Posts Tagged ‘Home’
Realising Global Benefits By Staying Close To Home
May 15, 2012 | 
Author
Cutting business travel costs while boosting green image through web conferencing
Climate change and the emissions of business travel
Prevailing scientific wisdom is in little doubt that climate change is the result of human activities, and as an issue that will certainly have global impact on all societal levels, urgent action is required. Without a concerted effort by both businesses and individuals alike, we’re facing increases in extreme weather, coastal flooding, extensive species extinctions, and widespread upticks in human diseases and premature deaths, to name a few potential consequences.
Our collective challenge is not to determine the cause of climate change, but how to prevent the emission of additional atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHG) such as CO2. Can any immediate actions with instant impact be taken that won’t harm economic growth? It is a question that has many enterprises concerned that they must choose between financial viability and social responsibility.
Yet achieving increased energy efficiency presents many considerable business opportunities. Take business travel, for instance. The transportation sector in the US was responsible for 28% of overall GHG emissions in 2007 with corporate trips playing no small role.
Consider that it costs between 0.40 and 0.64 pounds of CO2 per passenger mile for air travel, which is four times more GHG emissions than ground travel, or 2- 50% of a company’s overall GHG emissions. Yet air travel isn’t the most common way to get to meetings. In fact, 81% of all corporate travel takes place in cars with a lower per-mile CO2 load, yet still a noteworthy effect on climate change.
But corporate travel isn’t just an environmental issue, it’s big business. On average, 46% of business travel budgets go to air travel—significant opportunity for financial savings.
A 2007 survey of 345 executives indicated that 57% of companies are working on carbon-reduction strategies. When asked about approaches for reducing their carbon footprint, reduction of air travel through carbon neutral meetings was at the top of the list.
Attaining carbon and financial savings with web conferencing
Web conferencing can dramatically reduce travel costs and slash a company’s overall GHG emissions—AT&T reduced their air travel by 15% through web and video meetings. But the advantages don’t stop there:
Time is saved by keeping employees near home rather than on the road.
Participants can simultaneously collaborate and gain hands-on training through online interaction with the presentation.
Entire meetings can be recorded for future reference.
Unfortunately, executives often lack knowledge, have security concerns, and fear losing the prestige of globe-hopping travel. Regardless, economic concerns and interest in corporate social responsibility are driving more businesses to seek out carbon neutral operations.
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Tags: Benefits, Close, Global, Home, Realizing, Staying | 
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What Makes a Home a Green Home?
What Makes a Home a Green House?
One of the hottest topics today is about being environmentally friendly. There are many ways to become environmentally friendly about the home including water preservation and energy reduction. This not only helps with a positive action by reducing your impact on the environment, but will also save you money!
Lets take a look at what makes a home green.
Reduced Energy Use
Energy comes in many forms such as electricity, natural gas, oil, etc. The creation or use of this energy results in greenhouse gas emissions that affect our planet in a negative way.
Methods of Reducing Energy Usage
Insulation, One of the best things that you can do to make a green home is to ensure that the walls, windows, attic, and floors are all well insulated and draft free. The majority of the energy used in a home goes towards heating the house. Good insulation will prevent the air temperature from escaping the home and save you money on your utilities.
Energy Star Appliances When one of your appliances has reached it’s end of life, or when you areconstructing a new home, consider installing an appliance that meets energy star requirements. This will ensure that it will use over 30 percent less electricity or fuel than a typical appliance of that type.
Other options include advanced mechanical Systems On demand tankless water heaters, geothermal HVAC equipment, and even solar power is a great way to reduce the amount of energy that is wasted to run the plumbing, heat and air, and electrical systems in the home. While they can have a higher upfront cost than a typical unit of its kind, tax incentives from the government can offset a good deal of the extra cost and allow you to make the money back within a few years time.
Reduced Water Use
Water is another essential resource that can be preserved in our day to day use around the house.
Low Flow Fixtures Many low flow shower heads and toilets developed a bad reputation in the past because they could not live up to their less efficient counterparts. Fortunately, todays better engineered models and aerators allow you to experience the luxury and ease of use that you prefer, while additionally using a significantly lower amount of water.
Efficient Clothes Washers Many of the newer front loading clothes washers use as little as half of the water of a typical top loading washer. For families who are constantly putting in a new load of dirty clothes, this can lead to a significant savings in cost and water usage over time.
Use Rain Water For Irrigation For those who want to really cut down on water usage, storage tanks that collect rain water during a storm for latter use to water the garden and lawn can save thousands of gallons over the span of a summer.
These are just a few of the many ideas out there that will help ensure that your home is green. Environmentally friendly decisions in the home can lead to wallet friendly results over time and allow for the satisfaction of knowing you are reducing your negative impact on the planet.
At Be Seen Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
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Renewable Energy – Practical Home Options
As a homeowner, you may be using renewable energy sources. Let’s look at a few of these important, powerful sources.
If you use solar powered lights to brighten your walkway, a solar cover on your swimming pool or hang your clothes out to dry, you are already making use of the sun’s renewable energy. There are many other renewable energy home options you can take advantage of, and by doing so, help preserve our environment.
The most practical of renewable energy options for the home consist of space heating and domestic hot water. This is over 50% of a household’s energy usage. In using renewable energy we can experience cost saving benefits.
Perhaps the best way to take advantage of renewable energy home options is when designing a new house. A southern wall taking advantage of an appropriate amount of windows can take full use of the low sun in the winter. Adding a roof overhang over these windows allow the higher summer sun to be blocked. Also, on a cool day you can open your windows to let a breeze cool off the house and make use of wind energy. You have achieved adding heat in the winter and coolness in the summer, thereby lowering your heating and cooling costs naturally. This is called passive solar heating since it is integrated with no extra costs. You can also do day lighting by taking full advantage of the sunlight during the day to take care of your daytime lighting needs.
Wood stoves can also be advantageous, if using only dead wood, diseased wood or small pellets made from wood chips, crop waste and other organic material for burning. This is a renewable source of heat through the use of space heating. Modern wood burning stoves are highly efficient, making it a more practical option.
A homeowner can also utilize active solar heating. A solar water heater can use renewable solar energy to heat water for a house. This would use solar collector panels placed on a roof. Water runs through pipes under these panels and is heated by the sun. The water travels to a water tank in your home for your use. Electricity can also be produced for a home using the photovoltaic technology. This runs on the same idea as a solar calculator. Solar electricity is ideal for rural homes where it would be difficult to run an electric line to.
Geothermal heat pumps use the heat from the Earth to move heat from one area to another. This system uses a series of underground pipes to move a heat exchange fluid. The heat pump moves this fluid, heated from the earth and transfers it to buildings for use. Initial installation costs are much the same as traditional heating systems, but operational costs are lower.
If you live in a windy part of the country and have quite a bit of land, wind can power a wind turbine to produce electricity for your household. But your location must be ideal to catch wind and you must be able to capture a certain amount for this to work.
These are some home options for renewable energy sources. By trying to utilize some of them we are preparing for our future by using clean energy that does not affect air quality or harm the environment.
How You Can Convert Your Home Into a Complete Source of Renewable Energy
A few years ago renewable energy such as solar power and wind power was an impossible dream for the average person. Why? It was very very expensive to turn your own home into a solar power generator. In fact you were unlikely to ever make your money back with the energy savings. But recently all of that has changed.
Both solar power and wind power have become genuine alternative energy sources in the last few years. And the best thing is, you can create working generators and plates/turbines yourself, for very little cost. This means you will be saving thousands of dollars making them, and then thousands more when they are up and running.
Has there ever been a better time to get green? Not only is electricity the most expensive it has EVER been right now, but the planet is also in the worst shape it has ever been. What do these two things mean for you? They mean you should try and generate some of your power (even if you only decide to make 20% of your own power).
It is not hard to get the materials, and as long as you have a good manual to follow you should easily be able to implement your own system and start saving money on your bills. Solar power is ideal for just about any home in America (amongst other countries). Wind power is ideal for higher up (hilly terrain) locations or large flat locations. On top of saving a lot of money or your bills you will find yourself having fun with a great family project.
Changing Your Carbon Footprint at Home
An environmentally-sound home is one that makes less of an impact on the environment. This example of home can incorporate things like energy-efficient appliances or low-e windows to make your home more efficient or maybe even adding more extreme items like solar power or a water recycling system. If you are implementing these modifications now, the neat thing is that many of the technologies cost less now than in the past. If your home is pre-construction, you can choose to have the home designed to take maximum advantage of the natural illumination of the home. Making a home more efficient or buying an eco-friendly home will not only save you money on things like energy bills, but is also the environmentally responsible choice to make.
Solar derived energy is a somewhat new idea. Nonetheless, as a modern-day homeowner you can take advantage of the technology that is available and get the power that you need for your home. The way that solar energy is employed is that solar panels are situated in a place where they can get ample sunlight. These large panels are made of glass and have tubes with water coursing through them. As the sun warms the water in the tubes, it is transformed into energy that you can use for your home. An additional benefit is that the hot water can then be used instead of a hot water unit. Most homeowners position the panels up on the portion of the roof that gets the maximum amount of sunlight. That means that shade from trees needs to be minimized anywhere the panels are installed. Every system is different, but it is possible to derived energy an entire home using solar panels.
Water is a limited resource, so we all need to do our part to use less water. One way of making your water usage more eco-friendly is to have holding tanks where you can store water and then send it through a filtration system where it can then furnish the water needs of your home. This water recycling method is a great way to take care of your yard’s water requirements.
Recycling water can save about eighty percent of the overall water used in many homes. Another easy way to reduce the quantity of water that you are using is to put in a low-flow showerhead. A low-flow showerhead is easy to install and will save hundreds of gallons of water every year. Also, if you have older toilets, upgrading to a modern toilet can also reduce your water usage for the future. When you start to think about the many ways that you can save water, you can perhaps come up with even more.
Eco-friendly homes are the wave of the future. Finding ways to decrease each family’s use of electricity and water is important for all of us. You can make modifications to make your home more earth-friendly that will really make a difference. Recycling, utilizing solar power and monitoring your water use are all great ways to establish your home as a green home.
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Insulation innovation for your green home
When it comes to the green home, ratings matter. There are a number of eco certification for home based appliances and white goods. Plus you can get your home professionally assessed for energy efficiency.
Residential homes can be given a rating based on the National House Energy Rating (NatHERS) which is an index of the home’s thermal performance. It is done through a professional analysis by a qualified assessor working in conjunction with the builder of the home. NatHERS provides a baseline for assessment software to rate a home’s energy efficiency potential. Most homes in Australia currently fall below a 5 star rating, but the current tool has now been adapted to allow for a potential 10 star rating (which would be equivalent to zero conditioning energy). This system is based purely on the home’s infrastructure and does not include appliances or hot water systems. Find out more about energy ratings for your home.
Good insulation is a key feature in any energy efficient home. And homeowners are keen to take advantage of Kevin Rudd’s important announcement last week, with funds for ceiling insulation becoming available from the federal government. The Federal Government will be providing eligible homes wiht free ceiling insulation worth $1600. Landlords and renters can benefit too with rental properties being included in the package.
Yet with all the available insulation out there, which one should we consider?
Eco Home Tip #16 – Ask about the R value – the measure for insulation materials is the R value. A high R value means better insulation potential. For example, Pink Batts offers a range ceiling insulation products that have an R value of up to 6.0.
Eco Home Tip #17 – Natural insulation – Take your insulation innovation even further and look for ceiling insulation made from sustainable materials, such as Goldenfleece wool insulation. All natural wool fibre has great insulating properties, with the CSIRO claiming, “wool insulation performs better because of it’s ability to rapidly absorb and desorb moisture from the air.” And you’ll be helping out the rural farmers!
Eco Home Tip #18 – DIY insulation – there are lots of simple insulating ideas homeowners can adapt to protect their homes against the elements. Seal draughts with door snakes or hang some thick curtains on your windows to keep out the coming cold.
Insulation is the first step to a great energy efficient home that will save you money. Well designed homes that incorporate insulation, thermal mass design and sustainable energy alternatives, such as solar panels, can save some homeowners up to 50% on their annual energy consumption. Plus you get to enjoy the comfort of having a pleasant living environment year round.
How to Reduce Energy Consumption at Home
Before even considering installing renewable energy technologies at home, you must first reduce the amount of energy you use. But the good news is that this can often be done simply and cheaply by making a few minor changes around the house. Read on to find out how …
Heating and hot water accounts for around 83% of the total energy used in the home. So team a more efficient boiler with a full set of heating controls and you’ll spend less heating your hot water.
It’s easy to get bamboozled by technology when it comes to making your home more energy efficient. You want to reduce your carbon footprint but is a wind turbine on your roof the answer? Perhaps solar panels? Or will loft insulation and changing the lightbulbs be enough?
Energy use in homes accounts for over a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint it’s important to make sure you are using energy as efficiently as possible. Then you can begin to think about getting your energy from cleaner sources.
Fortunately, the first bit is the easiest and cheapest. Britons top the league in Europe when it comes to wasting energy – largely due to insufficient levels of heat insulation in the walls and roofs of our homes. All that extra energy use sends millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) into the atmosphere. But tackling this problem requires no new technology, just modest DIY and some changes in habit.
Loft insulation
First things first, poke your head up into your loft. Is there at least 270mm of insulation up there? Installing loft insulation is by far one of the easiest way to chop your heating bills, saving around £150 a year in an un-insulated loft and can easily be done yourself at an extremely low cost. Alternatively, an installer will typically be able to fit loft insulation in your home for around £200 , with a pay back period of less than two years.
If there is already some insulation up there, then be sure to top it up to 270mm, you could save around £45 a year on your heating bills.
Wall insulation
Insulating cavity walls is also a good idea – a third of a home’s heat is lost through walls. Homes built after 1920 are likely to have external walls made with two layers of bricks with a small gap between them. Filling this with insulation will cost a couple of hundred pounds (though you’ll need a professional to do it) and pays for itself within two years.
Solid walls (such as those in Victorian houses) are harder to insulate but it is possible by insulating and rendering the outside of the house or building an internal stud wall and filling the gap between that and the brick wall with insulation. It is more expensive but will reward you with a warmer home.
Draught proofing
Turn to your windows and doors next. Draughts can make a room uncomfortable as heat is lost and cold air comes billowing in. Apply inexpensive plastic or foam strips (available from DIY stores) to window and doorframes to stop the winds. If you have the budget, consider replacing single glazing with modern double-glazed units. As well as keeping the heat in, they will also reduce the noise coming in from the outside.
Heating controls and condensing boilers
Heating and hot water accounts for around 83% of the total energy used in the home. So team a more efficient boiler with a full set of heating controls and you’ll spend less heating your hot water. A new A rated gas condensing boiler and heating controls could save you around £235 a year.
A full set of heating controls including a time switch/programmer, room thermostat, hot water tank thermostat (if applicable), and thermostatic radiator valves.
If you already have heating controls make sure you know how to use them, for example setting your heating and hot water to only come on when you need it will cut down on the energy you use. And simply turning your thermostat down by 1 degree C can cut your heating bills by 10% – saving you around £55 a year.
Lighting
Lighting is another simple way to cut your energy bills. Energy saving lightbulbs use around a fifth of the energy and last up to 10 times longer than traditional lightbulbs. Each one might save you around £40 in electricity over its lifetime.
When you go out to buy new appliances such as fridges, dishwashers or washing machines, make sure you look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo. It’s your guarantee that they are the most energy efficient on the market.
Posted in Carbon accounting | Tags: consumption, Energy, Getting, Home, ready, Reduce, Renewables | No Comments »
Global Warming – Reducing The Carbon Footprint Of Your Home
Simple things we can all do to help global warming .The generally accepted theory is that global warming is caused by pollution, mainly from the by-products of our burning fossil fuels originally coal and now oil as well.
Global warming is the gradual increase in the air temperature at the earth’s surface which over the last century has radically increased causing big problems with the distinct possibility that sea levels may rise, leading to massive floods in certain low lying areas and islands.
The question is how can I help to reduce global warming, if you follow or at least consider few Eco tips that will help reduce the carbon footprint of your home, with the added benefit of cutting your power consumption and save you money.
1) Use energy efficient lighting, these lights give a brighter light at a lower wattage therefore consuming less power meaning lower bills and the need to produce less power.
2) When purchasing new appliances, take note of their energy rating that is clearly labelled, the more efficient the less power the use and lower bills.
3) Turn off lights and appliances when you are not in the room, do not just walk out and leave the TV on. It’s not the number of appliances we own it’s the way we use them that makes your electric bills so high.
4) Check the insulation, particularly the loft insulation in your house, there are several programs that will cover some of the cost of upgrading it. Poor insulation can cost up to an additional 15% on your bills.
5) Air conditioning set the thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, most people are comfortable at that sort of temperature. Every degree you go below that can add about 8% to your bills.
6) Make sure your external doors and windows are properly sealed, any gaps can add to your costs by letting out the cooled or warmed air you have paid for.
7) Keep out direct sunlight, which will not only save your carpets and furniture from fading but will significantly reduce the temperature in your house and save on air conditioning costs.
8) To keep out the cold make sure that the curtains fit properly, these in conjunction with double or triple glazing can cut your heating costs by a huge margin. This type of glazing also helps to keep cool air in during the hot weather.
9) Buy only recycled paper and paper products, this reduces the number of tress that need to be cut down. Trees are vital to the earth’s ecology as they turn the carbon dioxide we produce back into Life giving oxygen, so the fewer mature trees we need to harvest the better.
10) Recharge batteries for things like cell phones only when they need to be recharged. The overcharging of batteries, leaving appliances, TV’s, audio equipment etc, in some cases can consume up to 30% of the power they take when in use. If you multiply this by the number of electrical items you just leave on constant charge or on standby, it can amount to a considerable power wastage – all of which you have to pay for.
Posted in Carbon accounting | Tags: Carbon Accounting, Footprint, Global, Home, Reducing, warming | 1 Comment »
Good Energy – Solar Power at Home
In the Herefordshire countryside a couple use solar panels at home to heat water and generate electricity and help them to lead the good life.
Home Energy Use: Save on Hot Water
Climate change, the price of oil and natural resource management top the list of concerns many individuals have in today’s fast-paced world. The price of oil has risen in dramatic fashion to reach record levels, peaking in the summer of 2008. Indications are that the high price of oil is here to stay as supply cannot keep up with demand. World scientists have been sounding the alarm bell for over two decades as analysis shows that greenhouse gases are being released into the atmosphere at a far greater rate than the planet can handle. Yet many governments continue to ignore the warnings and individuals either assume it is someone else’s problem or are too lacksidaisical. Natural resources such as fossil fuels and water are being consumed at an unsustainable rate and will likely leave future generations with no resources. With all this going on, what can we, as concerned individuals, do to reduce our ecological footprints?
The place to start is to cut back on home energy use. By doing so, less electricity and/or fossil fuels are generally required thus helping out in a small but necessary way. The first step is to have an energy assessment done on your home by a qualified consultant. The assessment will consider air leakage from your home and other factors such as furnace and air conditioner efficiency. In some areas, government grants are available to fix any deficiencies found as a result of the energy assessment.
Apart from the energy assessment and subsequent corrective actions, there are other ways of reducing home energy use, including reduction of energy required to heat water. Many people are unaware that the act of heating water typically accounts for up to 20% of total home energy use. There are several initiatives that can be taken to reduce your hot water demands, particularly if you have a hot water tank.
The most obvious improvement is to retrofit (or replace) your existing water heater with a solar water heater. In most cases this can be practically achieved with the expectation of eliminating 50% or more of your home energy use due to hot water. The main drawback is the high price of solar water heaters. Recovery of the initial cost can take 10 – 20 or more years depending upon your location and climate.
Another improvement, if not already implemented, is to install energy-efficient showerheads. This can cut your hot water shower use by up to 35%.
Check the insulation rating of your hot water tank. If it is R-10 or less and the hot water tank is located in an unfinished basement (or garage) then consider installing an insulation blanket around the tank. Call a professional if you are uncertain how to install the blanket. Make sure that the hot water pipe is insulated all the way from the tank until it goes up through the ceiling to the next floor. This will keep the water in the pipe hot or at least warm.
If you have a natural gas water heater then you should drain a pail of water from the hot water tank every three months or as recommended by the manufacturer. This will remove sediment that reduces heat transfer and lowers efficiency.
If you have an electric water heater then consider installing a water heater timer. The water heater can be turned on for periods of high use and off at other times. A manual switch allows water heating at any time. For frequently used taps consider installing a local on-demand water heater. This will reduce the waiting time for hot water, resulting in less energy and less wasted water.
Most residential hot water heaters are generally set at 60 C (140 F). There are many advocates suggesting that the temperature be lowered from 60 C down to 49 C. The advantages include less energy use and lower risk of injury due to scalding. The lower temperature has already been mandated in some countries.
Unfortunately, reducing the storage temperature to under 50 C significantly increases the risk of bacterial growth in the water tank, resulting in possibility of Legionnaires’ disease. If you wish to lower the temperature then don’t go below 54 C. The possibility of injury due to scalding can be minimized by following a set routine for turning on and off the hot and cold water and educating children in the safe use and dangers of hot water.
In conclusion, there are many hot water initiatives you can undertake to improve your home energy efficiency. One small but necessary step in the battle against climate change.
Steve Auger is the author of www.blogonsmog.com and the website www.goinggreenformychildren.com.