As you look into the range of Home Electronics, Automation and Alarm choices, make sure to compare and contrast the advantages and energy savings for: Smart Houses, Computers, Flat Screen Televisions, Home Automation, Home Entertainment and Cable, Home Theater Electronics, DSL High Speed Internet, Personal Electronic Devices, Phones, Alarms, Power Controlling Devices, and Power Strips and Surge Protectors.
When it comes to home energy use, Heating and cooling typically accounts for 40% of the average cost. Other than using your thermostat to conserve energy, you may not be able to control the HVAC costs unless you invest in more updated high-efficiency systems. However, you can easily control the inefficiencies when it comes to the electronics and computers in your home.
Many electronics, computers and peripherals like copiers and printers consume 25% of their power when they are not even turned on. So, save money with a few power strips for the equipment where it is convenient and shut them down at night. The latest power strips that automatically detect when a computer has been shut off only cost about $22 each, and they save on average $25 each year. Over a decade you can save $250 and probably more given the projected rising energy costs. The advantage of the auto detection system is that you only need to remember to turn off your home computer and not necessarily need to remember to flip off the switch on the surge protector.
When it comes to a home computer and monitor, each ‘workstation’ when left on at night is responsible for generating nearly one ton of CO2 emissions per year. To put this in perspective, the average annual worldwide CO2 emissions is 4 tons per person per year, while the US emission per person is over 14 tons per year. If a workstation is switched off at night and set to go to “sleep” during idle periods in the day, it would cut the waste by 80 percent. If every US computer and monitor were turned off at night, we could shut down eight large power stations and avoid emitting 7 million tons of CO2 every year. Save the planet, but also save your money. ENERGY STAR computers and monitors (15") save about 50 percent on electricity costs, automatically power down when not in use, and they are available from almost every manufacturer. Both computers and monitors power down to about 15% of their maximum power usage.
An average computer and monitor will use $93 per year of electricity if it is left on at night versus only $21 if it is shut off. You still want to consider standby power reduction to shut down the power drawn from peripherals when they are not in use. There are two myths that are NOT true. "Screen savers save energy" - this is false. "It is better for the computer to leave it on" - this is also false. If you use screen savers make sure they are compatible with your computer’s power management features, as many will actually prevent your computer from going into the power-saver mode. It may also be necessary to make sure that the power saving features are enabled on your computers and that you have the power-down time set to an acceptable level for your operation. Monitors use most of the energy at workstation and if it’s shut down when nobody’s at the computer, the savings add up. New flat panel liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors use quite a bit less energy than the conventional cathode ray monitors. The LCD monitors are expensive, but if you are considering new monitors, the energy savings may justify the extra expense. Laptops use between 10 and 50 per of the electricity consumed by typical desktop computers. The cost of laptops has continued to drop as the competition and technology increases so there are many brands that are close in cost to a desktop equivalent. When buying a laptop, look for systems comprised completely of 3.3-volt components (processor, memory and LCD). These systems use about half of the energy than 5.0-volt systems, and are generally equipped with a lighter battery. Computers overall were actually the first devices to earn an ENERGY STAR rating back in 1992, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Since then the efficiency standards have changed as well as the energy 'landscape' so on July 1, 2009, ENERGY STAR implements a Tier-2 specification for PCs that will outline additional standards for computers outside the top tier. As your home computer gets outdated look for the new Tier-2 specifications and energy efficient options and also consider laptops which use less power than desktop computers. As a benchmark 'traditional' Computers typically use 55 watts of power and Monitors (15”) typically use 75 watts. Anything less than that is going to save you money. The added cost is based on spending an additional $120 an energy saving vs. traditional systems.
The right home improvement products, techniques, and services:
Contractors, home improvement stores, and specialty shops in your area may not yet have a complete familiarity with the ‘green’ opportunities, products, system integration, and overall savings potential. So, you may get some resistance, since people in general are typically more comfortable recommending something that they are already familiar with rather than something new. To help break the inertia, use the information across this website like our Return on Investment Master ROI Table. Also feel free to post a question in our forum on the message board about a particular need for your home relative to your area. Our team has spent multiple years aggregating research from public and private sector performance reports and from manufacturers and homeowners across the country in order to provide you with the perspective you may need to see the initial payback and long term advantages. Environmental enthusiasts and leading institutions like the American Institute of Architects and the National Association of Realtors, see the value and link into our resources to support their members.
The Green Home:
For your overall home improvement, you can save money, improve your family’s health, and save the planet. Find out for free how much it will cost to do different types of home improvement in your home from a qualified and member approved contractor in your area. Get a FREE Quote . Plus, regardless of the size and scope of your home improvement project, save money and keep your home clean with the top rated chemical free and concentrated Green Home Cleaning Products.
Home Improvement Basics:
When it comes to home improvement basics, look for interior home improvements like creating a clean, safe, and healthy home through sustainable ‘green’ furniture, home décor, zero VOC and Interior Paint, plus ENERGY STAR Appliances and Electronics. For energy and utility savings you can focus on insulation and air sealing, windows, doors, lighting and skylights, water saving plumbing opportunities, and high efficiency heating and air conditioning systems. On the outside of your house, look for exterior home improvement opportunities through landscape design and gardening plus solar energy, wind and other power sources. If you are undertaking a major home renovation, an additions, or building a new home, then take the lead to ‘go green’ in as many ways as possible to save money and the environment.
