The Conscious Shopper: energy efficiency

Showing posts with label energy efficiency. Show all posts

Challengicious Monday: Support Renewable Energy

>> Monday, May 17, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your final energy-related challenge:

Support Renewable Energy

This is the final challenge in the Energize challenges, and like the last one, it's Marathon Runner only. In most of the energy-related challenges, you invest money to save money. This challenge also pays you back...but not with money. By supporting renewables, you help create a sustainable future with less damage to the environment and a secure source of energy.

Renewable energy sources include:

solar
wind
tidal
geothermal
biofuels
hydroelectric

Each of these sources has its downsides, but the overall net benefit of using renewables far outweighs the negatives when compared to using fossil fuels.

Three Ways to Support Renewable Energy

The easiest way to support renewable energy is through your power company. Typically, you'll pay a premium on your regular energy bill supporting renewable energy and the development of renewable technology. To find out if your power company has a green power program, search this chart from the Department of Energy.
If you're lucky to live in a few select states (Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia), you may be able to switch to a green electricity provider. Check out this chart from the Department of Energy for more information.
If neither of these options work for you, you can buy a Renewable Energy Certificate to support the production and development of renewable energy.

This is a Marathon Runner only challenge because I personally think that improving the energy efficiency of your home is a much better first step than turning straight to renewables. If you can reduce your energy needs by 30%, that's 30% less renewable energy that we need to produce. Plus, the technology for energy efficiency already exists while we're still working on improving the technology of renewables.

When you've gone as far as you can on the other challenges, that's when it's time to turn to renewable energy. I pay an extra $4 to NC Green Power every month - a small amount, yes, but I think every little bit counts. If you can afford more, please do!

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the last challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays. Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook!

Image by Gabby Canonizado

Wrapping Up My DIY Audit

>> Tuesday, May 11, 2010

The house we owned in Maryland was built in the early eighties, so by the time we moved in, it was more than twenty years old. Houses last much longer than twenty years, but oh man, that house felt so old. The baseboards were all pulling away from the wall, there were cracks in the walls and ceiling, and every month it seemed like something else broke. When we moved, my husband and I swore that we would never own an old house ever again.

It's probably not the most eco-friendly thing to say, but after doing my DIY audit the past few months, I stand by that statement. The house we're living in now is approximately five years old and well-constructed, and that has made my job so simple.

Locating Air Leaks

Last month, I sealed the air leaks on all of my electrical outlets - so simple but makes a big impact. A couple people told me I should also put childproof plugs in all of the outlets, and that's on my list of things to do...if I can figure out where I stored them.

To finish up the "locating air leaks" step of the U.S. Department of Energy's DIY audit, I crawled around my house examining the baseboards, windows and doors for any cracks or possible air leaks. In the whole house, I only found one spot where there was a space between the baseboard and the wall (is it worth buying caulk for that one little spot?), and the weather stripping on the back door might need replacing. I also know because I recently cleaned behind the stove that there's a very large gap between the flooring and the drywall with no baseboard. As renters, I'm not sure how we'd fix that.

The biggest air leak in our house is the attic hatch/pull-down stairs. Eventually, I'd really love to add an insulated cover there, but we're not quite ready to make that investment yet.

Insulation

As renters, there's little we can do in this category, but I can say that the house does seem to be well-insulated with thick blankets of insulation in both the attic and crawlspace with no obvious gaps.

Heating/Cooling Equipment

Again as renters, we're kind of stuck with what we've got, but we can make sure we change our filter regularly. I also plan to go out later this week and trim the bush that hides the air conditioning unit.

Lighting

We've already switched our bulbs to CFLs where possible, so not much left to do in this category.

So this is it for us:

Add childproof plugs to the outlets.
Caulk the small gap between the baseboard and the wall.
Insulate the attic hatch.
Change the air filter.
Trim the bush by the air conditioning unit.

Pretty simple and straightforward.

How'd your audit go?

____________________

Challengicious Monday: Upgrade to Energy Star

>> Monday, May 10, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next energy-related challenge:

Upgrade to Energy Star

We're at the winding down phase of the Energize challenges, and these last two are Marathon Runner only. If you're in the market for a new appliance, HVAC system, or household electronic, consider looking for the Energy Star rating, "a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices." Although Energy Star products tend to be a little more expensive than their conventional counterparts, they should earn their keep through savings on your energy bill. And you can get federal tax credits for many Energy Star products!

If you're not planning on upgrading already, I personally think it's better to hold on to your appliances and repair them until they bite the dust, but I've seen other sources that disagree. Either way, you should definitely not go into debt just to complete a Conscious Shopper Challenge. So when you're ready...

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

May Extreme Challenge

>> Tuesday, May 4, 2010

It was 88 degrees in my house on Sunday. We had all windows and doors open, shades closed on the sunny side, fans whirling. It didn't help. Our house is not well designed for no air-conditioning. The windows aren't well positioned, and there's no way to get a good breeze going. The one thing I can say for it is that it has porches on both the east and west sides, and the east porch has a fan, making it a good spot to sit and read on warm afternoons.

An 88 degree house in humid North Carolina is not fun. An 88 degree house with three whiny boys is miserable. Trying to sleep in an 88 degree house in a bed with a very sweaty husband is torture.

And 88 degrees isn't even close to how hot it can get around here in the peak of summer.

I had originally planned for May's extreme challenge to be the "no car" month, but after Sunday I decided to be realistic. I might be able to make it through May without turning on the A/C, but I'd suffer through June, and I'm not going to make it through the whole summer. I'm sorry, people, but I live in the freakin' South.

So your extreme challenge for May is...

Go Without Air Conditioning

As usual, you can modify the challenge to fit your family's needs, but try to push yourself. See how long you can go without turning on your A/C this year. For many of you up north, the month of May should be no problem, and you might even be able to go longer. You might be able to go the whole summer. I remember one summer I spent with my grandparents in Utah where it would get so cool in the evenings, I would have to wear a jacket.

For those of us in the humid parts of the country, one month might be enough. My family is committing to May, and we'll see how it goes from there.

Will you accept the May Extreme Challenge to go without A/C for a month?

____________________

image by cat's_101

Challengicious Monday: Slay Your Vampires

>> Monday, May 3, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next energy-related challenge:

Slay Your Vampires

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Unplug, unplug, unplug.

Unplug the adapters when your cell phones, laptops, and iPods are finished charging.
Unplug your microwaves, coffee makers, and toaster ovens when you're done with them.
Unplug your TVs, DVD players, and stereos when you're not using them, or at least at the end of the day.

JOGGING STRIDE

Use a power strip. Since power strips don't draw energy when they're switched off, you can cluster like-groups of appliances and electronics around power strips so you only have to flip one switch to turn them all off. If that's still too hard, you can get power strips with timers or even special sensors that detect when your electronics are not in use.

MARATHON RUNNER

Buy fewer products that require electricity. Keep it simple by avoiding products with bells and whistles. For example, do you really need a toaster or coffee maker with a digital display? Could you get buy with a traditional phone that plugs into the wall rather than a cordless phone?

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the extra energy use from vampires "represents a relatively small but growing percentage of an individual home’s electricity use (about five percent), but taken across all U.S. households, adds up to an estimated 65 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. This extra electricity costs consumers more than $5.8 billion annually and sends more than 87 billion pounds of heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year."

Just to clarify: you only need to unplug products that use electricity even when they're off. One easy way to tell is if it has a digital screen, if it uses a remote, or if it charges. VCR? Yes. Hair dryer? Probably not. TV? Yes. Toaster? Probably not. Cell phone? Yes. Lamp? Probably not.

Have you ever wondered how much electricity your appliances and electronics actually use? Have some fun with a Kill-a-Watt at Pragmatic Environmentalism.

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

How I Line Dry My Clothes

>> Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Now that I'm sitting down to write this, this tip seems so ridiculously simple that it feels silly to share it. Except that I used the "I don't have a backyard" excuse for years before it finally dawned on me to do this, so in case others are in my position, this is how I line dry my clothes:

I line dry all of our shirts and pants indoors on hangers, either hanging on the shower curtain rod in the bathroom or in one of our three bedroom closets. I only line dry pants and shirts; I haven't advanced to underwear or towels yet, but if I do someday, I'll get one of these babies.

I started line drying my clothes this way when we first moved to Raleigh and lived in an apartment. Now that we're in a house, we do have a backyard where we could put a clothesline, but the yard is so small and I don't want to sacrifice space. Plus, my current method has the advantage that the clothes are already on hangers, so I don't have an extra step before putting them away.

Occasionally, I'm feeling pressed for time and end up tossing my clothes into the dryer. And every time, I wish I hadn't because after the clothes dry in the dryer, they still have to be hung up and put away. If I'm going to hang them up anyway, I might as well hang them wet!

Abbie commented yesterday, "We used to line-dry indoors, actually on a rack, near the air vent, but our humid summers here in NoVa, prevented our clothing from drying, and it started to smell bad. So we put them back in the dryer."

North Carolina is also hot and humid, but I haven't had that problem yet. Maybe because we use our air conditioning in the summer?

According to the Saving Electricity site, an average load of laundry costs $0.36 to dry in the dryer. If I'm line drying two loads a week, that comes out to a savings of $37.44 a year. If I advanced to line drying all nine of the loads I wash in a week (two of clothes, two of underwear, three of towels/sheets, and two of diapers), I would save $168.48 a year. If I could just get my toddler to start using the potty, that would save both time and money right there...

How do you line dry?

____________________

Challengicious Monday: Save Energy When Washing Dishes and Laundry

>> Monday, April 26, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next energy-related challenge:

Save Energy When Washing Dishes and Laundry

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Only wash full loads. Unless your dishwasher is full or you've got a full load of laundry, save it for the next load.

JOGGING STRIDE

Air dry your dishes. Instead of using the "heated dry" setting on your dishwasher, open the door and let them air dry.

Wash your clothes on cold. According to Progress Energy, each load that I wash in cold can saves me about $0.50.

MARATHON RUNNER

Wash your clothes and dishes off-peak. Some newer models of dishwashers have a timer so you can run a load in the middle of the night when people generally use less energy. If possible, nighttime is also the best time to use your dryer - especially during the summer when your air-conditioner has to compete with the heat from your dryer.

Line dry your clothes. Hang your clothes on a line and let the sun dry them. Along with your refrigerator, the dryer is your biggest energy hogging appliance.

If you've been holding back from line drying your clothes because of limited space or HOA rules, stay tuned. Later this week, I'll show you how I line dry some of my clothes.

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

image by simplyla

Challengicious Monday: Save Energy When Cooking

>> Monday, April 19, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next energy-related challenge:

Save Energy When Cooking

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Keep a lid on your pots. Not only does the lid keep in heat, but it also helps the water boil faster. Win, win.

Match pans to the appropriate burner size. There's a reason your oven comes with different size burners. For the most efficient cooking, make sure the pan you're cooking with is about the same size as the burner you're cooking on.

Don't peek in the oven. It may be tempting to peek, but every time you open the oven door, heat escapes and your oven has to work extra hard. Instead, keep the window on your oven door clean and turn on the light.

JOGGING STRIDE

Use your microwave. Especially for reheating foods. Microwaves use a lot less energy than ovens and save time.

Use your slow cooker. Like microwaves, slow cookers use a lot less energy than ovens. Here's a table demonstrating how much less energy.

Cook less - enjoy foods raw. Of course, the best way to save energy when cooking is not to cook at all - especially during the summer when your air conditioner has to fight with your oven. Learn to enjoy foods fresh, and you'll save energy...and time!

MARATHON RUNNER

Use man-power. We're so quick these days to buy the latest new appliance to do all the work for us in the kitchen. Instead of dragging out your big mixer, try a spoon or whisk. Instead of a bread machine, knead by hand. You can even find hand-powered blenders.

Bake efficiently. If you're good at organizing your time, this is my best tip for saving energy in the kitchen. Instead of turning on the oven every night, try doing all of your baking on one or two days. Bake your bread, casseroles, baked potatoes, and cookies all at once.

The truth is that you don't save much energy by cooking more efficiently, so if you have limited time, focus your efforts on heating and cooling. But every little bit counts, every little bit saves some money, and most of these tips are so easy, why not do them?

I'm happy to say that I'm a Marathon Runner in this category. And since what you eat matters more than how you cook it, I get bonus points for being an almost vegetarian. If you're taking the Meatless Monday challenge over at the Green Phone Booth, you can give yourself bonus points too.

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

Step One of My DIY Energy Audit

>> Friday, April 16, 2010

Step one of the U.S. Department of Energy's DIY audit is "locating air leaks:"

First, make a list of obvious air leaks (drafts). The potential energy savings from reducing drafts in a home may range from 5% to 30% per year, and the home is generally much more comfortable afterward. Check for indoor air leaks, such as gaps along the baseboard or edge of the flooring and at junctures of the walls and ceiling. Check to see if air can flow through these places:

Electrical outlets
Switch plates
Window frames
Baseboards
Weather stripping around doors
Fireplace dampers
Attic hatches
Wall- or window-mounted air conditioners

I'm starting today with my electrical outlets and switch plates, specifically the ones on exterior walls of my house. Sealing the air leaks on these is so simple. You start with a pack of electric outlet and switch sealers from your local hardware store. (Or if you're truly DIY, you can make your own outlet sealers with styrofoam meat trays.)

To install, simply screw off the outlet cover.

Press the pre-cut sealer in position around the outlets or light switch, and screw the cover back on.

Repeat with all of the outlets and light switches on your exterior walls, and voila! With just a few minutes of your time, you've reduced drafts in your home and knocked a little bit off of your electricity bill.

When we bought our house in Maryland, the home inspector told us that people lose more energy through their outlets than through their windows. I don't know if that's really true or not, but it's worth the couple bucks investment if it is!

One final reminder to my Triangle readers!

Dig In is tomorrow, and I will be there helping out with the booth for the Raleigh Community Gardeners. I'll also be at the Planet Earth Celebration in Raleigh from 3 to 5 manning a booth for the Advocates for Health in Action. If you're going to be at either of those events, let's connect!

____________________

Challengicious Monday: Save Energy Through Heating and Cooling

>> Monday, April 12, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next energy-related challenge:

Save Energy Through Heating and Cooling

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Change your air filter regularly. Most of the time, that means monthly, but you can get filters that last longer. Just remember to change them when they are supposed to be changed. You can even get reusable furnace filters.

Don't make your A/C or furnace work too hard.

Keep doors and windows closed tightly.

Run exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen only when you need them.

Close the flue in your fireplace when you're not using it.

Uncover all your vents.

Keep your air conditioning unit properly maintained. Think of it like a car - sometimes it's going to need a tune-up.

Cover bare floors in the winter and uncover them in the summer. Adding rugs can improve your comfort level when you're cold, while a bare floor can be cool and soothing on those hot summer days.

Avoid using your oven on hot days.

Block the sun.

In the summer, keep the curtains drawn when the sun is on that side of your house, or install outside awnings over your windows.
In the winter, use heavy drapes as extra insulation over leaky windows, but keep south facing windows uncovered to allow the sun to warm your home naturally.

JOGGING STRIDE

Raise your thermostat a few degrees in the summer and lower it a few degrees in the winter.

Shoot for a daytime temperature of 78 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter. For each degree that you raise or lower your thermostat, you will save 3-5% off your heating/cooling costs.
Use a programmable thermostat to automatically raise or lower the temperature settings when you leave home or at night. (If you have a heat pump, it's probably best to ignore this advice unless you have a special programmable thermostat that can raise and lower the temperature gradually.)

Install and use ceiling fans. But remember that fans cool people, not rooms, so they will only save energy (and money) if you use them correctly. That means:

Turn the fan off when you leave a room. Think of a fan like a light - it does no good when no one is in the room to use it.

In the spring and fall, use ceiling fans instead of turning on the A/C.

In the summer, keep your thermostat set a few degrees higher than your comfort level, and turn your ceiling fans on high. Ceiling fans work along the same lines as a breeze on a hot day.

In the winter, reverse the direction the fan turns (usually just by flipping a switch), turn the fan on low, and keep your thermostat set lower. The fans will push air toward the ceiling, forcing the warm air down into the room.

Make sure you get the appropriate size fan for your room. A small fan in a large room is not going to do a good job.

Landscape smart.

Plant medium-height trees on the east and west sides of your home to block the sun when it's low in the sky.
Plant tall deciduous trees on the south side of your home. They'll block out the sun when it's high in the sky in the summer but allow the sun through when it's at a lower angle in the winter .
Plant dense evergreens on the north side of your home where they'll block cold winter winds.

MARATHON RUNNER

Seal leaks and add insulation. Use this DIY Guide to Sealing and Insulating from Energy Star.

Seal and repair leaky air ducts to cut your heating/cooling costs by up to 30 percent.

Add insulation, and make sure it's installed properly. The best place to add insulation? The attic.

Check for air leaks around windows, doors, outlets, entrances to attics and crawlspaces, and in attics and basements. Conscious Shopper reader Frank directed me to this smoke test that you can use to find leaks around your windows and doors (although he says you could easily do it with a cigarette or smokey incense).

Install energy efficient windows and doors.

Upgrade to a more efficient A/C unit. If you live in a moderate climate, consider getting a heat pump - they are 30% more efficient than a typical air conditioner. Or take a look at geothermal heat pumps, which cost more but are even more efficient and last much longer.

Most of these steps are completely free, and those that do cost money should save you money over the long run. As we go through these Saving Energy challenges, keep reminding yourself that saving energy = saving money.

I'm planning on switching to a reusable filter this month. We do the rest of the Baby Steps and Jogging Stride steps except for the landscaping tips because we're renting. I need to check for and seal air leaks, but I can't do the other Marathon Runner tips because of the renting thing.

Sealing leaks and adding insulation is actually a huge thing and may take you more than a week to complete. Don't worry - most of the steps in the next few weeks are super easy, so you should have plenty of time to focus on caulking and insulating.

Will You Take the Challenge?

____________________

image by FxyLxy

An Interview with Condo Blues

>> Thursday, April 8, 2010

We're talking energy efficiency for the next couple months here at The Conscious Shopper. This is one of my favorite topics because it can save so much money without requiring huge investments or new technology. If you check the archives, you'll find lots of articles on energy efficiency - I got addicted last year.

Unfortunately, though, I'm still renting so I haven't been able to improve my own home's energy efficiency as much as I'd like. Luckily, there are other bloggers out there that have made more strides in this category than I have, and today I want to introduce you to the one I think is a DIY maven and energy queen: Lisa from Condo Blues.

I think I do all right keeping my energy use low, but holy cow, Lisa blew me away with her numbers! Keep reading below to find out how Lisa reduced here energy use by 32%.

Q: Can you give me some background info about why you decided to improve your home's energy efficiency?

A: It all started with the February natural gas bill. I felt that it was extremely high. My husband said that the winter bill is always high. I thought it should be lower since one of the reasons we chose to by our home is that had a new furnace and should be more energy efficient and compared to our old rental with the ancient furnace.

I started researching how to make our new home more energy efficient. A slew of Greenzillas insisted that the only way I could lower my home's energy bills was to toss all of my new but one notch under Energy Star rated appliances and HVAC system and install expensive alternative energy systems. I'm not against those items but I couldn't afford to just chuck them all - I just bought a house! I also thought that getting rid of new and working items was wasteful. For example, if I replaced my then new and current refrigerator with an Energy Star rated equivalent I would only reduce my electricity use by $1.00 for the year. I could easily save a dollar's worth of energy with that refrigerator if I keep it full, made sure the seals where tight, lower the temperature a degree, and vacuumed the coils on the back.

I was determined to prove the zealots wrong and learn how to use what I had wisely and efficiently. I did it as a year long project and tried to reduce my use as inexpensively as I could. I did it with inexpensive home improvements, new habits, and a whole lotta CLF light bulbs.

Q: You say in your bio that you reduced your "home's electricity use by 32% in 2007 by changing habits, using my current appliances wisely, and with less than $200 worth of home improvements." If you're willing, I'd love to see some exact numbers. (For example, our average daily electricity use is 27 kWh for our 1200 square foot home.)

A: I have a 1500 square foot free standing condominium. Basically it looks like a regular free standing house but acts like a condo - the Home Owners Association mows my lawn and takes care of street and green space maintenance in our neighborhood. My daily average electricity use is 15 KWh. I have an all electric kitchen. The only Energy Star rated appliances I have are my HE washing machine, which I bought half way into the 20% Energy Reduction Project because my old one died beyond repair and the dishwasher that came with the condo. My daily average natural gas use is 1.5 CCF. I use natural gas for the hot water heater, furnace, and fire place. I don't use the natural gas fireplace often. The last time we used it was during a power outage for heat and light.

Q: You seem big into DIY projects. What tools would you recommend every gal have in her toolbelt?

A: I'm picky. I love custom items but I want to pay for them on my terms. More often than not, that means making or revamping something old into something new. My husband and I love the retro mixed with modern look. We hate sending things to the landfill.

I'm very lucky that my father never chased me away when he was working on a project. He always answered my little kid questions and let me "help" by handing him things or carry a broken whatis to the store so we could match it to the replacement part. My first DIY project was helping my Dad make a step stool out of scrap wood so I could reach the bathroom sink in order to brush my teeth as a toddler. My mom still has that step stool it's come in handy over the years!

I'd recommend a basic toolkit that has a Phillips screw driver (it's the one with the head that looks like a cross), a flat head screw driver, a hammer, a pair of needle nose pliers, an adjustable wrench, a tape measure, level (great for hanging shelves, curtain rods, pictures, etc.), and an electric drill if you want to get fancy.

Q: I'm completely terrified of power tools. Any tips for a girl who generally lets her husband do the sawing and drilling?

A: Put on your safety glasses, tie any long hair back and dive in! Your first project may not be 100%, but just like anything, your skills will improve the more you use them. If you have a husband or person in your life who's skillful but tries to micromanage your project without your consent, try to do it when they aren't around or are busy with something else. If you're worried about cutting yourself with a table or circular saw, you can pay to have the home improvement store make those cuts in the wood you buy from them for you. Having a good home improvement book or Web site with lots of step by step instructions and photos helps too.

Fortunately very few of my energy saving home improvements involved power tools and heavy duty DIYs. Most of them involved spray foam or caulk. I did use a rotary tool to cut a metal door sweep to fit my door which you could do with a small hand saw. I used that project to try out the new toy my in laws gave me for Christmas. :)

Q: At the Conscious Shopper, I divide a lot of my going green tips into Baby Steps (easy), Jogging Stride steps (medium), and Marathon Runner steps (hardest). Can you give us your favorite Baby Step, Jogging Stride, and Marathon Runner tips for improving a home's energy efficiency?

A: I'd pay someone or do my own DIY home energy audit as a energy saving Baby Step. You need to know how much energy you are using and where your home's and weaknesses are before you can reduce your use.

As a Jogging Stride step I would seal air leaks in your home with caulk (there are removable caulk options for renters), weather stripping, spray foam, or door sweeps. Even newly built homes like mine have little gaps around doors and windows that draw heated or cooled interior air out of your home.

For a Marathon Runner I would either replace an energy inefficient appliance with a more energy efficient model or add more insulation to your home.

Q: What resources have you found that might be helpful to someone interested in improving their home's energy efficiency?

A: The Energy Star website has an online home energy audit tool that lets you do a free home energy audit. I used it to do the home energy audit that gave me the idea to do the 20% Energy Reduction Challenge. It has a lot of great information about how to make your home more energy efficient. DIY Network has a slew of shows and advice when you're trying to decide if a project is a DIY job or if it's better to call in a pro. Of course I think Condo Blues has some great real world examples on how to go green and save money doing it too.

I hope you all enjoyed learning more about Condo Blues. Her blog is really a wealth of information. Check it out!

____________________

Challengicious Monday: Get a Home Energy Audit

>> Monday, April 5, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next energy-related challenge:

Get a Home Energy Audit

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Do an online energy audit. Free online energy audits are offered by many power companies. They ask for information about your home and combine it with your energy usage history to create an energy profile with suggestions for improvements. The downside is that without a home visit and walk-through, an online audit can only provide limited information and generic suggestions.

JOGGING STRIDE

Conduct a DIY audit. Walk-through your home looking for air leaks and places that are improperly sealed or insulated. Add caulking, weather-stripping, and insulation. Replace high-watt bulbs with lower watt bulbs or compact fluorescent lightbulbs, a poorly performing heating and cooling system with a more efficient one, and old appliances with Energy Star rated appliances. Find a detailed list of suggestions at the U.S. Department of Energy site.

MARATHON RUNNER

Get a professional home energy audit. Having someone else perform your audit for you may be the easiest route, but because it's the most expensive (and we're conscious shoppers), it's also the most difficult. But if you can afford a professional audit, the savings you'll get from improving your home should offset the cost of the audit.

Last year when we were living in our apartment, I tried the online audit from my power company. It was pretty generic so I'll probably just skip it this time and try the DIY route. Because we're still renters, there are limited improvements we can make, and I don't want to invest the money in a professional audit. If you're a homeowner and not too DIY inclined, I definitely recommend that route.

For more information, check out Energy Efficiency: Renewable Energy's Less Cool Cousin.

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

image by kivanc nis

Challengicious Monday: Change Your Bulbs

>> Monday, March 29, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your first energy-related challenge:

Change Your Bulbs

To complete this challenge, you can

BABY STEPS

Switch to CFLs. This is the baby step of all going green baby steps. Have you changed your lightbulbs yet? (You know they save you money, right?)

JOGGING STRIDE

Use motion-sensor lights. Rather than leaving a light on all night outside or in the bathroom, try switching to a light that only turns on when it detects motion.

MARATHON RUNNER

Use LEDs. This is the most energy-efficient long-lasting type of lighting; install an LED once and you won't have to replace it for decades. Unfortunately, affordability hasn't caught up with LED technology, and good affordable LEDs will not screw into a standard lightbulb fixture. But while you wait for LED technology to improve, try using LEDs in your recessed lighting and switch to LED Christmas lights.

We have all of our lightbulbs except for the recessed lighting in the kitchen switched over to CFLs. If we owned this house, I'd consider installing LEDs into the recessed lighting, but sadly, we're still renters.

For more information on lighting, check out I Need...Lighting (Beyond CFLs)

Will You Take the Challenge?

____________________

Energize

>> Sunday, March 28, 2010

We've wrapped up the Trim Your Waste Line series of challenges here at The Conscious Shopper, and hopefully you have to take out the trash a little less often. For the next eight weeks, I'll focus on ways to help you:

Energize

We'll be cutting back on our energy use with the following weekly challenges:

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, improving the energy use of our houses is one of the top three things we can do for planetary health. Although switching to renewable energy is important, I prefer to focus on energy efficiency for so many reasons:

1. Energy efficiency saves money.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. A home energy retrofit can shave as much as 30% off of your energy bill. What could be more appealing than that!

2. Energy efficiency is affordable.

So you can't afford solar panels...So what! You can afford to add caulking around your windows. You can afford to slay your vampires. You can afford to switch to CFLs. And now with all of those tax credits from the government, you may even be able to afford to upgrade your windows, add insulation, and get a more efficient HVAC system.

3. Energy efficiency increases the value of your home.

Eco-friendly homes are the hot new thing in the real estate market, and they are only going to get hotter.

4. Energy efficiency does not require new technology.

Holding off on solar panels until they get the technology just right? In the meantime, weatherize your home. These are things we've known how to do for a long time, and we just need to do them.

5. Energy efficiency provides jobs.

Any sustainable energy solution is going to provide new jobs, but think about all the existing buildings and homes in the U.S. that need to be upgraded. Think about all those opportunities for work for home builders who are really in need of jobs right now. And as I mentioned above, this type of work does not require new technology.

6. Energy efficiency equates to less overall energy use.

Apply that statement to whatever energy-related issue hits your hot button: dependence on foreign oil, clean coal, nuclear power, offshore drilling, solar power, wind power, whatever. Using less energy does not make those issues go away, but it reduces the need for some of the less-than-ideal options that are being tossed around and makes the smarter solutions seem more feasible.

7. Energy efficiency fits any circumstance.

It doesn't matter if your lot is shady, windless, or tiny, and it doesn't matter if you own a house or rent an apartment. You may not be able to do everything, but everyone can do something toward making their home more energy efficient.

So let's get to it and see if we can energize in 2010. Come back tomorrow for the first energy challenge.

**ENERGIZE CHECKLIST** Keep track of your eco-changes by printing this checklist on recycled paper OR be extra green by saving your own editable digital copy.

____________________

image by Beverly & Pack

Quick Tip: Fan in the Window

>> Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Marvin Woll, a man I met through the Sierra Club, gave me this tip for saving money on your electricity bill while using less energy. He sent this suggestion into the News & Observer last year.

Your first step is to purchase a 20-inch box fan. Then either late at night or early in the morning, turn on the Weather Channel or your computer and check the outside temperature. If the temperature is 70 degrees or lower, put the fan in the window, turn it to the high setting and either push or pull air through the house. If possible, let the fan run for an hour. You will notice your thermostat fall by four or five degrees. It only takes a minute to glance at the outside temperature and put the fan in the window.
When we do this, our main air conditioning unit does not come on until three or four in the afternoon instead of 10 or 11 in the morning. Our house is 1,900 square feet. This technique reduces our electric bill by $60 per month, and we do this six months during the year.

The Appeal of Energy Efficiency (aka "Sexy Energy")

>> Tuesday, May 19, 2009

I've been writing for a couple months now about how to make your home more energy efficient, and it occurred to me one day that I should have started with a solid explanation for why you should care. I touched on some reasons briefly in the post Energy Efficiency: Renewable Energy's Less Cool Cousin, but I think it would be valuable to provide more detail about why I think energy efficiency is such an appealing solution.

Energy efficiency...

1. Saves money.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. A home energy retrofit can shave as much as 30% off of your energy bill. What could be more appealing than that!

2. Is affordable.

So you can't afford solar panels...So what! You can afford to add caulking around your windows. You can afford to slay your vampires. You can afford to switch to CFLs. And now with all of those tax credits from the government, you may even be able to afford to upgrade your windows, add insulation, and get a more efficient HVAC system.

3. Increases the value of your home.

Eco-friendly homes are the hot new thing in the real estate market, and they are only going to get hotter.

4. Does not require new technology.

Holding off on solar panels until they get the technology just right? In the meantime, weatherize your home. These are things we've known how to do for a long time, and we just need to do them.

5. Provides jobs.

Any sustainable energy solution is going to provide new jobs, but think about all the existing buildings and homes in the U.S. that need to be upgraded. Think about all those opportunities for work for home builders who are really in need of jobs right now. And as I mentioned above, this type of work does not require new technology.

6. Equates to less overall energy use.

Apply that statement to whatever energy-related issue hits your hot button: dependence on foreign oil, clean coal, nuclear power, offshore drilling, solar power, wind power, whatever. Using less energy does not make those issues go away, but it reduces the need for some of the less-than-ideal options that are being tossed around and makes the smarter solutions seem more feasible.

7. Fits any circumstance.

It doesn't matter if your lot is shady, windless, or tiny, and it doesn't matter if you own a house or rent an apartment. You may not be able to do everything, but everyone can do something toward making their home more energy efficient.

Is energy efficiency...sexy?

Recently, I read an article by Grist staff writer David Roberts asserting that energy efficiency is a boring term and we should switch to something more sexy. He suggests "resource intelligence," explaining:

Imagine you live in a house that gathers rainwater and captures, cleans, and recycles 100% of the water used in it. In that house, you do not need to use less water; the house’s design provides you with an abundance! The water is not used in a miserly way, but in an intelligent way.
Efficiency implies scrimping and trimming and subjecting every move to a cold cost-benefit analysis. Intelligence, like nature, leaves room for beauty and abundance and progress.

I like the connotations of resource intelligence. It's less restricting and more optimistic, and if that's what it would take for energy efficiency to catch on, I'm all for changing the name.

In fact, maybe we should just call it "sexy energy." That's kind of what a home energy retrofit is like. It's taking your fat, leaking, money-sucker of a home and making it sleeker, smarter, and tighter...Sexier.

Sexy energy, resource intelligence, or just plain old energy efficiency. Call it what you want, but don't dismiss it. Energy efficiency might be the lowest rung on the energy solutions ladder, but it's a start, it's accessible, and as soon as we take that first step up the ladder, the other solutions become much more viable.

Have you gotten your home energy audit yet?

Photo by Joe Shiabotnick

Related Posts:

How to Afford Making Your Home Energy Efficient

>> Tuesday, May 12, 2009

This post was included in Carnival of the Green #180 at the Ethical Superstore.

Have you ever heard the saying, "The easiest way to make a million dollars is with a million dollars." In other words, if you already have a million dollars, it's easy to make the next million. The hard part is coming up with that first million.

Sometimes, home improvements in energy efficiency can seem similar. Although energy efficiency is an investment that will pay back over time, you can't earn the savings without first spending some money upfront. And especially now with the economy tanking, it can be scary to part with that initial investment.

But there are some methods available to help you finance your energy efficiency improvements.

How to find the money...

Federal Tax Credits

As part of the new Stimulus bill, you can get lots of money back through tax credits by improving your home's energy efficiency.

According to Energy Star:

Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, in 2009 & 2010 (for existing homes only) for:
Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, with no upper limit through 2016 (for existing homes & new construction) for:

Weatherization Loans

Many utility companies provide low-interest loans for energy-efficient improvements to your home, such as this one, and this one, and this one. Check out your own utility or energy company for more information. If you live in Raleigh, here's the scoop from Progress Energy's page.

Weatherization Assistance Program

20 to 30 million Americans may be eligible for this program, which provides services to weatherize homes for low-income families. The program includes a home energy audit, an assessment of a home's energy use, and recommendations for weatherization improvements for the home. The average value of improvements is $2,500.

The Department of Energy states,"Some measures, such as insulating your walls or roof, for example, will continue to provide you savings for the lifetime of your house—30 years or more. Others, such as making your heating or cooling equipment more efficient, will provide savings for 10 to 15 years. On average, the value of the weatherization improvement to your house is 2.2 times greater than the cost of the improvement itself."

How to spend the money...

If you have limited funds to work with, you may be unsure where you'd get the most bang for your buck. A professional energy audit would tell you where to start. Or you can check out this chart I found from the Rocky Mountain Institute. It's from 2002, but the information is still useful.

I Need...Lighting (Beyond CFLs)

>> Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Compared to heating and cooling, lighting accounts for a small portion of electrical usage, yet it seems to be the aspect of home energy use that gets the most attention.

Watch Saturday morning cartoons and what will you learn about taking care of the planet? Recycle, turn off the water when brushing your teeth, and turn off the lights when you leave the room. Then there's the "Change a light bulb, save the world," campaign. At Raleigh's Earth Day Festival last Saturday, there was even a representative from Progress Energy dressed up like a compact fluorescent light bulb.

You know how Grist has been saying "Screw Earth Day"? Well, I love Earth Day, but I often feel like saying, "Screw CFLs."

I think compact fluorescent light bulbs are great. They're awesome, in fact. Just take a look at the results of my online home energy audit - I seem to be spending about 6% of my electric bill on lighting instead of the average 20%. (And that has to be due to using CFLs because Progress Energy didn't ask me anything about whether or not I turn off the lights when I leave the room.)

If you haven't changed your light bulbs yet, do it now. You have no excuse. By now, we all know better. But don't think that switching to compact fluorescents is going to save the earth.

I think maybe the designers of that campaign were hoping CFLs would be like a starter drug - people would change their light bulbs and then get hooked on saving energy. So as you're changing your light bulbs, think of it as a starting point and ask yourself, "Okay, what can I do now?"

And as you're pondering that question, here are some other ways to green your lighting:

LEDs

WooHoo!

LED fixtures last more than 20 years.

The lighting color from an LED is similar to an incandescent bulb, yet it doesn't get hot like an incandescent and uses 85% less energy.

Unlike compact fluorescents, LEDs do not contain mercury.

Bummer...

Affordability hasn't caught up with LED technology. LEDs are ex-pen-sive!

Currently, good affordable LED lights will not screw into a standard light fixture, but you can get recessed LED lighting.

Consider trying...LED Christmas lights

Motion-Sensor Lighting

WooHoo!

Since these lights only come on when they detect motion, you save energy.

Motion-sensor lights are perfect for outdoors. Outdoor lighting contributes to light pollution and disrupts nocturnal wildlife. Also, motion-sensor lighting increases home security.

Motion-sensor lights can also be used in place of nightlights in hallways leading to bathrooms.

Bummer...

We tried motion-sensor lights in our old house on our front porch and in the stairwell, and it didn't work for us in either spot. Outside, the light worked if someone was approaching our front porch, but turned off as soon as they stepped onto the porch (so we were always fumbling to unlock the door in the dark). And the motion sensors were installed too high on the stairwells to detect our young children. But I consider these more as "lessons learned" than "reasons not to try."

Consider trying...motion sensors outdoors and as nightlights.

Solar Powered Lighting

Woohoo!

Used to illuminate driveways and walkways, solar powered lights contain built-in photovoltaic cells that store energy from sunlight in rechargeable batteries so they can come on at night.

They require no wiring and are easy to move around.

Bummer...

They must have direct sunlight to work.

As I mentioned above, outdoor lighting contributes to night pollution and disrupts nocturnal wildlife.

I've read that the solar-powered lights don't last as long as conventional outdoor lighting, so they have to replaced more often, which doesn't sound like a good thing.

Consider trying...garden solar lights

Tips for the Budget Conscious
You should absolutely without a doubt switch to compact fluorescent bulbs. They are more expensive at the start, but you will recoup your money from savings on your energy bill within a year, and they should last up to six years. Where practical, you should also consider LEDs, and keep an eye on LED technology. I don't think it will be very long before compact fluorescents will be a thing of the past as we all switch to LEDs.

Where I'm At
Soon after we moved in, we replaced all of the light bulbs in our apartment with CFLs. But a funny thing about our apartment...None of the bedrooms have overhead lighting. They all have outlets that are wired to a light switch so you can plug a lamp into it, but we don't have any lamps so our bedrooms are always dark. That makes it really easy to remember to turn off the lights when we leave the room. :)

Related Posts:

I Need...Warm Winters and Cool Summers

>> Tuesday, April 14, 2009

When environmentalists (like me) start spouting their mumbo-jumbo about reducing energy use at home, a common response is, "But I hate being hot!" Around here, where the humidity makes you feel like a popsicle on a hot day, that's a reasonable excuse. But if you're smart about saving energy, you won't sacrifice comfort.

I am of the school of thought that going green should not make you miserable. I had my thermostat set at 60 degrees most of the winter, but only because the winter sun warmed my apartment up to 70 most days. If it hadn't, there is absolutely no freakin' way I would have kept my thermostat so low. And you can bet that my super-sweaty husband will put his foot down if I tried going without air-conditioning this summer.

Taking care of the earth does not mean that we have to return to the days of no air conditioning or go without heat. Those were wonderful, amazing, inspired inventions! But we do need to learn to use them more wisely.

I've already mentioned that your first step in smart energy use should be to get a home energy audit. If you went the professional route, I'm sure they've already told you most of what I've provided here (and in better detail, I hope). But for those of us who chose to do-it-yourself, here are a few ideas for saving energy (and money) on heating and cooling.

BABY STEPS

Change your air filter regularly. Most of the time, that means monthly, but you can get filters that last longer. Just remember to change them when they are supposed to be changed.

Don't make your A/C or furnace work too hard.

Keep doors and windows closed tightly.

Run exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen only when you need them.

Close the flue in your fireplace when you're not using it.

Uncover all your vents.

Keep your air conditioning unit properly maintained. Think of it like a car - sometimes it's going to need a tune-up.

Cover bare floors in the winter and uncover them in the summer. Adding rugs can improve your comfort level when you're cold, while a bare floor can be cool and soothing on those hot summer days.

Avoid using your oven on hot days.

Block the sun.

In the summer, keep the curtains drawn when the sun is on that side of your house, or install outside awnings over your windows.
In the winter, use heavy drapes as extra insulation over leaky windows, but keep south facing windows uncovered to allow the sun to warm your home naturally.

JOGGING STRIDE

Raise your thermostat a few degrees in the summer and lower it a few degrees in the winter.

Shoot for a daytime temperature of 78 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter. For each degree that you raise or lower your thermostat, you will save 3-5% off your heating/cooling costs.
Use a programmable thermostat to automatically raise or lower the temperature settings when you leave home or at night. (If you have a heat pump, it's probably best to ignore this advice unless you have a special programmable thermostat that can raise and lower the temperature gradually.)

Install and use ceiling fans. But remember that fans cool people, not rooms, so they will only save energy (and money) if you use them correctly. That means:

Turn the fan off when you leave a room. Think of a fan like a light - it does no good when no one is in the room to use it.

In the spring and fall, use ceiling fans instead of turning on the A/C.

In the summer, keep your thermostat set a few degrees higher than your comfort level, and turn your ceiling fans on high. Ceiling fans work along the same lines as a breeze on a hot day.

In the winter, reverse the direction the fan turns (usually just by flipping a switch), turn the fan on low, and keep your thermostat set lower. The fans will push air toward the ceiling, forcing the warm air down into the room.

Make sure you get the appropriate size fan for your room. A small fan in a large room is not going to do a good job.

Landscape smart.

Plant medium-height trees on the east and west sides of your home to block the sun when it's low in the sky.
Plant tall deciduous trees on the south side of your home. They'll block out the sun when it's high in the sky in the summer but allow the sun through when it's at a lower angle in the winter .
Plant dense evergreens on the north side of your home where they'll block cold winter winds.

MARATHON RUNNER

Seal leaks and add insulation. Use this DIY Guide to Sealing and Insulating from Energy Star.

Seal and repair leaky air ducts to cut your heating/cooling costs by up to 30 percent.

Add insulation, and make sure it's installed properly. The best place to add insulation? The attic.

Check for air leaks around windows, doors, outlets, entrances to attics and crawlspaces, and in attics and basements. Conscious Shopper reader Frank directed me to this smoke test that you can use to find leaks around your windows and doors (although he says you could easily do it with a cigarette or smokey incense).

Install energy efficient windows and doors.

Upgrade to a more efficient A/C unit. If you live in a moderate climate, consider getting a heat pump - they are 30% more efficient than a typical air conditioner. Or take a look at geothermal heat pumps, which cost more but are even more efficient and last much longer.

Tips for the Budget Conscious
When considering energy efficiency improvements, remember to look at your spendings as an investment. The Baby Steps are easy and cheap, but they also won't save you much money. The Jogging Stride and Marathon Runner ideas may cost more, but you should be able to recoup the cost over time through savings on your energy bill.

Where I'm At
Since I'm renting, there's not much I can do right now to improve my home's energy efficiency. Still, just by doing the Baby Steps, I feel like I've been pretty successful at keeping my heating bills low during the winter. We'll see how we do as we head into the summer.

Photo by FxyLxy