Alternative . Renewable . Energy

Energy conservation tip: Choose your refrigerator wisely

This post is brought to you by  Curt Rosengren ~ Passion Catalyst TM   "Love your work. Change your world."

Refrigerators use 14 percent of a home’s electricity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Today’s most efficient 20-cubic-foot refrigerators use 47 percent less electricity than 1993 models. Beware of these resource hogs:

• side-by-side refrigerator/freezers use 10 percent more electricity than freezer-on-top models;
• through-the-door water and ice dispensers and automatic icemakers can increase electricity use by up to 20 percent; and
• automatic defrost models can use up to 40 percent more energy than manual defrost models,

Source:
GreenHomeGuide - Creating a Green Kitchen

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Energy conservation tip: Install a whole-house fan

This post is brought to you by  Curt Rosengren ~ Passion Catalyst TM   "Love your work. Change your world."

Consider a whole-house fan. Because some nights are cool, but have no breeze, you may benefit from using a whole-house fan to force cool air through your home. A whole-house fan is permanently installed in your attic and draws cooler air into your home and forces warmed air out through the attic vents.

Source:
SDGE Heating/Cooling tips

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Energy conservation tip: Use glass or ceramic cookware in the oven

This post is brought to you by  Curt Rosengren ~ Passion Catalyst TM   "Love your work. Change your world."

"Using glass or ceramic pans in the oven allows you to turn down the temperature about 25 degrees Fahrenheit and still cook the food in the same amount of time."

Source
energyhawk.com - Energy saving cookware

Energy conservation tip: Drain your water heater to remove sediment

This post is brought to you by  Curt Rosengren ~ Passion Catalyst TM   "Love your work. Change your world."

"Drain a pail of water from your natural gas hot water tank every 3 months, or as recommended by the manufacturer, to remove sediment that prevents heat transfer, lowering the unit’s efficiency."

Source:
Ontario Ministry of Energy - Energy Saving Tips

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Energy conservation tip: Avoid trees south of windows

This post is brought to you by  Curt Rosengren ~ Passion Catalyst TM   "Love your work. Change your world."

"Contrary to intuition, the worst place to have a tree from an energy-saving perspective is out in the yard south of a home. In summer when the sun is high in the sky at midday, the shadow of a tree falls directly under the tree and entirely misses a home to its north. In winter, however, the shadow of the same tree will fall on the house throughout most of the day. To avoid shading south windows, any trees south of the home should be located at least twice their mature height away from the house."

Source:
Austin Utilities - Energy Conservation Landscaping

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Energy conservation tip: Use a power strip for your laptop

This post is brought to you by  Curt Rosengren ~ Passion Catalyst TM   "Love your work. Change your world."

"To maximize savings with a laptop, put the AC adapter on a power strip that can be turned off (or will turn off automatically); the transformer in the AC adapter draws power continuously, even when the laptop is not plugged into the adapter."

Source:
EERE Energy Savers

Energy conservation tip: Match the pan to the burner when cooking

This post is brought to you by  Curt Rosengren ~ Passion Catalyst TM   "Love your work. Change your world."

"Remember to use the smallest pan you need for the dish you are making since smaller pans take less energy to heat up. Then put the pan on the burner that fits it best. Make sure the pan covers the burner without going more than an inch beyond it. If the burner is wider than the pan, you are wasting energy. Remember that smaller burners use less electricity."

Source:
energyhawk.com - Energy saving cookware

Energy conservation tip: Use CFL's with reflectors for spotlighting

This post is brought to you by  Curt Rosengren ~ Passion Catalyst TM   "Love your work. Change your world."

"For spot lighting, consider CFLs with reflectors. The lamps range in wattage from 13-watt to 32-watt and provide a very directed light using a reflector and lens system."

Source:
Earth 911 - Useful energy conservation tips

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Energy conservation tip: Use a humidifier to boost heat

This post is brought to you by  Curt Rosengren ~ Passion Catalyst TM   "Love your work. Change your world."

"When it's cold outside, turn on the humidifier for additional moisture that will increase the heat index inside your home making 68 degrees Fahrenheit feel like 76 degrees. Place a portable unit in frequently used areas such as the bedroom or living room. The relative humidity in your home should be between 20 to 40 percent. Be careful not to allow humidifying to create condensation on windows."

Source:
Realty Times - Overlooked energy conservation tips

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Energy conservation tip: Schedule a home energy audit

This post is brought to you by  Curt Rosengren ~ Passion Catalyst TM   "Love your work. Change your world."

"Schedule a home energy audit. Many utilities offer them for free and the expert advice can result in big energy savings."

Source:
EcoMall - Saving energy

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