Energy Conservation
A new idea for a cooler summer home without spending a lot of money - solar or mesh window screens. The U.S. Department of Energy says that mesh window screens can diffuse solar radiation, reducing heat gain in the summer. Contact your local screen supplier for more information.
Florida & Federal Energy Conservation Incentives
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Solar Energy System Incentives Program
Which appliances use the most energy? Check out our Appliance Energy Cost Chart (PDF).
Control Your Electric Bill The UC's booklet, "How to Control Your Electric Bill," offers tips on reducing your energy consumption in all areas of your home. Stop by the UC for a copy or click here for a PDF.
Energy Conservation (from www.eere.energy.gov/consumers/tips)
Did you know that a large portion of the energy spent in a home is wasted? And electricity generated by fossil fuels for a single home puts more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars. And as for the road, transportation accounts for 66% of all U.S. oil consumption. The good news is that there is a lot you can do to save energy and money at home and in your car. Start making small changes today. The key to achieving these savings in your home is a whole-house energy efficiency plan. To take a whole-house approach, view your home as an energy system with interdependent parts.
Taking a whole-house approach to saving energy ensures that dollars you invest to save energy are spent wisely. Energy-efficient improvements not only make your home more comfortable, they can yield long-term financial rewards. Reduced utility bills more than make up for the higher price of energy-efficient appliances and improvements over their lifetimes. In addition, your home could bring in a higher price when you sell.
Easy ways to save energy
Proper CFL bulb disposal in New Smyrna Beach Please use one of these two options to dispose of CFLs:
Spot and Repair Leaky Ductwork Leaky ductwork in your A/C system can cause your energy costs to skyrocket. Find out how to spot leaky ducts and what to do to repair them from the Department of Energy-click here!
SEER Ratings and What They Mean (http://www.smarterwayinc.com/seer.asp) SEER rating is the method used to describe the efficiency of a particular equipment system. SEER stands for "Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio." The systems purchased today typically range from 10.00 SEER to 18.00 SEER. If you have a home and the current system is 10-15 years old, you may have a system that ranges from 6.0 SEER to 10.00 SEER. Of course at the time it was installed, 10.00 SEER was considered "High Efficiency." Today, with all the focus on conservation and energy savings, that "High Efficiency 10.00 SEER" from 10-15 years ago is growing obsolete.
In the chart above, the left column indicates operating costs and the gradually decreasing scale shows how with a higher SEER rating (numbers along bottom of chart) the operating costs are reduced. In essence, if you would have spent $100 to operate an 8.00 SEER system, by installing a 14.00 SEER system, your operating costs would drop to $57 as opposed to the $100 spent operating the lower efficiency system. These are estimates only, and designed to show that with the higher the SEER rating, the lower the operating costs. If you have a 6.0 SEER, and you installed a new 12.00 SEER or 13.00 SEER system, you would cut your power consumption in half (in regard to your A/C system). Considering that in many cases the central air system represents the largest draw on power in your home, any improvement is a wise decision. The systems today are very advanced as you move up in the efficiency range. They cost a bit more at initial purchase, but when you calculate the energy savings -vs- dollars spent they pay for themselves fairly quickly. Here's an example: Current system is 6.0 SEER and power bill runs $150.00 per month. A 10.00 SEER system is $1500 and your power bill may be $125 per month. Upgrade to a 14.00 SEER system for an additional $800 and your power bill drops to $90 per month. The price between the 10.00 SEER and the 14.00 SEER is $800. The monthly savings equate to $35 per month (14.00 SEER -vs- 10.00 SEER). Take the $800 difference and divide that by the $35 savings and you would pay off the improved system through energy savings in 22.86 months. The benefits are:
Bear in mind, the ratio of savings varies from household to household as people live differently in each case. The example given above is strictly as an example and there is no guarantee that you will see that exact example in your home.
Other Useful Links Load Management (UCNSB) Home Energy Audit (UCNSB) US Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy |
