Electricity Saving Tips From Georgia Power
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08.13.07
Residential air conditioning in the US has become the norm for all except the poor. By now there's probably more tons of cooling capacity per household than there are flat screen TV's. Air conditioning use has always been highest in the coal-reliant Southern states, where it gets hot and stays that way for longer periods. Climate change, coupled with continued economic development and population growth, may intensify this need. For example, "As Georgia experiences unrelenting soaring temperatures, Georgia Power has met three straight days of record-breaking demand for electricity with a new record of 18,216 megawatts (MW) set on Wednesday."
Georgia Power, a Southern Company subsidiary company, recently suggested some energy saving tips for its customers, via press release. We've included the list below, highlighting in bold the suggestions we've not emphasized on TreeHugger before. We think you'll agree that a whole lot of human behavior will have to be relearned to accomplish these ideas consistently, meaning its not just about buying more high tech stuff. You can't fully buy your way out of inefficiency, even if you have great wealth. The lifestyle equation demands behavior change for everyone.
Tell us what you think should be added to the list.
Via:: PR Newswire Image credit:: Cupertino Orthocare
-- Set your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher and leave it there. For every degree below that setting, you'll use 3 to 5 percent more electricity. For example, the savings is about $4 per degree for the average monthly residential bill for cooling only (based on 2,400 sq. ft. home). A customer raising the thermostat from 73 to 78 degrees would save $20 per month on their average monthly bill of $95 to $120 during the summer, or about 17 percent.-- Set the thermostat even higher when at work or away from home for long periods of time, but no more than five degrees higher.
-- Change or clean your air conditioner filter regularly to maximize the unit's cooling potential. Dirty filters restrict airflow and reduce efficiency.
-- Adjust your ceiling fan to turn counterclockwise in the summer.
-- Check your windows and doors for a tight fit. Apply weather stripping or caulking if needed.
-- Clear outside units of plants or brush so they can "breathe."
Proper insulation
-- Increase attic insulation, which can save up to 30 percent on cooling and heating costs.-- Insulation is measured in R-value, which is a measure of resistance to heat flow. So the higher the R-value, the better the insulation value.
-- Experts recommend you use an R-value of R-30 in ceiling areas.
-- Use fans whenever possible. Install ceiling fans (clockwise rotation) in the rooms you use most.
-- Purchase a higher SEER-rated unit when replacing cooling equipment or a heat pump. The higher the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating), the more efficient the unit. Experts recommend a 12 SEER.
Cool kitchen tips
-- Whenever possible, cook a lot of meals at the same time. This uses less energy than when you cook each meal separately.-- If you're baking, avoid opening the oven door. This lets out 20 percent of the heat. Use a cooking timer instead.
-- Use pots and pans that match the size of the burners on your stove. This allows more heat to the pan and less heat will be lost to surrounding air.
-- Try to use the range instead of the oven. Or better yet, turn on the microwave or use a pressure cooker. Both use less power than a standard electric range.
Using the refrigerator
Refrigerators run all the time. But if you don't watch how you use and
maintain it, you could increase your power bill.
-- Choose the right size refrigerator for your needs. Larger models use more energy. Open and close the refrigerator door quickly. Know what you want before opening the door.-- Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight. Check it by closing a piece of paper in the door, half in and half out. If you can pull the paper out easily, you may need to make some adjustments or replace the seal.
-- Keep your food covered. Moisture buildup in the refrigerator makes the
air inside harder to cool.Dishwasher use
It's convenient and quick, but running the dishwasher all the time can
add up on the power bill.
-- Run the dishwasher, dryer and the stove after the sun goes down to avoid adding heat to your house during the hottest part of the day.-- When using the dishwasher, turn off the drying cycle if you don't need dishes right away.
-- Wait until the dishwasher is full before running it. Partial loads can use just as much water and power as a full load.
-- Scrape dishes before loading them into the dishwasher so you don't have to rinse them. If they need rinsing, use cold water.
Lighting
You've heard it before, but one of the best ways to save energy is to
turn off lights when you're not using them. Never leave too many on when you're away from home.-- Use fluorescent lighting when possible. They last about 10 times longer than incandescent lamps. And they can produce four times more light than standard incandescent lamps, for the same amount of energy.
-- Use one large bulb instead of several small ones in areas where bright light is needed.
-- Use smaller lamps in work areas, like sewing areas and computer desks, so you don't light the entire room.
-- Do some decorating. Lighter-colored walls, drapes, blinds and upholstery reflect light. Dark colors absorb heat and require more artificial light.
The list says to clear the outside units of brush/vegetation so they can breathe, but if you do this keep enough vegetation around them to keep them in the shade. Shaded A/C compressors use less energy to dump their waste heat, than ones that sit in direct sunlight. Do keep some clearance around them so they can "breathe", but not so much that you wipe out the shade advantage.
A ceiling/attic R-value of 30 isn't enough for most of the US, you should shoot for 50 in most areas. Here is a simple calculator that will show you how much you need based on your location, heat source, and building type (choose "new", since you can usually add more insulation to ceilings and floors of existing homes).
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation/ins_16.html
"The list says to clear the outside units of brush/vegetation so they can breathe, but if you do this keep enough vegetation around them to keep them in the shade. Shaded A/C compressors use less energy to dump their waste heat, than ones that sit in direct sunlight. Do keep some clearance around them so they can "breathe", but not so much that you wipe out the shade advantage."
I think they're talking about people who plant box hedges around their compressors to hide them. Shaded units definitely work better, but units closed in by vegetation lose most of that benefit.
Unfortunately, my pregnant wife finds 72 degrees too hot most of the time, otherwise I'd shoot for at least 75. But my last electric bill was only $120, even though we turned off the timer feature on the thermostat because my wife's home all day.
We lived in Japan for almost three years and because of the way they do air conditioning our electric bill for August was only about $50 USD. This is because each room has it's own A/C unit. If you had them all on all day it would be greatly more expensive then the central air & heat we have in America, however because we only turned the A/C on in the bedroom (which was on the 2nd floor) for about one hour before going to sleep it ends up using MUCH less energy then central systems do. Otherwise we opened all our windows and used fans for circulation. And yes, it was hot, but when you are only watching TV or talking, your body temp. is not increased so no need for A/C. And natural is better!
P.S. However if I were pregnant I'm sure I would have ALL the A/C's on all day! ;)
If you don't allow excess heat/light into your house, then you won't have to try to eliminate that with your A/C system, thus allowing you to run it less frequently or at a higher temperature. For all windows and glass (or partial glass) doors:
1. Replace your screens with thermal/solar efficient models.
2. Replace the windows with double or triple-pane UV insulated models, if possible. If not, make sure that you have reasonably recent storm windows to provide that extra layer of air insulation.
3. Add UV/thermal filter sheets to your windows (usually applied via static cling), to help reduce heat intrusion.
4. Use light-blocking insulated curtains and/or blinds.
Install a non-intrusive real-time power meter on your house, which relays readings to a display in your home. This uses magnetic sensing coils on your main power feed to determine how much power is being used at any moment in time. Once you get the system, watch how much power is being used by what systems in your house.
You can also use a "Kill-a-Watt" power meter for specific devices, although you probably don't want to leave it plugged in all the time.
Anything that draws too much power should be replaced with a more power efficient model, or you should work to find ways to use it less often, or at least use it at times when power usage is otherwise lowered.
Use surge protectors/power strips for as many electronic devices as possible, and turn them off at the switch. If power can't get to the device, then it can't leak from the device. Some strips are intelligent and sense when you've turned off a device plugged into a special socket, and then they turn off everything else on the strip for you. Other strips may have remote power buttons, so that you don't have to fumble around under the desk.
Install more intelligent thermostats that can be programmed to raise or lower the temperature at certain times of the day, for different days of the week.
Ask your power company if they have a program where they give you special thermostats that they can control, so that they can turn off your thermostat remotely (typically for only five minutes per hour), during times when power draw is particularly heavy. They will typically give you a better rate for the power you do use, and you'll allow them to help avoid blackouts and rolling brownouts.
For exterior lights, not only should you use compact fluorescent bulbs wherever possible, you should also use light sensor-equipped controllers that automatically turn off the lights at dawn, and turn them back on at dusk. This way you don't leave them burning all the time. These devices are inexpensive and easily available at places like Home Depot or Lowe's. Make sure you get models that are intended for use with compact fluorescent bulbs, however.
You could also install passive infrared (PIR) motion sensors on your exterior lights, so that they don't turn on unless they detect motion. This kind of thing tends to work better for lights over or near your garage, side of the house, etc... and the dusk-to-dawn light sensors tend to work better on your front porch or back patio, etc....
If you're going to use compact fluorescent bulbs, make sure that they are rated for use in the equipment they're being installed in, and vice-versa. At best, you'll shorten the life of the bulb if you install it in a location where the instrument is not designed for use with CFs, and excessive heat is retained, etc.... At worst, you'll totally violate all your insurance policies and if a fire happens and is attributed to an instrument which had a CF bulb installed but wasn't rated for CF bulbs in that application, then you will lose everything.
For environments where exterior heating is particularly heavy (like here in Texas), you would be well-served if you actually had two separate external A/C units, with two separate thermostats, etc.... That way you can set them independantly of each other, and if part of the house doesn't need as much cooling as the other part, then you're only running one of the two units, and probably less frequently.
Make sure your A/C units are properly sized for the space you have to cool, otherwise they won't be able to properly control the humidity as well as the temperature, and you will be miserable.
If possible, install zoned airflow systems for your house, so that rooms which don't need as much heating/cooling can be handled independantly of rooms that need more. Make sure that these systems have proper backpressure control, too.
That's about all I can think of, off the top of my head.
Closing the curtains/blinds in South-facing rooms you're not using in the daytime makes a difference. Some people buy awnings that shade the windows from the high summer sun but let in the low winter sun. If you have the space outside and you're there for the long haul, plant deciduous trees for summer shade.