Posts Tagged ‘Energy Efficiency’

• ISBN13: 9780876290934
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

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In a tight economy, this book offers clear financial benefits: Helps homeowners immediately cut their utility bills. Fits with the trend toward smaller home improvements most of the projects require only a modest investment. Gives readers an edge when they sell their homes buyers are especially looking for energy-efficiency, but they re also tuned into green health and environmental concerns. The book s projects range from quick, easy, low- or no-cost … More >>

Green Home Improvement: 65 Projects That Will Cut Utility Bills, Protect Your Health & Help the the Environment

When it comes to the green home, ratings matter. There are a number of eco certification for home based appliances and white goods. Plus you can get your home professionally assessed for energy efficiency.

Residential homes can be given a rating based on the National House Energy Rating (NatHERS) which is an index of the home’s thermal performance. It is done through a professional analysis by a qualified assessor working in conjunction with the builder of the home. NatHERS provides a baseline for assessment software to rate a home’s energy efficiency potential. Most homes in Australia currently fall below a 5 star rating, but the current tool has now been adapted to allow for a potential 10 star rating (which would be equivalent to zero conditioning energy). This system is based purely on the home’s infrastructure and does not include appliances or hot water systems. Find out more about energy ratings for your home.

Good insulation is a key feature in any energy efficient home. And homeowners are keen to take advantage of Kevin Rudd’s important announcement last week, with funds for ceiling insulation becoming available from the federal government. The Federal Government will be providing eligible homes wiht free ceiling insulation worth $1600. Landlords and renters can benefit too with rental properties being included in the package.

Yet with all the available insulation out there, which one should we consider?

Eco Home Tip #16 – Ask about the R value – the measure for insulation materials is the R value. A high R value means better insulation potential. For example, Pink Batts offers a range ceiling insulation products that have an R value of up to 6.0.

Eco Home Tip #17 – Natural insulation – Take your insulation innovation even further and look for ceiling insulation made from sustainable materials, such as Goldenfleece wool insulation. All natural wool fibre has great insulating properties, with the CSIRO claiming, “wool insulation performs better because of it’s ability to rapidly absorb and desorb moisture from the air.” And you’ll be helping out the rural farmers!

Eco Home Tip #18 – DIY insulation – there are lots of simple insulating ideas homeowners can adapt to protect their homes against the elements. Seal draughts with door snakes or hang some thick curtains on your windows to keep out the coming cold.

Insulation is the first step to a great energy efficient home that will save you money. Well designed homes that incorporate insulation, thermal mass design and sustainable energy alternatives, such as solar panels, can save some homeowners up to 50% on their annual energy consumption. Plus you get to enjoy the comfort of having a pleasant living environment year round.

You can find more great eco home ideas on the Green Pages.

Autumn is approaching and that means colder days ahead. However, Australia is blessed with an amazingly moderate climate where even our chilliest days are nothing compared to other regions in the world. This means that Australian residents can take advantage of all natural low emissions heating in their green home.

As well as insulation and energy efficiency, there are other innovative heating ideas to keep your home toasty warm for the winter.

Eco Home Tip #31 – Seal up draughts – Put snakes under door jambs, get weather stripping for your windows. Heavy curtains also help keep in the heat and keep out the cold. You’ll be amazed at how cosy a room can be without any heating at all.

Eco Home Tip #32 – Look beneath your feet – the soil beneath you home acts as a natural insulator, keeping the ground warm all year round. By employing a geothermal heat pump, your home can be take advantage of this natural heat during the colder months. In a geothermal system, liquid is circulated in pupes that run beneath your home. As the liquid gets warmer, it is pumped up to a heat condensor where the heat is released into your central heating system.

Eco Home Tip #33 – Keep it low – Switch your thermostat down a single degree. When we come in from the cold, we’re very likely to crank the termostat up much higher than necessary. Remember that every degree lower on your thermostat can potentially save up to 10 per cent on your heating. Throw on a jumper instead.

Eco Home Tip #34 – Cut your system down to size – as with air conditioning, don’t go overboard with your heating. You’ll be amazed at what a single space heater will do.

Eco Home Tip #35 – Look for the Energy Star – As with all appliances, energy star ratings give a good indication of the energy efficiency of the appliance. Energy star rates furnaces, boilers and heat pumps for central heating in your home.

For more green ideas for your eco home, visit the Green Pages at www.thegreenpages.com.au

Setting up a good green home starts with energy efficiency. Traditional incandescent light globes lose almost 90 per cent of their energy in generating heat – only 10 per cent of the electricity used is actually going into lighting your room. And because of their various filaments and parts, incandescent bulbs generally have a much shorter life span than their more energy efficient counter parts.

Installing energy efficient globes is one of the most cost effective and easiest options available for a good green home. Some companies had even traditionally given out energy and water saving “packs” for people to try out. Nowadays, these energy saving globes are available everywhere – so the question becomes, which light fitting is right for you?

Eco Home Tip # 36 – The lowdown on CFL – Compact Fluorescent (CFLs) are the most common energy saving fitting. CFLs use just about 20 percent of the energy required for the same amount of light from an incandescent globe and last 10 times as as long. All in all, a CFL will help reduce the cost of lighting your home by as much as 60 %.

Eco Home Tip # 37 – Keep your CFLs close, if shaded – a British study last year revealed that CFLs produced a small amount of UV radiation when used unshaded and in close proximity. Open globes were of note, which “encapsulated” globes were considered safe. So if you’re using a work lamp with a CFL, keep it shaded of opt for an encapsulated globe instead.

Eco Home Tip # 38 – Recycling your CFLs – The typical CFL contains a minute 4 mg of mercury sealed in its glass tubing. Some manufacturers have lowered its CFL mercury content to as little as 1 – 2.5 mg. Handle your CFLs with care and take advantage of recycling programs for CFLs to keep mercury from ending up in landfill.

Eco Home Tip # 39 – Leading by example with LEDs – Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are another popular energy efficient lighting option, especially to replace halogen globes and downlights in your home. The small cluster of diodes can be arranged in a number of configurations and sizes to suit your home. LEDs have been traditionally found in electronics including clocks, and have a variety of uses in terms of producing a broad spectrum of bright coloured light. LEDs are the perfect substitute to the more heat intensive halogen globes and last for over 50,000 – 60,000 hours and uses 70 percent less energy than standard halogen globes. LEDs are also mercury free.

Lighting a home can account for as much as 20 percent of a home’s energy use. Energy saving lights are simply a bright idea for your green home.

Looking for more eco home tips and ideas? Visit the Green Pages directory for more great eco home tips and ideas!

Green home design used to be popular because of tax credits. Green home design includes energy efficiency and designing for your climate. Green home design is sustainable and can be a reflection of the self. Learn more about green home design from author and architect Sarah Susanka.

Here are a few ways to save energy in your home:

* Windows and doors: Today’s architecture takes advantage of increased window space and elaborate entry systems. This style enhancement certainly adds to the appeal of a home, but it increases the importance of having energy-efficient windows and doors.

On average, a household spends nearly 50 percent of its annual energy costs in heating and cooling. You can reduce this expense by up to 15 percent by using energy-efficient windows and doors, which help decrease the transfer of heat. Start by looking for products that have the Energy Star label. This label identifies products that meet the strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

* Construction materials: Wood or vinyl (for windows) and steel (for doors) offer high energy efficiency. For windows, dual-pane insulating glass units and low-emissivity glass also increase the products’ energy efficiency. For steel doors, look for a polystyrene core, which helps the door retain its energy-saving properties longer than steel doors with a polyurethane core.

Rest assured, however, that you will not have to forgo style and beauty when seeking energy efficiency. Many manufacturers, such as Jeld-Wen Windows and Doors, offer a variety of Energy Star-qualified products that are attractive, durable and provide superior performance. In fact, upgrading windows and doors is a great way to build energy savings into your current home.

* Insulating your home: In addition to diminishing heat transfer through windows and doors, you can ensure even temperatures in the home by selecting proper insulation. Well-insulated homes can save up to 30 percent on heating and cooling costs. Pay attention to the R-values used to rate the energy efficiency of insulation – a higher R-value indicates a better ability to resist heat flow, meaning that it is more energy efficient.

* Heating and cooling engines: Installing oversized heating or cooling equipment is a common practice to provide customers with immediate results. However, oversized equipment is not necessary if your home is designed to conserve energy; it will only add to the growth of your energy bill.

Visit a local home improvement center to learn more about heating and cooling options.

This video can be downloaded here: www.ashdenawards.org Woodheys Primary School won an Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy in 2007. To find out more visit the link above and check out the Ashden Awards Blog ashdenawards.blogspot.com Woodheys Primary School in Sale, Cheshire has an excellent programme of practical energy saving across the school and is proud to have achieved the Eco School green flag status. Working closely with expert organisations such as WWF it has created a high-quality curriculum for its pupils which has been widely praised and replicated. An energy audit in 1999 prompted energy efficiency actions which reduced gas consumption by 30% and a solar PV array was installed on the school roof in 2005 with an electronic display that allows pupils to easily monitor its electricity generation. Other measures include ‘Eco Monitors’ to encourage good energy saving and a Travel Plan encouraging cycling and walking to school. There is a strong emphasis on carrying behavioural change through to the pupils’ homes and local community.

With the credit crunch biting, we need ways to save some pennies. So Ariel has put together a vodcast to show you the small changes that can be made around home with minimal expense, effort and time. Think you are too busy to be green? Think again, the five minute long vodcast will be full of tips that take no more that 15 minutes to implement with some only taking a minute or two. You can watch them on your way home and put them into practice by the time you go to bed! Ariel has also linked with the Energy Saving Trust to sponsor Thursday 23rd October as part of Energy Saving Week, a link which is in its third year demonstrating Ariels commitment to environmental issues. Energy Saving Week is an event, designed to drive energy usage down in the UK and to promote significant behaviour change amongst all of us. Crucial to this is making energy efficiency at home simple, easy and quick to implement.

ASRock MB implements AMD PSI (Power State Indicator) spec, which is a function for AM2+ (Phenom CPU) platform to improve energy efficiency by disabling extra phases when CPU is at light loading.

Energy Efficient from the Ground Up

Log homes are typically associated with quaint, isolated locations. These hidden getaways are normally seen as more of a retreat than a living space. But, with the trend of going green rising and continuing to rise, energy saving log homes are making their ways into more populated locations. With building resources available, like Mountain Creations Log Homes, it has never been easier to build the “green” home of your dreams.

Most of these energy saving log houses are built with Northern White Cedar wood. This wood is notorious for being environmentally friendly since it is one of the longest lasting and most durable building materials. When you lower the impact that your home makes on the environment, you’re making a small, but effective, step towards a cleaner, greener world. Instead of spending your money on costly paint or siding for the exterior of your home, let its beautiful natural finish shine through. Who knew that giving back to the environment could end up saving you money at the same time?

The energy efficiency doesn’t just stop at your log home’s gorgeous exterior. With the option to incorporate energy star panels, fixtures, and appliances into your home – the decision to build an energy saving wood home can be just the beginning of your positive impact on the environment. Once you start this exciting change in your life, you’ll notice that you go green in multiple ways – both in and out of your home. By getting in the “green” mindset by making the decision to build a log home, you’ll open the door to a plethora of opportunity.

Beauty Meets Brains

Aside from energy saving wood homes being efficient and environmentally friendly, they’re absolutely stunning. This investment will be one that you, your family, and friends will cherish for years to come. Your home is the most important place in your life. Whether you’re a newlywed, beginning to raise your family, or looking to retire – building a beautiful new log home can benefit you now and in the future.

The Bottom Line on Energy Savings

How can it be that during bad economic times, large power consumers have more opportunity to reduce power costs. The answer is simple…flexibility.  When the demand for product is lower than normal there may be  more opportunity to make product during times of the day when electricity costs are lower.

For example, in many electricity markets there is an on and off peak period.  For many locals, the on peak period is from approximately 8:00am – 8:00pm while the off peak period is from 8:01pm to 7:59am.  The price of electricity is significantly lower during the off peak period and therefore it may make sense to shift production to the off peak as much as possible.

Many industrial power users in de-regulated markets purchase power from the regional Electricity Market.  The price of power goes up and down throughout day depending on the demand for electricity and availability of generation.  In these markets there is “predicted price” data available to power users so they can vary how much power they are using depending on upcoming price fluctuations.  By planning more usage when the price is lower the company can save money.

Companies must also be diligent in identifying electricity waste and understanding how the facility uses electricity. The best way to understand electricity use and identify waste is to install an “electricity monitoring” system.  These systems centralize data from power meters that feed electricity to the facility from the utility. They can also gather information from meters throughout the facility’s own power distribution system that feed power to equipment and machinery.

The result is timely data that is easy to access and provides visual and tabular information depicting the use of electricity.  These systems can not only identify waste, they can also reproduce the electricity bill (usually before you even receive one) and calculate carbon reductions due to energy efficiency and saving initiatives.

Additionally some of these systems have the ability to actually manage selected electricity loads in the facility and back off load when it is economically beneficial to do so.  This can result in significant savings by also reducing peak demand charges and waste kWh.

About the author:  A. Crossley is a staff writer for www.EnergyReporting.com , a website that provided information and news regarding energy efficiency, alternative energy, power generation, energy management and control.