Looking for a more energy-efficient light bulb? Make it dimmer.
According to lighting experts, there are several ways to make a light bulb more efficient. More often than not, manufacturers resort to dimming the light bulb itself.
How did it all start? Regulators in California decided to mandate a 5 percent reduction in bulb wattage for incandescent bulbs, in order to help energy efficiency in the state. This happened a few years back, and since new bulbs hit the market ever since, the bulbs save energy by being dimmer. The new bulbs are each 5-watts less than the old, and keep your home a little darker at night.
A more efficient bulb does not have to be a darker one. Experts report that bulbs can be filled with different types of gases and advanced filament designs can also be used. In California, the bulbs seem only to be dimmer. A study by Ecos, a consulting firm and energy-efficiency program developer working for utilities and government agencies shows almost all of the new bulbs in California are on the low end of allowable brightness for each class of light-wattage. Many of the lights are even much dimmer... 10 percent more so than the models they replaced.
Does cutting back on bulb brightness set a bad example? According to this article, some analysts think so. Chris Calwel, a senior research fellow with Ecos, says "In general, efficiency advocates want to see no loss in the service delivered, so even a 5 percent reduction in lumens is unfortunate. It would be nice if a manufacturer would offer an improved incandescent product that legitimately matched the light output of today's incandescents and achieves all of its energy savings from higher efficiency."
For now, not that many people have been rushing out to buy brighter and high-wattaged bulbs since they've hit the market in 2008, according to manufacturers. However, they have in the past. GE has misled consumers in the early 90s, and settled the dispute with the F.T.C. The F.T.C. found that the packaging misled consumers, by not adequately disclosing the bulbs were dimmer than the bulbs they were to replace.
Sometimes, it's hard to tell what's right and wrong when it comes to conserving energy.
Should we ditch the dishwasher and wash our dishes by hand? Is it better to turn your computer off when not in use or leave it on all day? These can be tricky questions. We've compiled a list of our favorites from an article here.
Here's a list clarifying what's true and false regarding energy conservation:
When your appliance are off, no energy is used
False. Instead, un-plug your appliances or use a power strip. When appliances are turned off, a phenomenon known as "phantom load" occurs and energy is still slowly drained.
Fill your refrigerator with food to combat energy waste
True. A full fridge is a happy fridge. The more space used inside the fridge, the less work required to keep the temperature constant.
Ditch the dishwasher and handwash your dishes
False. Get this, handwashing dishes uses more energy than loading and running your dishwasher. To save water when dishwashing, scrape the plates clean but don't bother pre-rinsing by hand.
Fill your tank only half-way with gas True. The lighter your car, the better the fuel efficiency. If you have a lot of stuff in your car, ditch it. This will help with your gas mileage.
Buy a light colored car if you live somewhere warm
True. Darker vehicles suck in the heat, and lighter vehicles reflect. Robert Sinclair Jr. of AAA says, "It's one of those esoteric gas saving tips."
Move over "Cash for Clunkers." There's a new green-driven stimulus project offering a bonus to consumers nationally who buy a new energy-star rated appliance.
The goal of "Cash for Appliances" rebate program is to amp up homes by making them more energy efficient while stimulating the economy. The nationwide program (run state by state) comes at a juncture when the industry has seen a 15 percent drop in sales.
Steven Chu, Department of Energy Secretary says, "Appliances consume a huge amount of our electricity, so there's enormous potential to both save energy and save families money every month. These rebates will help families make the transition to more efficient purchases that will directly stimulate the economy and create jobs."
The program will be managed on the state level, meaning that each state is free to determine their own rebate amount and the specific Energy Star appliances chosen to be part of the program.
How much money can one expect? All states will set their own rebate amounts which add up to their share of the $300 million federal money allotted for the program. However, expect somewhere between $50 to $200 for each appliance, according to an About.com article.
What type of appliances count? The greatest saving potential comes from water heaters, household appliances, and heating and cooling equipment. Other Energy Star appliances may also include a rebate, depending on your state. These include heat pumps, air conditioners, clothing washers and dryers, refrigerators, boilers and furnaces (oil and gas).
Click here for the lowdown and here for a state-by-state breakdown outline the "Cash for Appliances" program.
Looking for a more energy-efficient light bulb? Make it dimmer.
According to lighting experts, there are several ways to make a light bulb more efficient. More often than not, manufacturers resort to dimming the light bulb itself.
How did it all start? Regulators in California decided to mandate a 5 percent reduction in bulb wattage for incandescent bulbs, in order to help energy efficiency in the state. This happened a few years back, and since new bulbs hit the market ever since, the bulbs save energy by being dimmer. The new bulbs are each 5-watts less than the old, and keep your home a little darker at night.
A more efficient bulb does not have to be a darker one. Experts report that bulbs can be filled with different types of gases and advanced filament designs can also be used. In California, the bulbs seem only to be dimmer. A study by Ecos, a consulting firm and energy-efficiency program developer working for utilities and government agencies shows almost all of the new bulbs in California are on the low end of allowable brightness for each class of light-wattage. Many of the lights are even much dimmer... 10 percent more so than the models they replaced.
Does cutting back on bulb brightness set a bad example? According to a New York Times article, some analysts think so. Chris Calwel, a senior research fellow with Ecos, says "In general, efficiency advocates want to see no loss in the service delivered, so even a 5 percent reduction in lumens is unfortunate. It would be nice if a manufacturer would offer an improved incandescent product that legitimately matched the light output of today's incandescents and achieves all of its energy savings from higher efficiency."
For now, not that many people have been rushing out to buy brighter and higher-wattaged bulbs since they've hit the market in 2008, according to manufacturers. However, they have in the past. GE has misled consumers in the early 90s, and settled the dispute with the F.T.C. The F.T.C. found that the packaging misled consumers, by not adequately disclosing the bulbs were dimmer than the bulbs they were to replace. Sound familiar?
Willing to freeze your buns off this winter to save money and the environment? You're not alone.
According to an article here, a crew of eco-friendly bloggers looking to save some cold, hard cash are pushing the idea of "furnace abstinence" by revisiting their pre-central heat roots by going cold turkey during the frigid months.
Yep, some frugal-minded folks are seeing how long they can go without turning on their furnaces. In fact, one competition in New Jersey offers an iceberg-shaped trophy to the one who braves the cold the longest.
Of course, old-school methods including space heaters, wood-burning stoves and fireplaces are allowed.
One blogger, known as the Crunchy Chicken, is taking a less hardcore approach to "furnace abstinence" by challenging her readers to "Freeze Yer Buns" by lowering their thermostat a few degrees this winter and ultimately using less fuel.
"Because of the economic situation, most everyone is tightening up their purse strings, plus heating costs (oil, natural gas and electricity) aren't exactly cheap, so you have even more incentive to hop on board the chapped cheeks express," Crunchy Chicken writes.
The federal Department of Energy estimates most households in the Northeast corridor that use heating oil will pay an average of $2,009 (up 3 percent over last year) in heating costs over the course of the winter, while those with electric heating should shell out $1,465 (down 1 percent).
Those with natural-gas furnaces will pay an average of $1,135, a 13 percent decrease compared with costs in 2008 thanks to a drop in natural gas prices.
Not willing to go cold turkey this winter? Save up to $175 on home heating oil here through Consumer United when signing up for MassEnergy.
Say "bye-bye" to the old-school way of measuring household energy usage. At least 18 million American homes will turn on the national switch of electronic "smart meters" that show customers how much their power use costs them at any given time, allowing them to adjust that use accordingly.
Armed with the new gadget, utility companies will be able to know when a meter is in need of repair. Also, the new meters eliminate the need for meter-readers and automatically notify energy providers when the power goes out.
With 18 million more smart meters, the nation's total will be up to 40 million, thanks to $400 thousand to $200 million dollars in stimulus grants according to the Department of Energy.
On Tuesday, 100 utility projects were named that will share $3.4 billion in federal stimulus funding. The goal? To lower energy use, make the electric power grid more robust and speed deployment of advanced technology, a Wall Street Journal article reports. President Obama firmly believes in automating utility substations and installing advanced digital meters throughout the U.S.
How will smart meters help the consumer? According to Department of Energy officials, they'll automate the energy consumption process. The new meters will instantly tell customers how much it costs to consume power at peak times - such as hot summer afternoons. And they will be able to interact with smart thermostats and other household devices to reduce power use automatically.
Also, advanced digital meters are slotted to handle the ups and downs of uneven bursts of energy from solar power systems or wind turbines, allowing greater efficiency of electricity.
In California and Texas, however, millions of smart meters have already been installed by utility companies. Will these states be penalized because they have advanced in smart meters before the stimulus grants were offered?
As the demand for electricity drops, so does the cost of consumers' energy bills. Energy consumption fell 1.6 percent in 2008, and 2.7 percent this year. The last time energy consumption fell two years in a row? 1949.
How has this happened? Americans are having a tough time finding jobs, so they keep their pockets full and spend less. Because of the ripple effect, retailers report declining sales ... 12 straight months to be exact. Manufacturers are making less products to sell. An Associated Press article reports, " Power consumption by the industrial and manufacturing companies that make everything from cars to cotton swabs has fallen faster than anywhere else- 10 percent this year by government estimates."
Who gets the shrunken electricity bill? It depends on where you live. Anywhere utilities are based on long term contracts and regulated markets will not benefit. Spot prices found in the Northeast, West, or Texas will see relief this season.
This break in electricity bills may not last forever. As the recession slowly recovers, the demand and cost of electricity will begin to rise once again. The cost of new plants and transmission lines to fix the aging U.S. power infrastructure will be a cost consumers and businesses will have to pay for.
Luckily, regardless of where you live, meteorologists predict a warm winter.
There's a push for energy-efficient lighting and, at various retail outlets across the country, the bulbs are gaining some traction in parking lots.
LED lighting is currently being tested in hopes to offer a stark new look to parking lots of retail stores and shopping malls in the U.S. Last year, Wal-Mart, DOE and 11 other major retailers began to collaborate on how to make LED lighting successful in various retail parking lots throughout the nation.
For example, if you pull into the Walmart parking lot in Leavenworth, Kansas, you will see it is currently in LED testing.
What are the benefits of LED lighting? An article in the NY Times reports the benefits. More than 40 retailers all part of Retailer Energy Alliance, a coalition working with the Energy Department to find ways to reduce energy through new technology. Many LED lights offer 50 percent energy savings and 80 percent less in maintenance costs, while reducing light "drift," which is light pollution that is carried into nearby neighborhoods.
The cons of LED lighting include the high cost of installation. The Retailer Energy Alliance, along with two other alliances, are working together on this issue, applying specifications to common energy applications.
Don Moseley, Wal-Mart's director of sustainable facilities comments on the high cost, "While that cost is an important decision, if all the other parameters prove true and the other savings are there, and we have a safe and secure shopping environment, at that point, then, we try to negotiate for volume purchase."
Looking for a more energy-efficient light bulb? Make it dimmer.
