The
Green
Scene
Energy-Efficiency Tips for Summer Driving
Plan your daily trips. Consolidate your errands like
shopping and banking to cut down on driving time and miles travelled.
Slow down. The faster a vehicle travels the more fuel it
burns. Maintain a steady speed when possible for maximum fuel economy.
Lighten your load. Get that junk out of your trunk. Extra
weight in your car or truck increases fuel consumption.
Use your A/C conservatively. Most auto air conditioners
have an economy or recirculation setting that reduces how much outside air
must be chilled. These settings reduce the a/c load on your engine and save
fuel.
Look for low fuel prices. Gas prices can vary as much as a dime
or more a gallon at different filling stations. But don’t waste gas driving
all over town to save a few pennies.
Do routine maintenance. Keeping tires inflated, moving
parts properly lubricated, and installing new air and fuel filters when
needed help ensure maximum fuel efficiency and extend the life of your
vehicle.
Source: American Automobile Association (AAA). For more
fuel saving and vehicle maintenance tips, visit: www.aaamidatlantic.com.
Reader Ideas for
Energy Efficiency
In January’s Green Scene, we asked
that our readers submit innovative energy-efficiency suggestions to share
with other readers of Cooperative Living. We received
a passel of good ideas, and they’re still coming in. With this issue, we
offer two of these ideas, provided to help you become more energy efficient.
Neely Lewis Watson of King George suggests the following:
“Make sure that your air-conditioning
units are leveled. Oftentimes, the ground they sit on is not level, and this
can compromise the units’ efficiency.”
And from Lyn Durrwachter of Louisa, we have this: “Two suggestions to save
energy are: 1) When using the electric oven, make sure you have several
things to bake. Once the oven is warm, bake them in succession at different
temperatures or together at the same temperature; 2) Also, turn the oven off
five minutes early, thus allowing the remaining heat to finish the baking.
This technique also applies to electric-stove cooking.”
Thanks to Neely and Lyn for their
energy-efficiency ideas, and thanks to all others who’ve submitted
suggestions. We’ll continue to publish our readers’ energy-efficiency
tips in coming issues, and the author of each published tip will receive a
special energy-efficiency gift. To submit an energy-efficiency idea, send
e-mail to [email protected] (write “Energy-Efficiency Innovations” in
the subject line) or visit www.co-opliving.com and go to Green Scene, or
write us at E.E. Innovations, P.O. Box 2340, Glen Allen, VA 23058-2340.
Turn Your Lawn Even
Greener This Season
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
maintaining formal landscapes and lawns requires much more water,
fertilizer, pesticides, mechanical equipment and just plain hard work than
natural landscapes or greenscapes. In fact, the average one-acre lawn costs
$700 and needs up to 40 hours or more of labor in maintenance each year.
This season, consider turning all or
part of your lawn into a greenscape. Plant groundcovers, native plants and
shrubs instead of lawn grasses. Going natural is good for the environment,
as properly mulched greenscapes require much less water. Plus, you reduce
the need for fertilizers and pesticides and will save on the gas and time
you would normally spend mowing.
For more information on the many
benefits of greenscaping, go online to
http://epa.gov/reg3esd1/garden/benefits.htm or consult your local Virginia
Cooperative Extension Service office or your local garden center. For more
information on growing greener grass, see pg. 24 of this issue.
Getting
Answers To Your Energy Questions
Energy is a hot topic today. The problem
is finding answers to your questions about energy that you can trust and
will help you save money by making your home and lifestyle more energy
efficient. Unfortunately, the media and the Internet are overloaded with
information that is too often unreliable, impracticable or biased. Before
you decide to build a windmill in your backyard or convert your car to run
on vegetable oil, consult sources with information you can trust.
1) Talk to the energy experts at your
local electric cooperative. Remember, your local co-op is a not-for-profit
utility whose only interest is providing its consumer members with reliable,
affordable energy and practical advice.
2) Take advantage of the free
information available at your local extension office. To find the office in
your community, look in your phone directory under Virginia Cooperative
Extension or go to www.ext.vt.edu.
3) Check out the Web site of your local
electric co-op and also the Web sites of the U.S. Department of Energy
(www.eere.energy.gov ) and the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and
Energy (www.dmme.state.va.us).
4) Get involved in helping assure that
America has a fair, balanced and sustainable energy policy that will provide
our nation the affordable energy we need now and in the future. Visit
www.ourenergy.coop to find out how you can express your opinion.
Turn Off The Dryer
& Put Your Laundry On Line
Up until 20 years ago, there were two
things most every home had: a TV antenna on the roof and a clothesline in
the backyard. While the rooftop antenna is gone — the victim of cable and
satellite television — the clothesline is making a comeback.
An electric clothes dryer can cost up to
$100 or more a year to operate. Plus, in the summer months, the heat a dryer
generates makes your air conditioner work harder and can boost your electric
bill even more.
Save money and be more environmentally
friendly by going “on line” and hanging your laundry outdoors to dry.
Not only will air-drying your clothes save energy, experts claim that your
clothes will last and look better longer, have fewer wrinkles and air-drying
eliminates static cling.
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Summer
Energy Saving Tips
Tune
Up
Have
your central air conditioner or heat pump checked for coolant leaks and
tuned for maximum efficiency. Keep coils clean and change filters monthly.
Ceiling and other fans circulate air and help cut down on air conditioning
costs. Make sure to set your ceiling fan blades to run counterclockwise in
summer.
Seal
Up
Summer
is the best time to get outdoors to caulk and seal windows and doors and add
insulation to your home for year-round energy savings.
Tighten
Up
In
the daytime, keep your house closed tight to keep out unwanted heat and
humidity. Only open windows at night. Close curtains and blinds, too, to
keep out hot sunlight.
Source:
Alliance to Save Energy. For more tips, visit www.ase.org
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Save
Energy While Away on Summer Vacation
 | Install
timers on a few selected lamps and light fixtures to discourage
burglars. Timers are inexpensive and can be purchased at most home
centers, hardware and discount stores. Save even more by using CFL bulbs
in all your lamps.
|
| If
you don’t have a programmable thermostat, manually set your
temperature higher. Unless you are going away for an extended period,
don’t turn off your central air conditioning. Keeping down the humidity level in your home will save energy in
the long run.
|
| Unplug
and power down TVs, DVD players, cell phone chargers, microwave ovens,
computers and any other electronic devices that use energy even when
they are turned off. If the
appliance or device has a digital clock or remote control, it is
probably a “phantom” energy user.
|
| Close
drapes and shades that allow sunlight and summer heat in.
|
| Turn
up the temperature setting on your refrigerator and turn down the
setting on your water heater. For extended vacations, consider turning
off your water heater at the breaker switch.
|
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Driving
Toward Energy Efficiency
With prices for regular gasoline already in the $3.50-per-gallon range and
predictions that prices could top $4 by this summer, all of us are looking
for ways to reduce our fuel consumption.
Many Americans are trading
in their gas-guzzling cars, pickups and SUVs for smaller, more
fuel-efficient vehicles. The sales of hybrid vehicles that use both gas and
battery power are expected to reach over 330,000 vehicles in 2008.
Through March of this year,
nearly 75,800 hybrid vehicles had been purchased in the U.S. Of these, over
54,000 were Toyotas. In fact, Toyota has sold nearly 43,000 Prius models and
over 21,000 hybrid models of its Camry sedan and Highlander SUV. The
largest-selling hybrid vehicle produced by a domestic automaker is the Ford
Escape Hybrid, with around 8,000 now on the road.
Automakers are working
diligently to perfect and introduce new technologies to increase gas mileage
or eliminate the need for fossil fuels altogether. These include fully
electric vehicles and vehicles that incorporate fuel cells and use hydrogen
for power. General Motors is in the final testing stages of a new
extended-range compact electric car powered by a lithium-ion battery dubbed
the Chevrolet Volt. GM says the Volt will be designed to use a common
110-volt household plug for recharging and could be driven up to 40 miles
each day. For longer trips, the Volt will include an onboard gasoline-
powered motor to recharge the battery.
The bottom line is that it
is doubtful we will ever see the return of cheap gasoline or diesel fuel.
Add to this the push to drastically reduce or even eliminate emissions from
vehicles, and it is safe to assume that what we or our children drive in the
future will definitely not be powered the same way as the cars and trucks we
drive today.
As most of us simply cannot
afford to immediately trade in our current vehicles for more fuel-efficient
models and much of the new promised technology is still a few years down the
road, there are ways we can all reduce our gasoline consumption, save money
and do our part to help protect the environment.
First, we can simply drive
less, and when we do drive, combine as many trips into one as possible.
During World War II when gas was rationed for civilians, there were posters
that asked, “Is This Trip Really Necessary?” Maybe we should ask
ourselves this question before we get behind the wheel.
Second, we can increase our
fuel efficiency by keeping our vehicles in top shape. The U.S. Department of
Energy offers the following tips on its Web site, www.fueleconomy.gov:
• Keep your engine properly tuned (fuel economy benefit: 4 percent)
• Check and replace air
filters regularly (fuel economy benefit: up to 10 percent)
• Keep tires properly inflated (fuel economy benefit: up to 3 percent)
• Use the recommended
grade of motor oil (fuel economy benefit: 1-2 percent)
Based on an assumed fuel
price of $3.23 per gallon, the DOE estimates these combined benefits could
add up to a savings of as much as 61 cents per gallon.
Using energy more
efficiently is no longer a choice, it is the way of life now and in our
future. As for me, I plan to dust off the old Schwinn in my tool shed this
summer and bike to the convenience store and around the neighborhood. Not
only will I save gas, I might drop a few pounds, which should help increase
the miles I get per gallon when I do get behind the wheel.
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Energy-saving tips
for water heaters
TURN DOWN THE TEMPERATURE - Most water
heaters are factory set at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Around your home, 120
degrees is adequate for most uses. Each 10-degree reduction can save 3-5
percent on your energy usage.
WRAP IT UP - Wrapping your water heater
with insulation can reduce energy used by 4-9 percent. Water heater blankets
are easy to install and available at many hardware, discount and home supply
stores.
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Put Your PC to Sleep
To save energy, configure your computer monitor and hard drive to turn off
after 20-30 minutes of inactivity. Whenever possible, turn off your PC,
monitor and printer. If you use a power strip, switch it off or unplug it
from the wall outlet.
Trade Up and Power Down
Today’s
PCs, monitors and printers can do much more but use much less energy
than older models. New Energy Star qualified models use up to 60% less
energy. When trading up, consider a notebook or laptop instead of a desktop
model or a flat panel LCD instead of a CRT monitor and enjoy even more
energy savings.
(Source: www.energystar.gov)
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Save
Energy the Natural Way: Plant Trees
Looking
for the ultimate and most natural way to save energy around your home?
Plant trees.
Not
only do trees beautify your landscape as the poet Joyce Kilmer wrote,
studies show that properly placed trees can cut your air conditioning costs
by 25% or more. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that
“the net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten
room-size air conditioners operating twenty hours a day.”
During
the hot summer months, roofs absorb solar energy, paved driveways and
sidewalks reflect heat, and windows let in hot sunlight.
Trees not only provide shade that absorbs the sun’s rays, they also
help reduce air temperatures around your home by releasing water vapor.
Saving
energy is only part of the benefit of trees. They also help the environment
by naturally converting the dreaded “greenhouse gas” carbon dioxide
(CO2) into oxygen.
The
type of trees you plant and where you plant them are the keys to maximum
energy savings.
Deciduous
trees such as maples, oaks, and birches provide the most shade. Plus,
because they drop their leaves in the fall, they allow sunlight to reach
your home and provide solar heating during the winter months.
According
to the U.S. Department of Energy, “to get a tree’s maximum cooling
benefit, you plant it centrally and to the south of the house, or in the
southwest corner. In this location, a deciduous tree will shade out hot
afternoon sun in the summer while still allowing light to warm the house in
the winter.”
When
planting a tree near your house, you need to consider how large and how tall
the tree will become as it matures.
Trees
should shade your house but not overhang it as during storms branches could
damage your roof or siding. You should also make sure
that as the tree grows, it will not affect electric and other utility lines
around your home or yard.
Before
planting any trees, the best advice is to do your homework. Find out what
types of trees are recommended for your area as the soils and climate
conditions can vary greatly across our state. Make sure you also get advice
as to the most advantageous locations and the recommended distance from your
home to plant a tree, too.
Visit
your local nurseries or garden centers or if you are not a do-it-yourselfer,
consult with a professional landscaper or arborist. Another excellent
resource is the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service. There is an
extension office in every county in the state and best of all, the
information they provide is free. To
contact your local office, look under Virginia Cooperative Extension in your
telephone directory or visit www.ext.vt.edu.
A
wealth of information is also available at www.arborday.org
, the web site of the National Arbor Day Foundation. The mission of the
Foundation is “to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.”
April
25 is Arbor Day throughout Virginia. Why not celebrate the occasion
by planting trees around your home? The
trees you plant will not just help save energy, they will make a lasting
contribution to improving the environment for everyone for many years to
come.
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