Posted by Carol Hart on Mon, Mar 08, 2010 @ 02:20 PM
2010 is looking to be a big year for energy monitoring devices. The much-touted smart grid is slowly moving into place and will enable electric utilities to make better decisions about power availablity and usage, but the consumer has been pretty much left in the dark. That's about to change.
A number of products are poised to change the way we consume energy in the home by giving us real time information about our energy usage. Like counting calories or monitoring real-time gas mileage, the idea is that knowing where you are consuming energy is the first step in reducing energy consumption. One such device, The Energy Detective (available now, although backordered) provides immediate feedback about total number of kilowatts being used, and total electrical costs. It ties into your breaker board and transmits information to a receiver panel (see the demo video here). Models are available directly to the consumer from around $200 dollars, but should be installed by a licensed electrician.
Another device, not yet available to the public, promises even more detailed information and control options. The EnergyHub was named by Time magazine as Invention of the Year in 2009 because of its potential to save billions in energy dollars. All appliances in your home are monitored for energy use, and the control panel (about the size of your electric thermostat) enables you to adjust your usage accordingly. The reason EnergyHub is on my "can't wait" list? It's 3 profiles: Home, Away, and Goodnight. At the touch of a button, you can leave the house, knowing that your hot water heater and the heat have been turned down, the lights are off, and you are maximized for energy savings. (Check out the demo here. ) No word yet on cost but you can bet I'll be watching this one closely.
Posted by Carol Hart on Mon, Nov 16, 2009 @ 10:51 AM
Picture this: its cold outside--really cold. You've been away at work all day and have slogged through the ubiquitous "wintry mix" during your long commute home. Because you're energy conscious, you've turned your home thermostat down to practially subzero temperatures. You feel like a walking popsicle, so as soon as you get home you turn the manual thermostat up to "nuke", even though you know it doesn't actually heat up your home any faster. It does make you feel warmer, though.
There is a better way. A programmable digital thermostat allows you to control the temperature of your home and optimize energy savings. And when a typical household spends upwards of $2000 on energy use--half of that for home heating and cooling--the savings can really add up.
How do they work? Energy Star qualified programmable thermostats are designed to be set at different temperatures for different periods of time. You can set your temperature at a comfortable level during the day, and have it automatically lower an hour or so before you typically go to bed. Then, program it to warm the house to a comfortable level shortly before you wake up. If you're gone for long perdiods of time during the day, have it automatically lower the temperature when you leave, and raise it so you have a toasty house when you make it home. A quality thermostat will enable you to provide different temperature and timing options for different days, so you can make adjustments for that Wednesday night Pilates class, or Saturday morning sleep-in. They also provide for "vacation" settings, where the temperature is way down for an extended time away. And the best feature may be the "set it and forget it" aspect--once its programmed, you really can just leave the heat alone.
How much can you save? Of course, that depends on your usage. But for every eight hours you lower the temperature one degree you lower the heating bill by 1%.
There may be no more ideal way to save money, save energy, and increase your comfort level than installing a digital thermostat.
Posted by Carol Hart on Tue, Sep 22, 2009 @ 12:16 PM
Every home has one--the light freak. Or more accurately, the turn-out-the-light freak. In our home, its my husband. He'll enter a room, heave a huge sigh and turn off the light before moving on to the next room with a heavy step. I, of course, come into the room he just left and say "Hey, Who turned out the light?" I hate being in a dark room, and I rarely think about turning off lights when I move around the house. When I'm home, the house is lit up like a Christmas tree. But without my personal light freak I'd pay a heavy price for my lack of concern. Lighting can account for a whopping 20% of home electrical bills.
Fortunately, I don't have to live in the dark to be energy efficient and keep my light bills within the bounds of reason. There are some great products that enable me to meaningfully reduce the amount of energy I use and still provide me with the light I crave. My favorite device is a Lutron dimmer switch.
A dimmer switch is a great idea. Dimming your lights by even a small percentage saves a corresponding amount of electricity, and dramatically extends the life of the bulb. I no longer have to choose between "interrogation room bright" (we can make you talk) and "stub my toe on the table dark". Generally I set my lights to 80 or 90%, leaving me with plenty of light and that righteous feeling enjoyed by the energy efficient among us. I enjoy setting my lights to 30 or 40% in the evening when things are winding down around my house, and sometimes (gasp) leave the lights on at 10% even in an empty room. The effect can be dramatic, making me feel like I live in a designer magazine. (It also can hide the fact that I really ought to vacuum the living room rug!)
Dimmer switches have come a long way. Lutron manufactures dimmers that work with incandescent lights, but also LED and fluorescents as well. Check out their interactive demo at Lutron home light control for some great ideas.
And save some money. Keep the lights on!