LifeHacker’s Energy Saving Tips

Check out this interesting  post on LifeHacker about ways to significantly reduce your energy bills.

Check this post from Jason Chen   He managed to cut 1/3 from his energy bill.   You might find some good tips there …

Remember; unless your energy is from a renewable source, reducing your energy use also lowers your carbon footprint and can save you some money.

Via:  LifeHacker  LINK

EcoBatt Natural Insulation - Sustainable and Green

What's a quick easy way to save money .... year after year?
Insulate !!


EcoBatt insulation is made from "bio-based" binders - not petroleum derived raw materials and is certified to GREENGUARD standards so it is safe for children and use in schools.

" ... reduces binder embodied energy by up to 70%, and does not contain phenol, formaldehyde, acrylics or artificial colors used to make traditional fiberglass insulation."

" .... combines sand ... renewable resources, post-consumer recycled bottle glass ... to create ... sustainable insulation…"



Via: EcoBatt  LINK



Via: xxx.yyy LINK

Microsoft Hohm - Energy Tips and Ideas

Microsoft Hohm is a free software application that lets you improve the energy efficiency of your home. You can add details about your specific home and see recommendations for improvements ... as well as how you compare to other homes in your area or across the country.

" ... check your energy consumption and compare it to others around the nation. ... [above] ... heat map of the United States and the average Hohm Score per state."

Check out the BLOG  for useful tips. 

Via: Microsoft Hohm LINK

Appliance Energy Saving Tip ...

Small changes can save energy and can really add up.  Some changes are not hard to do at all ... just put your mind to it.

" ... simple changes in your life ... can reduce the amount of C02 released into the atmosphere and help stop global warming. Be part of the solution"

"Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year."


Via:  stopglobalwarming.org   LINK

Google - Leads in Energy Efficient Data Centers

Google has been at the forefront of energy efficiency quite some time.  They recently were written up for their large rooftop solar array.  Google has lots of data and metrics to determine the average energy "impact" per search.

Read on to learn more about Google current initiatives.

" ... Data centers ... account for most of Google’s energy needs ... take our energy use seriously and, from the very beginning, Google has focused on designing systems that use as little energy as possible ... operating what we believe to be the world's most efficient data centers."

" ... Google-designed data centers use about half the energy of a typical data center ... energy used per Google search is very small ... currently use about 1kJ (0.0003 kWh) of energy to answer the average query ... roughly .2g of CO2 ... often take the place of more carbon- and time-intensive activities, such as driving a car to a library or spending hours navigating shopping malls."

" ... commitment to sustainability goes beyond just electricity and carbon ... two Google

facilities currently run on 100% recycled water, and by 2010 we expect recycled water to provide 80% of our total data center water consumption ... share our own data center best practices and are encouraging our industry peers to do the same ..."

" ... if all data centers operated at the same efficiency as ours, the U.S. alone would save enough electricity to power every household within the city limits of Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C."



Via: Google LINK

Nickelodeon's Big Green Help

Nick.com gets kids into the green movement.  

Their Big Green Help site has games, quizs and offers 5 themes for being green --- "Stop the Flow, Recycle and Precycle, Grow the Green, Curb the Car and Save the Big Blue".  There are lots of fun ways to learn.

During commercial breaks the Nick.com stars encourage kids to get green and help save the planet !!

Via: Nick.com - Big Green Help  LINK

Airline Asks Passengers to Take Use the Bathroom Before Boarding !

Here is an interesting take on reducing the weight of a plane before flight. 

I found the original posting on  SmartPlanet which has some neat videos and interesting green ideas.

ANA " ... has started asking passengers to go to the toilet before boarding in a bid to reduce carbon emissions.  ... All Nippon Airways ... claims that empty bladders mean lighter passengers... thus lower fuel use. ... staff will be present at boarding gates in terminals to ask passengers waiting to fly to relieve themselves before boarding ... hopes the weight saved will lead to a five-tonne reduction in carbon emissions over the course of 30 days...."

" ... intended as an experiment lasting one month and 42 flights, the trial may be extended if it is well-received by passengers and if results are positive ... an average human bladder capacity of 15oz, if 150 passengers relieved themselves on board an aircraft, this would amount to 63.7kg of waste."



Via: UK DailyMail  LINK

Energy Saving Tips from New Belgium Brewing

Here are some energy saving tips from the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. Check out earlier posts about this GREEN and environmentally friendly brewery.

For the rest of the list, more details on the items listed and more info about this environmentally friendly brewery ... follow the link at the end of this post.

"Hang your clothes out to dry ... clothing-dryer is the 2nd-most energy consumptive household appliance after the refrigerator ... if you don’t have space for an outdoor clothesline there are indoor racks that are compact and work like a charm."

"Put on a sweater ... When the temperatures drop, ... put on some soft booties, and sip a steamy hot drink. It’ll make you feel all warm and fuzzy."

"Drink tap water ... Shipping bottled water around the world in plastic bottles burns a heap of fuel, pollutes our air, and puts more plastic into an increasingly plastic-sheathed world. ... if tap water is not up to your standards, there are ... filters available at much more affordable prices than the cost of purchasing bottled water."

"Use your own shopping bag ... asked, “Paper or plastic?” say, “Neither, I have my own bags.”



Via: New Belgium Brewing LINK

Ace Hardware - Helpful Earth Choices Program

Ace Hardware's Helpful Earth Choices TM can help you become more sustainable and eco-conscious ... they have easy ways to go green, projects (like how to build a composter) and tips for conservation and lots of earth-friendly products.

At their Helpful Earth Choices web there are facts and tips about being green as well as a Green IQ quiz.

Image via Wikipedia

Take the quiz ... a combination of facts and trivia ... like how much longer a CFL lasts compared to an incandescent bulb and whether it is more energy efficient to stop / start a car then let it idle for 10 seconds at a stoplight.

>>> Did you take the Quiz?
>>> How did you do?



Via: acehardware.com LINK

Green Home and Business Consulting / Audits

I found this link from a MainLineNeighbors.com email ...

" ... we strive to reduce Home and Business Owners expenses by providing strategies for reducing your energy utility costs. Every dollar saved on utilities is an inherently Green practice with less energy and CO2 produced. ... Andrew Horning Consulting LLC provides Efficiency Consultation Services for both the residential and commercial markets. ... provide a menu of recommendations for energy saving eco-friendly strategies. ..."



Via: Andrew Horning Consulting LLC LINK

Tips for a GREENER Kitchen

Here are some EASY tips to make your kitchen GREENER ... these and more came from the ReynoldsRecycled website ... link at end of post. Most of these are easy to do ... but you may not have been aware of them.

" ... Save 5,000 to 7,000 gallons of water each year by foregoing the pre-rinse and sticking your dishes straight into the dishwasher. ... never run a dishwasher that isn't full ... Conserve energy by cooking in the right size pots and selecting the air-dry option on your dishwasher. ... Recycle anything you can, including paper, plastic, glass and cans. ... Bring your own reusable bag anytime you go shopping ... Cook in batches and freeze or refrigerate the remaining portions ... less energy, time and effort to reheat the leftovers than to cook new meals."



Via: Reynoldsrecycled.com LINK

No cost Energy Saving Tips !

The Alliance to Save Energy has a number of energy savings tips ... in this post I'll cover those that are free of cost -- and fairly easy to do ...

Read on for more a summary - click the link below for more details >>>

"Turn off everything not in use ..., Check the furnace or air conditioner (AC) filter each month, and clean or replace it as needed ... During hot months, keep window coverings closed on the south, east, and west windows. In winter, let the sun in., ... Activate "sleep" features on computers ... Turn off equipment during longer periods of non-use ... , cold water washing of laundry ..."



Via: Alliance to Save Energy LINK