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HOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY - Live Green & Energy Efficient |
| It's cheaper to save energy than to make energy.
No Cost Tips
Turn water heater down to 120F (49C)
Clean refrigerator coils
Switch refrigerator to power miser setting
Set refrigerator temperature to 36-39F (2-3C)
Set freezer to 0-5 F (-18 to-15C)
Keep refrigerator/freezer full (water)
Turn off water while shaving and brushing teeth
Use cold water for wash and wash full loads
Collect rainwater
Use the right size pot/pan on the stove burner
Do not preheat your oven except for baking
Cover pots/pans when cooking
Drain some water from your water heater to remove sediment
Winter Tips
Turn thermostat down 10 degrees F (5.5C) at night
Turn thermostat down 10 degrees F (5.5C) when leaving for 4 hours or more
Keep curtains open on the south side of the house during the day
Keep curtains closed on north windows
Dress in layers of clothing
Summer Tips
Close curtains on the sunny sides of home
Turn off furnace pilot light
Open windows on the cool sides of home
Wear loose, light colored clothing
Use fans to circulate air in the home
Low Cost Tips
Install low flow shower heads and aerators on faucets
Insulate water heater
Insulate electrical outlets and switches
Caulk on the inside of doors and windows
Insulate/caulk all pipe penetrations in walls and ceiling
Install a bleed line on the evaporative cooler and run line to a tree
Replace furnace filter every month in winter
Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs
Insulate the bottom and sides of waterbeds
Use a quilt or comforter on waterbeds
Purchase a water saving toilet or use toilet dams
Make a draft dodger for use on doors or windows
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 Love the comfort of a warm and cozy flame?
Unfortunately, it’s better not to use traditional fireplaces. They pull heated air (up to 8% of it, if your damper is open when you’re not burning a fire) up your chimney and out. To create a more even air exchange if you do use your fireplace, close the doors into the room, open a window slightly, and turn down your thermostat. When you’re not using your fireplace, keep the damper shut. Have the chimney cleaned once a year to reduce carbon buildup, and regularly clear ashes from the firebox, leaving 1 inch to help fires start quickly and retain heat. If you never use your fireplace, block it off snugly with insulation. You can also use a fireplace reflector to reflect up to 80% more heat into your home when you do use your fireplace. |
Heating and Cooling Tips
- Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as is comfortable in the summer.
- Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as needed.
- Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they're not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
- Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season; if in doubt about how to perform this task, call a professional.
- Place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.
- Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing; when replacing exhaust fans, consider installing high-efficiency, low-noise models.
- During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your southfacing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
- During the cooling season, keep the window coverings closed during the day to prevent solar gain.
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Recycle Bank Pays You To Recycle
Innovative new program being rolled out in several cities give you incentives in the form of spendable coupons for your recycling at places like starbucks. They set up an bar coded container and Read More.. |
Sell Your House, Based On Energy Efficiency Upgrades
What do real-life real estate agents say about making smart green remodeling tweaks to make your home more competitive in a buyer's market?
Here are ways to make your house stand out from the rest by going green:
Wow Buyers with Energy Efficiency
Home utility bills have seen double-digit growth in the past few years, spurred by record-high oil and gas prices and water shortages. "That means if you can show lowered utility bills to potential buyers, it makes a big difference in today's market," explains Kerry Mitchell, the president and founder of Green Real Estate Education, and a real estate broker with more than 14 years of experience in Maryland and Florida.
Mitchell trains real estate professionals about the benefits of going green, as well as how to apply for various regional and national green certifications (such as the EPA's Energy Star for homes and the U.S. Green Building Council's emerging LEED for Homes program).
The key is to make improvements to your home's energy efficiency, and document how the monthly bills change over time. Highlight the savings to your broker and any potential buyers, and provide comparisons to typical bills for similar-sized houses in your region. Read More.. |
What is SKOY?
SKOY is an eco-friendly household cleaning cloth that outlasts 15 rolls of paper towels. This new approach to cleaning boasts a cloth that is 100% biodegradable, natural, and re-usable. It is a European made product that is a unique blend of natural cotton and wood-based cellulose pulp. skoycloth.com |
Reduce Water Heater Temperature To Save Energy
The EERE says that each 10F you reduce your water heater temperature will save you about 5% on water heating energy. A family of 3, each using 45 gallons of hot water per day, will use about 3000 KWH of electricity per year for water heating. This is about $300 worth of electricity, and about 6000 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions. Cutting the hot water temperature by 20F would save about 300KWH per year, which would save about $30, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 600 lbs -- all at no cost.
Most gas water heaters have a temperature dial that you can use to adjust the water temperature.
Most electric water heaters have two heating elements, one high on the tank and the other low. Each of these has a temperature adjustment dial. You will normally have to remove a small door that is held in place with a couple screws to gain access to the temperature dial. Turn off the water heater circuit breaker before you do the adjusting. |
Using Single Lever Faucets
 A study house in which all hot and cold water use was measured found that there were many instances in which a mix of warm and hot water was demanded at a faucet, but in which the water did not run long enough for the hot water to ever reach the faucet. The explanation for this was that people who only really wanted cold water were positioning the faucet lever in the middle (which provides a mix of hot a cold), instead of positioning the lever to the cold end, and then lifting the lever. So, a lot of energy was wasted to heat water that was not really wanted, and that never actually arrived at the faucet.
So, if you only need cold water, then move the lever over to the cold position, and then pull it up. |
 Let Your Hot Water Sit Around Before You Drain It
In a typical bath or shower, the water that you just paid to heat up from 50F to 110F ends up going down the drain at 105F -- taking 90% of the energy you just put into to heat it up right down the drain.
Any time during the heating season that you can let hot water used for baths (or anything) sit around until it cools off before you send it down the drain is good. The water heats the house as it cools down, and this saves a bit of heating fuel.
Vacations
Before you go on vacations, turn your water heater off.
This will avoid all the standby losses associated with keeping all the water in the hot water tank hot all the time you are away.
Gas water heaters are particularly bad on standby losses because they have an open flue going right up through the middle of the tank that results in high and continuous heat loss from the tank
Computer Power Use
 Computers and the related peripherals (printers etc.) use a lot more energy than most people realize. If you have an unused power strip lying around, you may find you can save about 800 KWH per computer per year. This is nearly $100 of electricity at 12 cents per KWH. Details on how we set our computers up here...
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AA Rechargeable Batteries
Introducing a revolutionary new rechargeable battery - the USBCELL.
This NiMH AA cell can be used in normal battery applications and can be recharged simply by plugging into a USB port. |
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Heart And Solar Energy Unlimited We are a Sustainable Lifestyle and Energy Consultancy specializing in Photovoltaic (PV) Solar system leasing and rental for US homeowners. Our line of environmental solutions includes energy efficient products designed to encourage minimal use of natural resources, while providing the consumer with superior satisfaction and performance.
Alliance Engineers Green, LEED, Mechanical Engineering San Diego and Southern California Area
San Diego Energy Rebate Utility Rebate Processing, Energy Policy Act Federal Tax Deduction Certification
BSE Engineering Specializing in Electrical Engineering, Lighting Design of Public and Commercial Buildings/Schools, Fire Systems, Communication and Data, Industrial and Commercial Power Systems
Lighting Technology Services Full Service Lighting Management Company Specializing in Commercial lighting, energy efficiency retrofits
McBride Electric Energy Conservation, Technology Rollouts, Critical Systems
REQUEST A QUOTE / BID / OR INFORMATION
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Solar System For Sale. Moving to Chicago, selling ranch. 12 panels, suntracker, all up to date battery system etc. $11,000 OBO 888-341-7484 Robin.
57 Chrysler Imperial Converted to Propane. Clean Body and Interior, runs great. Drive big iron at smart car mpg. Make Offer Georgek@gmail.com
GE Profile 25 cu ft side-by-side refrigerator-freezer. Almond. 36w x 68h x 30d Very good working condition. $200
GE Profile 30" gas range. Very good working condition. Almond. $200. Sold separately or together. 626-242-3802
Brita Hot and Cold Water Station $50.
All you have to do is fill the water jug with tap water from your sink and the 2 Brita filters inside do the rest!
Simply pull the cold or hot lever and you have nice, clean, filtered water any time! PLus, there are 3 hot settings and 3 cold settings! Measurements: 4 ft tall 10" wide 8" deep Call with questions or to come check it out 310-666-2201 Ask for Nicki
Top Of Pole Racks For 6 sq-75 Modules
These are brand new Top-of-Pole racks There are (3) Three racks available, take one or all your choice. One rack has been opened and looked at and the other two have never been out of the original boxes.
If you have Shell or Solar World modules, or if you are willing to re-drill the racks for other modules (the modules are about the same size as many other modules of this wattage range) you can have brand new Power-Fab racks at way less than wholesale! List Pricing on these racks are $920.00 each. Requires purchase of a new or used 6 inch schedule 40 mounting pipe (purchased locally). Schedule 40 pipe is 6.625 inches outside diameter, so the gimble fits over this size pipe only. Call Tom for mounting tips 888-826-0939. FOB Utah. Can ship UPS to your location, 1 rack is 4 boxes or can ship truck freight (Cheaper) if you want all three racks 499. ech plus freight.
Used Green Cars For Sale UK Website
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