, can have a large impact on energy consumption in the winter [9]. Another suggestion would be
Limiting the use of our utilities is not only beneficial to our budget but also to the environment as well. Here are several useful and lesser known tips in conserving energy while you are in the kitchen. While being in the kitchen, the stove is one of the main items that will use up the most energy, so it is important to be wise with your energy consumption when cooking on it. Adjust the burners when using a gas-based cooking top so that the flames just barely touch or are a tad lower than the bottom of the pans you are cooking on. Flames that curl around a pan waste more energy. However, if you are using an electric cook top, put the pan on a coil that is similar in size. Place the pan so that its bottom lies absolutely flat on the burner. This will conserve a great deal of energy. Also, when using an electric stove, set the burners on high first and then proceed to lower it to finish the cooking. For dishes that aren't pans, turn off the burner completely at the end as the element will hold the heat for several minutes. In addition to your stoves, the oven vent on an electrical range can be very useful. If you are using an oven vent on an electrical range, you will find that the vent is under one of the burners. While the oven is in use, you will be able to feel the hot air flowing through the vent. For dishes that you would like to warm, set them on that burner. This will minimize the use of a microwave and will also optimize the use of your burners. Now, for dishes that need to cook for long periods of time, particularly over an hour, there is no need to preheat your oven (unless you are cooking a turkey that needs a crisp skin). For dishes that must be cooked just under an hour, extend the cooking time for a little bit. The only preheating that is required is for dishes that have a short baking time. Although this seems like a very obvious tip --
Today’s most efficient way of illumination and lighting, with an estimated energy efficiency of 80%-90% when compared to traditional lighting and conventional light bulbs. This means that about 80% of the electrical energy is converted to light, while a ca. 20% is lost and converted into other forms of energy such as heat.
A large part of that is choosing the right appliances. Some modern appliances can save enough energy over the course of a year or two to pay for themselves. Getting things right from the very beginning can save money down the road by preventing the need to upgrade in the near future.
When the new Southeast Polk High School opened they added many new energy saving products. This included installing geothermal heating under the high school cutting back on the cost of heating such a large building. Many new windows help save on energy used to light the building along with automatic lights that turn off after several minutes without movement. The new high school shows how easy it is to save money and help the environment. Renewable energy is good for all aspects of the U.S, providing jobs, economical growth, environmental cleanliness, and new research for improving energy efficiency. Therefore the United States should use renewable energy to benefit the economy and environment.
Decreased strain on HVAC system: Your HVAC system is what keeps your house cool or warm when you need it. Chances are your system will be running more than half of the year in an effort to keep you comfortable in your home. Energy efficient insulation works great at keeping cool and/or warm air in your home, there will be less strain put on your HVAC system and an increased level of comfort in your
For one thing, simple lifestyle changes can save kilowatts of electricity. One of these involves turning off the lights and electrical appliances when leaving a room. Shutting off computers can save watts – turning them off at night, and having them hibernate during the day if not in use is a good way to save energy
The United States consumes more energy than needed, compared to the rest of the world. However, to properly address such an issue as over consumption of energy, one first must understand what “energy” is.
“Energy efficiency means using less energy to provide the same service.” An example of this is where a LED lightbulb uses less electrical energy than a traditional incandescent lightbulb to produce the same amount of light. The phrase 'energy efficiency' can also be described as any kind of energy-saving measure. (1)
The term, “non-renewable energy,” is at its most basic form, means that the sources of energy will eventually one day run out and not replenish itself. Non-renewable energy comes in many forms. For example: coal, crude oil and natural gas. These sources are categorized as fossil fuels, meaning that they were formed in the past due to natural processes from dead organisms. Non-renewable energy has been proven to be very beneficial to the US, however, many people argue the negatives are not worth the benefits.
By taking the position as Raj Bhatt, Business Development manager of GE Canada, I am comfortable and confident that energy efficiency is an attractive industry and business opportunity. What makes Raj Bhatt believe that the Energy Efficiency projects will be successful in Canada is that the project helps not only the ESCo, which conducts the performance-based contracting, but also the customers, who are more aware of the benefits of Energy Efficiency project. The Energy Efficiency project will optimize the energy usage, including conservation, use of efficient equipment and off peak usage. Even though the project has required intensive initial capital investment and long payback period, it will