Energy Efficient Appliances and Electronics

When shopping for appliances and electronics look for the Energy Guide and Energy Star Label. Here's the difference:

Energy Star Label: When you see this label on appliances and electronics, strict energy saving guidelines have been met. These guidelines have been established by the US Department of Energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Energy Guide Label: This label provide very useful information regarding energy consumption and energy efficiency. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) requires these labels be placed on most appliances but excluding ovens, strove ranges and home electronics (examples: computers, televisions). By comparing labels you are able to determine short-term and long-term costs.

And remember, the amount of energy appliances and electronics consume is a major factor in the lifespan of the product.

Save Energy This Summer

Below is a simple list of energy saving tips that cost little or nothing to start saving energy & money this summer.

1) Water Heaters - Adjust the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees. Water heating accounts for up to 25% of your energy costs in the home.

2) Air Conditioning Unit - Maintain your a/c unit with professional care. If you live in an area where you just survived the winter and summer is coming, have your a/c unit checked out before those hot days kick in. For all areas, routine maintenance is necessary, not only for energy efficiency, but for the life of your a/c unit.

3) Seal Doors And Windows - Hot air can leak in through cracks around doors and windows. Check all doors and windows in your home or business for leaks. Apply caulking and weatherstripping where necessary.

4) Ceiling Fans and Proper Ventilation - By using a ceiling fan with your a/c unit the temperature of a room can increase about 4 degrees. Be sure to turn off the fan when you leave the room. Ventilation - Make sure all your ventilation systems (bathroom and kitchen) vent to the outside of the house and not to the attic. Use these ventilation systems while cooking and while taking a shower or bath to draw the heat outside otherwise the heat goes into the house.

5) Thermostat - Adjust your thermostat to a higher setting without causing discomfort to yourself. Make adjustments for when you're away from home. Programmable thermostats can help a great deal to make your home more energy efficient.

6) Appliances - Take advantage of the warm days of summer and grill outside. This reduces any amount of heat the stove or oven produces. When you cook inside, use the stove instead of the oven. Using a microwave oven helps reduce heat. With dishwashers, wash only full loads.

For other great energy saving tips keep checking back or subscribe to this blog. If you have any energy saving ideas/tips/news please share them with us.

Tim
Greenwise Power Solutions
greenwisepower.com

Saving Energy Is a Lifestyle, Not a Diet

This blog has been aimed at helping you save energy. We've offered ideas on ways to fit your home for the winter months, including checklists of tasks from the easy to the not-as-easy, and we've shown how saving energy saves you money. Some of the posts here are practical advice, while others are about the why behind this whole effort.

So why are we doing this?

There are a few reasons:

1. It's something you need to know. We at the Department of Energy have a responsibility to teach the public about energy; we can't expect people to make good, informed choices about being energy efficient if we haven't spelled out why this is important. If you understand why your choices matter, you'll be encouraged to make good choices.
2. Technology needs public support. Things like solar panels for homes, wind farms and more fuel-efficient vehicles (including hybrids) need a market. Markets don't just happen—they need to be developed, by helping the buyers understand the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy.
3. It sounds like hard work but it's just a series of steps. Much like trying to lose weight, getting your home and family to be energy efficient is about adjusting your lifestyle. Getting used to turning off lights and lowering the thermostat isn't glamorous or exciting, but small changes add up—and getting into the habit of being energy efficient is more than half the battle.
4. You can do it. That's the most important thing.

And that's really what it's about. Huge changes happen from lots and lots of small changes being made. So make that change. You'll see that you don't have to go on an energy "diet;" you just have to adjust your lifestyle a little here and there. You'll be glad you did.

Drew Bittner is a former Presidential Management Intern (PMI) and the web content manager for EERE's corporate web pages.

Resource: Energy Savers Blog

Renewables

Renewable Energy Overview

What is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy resources are virtually inexhaustible in duration but limited in the amount of energy that is available per unit of time. Renewable energy resources include biomass, hydropower, geothermal, solar, wind, ocean thermal, wave action, and tidal action. In 1850, about 90% of the energy consumed in the United States was from renewable energy resources. Now the United States is heavily reliant on the non-renewable fossil fuels: coal, natural gas, and oil.

Renewable energy consumption decreased by about 1% between 2006 and 2007, contributing 7% of the Nation’s total energy demand, and 8.4% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2007.

The United States Is Second in Renewable Electricity Production

China leads the world in total renewable energy consumption for electricity production due to its recent massive additions to hydroelectric production, followed closely by the United States, Canada, and Brazil. However, the United States consumes the most non-hydro renewable energy for the production of electricity. The United States consumes twice as much non-hydro renewable energy for electricity production as Germany and more than three times as much as Japan.

What Are The Various Sources of Renewable Energy?

Geothermal

Wind

Hydropower

Solar Energy

• Solar Thermal Systems for Heating Buildings and Water
  
• Solar Thermal-Electric Power Plants
  
• Photovoltaic Systems

Biomass Energy

• Wood
• Municipal
• Solid Waste and Biogas Biofuels (Includes ethanol)

Source: http://www.consumerenergyreport.com/research/renewables/

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