The cheapest way to reduce electrical demand is by behavioral changes such as turning off lights and turning down thermostats in the winter. These are energy conservation measures and are the lowest-hanging fruit on the energy-saving tree. Although simple, they may be the most difficult to enact because they involve changing personal habits.
Huge amounts of energy can also be saved by weatherizing a home or business by installing weather stripping and caulking leaks, then beefing up the insulation in the roof and walls and under floors. Weatherization and insulation not only save money on heating oil and gas, they also cut electrical use in homes heated by fossil fuels by reducing the run time of furnaces and boilers. In the summer, these measures reduce the run time of ceiling fans, air conditioners and evaporative coolers, saving even more energy.
The next most cost effective way to cut demand is through energy efficient technologies, such as energy-efficient lights, washing
Fig. 4.2: Energy-Efficient Washing Machine. Energy-efficient appliances like this Frigidaire Gallery horizontal axis (frontloading) washing machine decrease the consumption of electricity and offer the best return on investment. When contemplating a renewable energy system, be sure to make your home as energy efficient as possible first.
machines, dishwashers, furnaces, air conditioners and new windows (Figure 4.2). Remember, though, that while all of these are vital to creating a more energy-efficient way of life or business, they’re the highest fruit on the energy-efficiency tree — and thus the most expensive.
One of the biggest big-ticket items is the refrigerator. Refrigerators may be responsible for a staggering 25 percent of electrical consumption in a home not heated or cooled electrically. If your refrigerator is more than ten years old and is in need of replacement, recycle it, and buy a new energy-efficient model. Whatever you do, don’t lug the old fridge out to the garage or take it down to the basement and use it to store an occasional case of beer. It will undermine your efforts to create an energy efficient household and rob you blind!
Waste can also be reduced by installing Energy Star qualified televisions and stereo equipment (Figure 4.3). And, of course, you can trim more fat from your energy bill by installing energy-efficient lighting, such as compact fluorescent lights.
Although efficiency has been the mantra of the energy advocates for many years, don’t discount its importance just because the advice is a bit threadbare. Few people, it turns out, have heeded the
Fig. 4.3: Energy Efficient Stereo with Energy Star Label. This label assures you that the product you’re looking at is one of the most energy efficient in its category.
calls for energy efficiency. And many who have may not have fully tapped the potential savings.
Those interested in learning more about making their homes energy efficient may want to read the chapters on energy conservation in Dan’s book, Green Home Improvement, which describes numerous projects to reduce energy use in homes and businesses.
For an up-to-date list of energy-efficient appliances, US readers can visit the EPA and DOE’s Energy Star website at energystar.gov. Click on appliances. Consumer Reports has an excellent online list of energy-efficient appliances, and it also rates them on reliability. Canadian readers can log on to oee.nrcan.gc.ca/energystar/english/consumers/index.cfm for a list of international Energy Star appliances.
