energy

The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved

thegreenconnoisseur — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:10:23 -0400

Sandor Ellix Katz could be called a god, a guru, and a great teacher, but he's so modest he'd never admit to anything other than being a fermentation fetishist. What Sandor wants you to know, though, is that fermentation is at the heart of human consumption... (To see this full story follow our blog link on our webpage! http://thegreenconnoisseur.com )

Save Energy by Charging Devices Through Your Computer

jplatt — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0400

How many devices do you have on your person or on your desk right now? Sitting in front of me today, I've got my cell phone, camera, and iPod -- plus all of their respective chargers. I chage most of them by plugging them into wall sockets, but a new study says that might not be the most efficient use of energy.

It turns out that most of our external AC/DC power supplies are only 30-40% efficient. While a device is charging, 60-70% of the energy is wasted -- leaked out of the power cord instead of going into charging our electronics.

A solution? Charge your device through your computer. According to the 1394 Trade Association, using FireWire cables or USB cables to charge your devices are not only 85% efficient, they are also often faster.

Of the two, USB cables are much slower -- FireWire is 18 times faster, according to the 1394 TA (which is, after all, the industry trade group for FireWire).

Of course, out of all of my portable devices, none come with FireWire cables and only two (my iPod and my camera) come with USB cables capable of charging the gizmos. But if I had more of the right cables, and especially if the manufacturers supplied me with them, I'd be more inclined to charge everything while I'm working on the computer.

Will this work for you? Your mileage may vary, but still, it's something to consider as you're going about your day and as you're buying new electronics.

PepsiCo Introduces Greener Vending Machines

jplatt — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0400

Soda giant PepsiCo announced recently that it will soon deploy a small number of “green” vending machines that will "significantly cut pollution compared to standard vending machines."

The new machines -- which employ Greenpeace's Greenfreeze technology -- not only require 15% less energy than traditional vending machines, they do not use fluorocarbons or "F-gases," "greenhouse gases hundreds to thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide that are one of the major causes of global warming and are currently used in almost all U.S. refrigerators and air conditioners."

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, F-gases are currently responsible for 17 percent of global warming.

Now, Pepsi is only introducing 30 of these machines to start, since the Greenfreeze technology doesn't yet have EPA approval. But they do hope to roll them out around the world, where the company has a between 4 and 5 million vending machines and coolers.

You can read more about PepsiCo's environmental sustainability initiatives here.

Don't Forget Earth Hour This Weekend!

jplatt — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:00:00 -0400

Who knew the brightest idea in fighting climate change was sitting in the dark?

This weekend, people around the world will turn off their lights for one hour to show their support in the fight against climate change.

The Earth Hour event takes place this Saturday, March 28th. Everyone who signs up is encouraged to turn off every light in their homes from 8:30-9:30 pm (that's your local time).

Earth Hour started two years ago, when 2.2 million people participated. This year, sponsor WWF is trying to take it to the next level, with a goal of 1 billion participants in 1,000 cities. So far, they have signed up more than 1,100 cities in 80 countries.

Time is running out, but there's still time to sign up for this year's event, so go ahead and send a message about our impact on the planet and fight climate change!

Check Out the Latest Solio Solar Chargers

jplatt — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Every once in a while, a new device comes along that instantly grabs peoples' attention. That's the case with the Solio line of solar-powered device chargers. These great little tools allow you to use the power of the sun to charge just about any cell phone, MP3 player, game player, GPS unit, or other small electronic device.

Solio's line of chargers are actually "hybrids" -- you can use their built-in solar panels, or plug them into a wall socket to fully charge them. Then, plug the Solio into any device to charge it on the go.

According to Solio, one hour of sunlight translates to 20 minutes of talk time or 50 minutes of music (depending on the device, or the quality of the sunlight).

There are three main Solio chargers: the Magnesium ($169.95), the H1000 ($79.95), and the Solio Classic ($99.95). They also sell a few types of LED lights that you can attach to your Solio for flashlight capability.

So, if you're looking for a way to cut your energy use, get off the grid, and make your small electronics more efficient, give the Solio a try.

How To Stop Drafts and Save on Energy Bills

batticdoor — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 12:51:38 -0500

How To Stop Drafts and Save On Energy Bills Imagine leaving a window open all winter long -- the heat loss, cold drafts and wasted energy! If your home has a folding pull-down attic stair, a whole housefan, a fireplace or clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home every day. Drafts from these often overlooked holes waste energy and cost you big in the form of higher energy bills. Drafts are the largest source of heating and cooling loss in the home. Drafts occur through the small cracks around doors, windows, pipes, etc. Most homeowners are well aware of the benefits that caulk and weatherstripping provide to minimize energy loss and drafts. But what can you do about drafts from the four largest “holes” in your home -- the folding attic stair, the whole house fan, the fireplace and the clothes dryer? Here are some tips and techniques that can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes. Attic Stairs When attic stairs are installed, a large hole (approximately 10 square feet) is created in your ceiling. The ceiling and insulation that were there have to beremoved, leaving only a thin, unsealed, sheet of plywood. Your attic space is ventilated directly to the outdoors. In the winter, the attic space can be very cold, and in the summer it can be very hot. And what is separating your conditioned house from your unconditioned attic? That thin sheet of plywood. Often a gap can be observed around the perimeter of the attic door. Try this yourself: at night, turn on the attic light and shut the attic stairway door -- do you see any light coming through? If you do, heated and air-conditioned air is leaking out of these large gaps in your home 24-hours a day. This is like leaving a window or skylight open all year ‘round. An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add an insulated attic stair cover. An attic stair cover seals the stairs, stopping drafts and energy loss. Add the desired amount of insulation over the cover to restore the insulation removed from the ceiling. Whole House Fans and Air Conditioning Vents Much like attic stairs above, when whole house fans are installed, a large hole (up to 16 square feet or larger) is created in your ceiling. The ceiling and insulation that were there have to be removed, leaving only the drafty ceiling shutter between you and the outdoors. An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a whole house fan shutter seal. Made from white textured flexible insulation, the shutter seal is installed over the ceiling shutter, secured with Velcro, and trimmed to fit. The shutter seal can also be used to seal and insulate air conditioning vents, and is easily removed when desired. Fireplaces Over 100 million homes, in North America are constructed with wood or gas burning fireplaces. Unfortunately there are negative side effects that the fireplace brings to a home, especially during the winter heating season. Fireplaces are energy losers. Researchers have studied this to determine the amount of heat loss through a fireplace, and the results are amazing. One research study showed that an open damper on an unused fireplace in a well-insulated house can raise overall heating-energy consumption by 30 percent. A recent study showed that for many consumers, their heating bills may be more than $500 higher per winter due to the drafts and wasted energy caused by fireplaces. Why does a home with a fireplace have higher energy bills? Your chimney is an opening that leads directly outdoors -- just like an open window. Even if the damper is shut, it is not airtight. Glass doors don’t stop the drafts either. The fireplace is like a giant straw sucking your expensive heated or air-conditioned air right out of your house! An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a Fireplace Plug to your fireplace. Available from Battic Door, a company known for their energy conservation products, the Fireplace Plug is an inflatable pillow that seals the fireplace damper, eliminating drafts, odors, and noise. The pillow is removed whenever the fireplace is used, then reinserted after. Clothes Dryer Exhaust Ducts In many homes, the room with the clothes dryer is the coldest room in the house. Your clothes dryer is connected to an exhaust duct that is open to the outdoors. In the winter, cold drafts in through the duct, through your dryer and into your house. Dryer vents use a sheet-metal flapper to try to reduce these drafts. This is very primitive technology that does not provide a positive seal to stop the drafts. Compounding the problem is that over time, lint clogs the flapper valve causing it to stay open. An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a dryer vent seal. This will reduce unwanted drafts, and also keeps out pests, bees and rodents. The vent will remain closed unless the dryer is in use. When the dryer is in use, a floating shuttle rises to allow warm air, lint and moisture to escape. For more information on Battic Door’s energy conservation solutions and products for your home, visit www.batticdoor.com or, to request a free catalog, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to P.O. Box 15, Mansfield, MA 02048. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mark D. Tyrol is a Professional Engineer specializing in cause and origin of construction defects. He developed several residential energy conservation products including an attic stair cover and an attic access door. Battic Door is the US distributor of the fireplace plug. To learn more visit www.batticdoor.com

Eco-Friendly Batteries?

jplatt — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:00:00 -0500

At last week's Consumer Electronics Show, Fuji announced a new line of disposable batteries that the company says are so eco-friendly, they are "landfill safe."

The Fuji EnviroMAX batteries are free of cadmium, mercury and PVC, three of the chemicals that make other disposable batteries so dangerous when they are disposed of improperly. The batteries are also encased in plastic, not steel, making them, theoretically, more recycleable.

Here are all of Fuji's claims about the EnviroMAX:

Most of the resources used in the Fuji EnviroMAX production process are reused and recycled.
The substances of lead, cadmium and mercury are "totally abolished" in all FDK/Fuji Battery Factories - no matter what the usage.
No ozone depleting compounds are used in Fuji EnviroMAX production.
Fuji EnviroMAX batteries are packaged in recycled paper and recyclable P.E.T. plastic - Not hazardous and non-recyclable PVC plastic.
All Fuji Batteries plants comply with the European Union's RoHS Directives.
Fuji Batteries monitors all of its suppliers for environmental responsibility and requires certification that they do not use hazardous chemicals.

Of course, any battery that you still have to throw away is still less green than a rechargeable battery, so there's no way I can actually recommend this battery, but still, at least Fuji is thinking outside of the box.

Fuji EnviroMAX batteries will be initially available at Big Y stores in central Massachusetts and Shop' n Save in the St. Louis/Missouri areas, or through the Fuji EnviroMAX website.

Energy saving Neff Integrated Dishwashers

KitchenAppliances — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:16:53 -0500

Most of the dishwashers in Neff’s current range are fully integrated versions, but they do a few semi- integrated dishwashers as well. The Neff integrated dishwashers are designed to accept a full furniture door, which is able to conceal the whole appliance, including the control panel. The integrated dishwashers are easy to fit and will blend in with the rest of your kitchen.

As well as the general and basic features that you usually get with an average dishwasher, i.e. on and off buttons, some of the Neff integrated dishwashers have extra added features such as the VarioFlex baskets with RackMatic. These allow a flexible way to wash your pots and pans as they can be adjusted to enable different sized and shaped items to be stacked and placed easily. This also allows you to wash large items such as casserole dishes and large pans.

If you are looking at getting a fully fitted Neff integrated dishwasher it may be because you are attempting to save space in your kitchen. As well as the standard sized dishwashers there are also slim line dishwashers available that only measure in at 45cm so that it can be slotted into a much smaller space. If height is the issue then the height adjustable dishwashers might be of more interest to you. T his installation option is available on two of the Neff integrated dishwashers- the S55T59 model and the S5555 model. They are height adjustable from 860mm to 920mm, which allows an extra five centimetres of interior space for you to use however you wish.

Neff always produce energy efficient kitchen appliances and their dishwashers are no exception. Dishwashers are proven to use less electricity and water than washing up by hand so the Neff dishwashers already had a head start there. But as well as that there are certain added built in features that make the appliances more energy efficient. One of the features that are available on some of the machines is HydroSensor, which allows water from the first rinse cycle to be re-used in subsequent rinse cycles if it is clean enough. This feature can save you up to 4.5 litres of water per wash and the alternating spray arms can also reduce the amount of water that is consumed by up to 25%.

There are also specific programmes that are aimed at saving energy and water. All of the Neff integrated dishwashers have an economy programme, which use less water and less energy than on a standard wash. Not all of the models, however, have the heat exchanger system. This feature reuses the heat that is generated during the wash cycle to heat the water that is used for the rinse cycle that comes afterwards. This means that no additional energy is needed for the drying cycle. Also not available on all of the Neff integrated dishwashers is the reduced time programme, which is different from the economy programme in that it does not use less water, but cleans your dishes in a fraction of the time, which saves time and energy.

Neff Integrated Dishwashers

Track Your Energy Use by the Second with The Energy Detective

jplatt — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:48:00 -0400

How much electricity do you use when you turn on a light? When you're watching TV? When you wash your dishes? How about if you're doing all three at once?

The Energy Detective ("TED" for short) from Energy, Inc., can answer these questions, helping you not only to see how much electricity you are using in your house at any given moment, but also to predict the size of your monthly electric bill.

Once hooked up, TED monitors your electricity usage, with just a two-second real-time delay. It also tracks your monthly usage, and calculates the exact amount you are spending on your electricity.

The basic TED unit costs $139.95 (more advanced models run up to $209.95) and can be installed in 10-15 minutes ("by an experienced homeowner or qualified electrician"). You can also order additional software called Footprints ($44.95) which allows you to track your usage on your PC.

So why install a TED? An energy monitor like this allows you to see exactly how much juice your house is using. Hook it up, and then you can walk around your house to see how much difference your TV makes, or find the "phantom loads" of so-called "vampire devices," the ones that keep using energy even though you think they are "off." The company says a well-aware homeowner can use the information from TED to make the device pay for itself in a matter of months.

Residential Wind Turbines

Marcus — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Energy costs getting you down? Looking to cut down on bills, and get a little greener in the process? With energy bills rising by as much as fifty percent in recent years, chances are you’re eager for some alternatives. Which is where wind power comes in. Wind is a clean, efficient, sustainable and cost-effective source of energy, and it’s rapidly growing in popularity. A growing number of homes in the U.S. are opting to have residential wind turbines installed, and as a result are seeing dramatic reductions in their energy costs. Think wind power might be right for you? Keep reading to find out more.

Why wind?

First off, wind power will save you money—as much as 50-90 percent on your electric bill! Although wind turbines can cost from $6,000- $22,000, it’s an investment that usually pays for itself in around six to fifteen years. Once the cost of the turbine has been recouped, it’s not uncommon to see electric bills of $8- $15 dollars for up to nine months of the year! In addition, wind power is good for the environment—it produces zero pollution, and every kilowatt hour that is powered by wind will offset pollution that would have been generated by your utility company.

What kinds of residences are eligible for wind power?

Since a wind turbine is a relatively large structure, this type of power isn’t really suitable for small-lot suburban homes or anything in an urban setting. Usually, a house on an acre or more of land is desirable. It’s also important to consider wind speed in your area—in order for a turbine to be efficient, wind speed should be at an average of at least 10 miles per hour.

Where can I buy a residential wind turbine?

Take a look at this list of small wind turbine equipment providers.

Is there any way to benefit from wind power if I live in a small and/or urban location?

Why, yes, there is. In most areas, you can contact your energy company and switch to green power—that is, your energy company will purchase your power from sustainable energy sources in lieu of coal or oil. There is a minor charge, but it usually only amounts to a few extra dollars per month. This is a great alternative for city dwellers who wish they could install a massive wind tower on the top of their high rise.

Want to learn more about wind power?

Wind Turbine Power: Farmers Turning the Wind Into Gold

Inexpensive Residential Wind Turbine—Wind Power—Alternative Energy For Your Home

Can You Harness Wind Power or Not?

Home Wind-Power Turbines Going Mainstream

What YOU Should Know About Wind Power!

Can You Use Wind Turbines to Power Your Home?