Archive for the ‘Energy Efficient’ Category
Creating and Energy Efficient Bathroom
Remodeling your bathroom right to make it energy efficient offers you the benefits of increased health, safety, comfort, and savings.
It also adds value to your home. Today you can choose from among many different design features and fixtures that will reduce both your energy bills and greenhouse pollution.
1. Choose an energy efficient hot water system and install it as close to the bathroom and laundry room as possible. This will reduce pipe length and heat loss.
2. Energy efficient ventilation fans suck out moisture-laden air and pull in dry outside air while you shower or bathe. This helps prevent the growth of mold and mildew and consequent damage to your bathroom and home, not to mention adverse effects on your family’s health. Be sure you buy the proper size of ventilation fans and make sure they are labeled energy efficient. The fans should be self-closing exhaust fans to prevent heat loss or gain when not in use.
3. Energy efficient lighting is next. When shopping, check the labels and learn about the many different attractive types of fixtures and bulbs that can save you money in electric bills. These energy efficient fixture come in all the popular styles, including wall- and ceiling-mounted lights, cabinet lights, recessed lights, and compact fluorescent bulbs.
4. Good insulation is essential to high energy efficiency in a structure. When remodeling, be sure to properly seal and insulate the walls and ceilings. Too often bathroom walls and ceilings are poorly insulated. You can ensure greater comfort and efficiency by opening up the walls and caulking leaks or sealing them up with foam. Be sure to seal around the pipes and electrical penetrations.
5. Choose windows, doors, and skylights with energy efficient labels. Glass and frame technology has made great advances over the past decade, but some products are of better quality than others. Note the rating and make sure double panes are truly sealed so that mold and mildew cannot grow inside. If you are making your current windows energy efficient, be sure to seal them well. Energy efficient doors and windows will cut both your heating and cooling costs.
6. Installing an energy efficient showerhead is important because the shower is the largest user of hot water in the household. An AAA showerhead, available at many bathroom supply stores and hardware stores, will reduce the amount of hot water consumed. A flow rate of about 7L per minute is considered AAA for showerheads.
7. Use your water efficiently by installing water-saving devices and by insulating your hot water pipes to reduce heat loss. Water saving devices include aerators and flow regulators in your taps. They should have a similar water-saving rating.
Energy Efficient Lighting
Not all of the energy going into a light fixture comes out as light. Much of the energy is wasted.
Some of it comes out as heat, and some of it is lost in vibration. Decomposition of the fixture also uses up energy. The laws of physics prevent all of the energy from becoming light, but some lighting fixtures are more energy efficient than others. An energy efficient lighting fixture uses less energy to produce more light. The larger your home, the more important it is for your lighting fixtures to be energy efficient.
Energy Efficiency Matters
Regular light bulbs waste a lot of money as well as energy. Although they are cheaper to buy, they use more electricity because they generate so much heat. Some bulbs give out so much heat that they even drive the cost of air conditioning up.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs are a good alternative. They use 70 percent less electricity than regular light bulbs and generate much less heat. They won’t run up your air conditioning costs. You can also save money by installing sensors that automatically turn on the lights when needed and turn them off after a minute or so.
If you want a light to stay on all night, use a low wattage bulb. You can install a light sensor that will turn the light off when the sun rises. Another effective way to save energy costs is to simply turn off any lights you are not using.
Fluorescent Lighting for Energy Efficiency
It is becoming more popular due to its cost effectiveness.
Fluorescent lighting is commonly used in schools, stores, and work areas. It is more than just those long tubes in the ceiling; it is one of the most energy efficient types of lighting on the market you can buy. Today fluorescent lights come in many different shapes and sizes, from compact to large. Fluorescent light fixtures also come in many different styles, and you can buy fluorescent lamps as well.
It is becoming more popular due to its cost effectiveness. Fluorescent bulbs are 4 to 6 times more efficient than incandescent light bulbs. Many people prefer the warmer light of incandescent bulbs, and this can be of benefit in some areas of the home, but saving money by using fluorescent lighting can also be of benefit.
If you want to know more about fluorescent lighting, you can do an online search and find many different websites and options. You can learn about how fluorescent lights work, what they can do for you, the sizes and types of fluorescent bulbs and fixtures, and where you can purchase the lights you need for your purposes. You can buy them online or go to a lighting specialty store to look at them and select them in person.
Installing it in your home can save you a lot of money because of how energy efficient they are. Be on the lookout for fluorescent lighting fixtures and lamps in department stores, specialty stores, and online. You just might find something stylish, natural, and decorative in the world of fluorescent lighting that you can’t pass up.