Reducing Energy Consumption In A home The cry to protect the environment through minimizing energy consumption is not an old one. Since the effects of global warming have come to the fore, the global community has been in a constant search for alternative energy sources that will reduce the ill effects of the usage of non-renewable energy sources. Although it might be argued that it will take huge reduction in energy consumption to reduce its negative impact on the global environment, it should be understood that minimizing the energy consumption in households will prove to be beneficial not only to the environment but in many other aspects too. Unfortunately, misuse and wastage of energy, especially electrical energy is common in Indian households. The main cause of such wastage is neglect and carelessness. People have no idea how even mere wastage of energy in every household, when computed, amounts to a huge loss of electrical energy which –apart from damaging the environment- results in shortages in power supply. Following are some tips to minimize the consumption of energy, which, if followed, can have a significant positive impact on the environment as well as the expenditure of each household. Awareness The most important step to be taken to reduce the energy consumption is creating awareness about the wastage and misuse of electrical energy. Citizens should be made aware of the fact as to how great a role they can play in reducing environmental pollution by reducing energy consumption in their respective homes. Assessment of energy usageIn order to curb the wastage of energy and minimize its usage, an energy audit must be carried out in each home. Energy audit means analyzing the number of electrical appliances and the amount of energy they use. Energy audit helps in determining where the usage can be minimized and wastage avoided. An energy audit can be done through the following steps:1. Identifying all the energy-based appliances. 2. Determining the amount of energy used by them. 3. Identifying the extent of their requirement in the household 4. Determining the amount of energy consumed by each appliance. 5. Determining unwanted appliances or sources that consume excessive energy. 6. Removing or replacing sources of excessive energy. Installing a source of renewable energyWith the advent of sources of renewable energy such as wind and Solar or wind plant (small), the world has finally found a worthwhile solution to reduce the dependence on traditional energy sources. The advancement in technology has also removed the doubts that surrounded the solar and wind energy generation. With better and cheaper equipment, generating energy through the wind and solar power is now considered a better and dependable option than before. Cleaning and maintenance of electrical appliancesRegular cleaning and maintenance of electrical appliances saves a tremendous amount of energy and thus results in better functioning and extended life of the equipment. Regular cleaning reduces the amount of energy an appliance uses to function. Energy conservation is the practice of reducing the use of energy. Individual consumers can do numerous things to conserve energy and reduce home energy costs. Adopting just a few of these strategies can make a measurable difference in your overall energy usage, and the energy demands of the planet. Easy Energy-Saving Habits1.Unplug·Unplug seldom-used appliances, like an extra refrigerator in the basement or garage that contains just a few items. Unplug your chargers when you’re not charging. Every house is full of little plastic power supplies to charge cell phones, PDA’s, digital cameras, cordless tools and other personal gadgets. Keep them unplugged until you need them. ·Use power strips to switch off televisions, home theater equipment, and stereos when you’re not using them. Even when you think these products are off, together, their “standby” consumption can be equivalent to that of a 75 or 100 watt light bulb running continuously. 2.Set Computers to Sleep and Hibernate·Enable the “sleep mode” feature on your computer, allowing it to use less power during periods of inactivity. In Windows, the power management settings are found on your control panel. Mac users, look for energy saving settings under system preferences in the apple menu. ·Configure your computer to “hibernate” automatically after 30 minutes or so of inactivity. The “hibernate mode” turns the computer off in a way that doesn’t require you to reload everything when you switch it back on. Allowing your computer to hibernate saves energy and is more time-efficient than shutting down and restarting your computer from scratch. When you’re done for the day, shut down. 3.Take Control of Temperature·Use sunlight wisely. Leave shades and blinds open on sunny days, but close them at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows. Close shades and blinds during the summer or when the air conditioner is in use or will be in use later during the day. 4.Use Appliances Efficiently·Set your refrigerator temperature at 38 to 42 degrees Fahrenheit; your freezer should be set between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Use the power-save switch if your fridge has one, and make sure the door seals tightly. You can check this by making sure that a dollar bill closed in between the door gaskets is difficult to pull out. If it slides easily between the gaskets, replace them. Don’t preheat or “peek” inside the oven more than necessary. Check the seal on the oven door, and use a microwave oven for cooking or reheating small items. Wash only full loads in your dishwasher, using short cycles for all but the dirtiest dishes. This saves water and the energy used to pump and heat it. Air-drying, if you have the time, can also reduce energy use. ·In the washing machine, set the appropriate water level for the size of the load; wash in cold water when practical, and always rinse in cold. Clean the lint filter in the dryer after each use. Dry heavy and light fabrics separately and don’t add wet items to a load that’s already partly dry. If available, use the moisture sensor setting. ·A clothesline is the most energy-efficient clothes dryer of all. 5.Turn Out the Lights·Don’t forget to flick the switch when you leave a room. ·Remember this at the office, too. Turn out or dim the lights in unused conference rooms, and when you step out for lunch. Work by daylight when possible. A typical commercial building uses more energy for lighting than anything else. Choose natural gas for furnaces, water heaters, stoves, and clothes dryers. Natural gas is significantly more efficient than electricity derived from fossil fuel sources, for heating purposes. An efficient way to use electricity for heating is with a heat pump. Try to use natural ventilation and only use your heater when temperatures drop below 20°C(68°F), and try to only use cooling devices when temperatures get above 26°C(78°F). Heat less space: Choose a smaller home and avoid unnecessarily high ceilings to reduce the volume of space your heating/cooling system will have to heat/cool. ·Heat water efficiently: Turn down the temperature on your water heater to 120°F/49°C and drain the silt occasionally with a water hose. Replace your water heater with a heat pump water heater, which is generally 200% or more efficient, compared to regular electric water heaters which are always less than 100% efficient. Replace your water heater with a gas tankless water heater, which heats water on demand rather than storing heated water. Consider solar water heating options as they are more suitable in regions like Hyderabad. “Reuse” heat: Leave hot water in the bathtub or in cooking pots instead of draining it immediately. This allows the water’s stored heat to dissipate into your home rather than being lost down the drain. Reduce cooling costs ·Many of the steps you can take to reduce heating costs, such as insulating and sealing your home, will also reduce air conditioning costs. ·Use fans instead of air conditioning (Fans make the air feel about 4 degrees cooler). ·Turn fans off when no one is directly in the air stream of the fan. Fans do not actually cool the air; they help your skin to evaporate water more quickly, which cools you. ·If you have more than two window air conditioners, it is usually more energy-efficient to install a central air conditioner. ·Pay attention to efficiency ratings when looking for a new air conditioner. ·Size your system properly. Calculate the heat loads. ·If you have a portable air conditioner, be sure that it is vented outside. If it is vented inside, you are actually heating your home. ·In geographic areas where summer night-time temperatures fall below 75°F/24°C, open windows and use window fans to pull cool outside air into your home. Depending on the layout of your home, it may be best to only open certain windows and position fans so outside air is pulled in on one side of the house and interior air is pushed out on the other side of the house. It may be a wise choice to install a whole-house fan (if in a sufficiently dry climate), which pulls air through your home and pushes it out through your attic. ·Install awnings over windows and close window blinds or curtains to keep direct sunlight out. ·Plant trees near your home. Choose locations that will shade your house during the afternoon. Even trees not directly shading your home will reduce local air temperatures. ·Keep closet doors closed. This can save you up to 5% in heating/cooling and air costs alone. ·When possible avoid adding heat to your home, by eating cold foods or cooking outside on your grill, solar oven, or earth oven, by line drying instead of using a dryer, etc… Reduce lighting costs ·Take advantage of sunlight and leave lights off during the day. ·Use compact fluorescent light bulbs in place of conventional incandescent light bulbs. A CFL uses approximately one-fourth the wattage of an incandescent bulb producing a similar level of illumination, and they last 8,000 to 10,000 hours. Replace your most-used bulbs first for maximum savings. ·Install motion-detection switches or timers for outdoor lighting rather than leaving lights on all night. ·Don’t use excessive holiday lighting. ·Dust light bulbs occasionally (with the power off) to increase light levels. ·Use limited, focused lighting when performing a task in a small area instead of lighting the entire room. ·Choose light fixtures that require fewer bulbs, or unscrew some of the bulbs in existing fixtures. Reduce water usage Install water-saving shower heads, faucets, and taps. Fix leaky pipes and plumbing fixtures in your home’s plumbing system. Toilet tank leaks are easily detected by adding a few drops of food coloring to the water reservoir. If the water in the toilet bowl becomes dyed, water is leaking from the tank and the valve should be repaired or replaced. Take showers instead of baths. Take shorter showers. Install a water softener if your water is “hard”. Water outdoor plants early in the morning or late in the evening to reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation. Mulch plants heavily to prevent weed growth (that would use up water) and water evaporation. Invest in a water barrel – use for watering plants, washing the car. Reduce household waste Do not purchase products with excessive or unnecessary packaging. Purchase products in the largest size practical so as to reduce the product packaging ratio. However, do not purchase products in larger quantities than you will actually use, and be aware that having a larger quantity on hand may cause you to use more of the product than you would have ordinarily used. Use and reuse gift bags in place of gift wraps. Bring your own bags or boxes along when shopping to carry your purchases home. Put off purchases whenever possible. You will often find that you didn’t really need the item. Use rechargeable batteries instead of conventional batteries. Compost food-waste instead of throwing it in the garbage. Reduce electricity usage ·Turn off all electric appliances (lights, computers, televisions) when they are not in use. Computer printers and photocopiers are typically high energy users. ·Change a CRT TV with an LCD model of equivalent size. ·Reduce miscellaneous electric use from power adapters and electronics in standby mode by plugging them into a power strip that can be switched off. ·Purchase a laptop and use it as a replacement for your desktop computer. Most laptops are optimized for energy efficiency and don’t need an uninterruptible power supply, since the battery can be used during thunderstorms and the like. ·Use products with the Energy Star logo (or similar). In particular, recycling and replacing old refrigerators with an Energy Star-approved one can save a few hundred kilowatt-hours a year. Replacing old refrigeration and air conditioning units (even if they are still functional) with more efficient ones is often an economically and ecologically sound decision. ·Consider installing and using a clothes line for drying clothes. Each load not dried in an electric dryer saves 3 to 5 kilowatt hours. ·Unplug appliances that will not be used for an extended period of time; many devices, especially consumer electronics, use a small amount of electricity even when they are switched off, due to indicator lights or listening for remote-control signals. Direct current converters, which are typically used to connect small consumer electronics devices to household power, lose a significant amount of energy as heat, even when the device is not plugged into the converter. ·Your refrigerator is probably among the biggest energy users in the home. Take special care to operate it efficiently: ·Clean the condenser coils on your refrigerator to keep them operating efficiently. ·Reduce the number of trips you make to the refrigerator/freezer and do not leave the door open unnecessarily. ·Refrigerator/freezer configuration affects the unit’s efficiency. Bottom-freezer models are generally most efficient. Top-freezers (the most common configuration) are reasonably efficient. Side-by-side models are relatively inefficient. Chest freezers are generally more efficient than conventional front-opening models. ·Small refrigerators are often less efficient than larger models because they usually have less insulation or a less-efficient compressor. ·Keep your refrigerator/freezer reasonably well stocked so that less cold air is lost when the door is opened. ·Cover beverages and moist foods to keep the humidity level in the refrigerator lower. Dry air is easier to cool. ·Keep your refrigerator’s temperature above 36°F/2°C and below 42°F/5.5°C. Keep your freezer’s temperature at about 0°F/-18°C. A good gauge of freezer temperature is ice cream. If the ice cream is too soft, lower the temperature; if it is very hard and difficult to spoon, raise the temperature. ·As an alternative to using your refrigerator, consider storing less-frequently used foods in a cold-store room or cellar. When cooking: ·Turn off your electric oven or stove shortly before the end of the required cooking time; the heating element will still be hot enough to finish the cooking process. ·Cover pots to reduce heat loss. ·Do not heat a small pot on a large burner. Other conservation tips There are many ways to conserve energy that will not economically benefit the consumer directly. However, many of these methods improve overall efficiency of the economy, which can lead to economic growth and environmental preservation. Rent or borrow items you will not use very often. This eliminates the significant amount of energy that goes into the manufacture and disposal of an additional item. Use “disposable” items (such as paper and plastic dishware and cutlery, or disposable cameras) sparingly. Opt instead for the reusable versions. At public restrooms, use electric hand dryers (if available) instead of paper towels. The energy needed to heat and blow air at your hands is far less than the energy needed to make and transport paper towels and haul waste away. Use a digital camera in place of a conventional film camera and get prints of only the best photographs. Use a printing service rather than purchasing your own photo printer. Use toilet paper, paper towels, and other products made of recycled materials. Make an effort to defer electricity usage to off-peak hours. Reducing usage during peak hours (usually mid-afternoon to early evening on hot days) helps prevent the construction of additional power plants that would be required to keep up with demand during peak hours. ·If you plan to use air conditioning, cool your house early in the day and turn it off around noon, allowing the house to warm up throughout the afternoon. ·Do laundry early in the morning or late at night. ·Eat a “cold” non-cooked meal (sandwiches, fruit, etc.) or cook outside for lunch. This saves the electricity needed for cooking and/or the electricity needed by the air conditioner to cool the heated air. Minimizing the energy consumption may seem an effort with minimal affects, however, it plays a huge role in the preservation of the environment. Minimizing energy consumption not only protects the environment but also saves the individual his or her money. Furthermore, it helps the economy thrive, as the minimized usage will mean lesser production of power. A general awareness is needed to be created among the public to effectively reduce the wastage of resources, especially electrical power. If every household resolves to minimize the consumption of energy, it will create a considerable difference to the environment and economy of the nation.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 07:36:52 +0000
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