We have so many sources of energy: petroleum, natural gas, coal, nuclear, or renewable energy like solar and wind energy. Most of the energy is used for electricity, transportation, industrial, or commercial.
Electricity generation is the second biggest polluter after transportation. Annual carbondioxide emissions from making electricity is 2.345 million metric tons.
Electricity usage is also a polluter. Average annual carbon output for the power used in a two-person home: 16,290 pounds
In addition to the pollution, electricity is also costly.
• Average home’s annual energy cost: $1,900
• Average price for electricity; 10.65 cents per kilowatt-hour
Kilowatt hour: the basic unit for measuring power usage. A 100 watt lightbulb left on for one hour would draw 0.1 kilowatt-hour.
We have to start to save the usage of electricity. Saving a few watts here and there may not seem like much but small savings will add up if everybody does the same thing. The great thing about cutting your home’s power use is that you don’t have to do much anything. Here are simple things that we can do to save the energy:
1. Warm up the fridge:
In United States, there is an agency called Energy-Star. It is a government agency that certifies appliances and rate its energy-efficient level.
Energy star recommends setting your fridge thermostat to between 35 and 38 F and your freezer to 0. Setting them lower offers no benefits for your food and uses more power. To check the temp, place a thermometer in a glass of water in the middle of a fridge and read it after 24 hours with the door closed.
2. Cool down the hot water:
Some manufacturers set electric hot-water-heater thermostats to 140 at the factory. But you can save between 6 and 10 percent on your hot-water energy costs by cranking the dial back to 120. Your showers remain hot – just add less cold water to the mix. And don’t forget to turn off the water heater if you’re heading out of town for more than a day or two.
3. Put the PC to sleep:
Because a computer needs a surge of power to start up, the Department of Energy recommends shutting it down only if you’re going to be away from it for more than two hours. You should, however, user your computer and monitor’s sleep mode, which can cut power by 70 to 90 percent and doesn’t require a full reboot.
4. Change your lightbulb
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that lighting makes up 20 percent of the average home’s electrical bill. You can make huge impact simply by using energy efficient products. The key is knowing what to replace and when. Saving on lighting is all about using the right bulbs.
Comparison:
Incandescent bulb
Initial cost: less than $1
Average life span: 1000 hours
Cost to operate one year: $17.52 (60-watt)
Drawback: Incandescents use only 10 percent of their energy for light; the rest is heat, so they’re inefficient compared with other modern lighting technologies. They also have short lives.
Compact fluorescent
Initial cost: $2 to $3
Average life span: 8000 hours
Cost to operate one year: $3.83 (13-watt)
A 13-watt CFL produces 800 lumens of light, about the same brightness as a 60-watt incandescent, and it lasts about eight times as long.
So my fellow toastmaster, start saving the energy, start from small things and start from now.
--
[Source: Popsci Genius Guide, July 2009 edition]
Electricity generation is the second biggest polluter after transportation. Annual carbondioxide emissions from making electricity is 2.345 million metric tons.
Electricity usage is also a polluter. Average annual carbon output for the power used in a two-person home: 16,290 pounds
In addition to the pollution, electricity is also costly.
• Average home’s annual energy cost: $1,900
• Average price for electricity; 10.65 cents per kilowatt-hour
Kilowatt hour: the basic unit for measuring power usage. A 100 watt lightbulb left on for one hour would draw 0.1 kilowatt-hour.
We have to start to save the usage of electricity. Saving a few watts here and there may not seem like much but small savings will add up if everybody does the same thing. The great thing about cutting your home’s power use is that you don’t have to do much anything. Here are simple things that we can do to save the energy:
1. Warm up the fridge:
In United States, there is an agency called Energy-Star. It is a government agency that certifies appliances and rate its energy-efficient level.
Energy star recommends setting your fridge thermostat to between 35 and 38 F and your freezer to 0. Setting them lower offers no benefits for your food and uses more power. To check the temp, place a thermometer in a glass of water in the middle of a fridge and read it after 24 hours with the door closed.
2. Cool down the hot water:
Some manufacturers set electric hot-water-heater thermostats to 140 at the factory. But you can save between 6 and 10 percent on your hot-water energy costs by cranking the dial back to 120. Your showers remain hot – just add less cold water to the mix. And don’t forget to turn off the water heater if you’re heading out of town for more than a day or two.
3. Put the PC to sleep:
Because a computer needs a surge of power to start up, the Department of Energy recommends shutting it down only if you’re going to be away from it for more than two hours. You should, however, user your computer and monitor’s sleep mode, which can cut power by 70 to 90 percent and doesn’t require a full reboot.
4. Change your lightbulb
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that lighting makes up 20 percent of the average home’s electrical bill. You can make huge impact simply by using energy efficient products. The key is knowing what to replace and when. Saving on lighting is all about using the right bulbs.
Comparison:Incandescent bulb
Initial cost: less than $1
Average life span: 1000 hours
Cost to operate one year: $17.52 (60-watt)
Drawback: Incandescents use only 10 percent of their energy for light; the rest is heat, so they’re inefficient compared with other modern lighting technologies. They also have short lives.
Compact fluorescent
Initial cost: $2 to $3
Average life span: 8000 hours
Cost to operate one year: $3.83 (13-watt)
A 13-watt CFL produces 800 lumens of light, about the same brightness as a 60-watt incandescent, and it lasts about eight times as long.
So my fellow toastmaster, start saving the energy, start from small things and start from now.
--
[Source: Popsci Genius Guide, July 2009 edition]
(c) created by MZ
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