green money-savers

Five Green Devices Every Home Should Have

jplatt — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:44:18 -0400

You don't have to install huge solar panels on your home or drive a hybrid vehicle to go green. Sometimes, the best steps to take are the littlest ones. With that in mind, here are five green devices that should be in every home, all of which are easy to find, and none of which will break the bank.

1. A battery charger. Too many of our devices and tools still need batteries, which end up in landfills and leach toxic chemicals into the ground. Stop the cycle by making the switch to rechargeable batteries. They'll save you money, reduce your waste, and make a huge difference.

2. A solar-powered calculator. Why use batteries at all if you can choose a device that doesn't need them?

3. A solar-powered charger. For the devices that don't take your conventional AA batteries, try picking up a solar charger. You can use the device to charge your cell phone, MP3 player and other portable devices. Several are on the market, with prices starting under $100.

4. Solar-powered LED flashlights. These great new devices use both solar cells for power and low-energy LED bulbs to provide bright light. I picked one up at my local drug store last week for 15 bucks, and it's the best buy I've made in a long time.

5. An ENERGY STAR-qualified fill-in-the-blank. Just about any appliance you want to buy comes in two flavors: an energy hog, and an energy-efficient version. Look for that ENERGY STAR logo whenever you buy an appliance or piece of electronics. You'll use at least 25% less energy, which will save you plenty of green.

What other green devices do you think everyone should embrace? Post your ideas here.

Fridge Door Open Too Long? Sound the Alarm!

jplatt — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:21:51 -0400

Does anyone in your house have an annoying tendency to stand in front of the fridge with the door open? Do your kids or your husband spend long minutes searching through the refrigerator or the freezer, letting the cold air out and wasting electricity?

Well, there's a solution. Many new refrigerators (like this Frigidaire) come with "door ajar" alams. If the door is open too long, the alarm sounds a reminder to shut it. This keeps the interior of the fridge from warming up and saves you a lot of energy that you would need to cool it back down again.

Of course, not every fridge has this feature, and no matter how bad your family member(s) may be, you don't need to buy a new fridge just to get an alarm.

If your current fridge doesn't have a door ajar alarm, you can also buy a simple magnetic door or window alarm and attach it to your fridge. These can be set to go off instantly or a few seconds after the door opens.

If you're industrious, you can also build your own alarm circuit (method 1, method 2).

By the way, this is also a great tool for dieters! Set the alarm to its shortest time possible -- or set it to go off as soon as the door is opened!

Books vs. eBooks: Which Are Greener?

jplatt — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:39:56 -0400

Amazon.com has sold nearly 300,000 of its Kindle eBook readers since it introduced the device earlier this year. Rumors of a Kindle 2.0 release before year-end have been squashed, but that doesn't mean that the interest in electronic books is fading. If anything, it continues to grow and hit new markets.

But is an eBook really greener than a regular, paper book?

Let's examine some of the issues:

Books are printed on paper. Paper requires trees and extensive chemical processing. But paper can be recycled, and a paper book can be read more than once, by more than one person. The more times a book is read, the "greener" it becomes. (Libraries, gotta love 'em!)

Books are heavy. Paper weighs a lot, especially if we're talking about hardcover books, books printed on glossy paper (say, graphic novels), textbooks, etc. The more a book weighs, the more expensive (and less green) it is to deliver it to a retailer or to your mailbox.

eBooks need energy. Every time you read an electronic book, you need to use some electricity. This need will be minimized as electronic paper technologies improve, but no matter what, you can't search for, buy, deliver or read an eBook without the "e."

eBooks have no resale value. Once you've read a paper book, you can keep it, discard it or sell it. Some used books are barely worth 25 cents; others can become collectors' items and be worth a fair amount of change. Any time an object can be re-used or re-sold, it is greener than something that can not.

eBooks = eWaste. eBook reader technologies are still developing. Early adopters are going to end up trading in their devices for new ones, and that creates the possibility that the old devices will just create electronic waste.

What's the bottom line? It's still a decision that should be made by the individual reader. If you read books more than once, collect them, trade them, or just enjoy the feel of a paper book in your hand, traditional books are still the way to go. But if you read books once, don't want to worry about disposing of them, read a lot for business or school, and want to avoid shipping costs (include greenhouse gases), then an eBook reader might be the best thing ever.

D-Link Introduces Greener Wi-Fi

jplatt — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0400

When you're done using your PC, you turn it off, right?

But what about your wireless router? Do you turn that off, too?

If you're like most people (or businesses), you probably leave your Wi-Fi running 24-7. That can eat up some extra energy that you don't need to use.

D-Link has a solution that can save both energy and money. Their new line of energy-efficient Wi-Fi routers come with a program called Wi-Fi Scheduler, which allows uses to select certain times of the day when their router will shut down. According to D-Link, this can offer a power savings of between 31 and 41%, depending on which of their three new models you're using.

But this isn't the only green innovation in these new routers. They also automatically detect what links are being used, and adjust their power use accordingly. The devices are also manufactured according to RoHS and WEEE standards, meaning they contain fewer hazardous materials and are easier to recycle.

D-Link's new routers are available now from various retailers or directly through the company. The Xtreme N Gigabit Router (DIR-655) costs $149.99, the Xtreme N Gaming Router (DGL-4500) is priced at $239.99, and the Xtreme N Duo™ Media Router (DIR-855) costs $359.99.

Dell Introduces Its Greenest PC

jplatt — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:55:56 -0400

First announced back in May, Dell has now introduced what it calls its greenest desktop computer. The new Studio Hybrid is not only Dell's smallest-sized desktop, it's also its most energy-efficient. It uses 70% less power than "typical desktops," according to Dell, and meets EnergyStar 4.0 requirements for energy efficiency.

The device itself isn't the only green thing about the Studio Hybrid. It's packaged in 95% recyclable materials, and ships with 75% less printed documentation. You can order an optional exterior sleeve made out of bamboo (more sustainable than plastic, although it costs an extra $130!). The computer also comes with a recycling kit so you can be prepared when you replace it in a few years.

The Studio Hybrid doesn't come with many USB ports, but you can order an optional wireless keyboard and mouse for $50. (Just make sure you use rechargeable batteries in them.)

The base Studio Hybrid configuration starts at just $499 (monitor not included). More tricked-out systems run up to $1,329 or more, depending on what options you order.

The Studio Hybrid is available from Dell's web site now, and will be for sale at select retailers in the coming months.

Carry the Power of the Sun on Your Back

jplatt — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0400

Do you carry a lot of portable devices with you? Well now you can charge them on the go with the new solar backpack from gadget4all.com.

While solar backpacks aren't new, this latest model is priced at just $48 -- less than half the price of the Eclipse Solar Gear Laptop Backpack and one-fifth the price of the popular Voltaic Solar Backpack.

While the Eclipse and Voltaic models offer a few more bells and whistles, Gadget4all's device is no slouch, and comes at a better introductory price point. It comes with a 5.5V solar panel and has an output of 5.8V, allowing it to charge any small portable device such as a cell phone, MP3 player or GPS unit. On cloudy days, it can also be hooked up to a computer's USB port for additional charging capacity.

Worth a look for the road warrior or the student looking forward to the start of school in just six weeks.

Save Energy by Installing Motion-Sensitive Lighting

jplatt — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0400

Okay, you've installed CFL light bulbs in your house to save energy, but what's the next step for saving energy and saving money? How about installing motion sensors to automatically turn some of your lights on and off?

Motion sensors are a great solution for garages, hallways and other parts of your house that see a lot of "through" traffic. You can set them to turn a light on when someone walks into a room, then turn off on their own a few minutes later. No more worries about accidentally not turning off a light when you no longer need it!

The wide range of devices on the market offer you a long list of possible features and settings. Some motion sensors plug into a wall outlet, while some others are battery powered. Some control lights or other devices wirelessly, while other models allow you to you plug the device you want to control directly into them. No matter what you pick, a motion sensor should help you to reduce your energy costs while adding a degree of security that normal light switches don't provide.

And yes, motion sensors aren't just for lights. You can also use them to control radios, fans, or just about any other household electronics that don't need to be on 24/7.

Of course, motion sensors consume their own power, so there is a bit of a trade-off. Meanwhile, they cost at least $15, with models raning up to $50 and more, so you might not make that money back immediately. But in this day of rising energy prices, every little bit helps, right?

How to Recycle Your Old Cell Phone

jplatt — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:05:36 -0400

According to recent reports, there are more than 3 billion cell phone subscriptions worldwide. That's a lot of phones, and a lot of toxic waste when those little devices aren't disposed of properly. In the U.S. alone, less than 10% of old cell phone handsets are recycled, mostly because people don't know how to get rid of them.

So let's turn that trend around. Here are a number of quick and easy ways you can safely dispose of your old cell phones, which can help to keep tons of toxic chemicals out of our landfills:

1. Check with your retailer -- Many companies have buy-back or take-back programs when you buy a new cell phone to replace your old one. Check first, though, to make sure they will dispose of it in an environmentally responsible way.

2. Go to Best Buy or Staples -- These big-box retailers, like several other stores, have free or low-cost electronics recycling programs. Just bring your phone in and they'll do the rest.

3. Ask your local non-profits -- Many local organizations (like Lions and Rotary clubs) collect used cell phones and get a few dollars for every phone they collect. The phones get recycled or re-sold, and the funds the groups raise go back into their efforts in your local community. (Interested in starting a cell phone fund-raiser for your own non-profit? Here's one site than can help.)

4. Donate it to a national charity -- Quite a few national charities collect used cell phones, and also earn money just like the local groups above. Collective Good offers connections to dozens of national and international groups, including several environmental organizations.

5. Sell your old phone -- Just because it's old doesn't mean it won't still work for somoene else. Try cellforcash.com, which buys many makes and models.

6. Go online -- Here are a few more sites that will help you dispose of your phone with little or no cost to you:

http://www.recellular.com/recycling/

http://www.cellularchallenge.net/

http://recyclemycellphone.org/

http://www.eco-cell.org/

Five Green-Tech Ways to Use Less Paper

jplatt — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0400

Are you using too much paper in your job? According to reduce.org, the average office worker uses a shocking 10,000 pages of per ever year. Averaged out to 200 work days, that's 50 sheets of paper every single day!

But don't worry, there are several easy things you can do -- both as an individual and on a company level -- to reduce that pile of paper, which will improve your environmental footprint and save money.

1. Work digitally -- You don't always need to print things out. Share documents electronically and try using collaborative software like Google Docs.

2. Print to PDF -- Think before you print. Do you really need a paper copy of that web page? Or will a saved digital file work better? I use a free program called PDF Creator that uses the "print" feature in any of my programs to generate a PDF of any document.

3. Go Green -- Have your company install the enterprise version of GreenPrint World. This program (which costs $70 per user on your site, with volume discounts available) examines every print job and lets you decide what elements to print and which ones to skip (say, photographs, or the legal disclaimers at the bottom of a web page). It keeps track of how many pages you don't print, allowing you to "track your impact" (how much paper you have used, or how much ink you have saved) and monitor your overall printing habits.

(By the way, individuals can download a free version of GreenPrint World, so you don't necessarily have to wait for your company to do this for you.)

4. Print on both sides -- Many printers can automatically handle duplex printing, and you should be able to change your print defaults (either individually or system-wide) to always print documents on both sides of a piece of paper.

5. Kill the fax -- Why is this technology still in use? Electronic documents are more flexible, easier to send and easier to read than faxes. If you absolutely have to send or receive faxes, use an online service to get rid of your fax machine. You'll use less paper and less energy in the process.

Give these tips a try and see how quickly you cut your paper use. Even a 50% reduction saves 5,000 sheets a year, so what do you have to lose?

Save Water with a Smart Sprinkler

jplatt — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0400

Got lawn? If so, then you've probably started watering it already this season. But have you given much thought to your water bills, and how much water you are using?

One way to reduce your water consumption is with a new device called the Cyber-Rain XCI. This sprinker-control system hooks up to landscape watering systems, then wireless connects with the internet to check the day's weather. It adapts your lawn's daily watering schedule depending on the amount of heat, sun and rain you're expecting in your area.

Obviously, not having a lawn is more environmentally responsible than a big expanse of green that needs constant upkeep. But if you're going to have grass, you may as well do it wisely.

The Cyber-Rain XCI costs $349 for a unit that will control up to 8 watering zones. It comes with a USB wireless access point that you hook up to your computer. The device may not pay for itself in one season, but it will put you on the path toward a "greener" lawn.