These simplistic energy saving recommendations ignore one fact.
Many homes (and businesses), especially here in the north eastern part of North America use elctricity for heating.
Almost every month of the year, in this climate, some amount of heating is required at night; when lights are on.
Also with any electrical device any so called 'wasted' electricity rapidly becomes heat within the house or building structure.
So any changes we make by economising lighting or reducing other energy use within a home has to be supplied by some other form of heating.
Since almost all our heating is provided by hydro generated power that merely means that by turning off lights or using lower enery consuming bulbs, electric heaters have to work more to supply the same amount of energy.
A particular case is our bathroom which has a row of light bulbs above the vanity mirror. When those lights are on the bathroom thermostat hardly ever needs to switch on the heater!
Our neighbour has gone heavily, at considerable cost, into using mostly 'Energy Saving' light bulbs. Yet their electrcity usage and electrcity bill has remained the same and is higher than ours!
With outside temperatures tonight well below freezing this room is entirely heated by 'wasted heat' from the computer and the single desk lamp bulb. The baseboard electric heater is just about off and hardly ever cuts in!
So remember the important thing about saving energy is just that! 'Saving' by keeping warmth within the building structure; by better insulation, weather sealing, use of storm doors, double or triple window glass, smaller windows, fewer doors to outside etc.
Ventilation should ensure no mould or moisture build up and if possible air excahngers hould be of the 'heat recovery' type.
Also snow can be banked up against exposed basement walls to cut heat loss caused by wind. Bushes (especially of the evergreen species that do not drop their leaves in winter) can reduce heat loss due to windage around a home.
Most electrcity (and other heat sources) safely used within an other wise properly ventilated home contribute to home heating.
There are several ways to conserve energy and one just needs to find out which among these are most effective for them in terms of location, weather conditions and other factors. Anyway, thank you for sharing these tips, surely, several readers as well as HVAC contractor Dallas will benefit from this list.
These simplistic energy saving recommendations ignore one fact.
ReplyDeleteMany homes (and businesses), especially here in the north eastern part of North America use elctricity for heating.
Almost every month of the year, in this climate, some amount of heating is required at night; when lights are on.
Also with any electrical device any so called 'wasted' electricity rapidly becomes heat within the house or building structure.
So any changes we make by economising lighting or reducing other energy use within a home has to be supplied by some other form of heating.
Since almost all our heating is provided by hydro generated power that merely means that by turning off lights or using lower enery consuming bulbs, electric heaters have to work more to supply the same amount of energy.
A particular case is our bathroom which has a row of light bulbs above the vanity mirror. When those lights are on the bathroom thermostat hardly ever needs to switch on the heater!
Our neighbour has gone heavily, at considerable cost, into using mostly 'Energy Saving' light bulbs.
Yet their electrcity usage and electrcity bill has remained the same and is higher than ours!
With outside temperatures tonight well below freezing this room is entirely heated by 'wasted heat' from the computer and the single desk lamp bulb. The baseboard electric heater is just about off and hardly ever cuts in!
So remember the important thing about saving energy is just that! 'Saving' by keeping warmth within the building structure; by better insulation, weather sealing, use of storm doors, double or triple window glass, smaller windows, fewer doors to outside etc.
Ventilation should ensure no mould or moisture build up and if possible air excahngers hould be of the 'heat recovery' type.
Also snow can be banked up against exposed basement walls to cut heat loss caused by wind. Bushes (especially of the evergreen species that do not drop their leaves in winter) can reduce heat loss due to windage around a home.
Most electrcity (and other heat sources) safely used within an other wise properly ventilated home contribute to home heating.
There are several ways to conserve energy and one just needs to find out which among these are most effective for them in terms of location, weather conditions and other factors. Anyway, thank you for sharing these tips, surely, several readers as well as HVAC contractor Dallas will benefit from this list.
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