Suggestions for reducing energy use.
kwinn
Posts: 8,697
While posting a reply to mctrivia's post in the cold fusion thread ( http://forums.parallax.com/forums/default.aspx?f=15&m=357478&p=2 ) it occurred to me that we have a lot of very smart people on this forum, so why not take advantage of their thoughts on energy conservation. Lets see what we can come up with in the four categories below. I have put in a few of mine to start and I will add yours to the list.
INDIVIDUAL
kwinn
Turn off lights when not in use.
Lower thermostat setting in winter, raise it in summer, and use a programmable thermostat.
Replace shower head with low water use head.
Replace toilet with low volume flush unit.
Phildapill
Use shrubs, bushes, trees, etc. etc. to keep the sun off of the house.
SLRM
Reject airline travel in favor of railroad travel. Make it less of a hassle to travel on a train by providing more power outlets and onboard wifi, and high speed throughways.
Encourage more people to live in an apartment/condo, instead of in their own house.
Eat more fruits and vegetables and less meat of any kind. Meat takes much more energy to produce for the same end energy value. [noparse][[/noparse]kwinn - Also has health benefits].
Encourage development of business practices that promote local teams or a virtual office, as opposed to gas paybacks for long commutes.
Use more wood and less metal. Use more bamboo. [noparse][[/noparse]kwinn – aluminum and iron are among the most recycled materials, so this would have more to do with carbon capture than supply and disposal of metals imho].
mctrivia
Chicken is better for the environment the cow (don't tell my uncle who raise cows I said this). kwinn - good point, but a good steak is nice once in a while.
Full fluorescent tube are better then compacts because the ballast gets reused.
LED though is better in both ways. made of better materials and uses even less power. [noparse][[/noparse]kwinn - OK lets switch to led when that is a viable option.]
Icepuck
The easiest thing you can do is replace your light bulbs with cfl's(compact florescent lights) that saved me about $80 a year. My new lcd tv should save me about $400 a year.
TOWN, CITY, OR MUNICIPALITY
kwinn
Plan new streets and subdivisions so homes are oriented to take maximum advantage of passive solar heating.
Traffic lights need to be timed better to improve traffic flow and reduce idling.
Suburbs need arterial roads with fewer traffic lights, better timing of lights, and fewer other traffic obstructions. Where I live (Brampton) they do a better than average job, but there is still room for improvement.
Street lights could be placed further apart to reduce the total numbers.
W9GFO
Focus street lighting on area to be illuminated.
stamptrol
Bike routes and secure bike racks to encourage cycling. [noparse][[/noparse]kwinn - Good one. Already implemented in some parts of Toronto]
LED traffic lights (also saves on replacement labour)
Make parking in city cores illegal or VERY expensive to encourage better public transit. [noparse][[/noparse] kwinn – the problem with banning or overpricing parking is that some vehicles must be allowed to enter. I am in field service so I need to have my tools, equipment, and parts in my car and be able to park near the customer location. If the parking is very expensive I have to charge more.]
Lobby to get reasonable rates for user produced power whether wind, solar, etc.
Focus on developing railroads to higher capacities and more efficient operation. A train can move a ton (weight) something like 400 miles on a single gallon of diesel.
mctrivia
Have traffic lights blink green when about to change to yellow to allow people to back off the gas pedal or shut their engines off and coast to the light that will be red by the time they get there.
STATE, PROVINCE, OR REGION
kwinn
Parking areas at highway access ramps to encourage car pooling.
Tax incentives to improve energy efficiency.
stamptrol
Focus on developing railroads to higher capacities and more efficient operation. A train can move a ton (weight) something like 400 miles on a single gallon of diesel.
NATIONAL
kwinn
Tax incentives to improve energy efficiency.
stamptrol
Focus on developing railroads to higher capacities and more efficient operation. A train can move a ton (weight) something like 400 miles on a single gallon of diesel.
Post Edited (kwinn) : 6/21/2009 8:53:57 PM GMT
INDIVIDUAL
kwinn
Turn off lights when not in use.
Lower thermostat setting in winter, raise it in summer, and use a programmable thermostat.
Replace shower head with low water use head.
Replace toilet with low volume flush unit.
Phildapill
Use shrubs, bushes, trees, etc. etc. to keep the sun off of the house.
SLRM
Reject airline travel in favor of railroad travel. Make it less of a hassle to travel on a train by providing more power outlets and onboard wifi, and high speed throughways.
Encourage more people to live in an apartment/condo, instead of in their own house.
Eat more fruits and vegetables and less meat of any kind. Meat takes much more energy to produce for the same end energy value. [noparse][[/noparse]kwinn - Also has health benefits].
Encourage development of business practices that promote local teams or a virtual office, as opposed to gas paybacks for long commutes.
Use more wood and less metal. Use more bamboo. [noparse][[/noparse]kwinn – aluminum and iron are among the most recycled materials, so this would have more to do with carbon capture than supply and disposal of metals imho].
mctrivia
Chicken is better for the environment the cow (don't tell my uncle who raise cows I said this). kwinn - good point, but a good steak is nice once in a while.
Full fluorescent tube are better then compacts because the ballast gets reused.
LED though is better in both ways. made of better materials and uses even less power. [noparse][[/noparse]kwinn - OK lets switch to led when that is a viable option.]
Icepuck
The easiest thing you can do is replace your light bulbs with cfl's(compact florescent lights) that saved me about $80 a year. My new lcd tv should save me about $400 a year.
TOWN, CITY, OR MUNICIPALITY
kwinn
Plan new streets and subdivisions so homes are oriented to take maximum advantage of passive solar heating.
Traffic lights need to be timed better to improve traffic flow and reduce idling.
Suburbs need arterial roads with fewer traffic lights, better timing of lights, and fewer other traffic obstructions. Where I live (Brampton) they do a better than average job, but there is still room for improvement.
Street lights could be placed further apart to reduce the total numbers.
W9GFO
Focus street lighting on area to be illuminated.
stamptrol
Bike routes and secure bike racks to encourage cycling. [noparse][[/noparse]kwinn - Good one. Already implemented in some parts of Toronto]
LED traffic lights (also saves on replacement labour)
Make parking in city cores illegal or VERY expensive to encourage better public transit. [noparse][[/noparse] kwinn – the problem with banning or overpricing parking is that some vehicles must be allowed to enter. I am in field service so I need to have my tools, equipment, and parts in my car and be able to park near the customer location. If the parking is very expensive I have to charge more.]
Lobby to get reasonable rates for user produced power whether wind, solar, etc.
Focus on developing railroads to higher capacities and more efficient operation. A train can move a ton (weight) something like 400 miles on a single gallon of diesel.
mctrivia
Have traffic lights blink green when about to change to yellow to allow people to back off the gas pedal or shut their engines off and coast to the light that will be red by the time they get there.
STATE, PROVINCE, OR REGION
kwinn
Parking areas at highway access ramps to encourage car pooling.
Tax incentives to improve energy efficiency.
stamptrol
Focus on developing railroads to higher capacities and more efficient operation. A train can move a ton (weight) something like 400 miles on a single gallon of diesel.
NATIONAL
kwinn
Tax incentives to improve energy efficiency.
stamptrol
Focus on developing railroads to higher capacities and more efficient operation. A train can move a ton (weight) something like 400 miles on a single gallon of diesel.
Post Edited (kwinn) : 6/21/2009 8:53:57 PM GMT
Comments
So, I guess this would be in the individual category. Why not use shrubs, bushes, trees, etc. etc. to keep the sun off of the house? This would reduce airconditioning costs quite a bit.
Rich H
I was in a motel once that had such a low flow shower head I couldn't even wash the shampoo out of my hair. It was a simple fix. I removed the shower head temporarily and took care of it. I would rather take a 5 minute shower with a high flow head than a 10 with a low flow.
I have been thinking about running some pipe in my attic to pick up attic heat, which would feed the cold side of my water heater. I haven't figured out a good way to deal with the wintertime.
LED traffic lights (also saves on replacement labour)
Make parking in city cores illegal or VERY expensive to encourage better public transit.
Lobby to get reasonable rates for user produced power whether wind, solar, etc.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Tom Sisk
http://www.siskconsult.com
·
1. Require most traffic lights to be synchronized
2. Have traffic lights blink green when about to change to yellow
Reject airline travel in favor of railroad travel. Make it less of a hassle to travel on a train by providing more power outlets and onboard wifi, and high speed throughways.
Encourage more people to live in an appartment/condo, instead of in their own house.
Use more wood and less metal. Use more bamboo.
Give Americans more in the way of fruits and vegetables and less meat of any kind. Meat takes much more energy to produce for the same end energy value.
Encourage development of business practices that promote local teams or a virtual office, as opposed to gas paybacks for long commutes.
hackedgadgets.com/2007/04/22/everingham-rotating-house/ strange but uses light better.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
propmod_us and propmod_1x1 are now in stock. Only $30. PCB available for $5
Need to upload large images or movies for use in the forum. you can do so at uploader.propmodule.com for free.
-dan
LED though is better in both ways. made of better materials and uses even less power.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
propmod_us and propmod_1x1 are now in stock. Only $30. PCB available for $5
Need to upload large images or movies for use in the forum. you can do so at uploader.propmodule.com for free.
I Think most people want other people to save energy, So the can have it to them selfs.
Take a look at My Avatar. Do You really think I'm worried about saving fuel?
Look at Stamptrol's Avatar. A "Big Stick Back Hoe" Do You really think He,s worried about saving fuel? Do You really think that He would trade in His back hoe for a shovel?
Do You think I would trade Hemi power over bicycle power?
I don't have any Railroad Iron near or close to My house. "Lucky Me" Someone would have to deliver the package!
If You Take a look at the south American Rain Forest, You'll see that plenty of people are using wood!
Its stupid people that bring up things about cows, like the COWFART tax! Want a laugh,look this one up.
Pound for pound A chicken wrecks havoc on its environment over a cow!
The Truth is We all want power, We just need to find another source!
_______________$WMc%__________
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
The Truth is out there············································ BoogerWoods, FL. USA
I have a low flow shower head that has a fine spray and a shut off valve, and it does a great job of rinsing off soap. I will find and post the brand.
1. Require most traffic lights to be synchronized - Already listed as part of timing of lights.
2. Have traffic lights blink green when about to change to yellow - To what purpose?
$WMc% - The point is to do what is reasonable for you to do, not for everyone to do the same thing. If rail travel from your starting point is not a viable option then use the next best thing. If a backhoe is better for the job at hand than 500 people with a shovel then by all means use a backhoe.
Unless I am mistaken the hazardous material is the mercury in the tube, so the fact that the ballast gets reused in regular flourescents is not a big issue. The compact fluorescent ballasts contain a lot less material and are considerably more efficient.
The city water I use is very cold coming from the pipe. If that water was brought up to room temp it would take alot less power to heat it.
Basically a big tank where the city water goes in at the bottom (cold water sinks), and water is brought out at the top (warm water rises) to go into the water heater.
I haven't tried it, or measured temperatures, but it makes sense to me.
Bean.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There is a fine line between arrogance and confidence. Make sure you don't cross it...
·
In other news, bean prices rise 30%...
My question is, where does the money from this tax go?
Bleh..
OBC
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
New to the Propeller?
Visit the: The Propeller Pages @ Warranty Void.
Wood is renewable, and with the right forest management it can be harvested sustainably. Metals take much more energy and effort to harvest, and when discarded it sticks around longer (aluminum takes something like 100 years to decompose). Bamboo is a wood substitute in many areas (paper, flooring, decorative trim) and grows much faster than wood.
The purpose is to allow people to shut there engines off and coast to the light that will be red by the time they get there.
Steal stud buildings are faster to put up and safer in fires. Also when the building is torn down all the metal gets recycled. Often all nonsuporting walls are removed before demolition so the metal can be reused in original condition.
Sorry most of bad materials are in the bulb. The benefit with reusing the balist is that of landfill. Any time you reuse, reduce, recycle is better then throwing it out. Full florescent tubes last longer and when disposed of only the parts needed for light are disposed of. Compact florescent you waist the balist. A newer invention inductive florescent are even better. Still hazardous chemicals but have 100,000 hour life.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
propmod_us and propmod_1x1 are now in stock. Only $30. PCB available for $5
Need to upload large images or movies for use in the forum. you can do so at uploader.propmodule.com for free.
I like this idea. Though your thinking may be flawed. Cold water does not sink and hot rise. At least not strictly. At 3C water is at its heviest point. Any temperature below or above this will rise based on its density. Water could also rise strictly by the preasure entering the bottom of the tank stiring things up.
So some design change suggestions.
1) Add bafels to reduce turbulent flow. We want the water to rise by density only.
2) Make sure city water is not coming in below 3.
3) Paint tank black to maximise heat gain.
Some other thoughts I have had along these lines some have been brought up in here:
1) Add valves so during hot summer water is first run through baseboard radiators to cool house, then through attic to heat water. This would require a couple valves to let you flush the system and not use during winter.
2) Get Hydrogen Fuel Cell and run exhaust into hot water tank.
3) Divert heat from stove and dryer to hot water tank.
4) Replace hot water tank with inline water heater.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
propmod_us and propmod_1x1 are now in stock. Only $30. PCB available for $5
Need to upload large images or movies for use in the forum. you can do so at uploader.propmodule.com for free.
As to the synchronized lights, there seem to be many main roads in Louisville KY that I end up stopping at EVERY light. The Esplanade in Chico, CA is a few miles long, and if you drive speed limit, you will hit every light on green.
The very best way to heat and cool your house in my opinion is geothermal. I have seen a system that heats most of your hot water, and then switches to the ground loop. However, at $15K to $20K, this hardly pencils out for the average homeowner.
Post Edited (Erik Friesen) : 6/20/2009 6:31:49 PM GMT
I love the idea about using the baseboard registers to cool the house and heat the water to room temperature. I have baseboard heat in my house and I'd love to try that.
It won't help much in the winter though. Maybe in the summer run the water through the baseboard first, then into the storage tank. In the winter just run it directly into the storage tank.
My idea is to get that 40F water to 60F or so. I don't know if turbulance will be a big factor, I guess it could.
Bean.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There is a fine line between arrogance and confidence. Make sure you don't cross it...
·
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
propmod_us and propmod_1x1 are now in stock. Only $30. PCB available for $5
Need to upload large images or movies for use in the forum. you can do so at uploader.propmodule.com for free.
Lots of rats running on wheels connected to generators.
Then feed the rats leftover food from the humans.
Then profit.
Sure laugh, but when 50+ rats or so are powering my propeller, lets see who's laughing then...
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
TERMS OF USE: MIT License
"Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any pers...........................
..............................OMITTED FOR FORUM...............................................
.................. OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. "
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
propmod_us and propmod_1x1 are now in stock. Only $30. PCB available for $5
Need to upload large images or movies for use in the forum. you can do so at uploader.propmodule.com for free.
otherpower.com/hamster.html
while you are there look at the rest of the site.
-dan
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
propmod_us and propmod_1x1 are now in stock. Only $30. PCB available for $5
Need to upload large images or movies for use in the forum. you can do so at uploader.propmodule.com for free.
I would love to have 40degree F' water.First may ice maker would have it made, And the chilled water would also be a breeze for My frig.
Secondly I would build a heat exchanger for My AC unit. The compressor would probably never run, depending on the water flow.
This would involve some cooperation with the water dept.
Take A look at my little design below.
___________________$WMc%____________________
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
The Truth is out there············································ BoogerWoods, FL. USA
Rich H
mctrivia, compact fluorescents have the advantage of being a direct replacement for the light bulbs that are used in virtually all homes. If you are renovating or building new by all means install the most energy efficient systems you can.
Bean, re “A large storage tank before the input of water heater.” In a cold climate you gain nothing from this since you use energy to heat the room air that in turn heats the water. What I would like to see is using solar and waste heat from the refrigerator, air conditioner, dryer, and other heat sources to preheat water before it gets to the water heater.
yes hamster power is a silly idea but fun. However human power to run the TV is a great way to reduce the size of North Americans.
they make led replacement bulbs now that directly replace old bulbs. you can also replace fixtures fairly easily at minimal cost depending how fancy a fixture you want(For any canadians doing renos as of July it is law to use tamper proof recepticals in residential locations).
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
propmod_us and propmod_1x1 are now in stock. Only $30. PCB available for $5
Need to upload large images or movies for use in the forum. you can do so at uploader.propmodule.com for free.