Energy & Water Conservation - Tips

Energy Conservation:

• southern shades - Our south-facing windows have shades that are kept down during the warm months. They are thin enough that we still get a lot of light through them. But they reflect light that would turn into heat which would then have to be removed with an air conditioner.
• smart thermostats - We divided our home into two cooling zones, each with its own thermostat. These thermostats are programmable, so we can let the temperature rise during the day when we are at work, then start cooling down before we get home. Only the air conditioner for the zone that needs cooling will come on, using the appropriate amount of energy for the area that needs it.
• compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) - Replace many of your incandescent light bulbs with CFL's. Over the last four years, these have dropped in price and increased in both quality and variety. You can now buy versions that can be dimmed and others that will work outdoors in porch light fixtures even in cold weather. This kind of light only needs to be replaced once every seven years, and it will more than pay for itself in reduced electricity consumption and burned-out light bulb replacement.
  • Tip #1: buy the largest wattage CFL you can which will fit in the intended location. Instead of a 60 watt equivalent, buy the 75 watt equivalent version. Instead of a 75 watt equivalent, buy a 90 or 100 watt equivalent. This will produce an amount of light closer to what you expect.
  • Tip #2: Shop around. To find the size, shape and wattage of CFL I need for all of the different kinds of fixtures in my house, I've found that I had to look in several different stores. Don't assume that any one store has all of the kinds of CFL's that are available! Many only carry one brand or a few different types.
  • Tip #3: Most CFL's take a short time to warm up to their fullest light production level (like 1-2 minutes). Don't hold those two minutes against them! CFL's have the most value for lights that you frequently use for long amounts of time. So that warm-up time is only a small amount of their total on-time.
• clothes line - We dry our clothes out on a line during the three warmer seasons of the year. Our lines retract into their spools when not being used, so they do not look ugly or take up space in the yard.

• on-off valve on kitchen sink faucet - Add a valve to your faucet which allows you turn the water on, set the temperature, and then control water flow with the small valve. I bought one at Home Depot. Faster and easier than turning the water all of the way off and then on again when you are washing dishes.
• toilet water dams - If you have older toilets with larger tanks, you can buy a toilet damn, which is a stiff piece of plastic and metal. You insert it into your toilet tank so all of the water in the tank does not drain out when the toilet is flushed. I could not find these at Home Depot, so the Real Goods kit was helpful.
• low flow shower head - Replace the shower spray head with one that uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute or less. The one I use distributes the water more evenly than either of the last two high-flow ones I had, so it feels better to me than they did and it saves water too. If your family runs out of hot water when everyone showers, then get one of these puppies!
• low flow shower head + chlorine filter - This Real Goods water filter removes chlorine and comes with a low flow shower head. This is what I use to avoid breathing chlorine gas every morning.
• turn down hot water heater - Set the temperature at 120 degrees Farenheit. This saves energy that would be used heating the water to 140 degrees or more. That water sits around in the tank for hours and hours on most days even though the family is asleep or at work and school.
• collect rain water - This page talks about the rain barrels I use to collect water to use on watering outdoor plants.