Posts Tagged general

How Energy Efficient Is Your Office?

Sep 1

Posted by Ben Jerry in Energy | No Comments

The office may be among the largest users of energy in the home. Here are a few simple tips to help you be energy efficient in your office.

#1 Plug everything in the office into a power strip.

Computers, printers, recharging stations, radios or televisions and even your light fixtures can be connected to power strips. At the conclusion of each day or each working session, turn off your various electronics but also turn off the power strip.

This can conserve a significant amount of energy since many electronics continue using power even when they’ve been powered down. Turning off the power strip eliminates energy consumption when the electronics are not in use. And only turning on the item when you have to use it saves power too.

Additionally, some power strips are surge protectors, which offers the electronics protection against powerful electrical surges which can be caused by lightening and other factors.

#2 Passive Solar & Wind Power

Passive solar is the practice of using the sun’s energy passively For example, you can utilize the sun’s energy to heat the office in winter time by opening the drapes and letting the sun’s rays warm the office. In the summer you’d want to close the drapes to help your office stay cool.

The wind’s energy can also be used to cool your office in the summer by creating cross breezes. Keep the windows open on opposing sides of the office to produce a path for the air current to flow. As the air passes through the office it can help it remain cool.

Fans are also a great help although they generally run on electricity, they are more cost effective cooling methods than air conditioning which could cost more than $500 a summer.

#3 Active Solar

There are numerous office products on the market today that use solar cells to maximize the sun’s energy. You can purchase laptop bags with solar cells to power your laptop. You can buy solar recharging stations and recharge all your electronics. You can even purchase solar powered electronics.

Lastly, reorganizing your office for maximum ventilation will help it stay cool in the summer. If you have containers piled and furnishings sitting on vents there won’t be any way for the cool air to flow into in the office. Clean house and minimize clutter for optimum power savings.

There are many ways to be more energy efficient in your office. Use the power of the sun and the wind for heating and cooling and be smart about turning off and on your electronics whenever you will need them. Use only as much as you’ll need.

Want to find out more facts about solar energy, then visit Ben Jerry’s site on solar energy information.

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New Light Efficiency Standards And Energy Conservation

Aug 2

Posted by Chris Channing in Energy | No Comments

Saving on energy is beneficial for both the environment and the home owner paying the bills each month. There are new types of lighting to look at that will greatly aid the conservation efforts, as well as tactics in trying to keep the energy usage down. A noticeable decrease in your bill can be seen with some work.

LED lighting is the first thing to investigate. LED lighting uses much less power than conventional light bulbs. LED lighting can be just as bright, and can still light up a full room. They also come in a full rainbow of colors, shapes, and sizes. LED lights will last year upon year, so long as they are taken care of over this course of time.

If you need something for a large area, try fluorescent lights. These types of lights are what you see in virtually every business in America. They are cheap to buy, are inexpensive to run, and cover a large radius. The only problem is that installing them takes more cost upfront than what it would cost to put in an installation of incandescent lights.

There are some areas of the home that would do great with a dimming switch. These switches will simply act as a variable control that determines how much voltage the light will receive. Obviously, using lights on a low voltage will conserve energy. Use the dimmer option when you only need a little bit of light, and not a bright blast that burns energy. Dimmer switches should be installed by professionals.

Relax your dependency on air conditioning by installing a ceiling fan light. This lighting fixture can go in almost any room of the home and look great. It also gives every room access to air circulation, which is good for a number of reasons. Primarily, ceiling fans are sought after for their ability to lower heating costs. It is less expensive to operate a ceiling fan than it is to run an air conditioning unit. The installation costs might be steep, however.

You can purchase an energy monitor that tracks the household’s usage of energy. Find out when and where the bulk of the energy is being used, and see if you can cut down the usage. You can use these monitors to find all sorts of problems, some you might not have even been contributing to. Monitors can be expensive, and are better for large homes where tracking is harder.

Closing Comments

Spending money on high energy bills is frustrating, and the source of many arguments. Just go over your energy usage with your spouse or business partner to create a plan and put it into action. Consult Internet websites for more information on how to proceed in saving on energy.

Learn more on renewable energy and efficiency products study and green sustainability.

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