What Else Are You Doing To Promote Energy Efficiency?

Everyone I talk to seems to have a good understanding of what we all need to do to get off foreign reliance for energy. That is the obvious solution. However how many of you are using energy saving methods to reduce our overall use of energy? While wearing one of my own hats as a Sr. Energy Consultant, I show neighbors, friends, relatives and potential clients simple easy to implement energy saving measures to reduce their use of energy. Simply it requires that people implement common sense conservation techniques that reduce your monthly bill for whatever energy source you presently use. The percent of savings that can be realized, depend largely upon your own present wastefulness of energy, through undisciplined practices to actual installation of devices to further reduce your monthly costs. Further it is the effort you are willing to put forth that largely determines what those savings will be.

Tags: applications, devices, energy, saving, techniques, tips

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Permalink Reply by James P Kissee on January 23, 2009 at 1:55pm: Mark, for my entire adult life I have hoped that this time would come, I hope it is in time to make a differance. The problem as I see it is that you and me need help in getting the word out on the cost effective up-grades that are available to the consumer. I have been an HVAC service technician for my entire career, consistantly asked how to make a building more energy efficient. This past year I have started a new business involving just these up-grades that you and I are advocating, from sealing up duct work to radiant barrier to insulating water heaters. You know, most people do not understand how a Heat Pump / Air Handler system works in heat mode and turn the system up more than a couple of degrees, which activates the heat strips and is very costly. If you have to increase the temperature on your system only go up one degree at a time keeping the very expensive heat strips (auxilliary heat) from coming on, making the heat with the refrigerant only, which is much more economical. I have entered a discussion in products and ideas category. Anyway I like what you said and hope to hear from you more. Thanks, Jim an Energy Conscious American Education is the key; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mark Hedtke on January 30, 2009 at 11:02am: James,
You are so right on the need for American's to finally stand united upon this issue. Yes it is past time and it will be up to people like yourself to speak up and help educate those we come in contact with to how to go about leading our lives in a more energy conscious manner and each make a difference one person at a time!
Thank you for your interest, your passion and your perseverence. It is time to make a difference. If you have an opportunity be sure to contact your local political officials to help sway their opinion to come on board as well to take a stand for humanity. Thanks again for your efforts.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by neil cox on January 30, 2009 at 11:37am: Hi James P Kissee: My heat pump is really perverse. When cold I turn it up until it just barely starts the compressor, otherwise the heat strips come on. Now I have to return to the thermostat every minute or two and turn it up one more degree, otherwise it satisfies without warming the house significantly. Typically it satisfies anyway, the first time I delay turning it up one degree for three minutes. Worse, the circulating fan usually stops the same instant as the compressor, because the duct air is not hot enough. The leaky ducts (that are accessible only by a midget) are at crawl space temperature when the thermostat turns the heat pump on about 4 minutes later. Does anyone make an adjustable thermostat that will let the heat pump run longer? Can I replace the tiny resistor inside the thermostat with one with more ohms? It is almost as wasteful in the air conditioning mode. Is that tiny resistor out of circuit when air conditioning? Neil; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Oscar on February 6, 2009 at 4:02pm: James can you tell us anything about the Ecocute system that Japan has invented. I understand that it is a compressor with CO2 (r477?) and exchanges to a hot water tank or heater. They claim high efficiency. Is the product coming to the US? Does it make cents to go that route?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Doc Miles on February 4, 2009 at 7:35am: Hi Mark,

Like you, I'm an ardent advocate for energy efficiency and believe that it is the very best first-step that _anyone_ can take to help control energy prices, reduce (but not eliminate) foreign energy dependencies, cut carbon (and all) emissions, and save money immediately.

Right now I'm working mostly on automotive fuel efficiency, but I try to run my home as efficiently as possible also. We do this without negative impact on our standard of living or comfort - and without spending a lot of money on new technology. The money savings are immediate and real - especially now as we struggle to figure out our personal and national economic woes.

I'm looking for groups that have energy efficiency themes, and would love to know if you have any resources like that you can share.

I know there are lots of people interested in "doing something", but since there is no "big money" in energy efficiency, it seems hard to organize and real effort. Perhaps the new President will provide some guidance to the nation about conserving energy.

If interested in reducing fuel consumption, even though gas prices are down (for now), please visit my website.

- Mike; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dr. F. A. Young, Esq. on February 5, 2009 at 2:06pm: Tell Your Senators to Get On Board: Pass Obama's Green Recovery Plan

President Obama and Congress are currently crafting an economic stimulus and recovery plan which could jump start an inclusive green economy and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs.

The House of Representatives just passed a bold and visionary green stimulus plan, including $500 million to train workers for green-collar jobs. But your Senators need a little nudge to get on board.

Please write to your Senators today. Tell them to pass President Obama's green stimulus, including $500 million for the Green Jobs Act. It's time to build a strong, green economy for America

Include the following in your letters and emails to your Senators:

As you consider the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, please support a stimulus package that jump starts an inclusive green economy, and creates hundreds of thousands of green jobs.

I urge you to fund the Green Jobs Act at $500 million, as President Obama's recovery package calls for.

There has been a lot of discussion about the promise of the green economy, yet there is only one authorized federal program designed to provide training for those who would work in green jobs: the Green Jobs Act.

The Green Jobs Act will help about 100,000 workers a year get trained and placed in jobs retrofitting and repowering the country, and has a special focus on creating "green pathways out of poverty."

It will invest in the skills of the people who will make the green economy work, especially those who are on the margins and at the smokestack end of the current dirty economy.

Until now, the Green Jobs Act has not been funded. But President Obama and the House of Representatives took bold leadership on greening the economy, and included $500 million in funding to train workers for green-collar jobs in the stimulus plan.

It's time to build a strong, green economy for America. Please support Obama's green stimulus, and fund the Green Jobs Act at $500 million.

Thank you.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Earl the Energy Explorer on February 5, 2009 at 3:40pm: Mark, I'm with you. I've been a believer in conservation for many years and have struggled to try to figure out how I could do some good in this area. Late last year a friend and I started a website - www.energyinfoforyou.com - hoping that we could provide "real" information, not just hype and phony claims. In our small way we hope to educate and motivate. Renewable energy is getting most of the attention (not to diminish the importance) but, conservation can have a huge impact and reduce foreign oil demand faster than expanding solar, wind and other technologies if enough people, companies, and organizations get behind this effort. I did a quick analysis comparing the potential effect of increasing renewable energy output versus reducing energy demand through conservation. It is an interesting result.

I commend the others that have posted here that feel the same way about conservation. We have to start somewhere.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mark Hedtke on February 5, 2009 at 7:47pm: Earl
Here is Tom Petersons site here on Pickens at http://push.pickensplan.com/group/seehousingforexistingnewhomes
you should have a great deal in common with him.
--Mark; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Auntie Tutu on April 2, 2009 at 5:55pm: Read the discussion in Alternative Energy called "Solar Power is Here NOW. USe it." LOTS of info, and I have lived in solar houses since 1997.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Luane Todd on July 9, 2009 at 9:48am: Thanks for the link to your website. I look forward to keeping up with what you are doing.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Auntie Tutu on April 2, 2009 at 5:53pm: In 1973 there was a terrific new book called "SOFT ENERGY PATHS" by Amory Lovins. Lovins now lives in CO in a completely self contained solar house with LOTS of conservation and solar efficiency.
I went to a three day seminar with Lovins in Massachusetts back then, and I remember this line that he repeated often: "If we are willing to go back to the dark ages level of electricity use of 1967, we can accomplish everything that we need with JUST CONSERVATION> .

Conservation is really important, and effective.

But it also helps to make your own power with PV panels---some of it if not all of it---and to change EVERY light source in your house to fluorescents.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by John T on July 9, 2009 at 8:50am: Energy efficiency is a major opportunity for everyone.

a) Savings can be realized as quick as you can screw in a lightbulb.
b) Require no permits, public opinions, hearings, legal battles, and in a lot of cases not even technology development.

Point in case.

I reduced my electric usage by 40%.

1) I started reading the meter myself and plotted the usage by week.
2) I installed ceiling fans in each room. Fortunately since it was a new house, I had ceiling fixtures prewired.
3) I have a coffee maker that preheats and holds hot water so that we can get a pot of coffee quickly (Bunn). I put a timer on it. It only heats the water in the morning, not all day.
4) Installed CFL's in about 10 places, those that we use most often. I did not bother with the other ones
5) With the ceiling fans on hot days we run the a/c with a setpoint of 78 versus 73 or 74 like before, and rarely need it to run at all at night.
6) I practice closing the blinds on the sunny side of the house during the daytime to block the sun. In the winter we do the opposite, let the sun in in the day, and close them during the night.
7) I taped all the seams in the ductwork. Fortunately I was able to access most of it. It was amazing how much air leakage there is in ducts.
8) We have a timer on a power strip that we plug in our computers and TV. This way there are no loads during the night. Often times we tend to forget to turn off the printer or other electronic devices, including the cable box.

There are other things we have done as well. I did all the above in about a week, and immediately saw a reduction in electric usage, and all it cost was a few rolls of duct tape, a few timers, and the ceiling fans.; ▶ Reply to This