energy saving tips

[SunEagle]

My wife is getting sick of my energy conservation efforts I have reduced our electricity consumption by 35-40% without really changing the way we live. Still have the pool pump and AC to switch out which will save another 20% but it will have to wait until the equipment actually needs replacing.

Most people that decide to go off grid have no clue what it takes to reduce their electric consumption. My wife would also have an issue if I decided to reduce our AC consumption but again my electric bill is still around $200 per month which is not the biggest expense for me so if we consume more then so what.

[mjs020294]

My wife is getting sick of my energy conservation efforts I have reduced our electricity consumption by 35-40% without really changing the way we live. Still have the pool pump and AC to switch out which will save another 20% but it will have to wait until the equipment actually needs replacing.

[mjs020294]

If you have a swimming pool, the old single speed pool pump is probably going to be the single largest source of energy consumption in your house overall. Sure, your AC may consume more, but you probably don't run your AC 10 continuous hours a day in the summer or 4 continuous hours a day in the winter time like your pool pump. A 3 hp motor can easily consume 30kwh a day if you run the pump 10 hours..

If you have a salt generator on the pool turning the pump hours down and generator production up also saves you a few KWh a day. I used to run the salt generator at 40% (02/40/60/80/100% are the only options on mine) with the pump running 9 hours. The 1.5hp pump pulls 1.5KW and the salt generator uses less than 100watts. Kicking the generator up to 80% production and halving the pump running time keeps the pool just as clean but saves around 6KWh a day.

Also if you have a washing machine that lets you just spin cloths try doing an extra fast spin on towels and sheets after you have washed them. This will well under 0.1KWh of electricity but it should reduced the dryer time by 20-30% which usually saves well over 1KWh.

[SunEagle]

I would highly recommend installing an energy monitor. Mine actually paid for itself in the first 24 hours. Get your consumption as low as you realistically can before thinking about solar or other alternative energies.

Great suggestion.

[mjs020294]

I would HIGHLY recommend installing an energy monitor. Mine actually paid for itself in the first 24 hours. Get your consumption as low as you realistically can before thinking about solar or other alternative energies.

[hroldan]

Things that make my life better and save energy:


- More energy efficient devices (low energy consumption TV, laptop, etc). Some might be expensive at first, but they are worth it.
- Turn off everything you are not using, get rid of passive electricity consumption (stand by devices).
- Use LED lights all over the house.
- Properly painted house with efficient ventilation.

That means dark pain on places where you need heat, bright or reflective colors where you need fresh temperatures.

- Learn how and what windows to open for better air (cooling) circulation.
- Play with electric fan on specific windows to make the (hot or cold) air move as needed, or push it out of your house.

- Double roof. This can be achieved with plants or hollow roofs over your existing roof, it will provide shade to your roof, it can make your house cooler instantly. You can play with plants too.



AVOID INVERTERS, INSTEAD USE BOOST CONVERTERS. Yes. Take your time and research or measure yourself how much energy is wasted on an inverter just idling. Going from (example) 12V to 120V and then 7V, 9V, 12V etc is not efficient. Direct DC to DC lighting systems are far better you can solve it using boost converters.

[AmitBajpayee]

Hi,
There are some tips which can save energy.

According to the Department of Energy, a programmable thermostat can reduce your heating costs by up to 35% and cooling costs by up to 25%. If your home sits empty a good part of each day, consider investing in a programmable thermostat or manually adjust the temperature each time you leave and return home.
Close curtains on south- and west-facing windows during the day.
Plant tall, fast growth trees on the south side of your house.
Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house.
Replace standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

Unplug electronics, battery chargers and other equipment when not in use. Taken together, these small items can use as much power as your refrigerator. Televisions, cable television boxes, cell phone chargers and other electronics give off more waste heat than you might imagine. Unplug these items or consider purchasing power management devices to eliminate electric consumption entirely when not in use.

If you have a mechanical air filter or HEPA filter inside your heating and cooling system, have an air conditioning and heating technician replace the filter annually.

Allow air to circulate around your outside condenser unit. Fallen leaves may hinder the efficiency of the air conditioning unit so make it a habit to clear your air conditioning units with fallen shrubs. This means pruning any nearby hedges and keeping the grass mowed. Treat the area for fire ants, as needed. Ants commonly build mounds inside condensers and can cause your air conditioning to shut down.
Mod note - links are generally not allowed

Thanks for the useful tips. These tips will definitely help saving energy. We conduct awareness sessions sponsored by Agni Solar Systems Pvt Ltd every month at different places and promote utilization of solar energy which is clean and green.

[bcroe]

I would think that a true evaporative solar clothes dryer would be a more cost effective method
than using low entropy and expensive electricity for such a simple task as drying clothes.
Matching the energy source to the task as much as possible gives a head start to the
conservation game. At least use natural gas. Drying clothes with electricity is like killing flies
with a howitzer.

Isn't this thread a bit old to be posting to ?

Seems like, we had the conversation about not venting a clothes dryer some time back, with the
conclusion it did not actually work. Now this unit has gone and done it. My own complaint was
that so much hot air went out the vent, much of it when not even running. Bruce Roe

[camilo]

invasive species are rarely the answer...

clumping bamboo is not invasive.

[ButchDeal]

If you don't mind the rubbish, plant some clumping bamboo!! grows very, very fast, sounds nice when it's windy, and can grow VERY tall.

invasive species are rarely the answer...

[camilo]

If you don't mind the rubbish, plant some clumping bamboo!! grows very, very fast, sounds nice when it's windy, and can grow VERY tall.

[J.P.M.]

Saving energy is one of the most important things for me and my husband. We have made decision a few years ago to buy only energy-efficient products in order to cut some costs, but also to protect our environment. We started with this condensation dryer mostly because it`s energy star qualified: https://www.appliancesconnection.com...tg86401uc.html I didn`t even know that greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants is caused mostly by the inefficient use of energy. Living a eco-friendly lifestyle has to start with ourselves and it doesn`t matter if we start with the some basic habits such as turning the water off when brushing teeth, shaving or washing hands. Good advice is also to unplug unused electronics.

I would think that a true evaporative solar clothes dryer would be a more cost effective method than using low entropy and expensive electricity for such a simple task as drying clothes. Matching the energy source to the task as much as possible gives a head start to the conservation game. At least use natural gas. Drying clothes with electricity is like killing flies with a howitzer.

Isn't this thread a bit old to be posting to ?

Saving energy is one of the most important things for me and my husband. We have made decision a few years ago to buy only energy-efficient products in order to cut some costs, but also to protect our environment. We started with this condensation dryer mostly because it`s energy star qualified: https://www.appliancesconnection.com...tg86401uc.html I didn`t even know that greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants is caused mostly by the inefficient use of energy. Living a eco-friendly lifestyle has to start with ourselves and it doesn`t matter if we start with the some basic habits such as turning the water off when brushing teeth, shaving or washing hands. Good advice is also to unplug unused electronics.

[inetdog]

As the Red Queen said to Alice:

Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow, never jam today.

[russ]

Is that what they put into a GEL battery?
I always wondered about that!

I thought everyone knew that! Didn't you see the alternatives when buying? Raspberry, cherry etc?