Filed under: eere, energy conservation, energy efficiency tips, energy efficient, money saving, renewable energy, saving electricity, saving energy, sustainable energy | Tags: electricity, standby power, vampire power, electronics, phantom load, leaking electricity
I learned this on the EERE Web site:
75% of the electricity being used to power your home electronics is used while those electronics are turned off.
So unplug them or utilize a power strip to cut their power. Electricity for home electronics doesn’t require so much energy as your clothes dryer or AC, but it does have some effect.
Do a search for “standby power” if you’re interested in learning more information about this.
There are a whole host of seemingly small actions you can take to save energy, save money, save electricity. Start now to make a difference!
Filed under: current events, energy efficiency tips, energy policy, gas prices, renewable energy, sustainable energy | Tags: alliance to save energy, articles, energy efficiency, gas prices, investments, links, news, opinions, renewable energy, twin pillars
This article is located at the Financial Standard site. I found it encouraging. There’s plenty of depressing energy-related reading material on hand lately. But it’s pleasing to know about the increase in investments.
Something thought-provoking as well: The article brought up two sides of the energy situation – that there is a need to create more energy as well as the need to be using less energy. Energy efficient products and solutions are on the side of requiring less, while realizing the potential of renewable energy is on the side of harnessing more. This all relates to that other article which came out recently and delved into the need for a smarter power grid. That falls into energy efficiency on a larger scale.
I’m saying it’s really interesting to see in action the sort of sibling relationship energy efficiency and renewable energy sources have. As well as to see how an understanding of this relationship is being worked into the minds of everyone who happens to read such news. It goes along with that May 2007 publication by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy: The Twin Pillars of Sustainable Energy: Synergies between Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Technology and Policy.
This ripple in ideas is exciting. As it all becomes more and more a basic part of public knowledge, we all benefit as a community.
There’s an opinion article which was published yesterday in the Start Telegram, written by Kateri Callahan of the Alliance to Save Energy which delivers a bit of a happy note as well: Decreasing vehicle miles traveled a sign of the times.
She brings up the changes many Americans are making today as a response to gas prices . . . But also brings up a few alterations made in people’s lifestyles which wouldn’t immediately revert back were gas prices to decrease. And if that weren’t enough info for a great article, she brings up specific trends and steps which Congress and the Bush administration could do well to get behind.
If you’d like to know more about the Alliance to Save Energy, check out their site here.
Filed under: energy efficiency tips | Tags: electricity saving, energy efficiency, link
Saving Electricity: How to Save Electricity
This site is really fascinating because it includes plenty of info on HOW energy is specifically being wasted (or how certain actions save it).
Of course, if you’re not up for reading a lot, there’s plenty of useful helpful graphs, charts, and tables to be found all over the page.
For instance, here are some of the biggest energy hogs in the home: (From worst to . . . least worst)
- Electric Oven
- Electric Clothes Dryer
- Electric Water Heater
- Central Air Conditioner
- Microwave Often
- Four-Slot Toaster
- Coffee Maker
- Range Burner
- Window Air Conditioner
- Refrigerator
Light bulbs also end up being serious energy hogs due to the frequency and amount of light bulbs used in your home.
Also check out the site for a nifty calculator which can be used to calculate your electric cost.
