text: 1 The Guide To An Energy Efficient Home Jane Doe ABC Company 2 The Guide to an Energy Efficient Home By {your name here} http://www.yoursitenamehere.com Customer Support: {Help Desk URL or email for support} Legal Notice: This digital eBook is for informational purposes only. While every attempt has been made to verify the information provided in this report, neither the author, publisher nor the marketer assume any responsibility for errors or omissions. Any slights of people or organizations are completely unintentional 3 and the development of this ebook is a bona fide venture. The producer and marketer have no intention whatsoever to adversely impact the reputations of any persons or business enterprises. The trademarks, screen-shots, website links, products and services mentioned in this eBook are copyrighted by their respective owners. 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Table of Contents Introduction......................................................................................................................................4 Chapter 1 The Kitchen............................................................................................................………………..8 Chapter 2 The Bathroom…………….…………….………………………………………………………..15 Chapter 3 Windows, Doors and Skylights…………………………………………………………………..19 Chapter 4 Attics, Roofs and Energy Loans………...….……………………………………………………………………………......54 Chapter 5 Hot Water Heater, Furnace, Air Conditioner, Thermostat……..…………………………………………………………………………….......62 Chapter 9 LED Flood Lights……………..…………………………………………………………………84 Chapter 6 Laptops..…………………………………………………………………………………………92 Chapter 7 Energy Efficient HDTV…....……………………………………………………………………………………..108 Chapter 8 The Best Rechargeable AA and AAA Batteries and Chargers, Powerstrips…………………………………………………..…...……………………………..138 Chapter 10 Toilets and Showerheads for Saving Water………………………………………………………………………..……………..……151 Introduction Energy prices are going through the roof and these days it pays to make your home more energy efficient. The latest report by the U.S. Department of Energy states that the average American family spends about $1,900 a year on home utility bills. This comes as no surprise, considering we spend about 90% of our time in our homes, where energy is in great demand. A large portion of that energy is wasted and utilized inefficiently. Not to mention, the fossil fuels used to generate the electricity for a single home ever year, put more carbon dioxide into the air than two mid-sized cars. It's time we do our part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing our demand for energy. Yes, YOU have the power to cut the consumption of energy resources like coal and gas in your very own home. By reducing energy consumption, you are helping to keep the air cleaner for everyone and reducing your environmental footprint while saving money on your utility bills. 6 "Other" includes small electric devices, heating elements, motors, swimming pool heaters, hot tub heaters, outdoor grills, and natural gas outdoor lighting Sources: U.S. Department of Energy; 2009 Buildings Energy Data Book Now you might be wondering: "how do I start saving money on my utilities while doing my part to protect the environment?" I have good news for you: making your home more energy efficient is a lot easier than you might expect! In this book, we reveal dozens of easy tips on upgrading your home into 7 the efficient, environmentally friendly model of green living that you've always wanted! A lot of the money you currently spend on utilities is going right out the window! Instead, let's use that money to make your home more energy efficient! Feel free to buy me a cup of coffee while you're at it. The tips in this guide are so simple anybody can use them! We'll go over both smaller and larger repairs and replacements you can make room by room. We'll also cover simple things you can do yourself at little or no cost to bring your home up to snuff on the latest in green energy. Once you've made your home energy efficient, you'll wonder how you ever lived any other way! 8 Chapter 1 – The Kitchen Take a look at your kitchen. How old are your appliances? Do you have a ceiling fan installed? What types of light bulbs are you using? Why is this book giving me the third degree?! OK, let's face it. Older "stuff" drains tons of energy. Even if you're a millionaire (doubt it), we'll show you how to reinvest money you currently spend on sky-high utilities into newer, more efficient appliances and habits. 9 [Refrigerator] How old is your refrigerator? It's O.K., Be honest . . . If you have an older refrigerator, you might be paying extra on your electric bill. Older fridges tend to really drain electricity. By replacing your old fridge with a spiffier, more energy-conscious model, you can save serious cash on your bill. According to General Electric, someone with a 20 year old fridge pays roughly double the amount that the owner of an energy efficient unit pays(!) That means if you pay $30 a month with your 20 year old antique icebox, you can get away with paying just $15 if you upgrade. Not only would you be getting a new refrigerator but eventually, it would pay for itself! $15 a month may sound like chump change to you, but add that up over the course of ten months and you've saved $150! 10 [Dishwasher] For the dishwasher - the same rules apply. Yes, that beloved relic you inherited from your grandma, who bought it during the great depression, is probably sapping major electricity and water. Older dishwashers use way more water than newer models, thus sky-rocketing your water bill. Switch to an energy efficient model already and start saving dinero on your bills! (Because I'd still like that cup of coffee) [Oven] While using an oven in the winter can make the kitchen nice and toasty and doubles as a great makeshift fireplace for the kids to roast marshmallows, using it in the summer can make the kitchen HOT, which can cause your air conditioner to kick on. You're better off using the oven only occasionally in the summer. Instead, how about using the microwave? This won't turn the whole kitchen into a sauna or singe off little Jimmy's 11 eyebrows and is generally just as effective at cooking the majority of foods as an oven more quickly! [Crock Pot] Another great way to save energy in the kitchen during the summer months is to use a crock pot. You don't have to use the oven and it won't flip the A.C. on. Making your kitchen more energy efficient is more of a state of mind than a series of home repairs. By staying conscious of how much energy you use in the kitchen, particularly when it comes to the different appliances, you can reach energy Zen (zenergy) and have fewer bills than Buddha had possessions. [Ceiling Fan] 12 If you don't have a ceiling fan in your kitchen . . . install one! A ceiling fan circulates both cool and warm air throughout the year. Since most kitchens have a light fixture on the ceiling, it's usually pretty easy to install a ceiling fan with a built-in light kit. This creates air circulation in the kitchen. [Floor] Now take a look at your kitchen floor. Do you have ceramic tiles, wood or linoleum? Although linoleum is the cheapest among these types of flooring, it's also the warmest. If you're looking to save money and energy, switching to linoleum flooring can save you money on both heating and air conditioning. Your tiles may look much sexier but they downright suck at conducting heat. 13 [Lighting] Take a look at the type of light bulbs you're using in the light fixtures in your kitchen. Not too close or you'll go blind! You've heard about those new, energy efficient lightbulbs, right? These little guys are more earth friendly than traditional bulbs as they emit fewer toxins, last about 10 times longer than traditional light bulbs and use about one-third of the electricity. Plus, let's be real - the way they spiral looks awesome. It's estimated that you can save about $30 during the lifetime of the lightbulb. By replacing the light bulbs in the kitchen, alone, you're making great strides in creating a more energy efficient home. These Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs or CFL bulbs use only 23 watts of 14 energy and emit less carbon dioxide, mercury and other environmentally harmful substances than traditional bulbs. Millions of modern homes use CFL's in their kitchens, dining rooms, family rooms and bathrooms - and understandably so. A 23 Watt CFL is brighter than a 100 watt conventional lightbulb and uses only a third of the electricity! Even though CFL's are pricier, their long life saves you money in the long run. [Faucet] So, how's your kitchen faucet holding up? Does it drip or leak? If you answered yes, it's time to replace the faucet. Leaking faucets end up wasting a substantial amount of water during their lifetime and can total up to $100 a year in water costs! You're better off spending half that for a decent faucet that'll pay for itself in 6 months, anyway! Yea . . . we're lazy, too. But do it anyway. You work hard for the money! 15 Just by making some simple adjustments in your kitchen, you can make the room more energy efficient (and get cool points from friends and neighbors). While a new refrigerator and dishwasher can be steep, getting energy efficient appliances is something you should seriously consider when the time comes. You probably wouldn't rip up your floor to save a few bucks, but when the inevitable hour of replacements and renovations arrives, think relentlessly long-term and go energy efficient all the way! Chapter 2 – The Bathroom This is another part of the home where we spend a considerable amount of time - taking care of our basic needs and just unwinding. Let's see how we can upgrade it! Short of ripping out the entire bathroom, there are several little things you can do to improve efficiency in your . . . ahem, "sanctuary." For example, throw done some bathroom rugs to prevent the temptation of turning the heat on in the winter because of the icy floor. Consider: Just as in the rest of the house, using the right bulbs is the first step in creating a truly energy efficient bathroom. [Fixtures] Take a peek at your faucets and showerheads. Are they old and leaking? If so, then - you guessed it! - have them replaced! This is super 17 important because your shower is the biggest water hog in the house. You can pick one up at most any bathroom supply, hardware or general store. Look for a "AAA" labeled shower head (which flows at a rate close to 7 liters per minute). Don't worry, installing a new shower fixture or hand held shower massage doesn't require an engineering degree - anyone can do it! Plus: you'll get better water pressure! These improvements aren't expensive but they can save you hundreds of dollars a year in utility costs. That's some serious moolah! Now, if you're ready to indulge your hidden desire to smash a little piece of your house to smithereens AND have some money to burn, let's see what else we can do with your bathroom to improve efficiency. One of your first priorities should be switching to a more efficient toilet. These save water and energy big time. 18 Next, select an energy efficient hot water system and place it as close to the bathroom and laundry as possible to reduce pipe length and heat loss. Also make sure to insulate your new water pipes to prevent heat loss. (Note: This does not work on one's head if it's full of hot air) Install an energy efficient exhaust fan in the bathroom. These control moisture while you bathe or shower. If you're fond of singing in the shower but cause your cat to hide in terror for several days at a time, ask for the noisiest model available. Your lungs and sinuses will thank you as well because by removing moist air in your bathroom and bringing drier air in, you help prevent the build-up of harmful (and house-damaging) molds and mildews. Install self-closing exhaust fans to avoid heat loss/gain when not in use. If you do decided to go demolition man and rip the bathroom up, make sure 19 you insulate walls, doors, windows and ceilings. Walls around tubs and shower enclosures have notoriously poor insulation. Caulking walls and the ceiling prevents air leaks and makes for a more comfortable bathroom. And let's face it, caulking is the most exciting thing this side of skydiving. Installing energy efficient doors, windows and skylights helps make your home more comfortable and can lower heating and cooling costs. Developments in glass and frame technologies have proven amazing in controlling airflow to and from your home and a tight seal always ensures comfort. Be sure to use Energy Star rated appliances and lighting in your remodel. 20 Chapter 3 – Windows, Doors and Skylights Windows How old is your home? If you live in an older house chances are you still have the original windows that came with the place. Most of your windows, though intact and solid, have probably developed some cracks and gaps in the frames and housings. By now you've probably noticed the cold draft 21 coming through the windows in the wintertime and when it's windy out. These cracks let out more hot air than a used car salesman, causing you to turn your heat up and costing you money. But lucky for you, today's windows are quite fancy. They're: - Double-Glazed - Extra Thick (Eliminating the need for storm windows) - Energy Efficient (Keeping out both cold and hot air) - Stylish Also bear in mind that windows are one of the few things (along with being a celebrity) that ADD value to your home. In several states, new windows will even qualify you for a rebate on your heating bill! You can find these windows in hardware stores, building supply stores, 22 home remodeling stores and, of course, online. If you know how to measure, you can install a window! Oh, and save a couple of grand while you're at it. If you just don't have the time or energy to do it yourself, hire a carpenter. But expect to pay handsomely for it. If you do decide to go the DIY route, here's a full-proof, fool-proof way to put in your own windows. [Installing Replacement Windows Yourself] First you'll have to order the replacement windows. You may be better off ordering just one window to begin with if you're not exactly sure how to do it. Most windows are measured from the inside of the frame. When you order your window, don't be afraid to ask the person on the other end how to take the measurements. If they sound cute, ask them what they're doing 23 Friday night. If you order your replacement windows online, you can typically find a measurement guide on the website. Keep in mind that most older windows are standard-sized windows. Once you receive the replacement window, you need to remove the existing window. In order to do this, you need to remove the wood trim surrounding the window. Keep this in one piece as you will most likely put this back on the wall after you install the new window. After removing the wood trim, you'll be able to see where the window is fixed to the wall. Remove any nails and push the window out. Chances are that it's been in the wall for a while and may be difficult to budge. But be careful, you want to get the window out without breaking the glass, causing a mess, getting laughed at, or dying. So push gently until the window starts coming out. 24 If the windows are double hung windows, you may be able to remove one of them from the track, which will make it easier to remove the other window. You have to make sure the entire thing is removed and that the space is free of any debris. After removing the old window, put the new one in its place. Use a level to make sure the window is hanging evenly in the opening. If the window is a little off or uneven, you'll need to put a wood shunt into the opening. Double check that it's hanging evenly or you'll have trouble shutting it! Once the window is in the opening and leveled, you need to affix it to the wall. Make sure that it opens and shuts properly and is secure before replacing the wooden trim around the window. The entire process can take about an hour and a half - that's only 3 Seinfeld episodes' worth and you've seen them each twice already anyway! 25 After you've replaced the window, caulk around both the inside and outside to eliminate drafts or you'll have defeated one of your original goals in getting new windows! When you've replaced one window on your own, you may just decide to do the rest of them yourself, too. If the job wasn't too difficult for you and you didn't wind up having to get nails removed from your hand, order the rest of the replacement windows and simply repeat the process! You can generally save quite a bit of money if you order your replacement windows online. This way, you order straight from the manufacturer, cutting out the middleman completely. It's not uncommon to save over $2,000! Options for spending it include donating to a worthy cause and sending me a nice bottle of wine. Particularly for those of you on a budget, doing this work yourself is well worth it and just plain satisfying. With only basic carpentry skills and a set 26 of tools you should be able to accomplish this feat without hiring help. If you do hire a pro, go with a well-reputed carpenter over a window installation company; it's cheaper. Whichever route you choose, you can sleep easily (and draft-free) knowing that you've made an investment in your property and raised its value while taking a giant leap forward in creating an energy efficient home. [Patio Door] In addition to replacement windows, you may also want to consider getting a replacement patio door. Your old patio door may be letting a draft in through the glass. Replacing a patio door is much trickier than a window job and you'll probably either need the help of a friend who 27 knows what they're doing (and owes you one) or the service of a professional. 2 Simple Air-Sealing Methods [Weatherstripping] 28 Weatherstripping does not involve a hot meteorologist dancing at the club off the highway. Weatherstripping is used around movable joints such as windows and doors. For air-sealing windows, apply weatherstripping between the sash and the frame. Weatherstripping comes in a variety of materials: Felt, Vinyl, Open-cell foam and even various metals (aluminum, stainless steel, copper and bronze). When choosing which type to use, consider these factors: weather, temperature fluctuations, friction it may endure, and wear and tear associated with its location. The weatherstripping you choose should seal well when the door or window is closed while allowing it to open freely. Also take durability into account when comparing costs. 29 Weatherstripping Comparisons Type Cost Comments Felt and Foam-cell Inexpensive Susceptible to weather, visible, and inefficient at blocking airflow. However, the ease of applying these materials may make them valuable in low-traffic areas Vinyl Slightly higher Holds up well and resists moisture Metal Higher but Lasts for years, provides a nice touch to affordable older homes where vinyl might seem out of place. To determine how much weatherstripping you'll need, add the perimeters of all windows and doors to be weatherstripped, then add 5%– 30 10% to allow for any waste. Also consider that weatherstripping comes in various depths and widths. [Caulk] Caulk forms a flexible seal around cracks, gaps and joints smaller than 1- quarter-inch wide. In addition to sealing air leaks, caulking can also prevent water damage inside and outside of the home when applied around faucets, ceiling fixtures, water pipes, drains, bathtubs and other plumbing fixtures. Caulk compounds come in disposable cartridges that fit into half-barrel caulking guns (sorry, these don't actually shoot). It's best to choose one with an automatic release. These compounds can also be found in squeeze tubes and ropes for smaller jobs and those tightly-cramped spaces. To determine the amount of caulk you need, expect to use a half- 31 cartridge per window or door and 4 cartridges for the foundation sill. Get an extra one to seal in vents, pipes, faucets and electrical outlets. 32 Type Cost Comments Oil or resin-based Inexpensive, but also the Available everywhere and will least effective bond to most surfaces. It tends to harden and crack after 2 to 4 years. Latex and butyl-based caulk A little more expensive, but It lasts from 6 to 20 years and much more durable than holds up well to building oil-based. expansion and contraction caused by changes in temperature. Latex is paintable and it comes in white or colored finishes. Elastometric Sealants Most expensive Allows for the most building expansion and is readily paintable. Good to use on taller multi-family buildings that experience more movement and wind pressure. These sealants typically have a life of 20 years or more. 33 Directions on usage can be found on the cartridge. Important: Follow instructions to the letter! Typically, you start by cutting off about half an inch from the nozzle at a 45 degree angle. Don't forget to puncture it. Now it's ready to be used. Caulk is best applied in these places: All joints in a window frame The joint between the frame and the wall 34 Between window sills and siding Between frame wall plates and the foundation Around all holes for pipes, ducts, or electric conduits through outside walls Around all holes through walls separating heated and unheated spaces such as attached garages, storerooms, or attics Between unheated porches and the main body of the house Where the chimney or masonry meets the siding Things to remember when applying caulk: 35 Clean the area you're going to apply it to by removing old caulk or paint residue using a putty knife, stiff brush or a solvent. The best time to apply caulk is during dry weather when the outdoor temperature is above 45°F (7.2°C). Low humidity is important during application to prevent cracks from swelling with moisture. Warm temperatures are also necessary so the caulk will set properly and adhere to the surface. [Storm Windows] Another remedy for older houses is storm windows. If you do live in an older house you probably have them. They're often heavy, wooden storm windows that need to be put up in the fall and taken down in the spring when they're typically replaced with wooden-framed screens. 36 Storm windows play a key part in making your home energy efficient. They act as a buffer against wind. Additionally the air trapped between the storm windows and the main windows acts as insulation. Storm windows shield the primary windows from the weather, which can extend time between paint jobs. If you're tired of the ritual of putting up and taking down the wooden storm windows (even though we know how incredibly thrilling it is), there are newer alternatives like vinyl or aluminum storms. They install permanently and easily open from the interior of your house, leaving you the choice of whether or not to use the screen. Sliding the screen out of the way also allows sun in through the glass doors to warm up your house. 37 Another advantage of having storm windows installed is that the extra layer of glazing cuts down on street noise. This is great if you live in a big city or if the local marching band uses your street to practice. Finally, storms keep out dust and dirt that might otherwise slip in through leaky prime windows. [Window Treatments and Coverings] Window treatments and coverings are the last lines of defense from cold and heat. Not only do they serve a purpose but they can also enhance your home's aesthetic appeal. Carefully selected window treatments can reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. Here's a list of great options: Awnings 38 During the summer months, awnings can reduce solar heat gains by up to 65% on southward-facing windows and 77% on westward-facing windows. Awnings can be used to shade one window or the entire side of your house and you can have them custom-made, of course. Back in the day, awnings were made from metal or canvass and had to be changed every few years, making it expensive business. Now they're made from more lightweight materials like acrylic and polyvinyl laminates. They're water repellent and treated to resist mildew and fading. Keep in mind that whichever fabric you go with should be opaque and tightly woven. A light-colored awning reflects more sunlight. Awnings require ventilation to prevent warm air from getting trapped near the windows. Caution: despite what action movies would have you believe, if you try to jump onto your awning from the fifth floor, it probably won't break your fall! 39 Types of Awnings Venetian or Sideless Awnings – can be adjusted as the angle of the sun changes but are not effective at blocking direct sunlight on south – facing windows. Hood Awnings - have added sides to block out additional sun and are more effective. Hip Awnings - project out and down to accommodate casement windows that open outward. 40 Window Blinds These are more effective in reducing summer heat gain than winter heat loss. Using vertically or horizontally slanted blinds make it hard to control heat loss but flexibility helps a lot in controlling the amount of sunlight and air coming into your home. These also effectively deter nosey neighbors! 2 Types of Blinds Interior – In the summer, when fully closed, highly reflective blinds can reduce about 45% of the heat coming into your house as they reflect sunlight. 41 Exterior – Mounted above the window. Usually made of wood, steel, vinyl and aluminum. They can regulate ventilation and the amount of light entering your house. Commonly known as "window tints", these window coverings are best for long cooling seasons as they reduce solar heat. They offer a distinct advantage in controlling the sun's heat while permitting useful light from outside. Yet they afford privacy and security inside the house by protecting from bright glare. They also keep cracked window portions together which prevents glass from shattering. To keep those home furnishings and decorations looking their best, a window film with a high percentage of ultraviolet light rejection is a good choice. Many films can now block almost 99 percent of the sun's 42 ultraviolet rays! [Insulated panels] These are prefabricated solid sheets of building material that are generally made from a foam core, sandwiched by layers of oriented strand board (OSB). They are most commonly used for walls and roofs but can also serve as floors and foundations. [Shades] Shades are one of the most popular window coverings. They serve their purpose while gentling allowing some light in. The roller style was once the only window shade available. Today there 43 are more window shade styles than ice cream flavors or cell phone providers. One popular window treatment is the roman shade. Types of Shades Shades differ by the material from which they're made. For instance: 1.) Honeycomb/Cell Shades 2.) Woven Wood and Bamboo 44 3.) Roman Shades 4.) Roller and Solar Shades 45 5.) Pleated Shades 6.) Exterior Shades 46 7.) Horizontal Shades [Shutters] Shutters are solid and stable covers. Shutters may be employed for a variety of reasons including 47 controlling the amount of sunlight that enters a room, privacy, weather protection and a better looking home. The 2 kinds of shutters are interior and exterior. Interior shutters can swing in or out, allowing access to a window or letting light into a room. Exterior shutters were originally designed for light control, privacy and protection from the elements. Functional shutters hinge to either side of a window (or at the top) and swing closed when necessary. [Storm Panels] Storm panels are cost-effective means of storm protection. They are a good way to protect your home from hurricane force 48 winds, census bureau workers, rain and flying debris. With storm panels, you can protect your home AND let the light in at the same time during a hurricane or tropical storm. Best of all: they're pretty darn cheap! [Doors] What type of exterior doors do you have? Are they old, wooden doors? Or are they new, energy efficient steel doors? By replacing your doors, you can save hundreds of dollars on your heating costs. While these are a bit more expensive than windows, they're much easier to install. You can get replacement doors with a steel core at any home improvement store or you can even purchase them online. By purchasing online, you can usually save money. Look for energy efficient steel doors and measure the type of door that you need. Chances are that you need a standard sized door. A special order door may be a bit more costly, but a 49 steel cored door will help keep all the draft out of the house. Steel core does NOT mean unattractive. Steel doors come in a variety of different styles and colors. Some come unpainted and have to be finished before installation. Many doors have a handsome wood-colored finish. Unlike wooden doors, steel doors are impossible to kick in, so in addition to saving money, you'll also be making your home safer for you and your family. Installing the door is easy enough. Simply remove the old door and put the new door in its place! Note: Don't drop door on self. You'll probably want to change the hardware and locks as well. These items are cheap and easy to install and are available most anywhere. Once you've installed the new door, make sure that you caulk around the 50 woodwork both outside and in to ensure that it's sealed properly. [Screen Door] Another thing you can do to make your home more energy efficient is to install a screen door. A screen door is not only a good idea for the warm weather when you can open the main door and allow some air to circulate in the house, but it will also protect your house from the cold. The screen door acts as a barrier against cold weather. Most screen doors come with insulated glass that affords double insulation in the area of the door. Be sure to check under the door for gaps. Most doors have a gap underneath, particularly older doors. If you're not going to replace the door, you should invest in a weather stripping kit. This will allow you to fill up any gaps between the door and the home. If you can't afford a weatherstripping kit or don't really want to embark on 51 the adventure (and what an adventure it is!), you can simply place a towel or blanket under the bottom of the door to keep the draft out. There are items called "draft dodgers" that do exactly that (just don't tell your crazy veteran neighbor that you have draft dodgers in your house). They work to keep the house less drafty in the winter but won't give you the advantage of weather stripping in the summer. In addition to guarding the bottom of the door from drafts you can also caulk around the door on the inside and outside to seal out any moisture or air coming through. If you have a screen door, opt for thermal glass and remove the screen in the winter. In warmer weather, put the screen back in to save on cooling costs by allowing fresh air to circulate in the house. [Garage] 52 Another door you should look at is your garage door. If you have an attached garage, you will want to make sure that the garage door is insulated. This will keep the garage from getting cold and drafty and save on energy, especially if you have a heated garage. A garage door can be an expensive replacement and usually runs around $500 for a two-door garage door. However, if you're going to replace a battered wooden garage door, ask for the energy efficient model. An energy efficient garage door is made of steel and keeps the drafty, cold weather outside where it belongs. A steel garage door will also last a lot longer than a wooden garage door and is maintenance free. If yours is an attached garage, going for the energy efficient door will translate into more heat retained in your entire home! Don't neglect the door that opens to the garage. Seal this door as well. If 53 it's a newer utility door, it's most likely made out of steel and already insulated. Insulating all the doors in your house is a fantastic, simple step towards having a more energy efficient home. If you're on a tight budget and replacing doors is not an option, caulking around the doors and using draft dodgers is the next best thing. It's pretty easy to seal your doors every winter. Not only will this little bit of maintenance keep your home more energy efficient by keeping cold weather out, but it will also extend the life of your doors significantly. Remember that replacing old, wooden doors with steel core doors is will save you money and help keep your family safe. That makes it well worth the cost, and considering how simple they are to install, it should be a no- brainer! 54 Chapter 4 – Attics, Roofs & Energy Loans [Attic] If you don't already have one, look into an attic fan. An attic fan makes your home more energy efficient in the summer and wintertime. In the summer, it sucks all of the hot air out of the house. Since hot air rises, your attic is going to be the hottest space in your house. An attic fan cools down the house in seconds once you turn it on by spitting all of the hot air outside. If you have a crawl-type attic, a fan will still be a major player in keeping your house at a sane temperature. 55 How long has it been since the attic has been insulated? You probably have it on your to do list: 1. Do laundry 2. Pay Bills 3. Insulate attic . . . Maybe not . . . But if the attic is unfinished and the house is on the older side (as is the case with many houses that have walk-in attics), chances are that this room is freezing in the winter and steaming hot in the summer. The culprit is poor insulation. Proper insulation = Energy efficient home. Capiche? If your attic is still dressed in the same insulation that came with the house, 56 it may be time for a wardrobe change. Newer insulation is WAY more efficient. Generally, it pays to reinsulate your attic every couple of years. Finally - don't forget your attic windows! [Roof] What type of roof do you have on your house? How long has it been since you replaced the roof? Your roof should be replaced every ten years, to avoid leaks. If you live where it's hot, you probably have heat-resistant clay shingles. If you live in an area where there are both cold and hot temperatures, you probably have shale shingles. Newer shingles outperform older shingles significantly in terms of energy efficiency. You can re-shingle your roof twice before you have to get an entirely new roof. A new roof consists of taking off all of the existing shingles and replacing the tar paper. In some cases, rotten wood must 57 also be replaced. A new roof can be a very costly endeavor and should only be done every 30 years or so. If you do spring for a new roof, take comfort in the fact that the home- improvement industry has made great strides and the tar paper and shingles on the market today are vastly superior to their older counterparts. A much more likely scenario will be re-shingling your roof at some point. Mmm-mmm! I can't wait to do me some shinglin'! Because the shingles used today are more energy efficient and pleasing to the eye than those used years ago, you'll have neighbors complementing you on your shingles regularly. You'll also be saving money. Win-win. There is quite a difference in price when it comes to re-shingling and re- roofing the house. Re-shingling the roof usually will cost around $2,000. Getting an whole new roof costs more in the $10,000 ballpark. These prices are just estimates, but you can see there's a pretty big difference. 58 Adding a new roof, however, does add to the appraised value of your home. While this is not something that anyone would do just to make their home more energy efficient, remember that by undertaking such a project, you are essentially better guarding your home against the elements. Getting a new roof will fall into the "energy efficient" category if you choose to get an energy loan for your home. Speaking of which . . . [Energy Loans] Some banks and lending institutions offer energy loans to homeowners. The purpose of these loans is to lend homeowners the money that they need to make their homes more energy efficient. If you're planning on making any of the changes that we've talked about so far, you should take a look at the different energy loans available on the market today. 59 An energy loan funds improvements that will save you money on your energy bills. Since these are subsidized loans, banks are eager to grant them and getting one is easier than you might think. Here are some ideas of how you might use loan money: Get a new energy efficient furnace Get a new energy efficient hot water heater Get new energy efficient windows Get new energy efficient siding or fascia Get a new energy efficient roof Get new energy efficient appliances You can apply for an energy loan either online or at your local lending institution. 60 You can get a loan based upon the projected value of your home if you're doing extensive renovations, or based upon the value of your home at the present time. If you've been in your home for a while, you may be surprised at how the value of the home has increased over the past few years. Energy efficient loans are typically given at a lower rate than an ordinary home improvement loan and are also given for more money than you would normally be eligible to borrow on an ordinary home improvement loan. The reason for this is to give you an incentive to upgrade into a more energy efficient home. No one wants to deal with sky-rocketing energy costs it's not like we have a choice. The cost of heating fuel has been a problem for quite some time and the cost of electricity is not much better. Saving energy has been a goal of most companies that provide items that run on energy for the past 40 years. We notice that products that we use for our homes, such as household appliances, are now much more energy efficient than years ago. And companies that make these products are still working towards making 61 them even more energy efficient than ever. It's a smart idea to make your home more energy efficient. Whether you just choose to use better light bulbs or decide to take out a loan to renovate your entire home, you'll be working to save energy, save money and help save the planet. 62 Chapter 5 - Hot Water Heater, Furnace and Air Conditioning OK, let's be fair - it's not like your hot water heater complains that it has a fever and needs to stay home from school. But when's the last time you checked the temperature on your hot water heater? It's probably set way too high! You don't really want to scald yourself in the shower, do you? And you should never use hot water from the tap for cooking as it may contain lead. What's the point of having the hot water heater turned up that high? Yes, you want to make sure that you have hot water for showers and baths and to wash dishes, but that doesn't mean you have to have boiling water all of the time. By lowering your hot water heater temperature by a few 63 degrees, you can save some bucks on your heating bill. Even lowering your hot water heater just one notch can make a difference in your bill. In addition to making the house more energy efficient, lowering the temperature on the hot water heater is a good safety practice, particularly if you have children in the house. Each year, children are scalded with hot water because the water heater is turned up too high. If you lower the temperature on your hot water heater, you run less of a risk of it happening to one of your own children. By limiting your shower time you can cut down on energy bills. Set the timer for five minutes and get out of the shower when the timer goes off! Making this a daily habit will save you about $200 a year on your water bill. Remember that conservation is a mindset. By remaining conscious of how much water and electricity you consume you become a more responsible global citizen and keep money in your pocket. 64 [Furnace] When was the last time you had your furnace cleaned? When was the last time you changed the filter? If you haven't done this, you're probably wasting quite a bit of energy and sabotaging your furnace's efficiency. The furnace should be cleaned by a heating/AC professional once a year. A lot of these contractors run cleaning specials in the beginning of autumn. In addition to cleaning the furnace, if you have gas-forced air, clean the air ducts as well. These can be vacuumed out if you have a hose attachment for your vacuum cleaner. Most furnace repairmen or heating and air conditioning contractors will do this work for you for pennies. A lot of carpet cleaners also do ducts. 65 Cleaning the air ducts and furnace is crucial to maintaining an energy efficient home. This ensures that the furnace runs properly and distributes clean air throughout the home. The furnace filter should be changed monthly. There are several different types of filters on the market today and some of them are more energy efficient than others. There are also non-disposable filters that can end up saving you money. Rather than replace them, you simply wash them (or get your wife to do it!) If your furnace is older than 20 years, you should consider getting a new, energy efficient furnace. Newer models are much more energy efficient than their older counterparts. While a new furnace can be quite an investment, it will normally end up saving you money on both your heating and - if you have central air conditioning - your air conditioning costs as well. The fan will work more efficiently and the entire unit will be more effective. 66 If you have hot water in your home that comes from a boiler, you can also make the boiler more energy efficient by having it serviced once a year. The lines in the boiler can be bled to make sure that the unit runs more efficiently. Boilers heat a home using hot water, which is distributed through radiators and floor units. This is a cleaner heat and generally more energy efficient as it uses less fuel. Boilers are not used in many homes today because they don't allow the possibility of central air conditioning. Most homes that have boilers don't have central air and have window units. This is because there is nowhere for the central AC to distribute the cold air, as there are no heating ducts in the house! Furnaces and boilers should be serviced each year by someone who understands how they operate. Bleeding the lines of a boiler is not difficult and will make sure that all of the air bubbles are out of the lines so that the hot water can be distributed evenly. Cleaning a furnace is something that most furnace companies do at a low cost and is well worth the money. 67 By taking care of your existing furnace and boiler you can make your home more energy efficient. When it comes time to replace the boiler or furnace, make sure that you get one that is energy efficient and you will see your heating costs plummet! [Air Conditioning] When we talk about making a home more energy efficient (my personal favorite conversation-starter), we often think about what we can do to keep the cold weather out and warm weather in. There are times, however, when we want to do just the opposite. It's just as important for a home to be energy efficient in the summer months as it is during the winter months, especially with the rising 68 cost of electricity. Most AC units run on electric energy. They work by using Freon, a compound that cools the air before it's distributed into the house. Many AC units, especially older ones, run out of Freon and need to be refilled. If the AC unit is out of Freon, or has a leak, chances are that the unit will run and run but won't cool you down much. The AC will have to run three times longer than usual to get the same effect. Depending upon the levels of freon in the unit, you may not even realize this is happening. Obviously, if the unit is completely out of Freon and the house isn't getting any cooler, something's wrong. However, if the unit is simply low on Freon and the house is staying cool, you may not realize that your AC unit is working extra hard! By getting your air conditioning unit serviced on a regular basis, you can save yourself quite a bit of money in electricity charges. If the AC is just 69 low on Freon, the heating and air conditioning contractor can refill it for you at a fraction of what you will pay on your first electric bill if running an uncharged air conditioner. If your air conditioner needs to be replaced, go for an energy efficient unit. Most AC units made today are much more energy efficient than those made years ago. You'll be pleasantly surprised to discover how much money you can save with a newer model. You may even decide to throw a "Wow, I can't believe how much money I saved!" party . . . can I come? If you have window AC units, you may think that you can't do anything to save on energy. If these units are attached to the house, make sure they're cleaned to keep them in good working order. Also caulk or weatherstrip around the unit for maximum insulation. Removable window units should be taken off and stored each winter. Simply keep the unit clean until until it's time to put it back in place. Most 70 window units have screens that cover the opening in the window to prevent the cool air from escaping. These are energy-wasting nightmares! You're better off covering the part of window holding the AC in place with pieces of insulation. While this may not win you a "most beautiful house on the block" award, it will do a better job of keeping the cool air in the house than the flimsy screens that come with window air conditioning units. Installing ceiling fans in your rooms is another way that you can save on energy costs. Overhead fans not only spread cool air throughout the house, but warm air as well. They're a smart choice when it comes to making your home more energy efficient and run on only a fraction of the electricity of an AC unit. They're generally inexpensive and often feature light kits to give you the option of an extra light source in the room. Combining ceiling fans with energy efficient bulbs in the lighting kit can really help you stretch out your utility savings. The fans are easy to install if you already have an electric connector in the 71 ceiling. If not, you'll need to have an electrician come out and wire the ceiling to act as a fixture. This is usually a one-day job and costs about $100 per room. To save on AC costs in the summer, use floor fans in each room. They do wonders when it comes to cooling things down in the house and run on a fraction of the electricity compared to an AC unit. [Geo-Thermal Heat Pumps] Recently, advancements in energy-efficient cooling methods have paved the way for ecologically conscious domestic living. One innovative way homeowners are saving energy is by installing geo-thermal heating and cooling systems, also known as Ground Source 72 Heat Pumps (GSHP). These babies have been touted by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) as "the most energy-efficient and environmentally sensitive of all space conditioning systems". The closed-loop system is the most common type of geo-thermal unit for homes, which utilizes polyethylene pipes buried under ground, either vertically, like a well, or horizontally in three- to six-foot trenches. They can also be buried under ponds, in which case water or an anti-freeze/water mixture is pumped through them. During winter, the fluid collects heat from the ground and carries it through the system and into the house. During the summer, the system reverses itself to cool the house down by pulling heat from it, carrying it through the system and placing it back in the ground. Homeowners can save 30 to 50 percent on their cooling bills by replacing their traditional HVAC systems with ground source heat pumps. The initial costs can be up to 30 percent more but that money can be recouped in three to five years. Most states also offer sizable tax 73 deductions for purchasing this type of unit. Another benefit is that the system lasts longer than traditional units because it's protected from the elements and immune to theft. Let's face it, how cool would it be to tell people that you heat your home using geothermal energy? Amazingly, GE® Energy Star® recently unveiled a 115 Volt Room Air Conditioner(!) Summertime means running the air conditioner non-stop. When the temperature rises, the efficiency of our air conditioners drops dramatically. Here are some steps you can take to help your A.C. run more efficiently and increase savings. Leave the thermostat alone 74 Many people are good about leaving the air conditioner at 78 degrees F. Some even take it upon themselves to set the temperature higher when there's no one home. If you, too, make a habit of this in your home, make sure that no one drops the temperature below 78. You may think this cools the house down faster but it actually cools at the same rate, regardless of the setting. Adjusting the temperature to 70 degrees will not help your house get down to 78 degrees any faster than if it were left at 78. Keep the curtains closed Natural light can help reduce your lighting costs. However, if no one's in a room, it's best to keep the curtains closed during the day. This goes double for houses with windows on the eastern and western sides. Keeping the sun's direct rays from entering the house helps reduce the amount of effort your air conditioner puts forth to keep the house cool. To capitalize on this effect, open the drapes, 75 blinds, or curtains in the evening to allow heat to escape through the windows of your house. Turn on a fan In some climates, you can turn the air conditioner off at night and just let the ceiling or floor fans cool you in comfort. The energy used by a fan is far less than that of the air conditioner. If you live in a warmer climate, fans can still provide a comfortable breeze. Using the fans at night may allow you to set the air conditioner above 78 degrees and save a ton of energy. Fans can also help move cool air around the house and ease the workload of the air conditioner. Get rid of hot air Use an exhaust fan when cooking to help expel hot air from the house. If you don't have an exhaust fan, cool the room by setting up a 76 floor fan in the kitchen while cooking. The fan not only cools the air, but also helps move it out of the kitchen. Use the dehumidifier When people say, "it's not the heat, it's the humidity," they're right! If you have a dehumidifier, turn it on when the temperature rises. Ridding your house of humidity will go along way towards your family's comfort. You may even be able to set your air conditioner above 78 degrees when using a dehumidifier combined with fans. Keep your air conditioner out of the sun The ideal location for a central air conditioning unit is on the north side of a house. While this may not be practical in every case, the general idea is to keep the unit out of the sun and can be achieved in other ways. 77 Landscaping does more than make your yard look nice. By planting shrubs or trees around your air conditioning unit, you can help it cool your home more efficiently. The shade from the plants can also be used to keep the sun's direct rays off your home! Save chores for the right time While cooking can heat up the kitchen, so can using the dishwasher to dry the dishes. Clothes dryers located in the house can have the same effect. These tasks are better left for the evening time or, better yet, when no one's home. Taking on labor-intensive tasks can also make you feel uncomfortable during the hottest times of the day. If possible, do them in the evening or the early morning when the heat is more bearable. 78 Central air conditioners and air source heat pumps are both widely used in the U.S. and are the best options for maintaining comfort in areas that experience high humidity. Heat pumps are much more efficient than central air conditioners and can be used very effectively both for heating and cooling in the southeastern states. Both central AC and air source heat pumps are rated according to a Seasonal Energy efficiency Ratio (SEER). This is the cooling output divided by the power input for a hypothetical average U.S. climate. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the AC. Central AC Air Source Ground Heat Pump Source Heat Pump Click Here For Heating Efficiency Requirements Market Range 13-21 SEER 13-17 SEER 8.7-20.4 EER Available 9-14 EER 9-13.5 EER Open Loop: 16.2 EER ENERGY 14 SEER 14 SEER STAR 11.5 EER 11.5 EER 79 Closed Loop: 14.1 EER DX: 15.0 EER 15 SEER 15 SEER CEE Tier 2 12.5 EER 12.5 EER N/A CEE Advanced 16 SEER 16 SEER Tier 3 13 EER 13 EER 80 [Thermostat] Check out the type of thermostat that you have in the house. If it looks anything like a rotary telephone, replace it with a programmable thermostat. They're available at home improvement stores for under $100 and give you a lot of control over your energy consumption. Programmable thermostats accurately keep the house at your temperature of choice at all times. Older thermostats typically turn heat and AC on and off frequently, which is a big energy drain. Newer units come with a timer that saves you the trouble of constantly adjusting the temperature, which wastes time and electricity. During the day, the temperature can be less comfortable in the house than in the evening when everyone is home. By having the temperature on a timer, you are effectively making your home a 81 climate controlled environment (sounds cool, huh?) and increasing savings. With one of these programmable thermostats, keeping the house at a given temperature year-round is a piece of cake! Switching between heating and cooling is done in the press of a button as is turning it off altogether when you don't need it. A climate-controlled environment will end up saving you money on your energy bills and is one of the first steps to take when creating an energy efficient household. 82 Siding Most people like aluminum siding, fascia and gutters because they're maintenance-free. What you may not know, however, is that aluminum siding and fascia can also save you money on your cooling and heating bills. There are a few things that you can do that will make your house more energy efficient as well as add value to the property. These include getting a new furnace or air conditioner, getting energy efficient replacement windows and getting aluminum siding and fascia. Chances are, if you are living in an older home with wooden fascia and siding, you're underperforming in the insulation department. Aluminum siding insulates your home. Unlike wood, which is porous, aluminum siding acts as a barrier against the cold. 83 Aluminum fascia seals the fascia that surrounds the house. Wooden fascia eventually develops holes and a hackneyed appearance. Aluminum fascia is one way that you can seal up the eaves of the house and keep any cold air from getting in. Most people wait to get aluminum fascia and siding until they are ready to paint the exterior of the house. When compared with getting a maintenance free exterior, they find that they can save money if they get siding instead of just painting the wooden siding every few years. In addition to saving money on future maintenance cost, they've added value to their home. When most people think about adding value to their home, they think about making cosmetic changes such as new carpeting and flooring, praying for new neighbors and painting rooms. While this may make your home more pleasing to the eye and easier to sell, it does not add any appraised value 84 to your home (i.e. how much you can sell it for!) There are certain things that you can do to add real value to a home and an energy efficient overhaul combined with a maintenance free exterior using aluminum siding, fascia and gutters is one of them. Chapter 5 – LED Flood Lights Floodlights in our vehicles and buildings help keep us safe. All of us want to have floodlights that are energy efficient and at the same time spare. LED Floodlights are the perfect solution. They not only save energy but are easy on your pocketbook as well. They light up your front yard so 85 you don't kill yourself walking around at night. If you're fed up with changing your floodlights all the time, then consider using LEDs. They last much longer and are fantastically energy efficient. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are solid-state devices (semiconductors) that have no moving parts, no fragile filaments or delicate glass shrouds. They contain no mercury, no toxic gasses or banned substances. They are highly efficient and environmentally friendly and unlike conventional light sources, LEDs do not usually fail catastrophically or burnout. Unlike conventional lights, which burn out all of a sudden, LEDs lose brightness gradually, making replacements easy to spot. The useful life of an LED light fitting can be over 10 years. The key benefits of LED technology are: 86 - Energy savings – LEDs can give over 100lm/w - Reduced maintenance costs - No disposal issues - Long life – 50 000 hrs 70% lumen maintenance - Instant on (at full brightness); no warm up time – even in cold ambient temperatures (-40) - Shock and Vibration resistant - Fully dimmable without affecting color, temperature or CRI - No IR, UV or heat radiation in the light output 87 - Directional light source - (avoid light pollution) - Low voltage DC drive Things to Consider: When choosing a lighting solution one of the key factors will be the required luminance (lux). This will normally be specified as a minimum lux level that should be achieved within certain parts of the room. For instance, an office worker may require 500 lux on their desk. The light output (flux) of LEDs and conventional light sources is usually quoted in lumens. As Lumens and Lux are directly related, it is possible to easily calculate how many lumens are required to achieve the desired lux level. However it's important to consider the system efficiency of the light fitting design. In a light fitting using conventional light sources (e.g. a fluorescent tube), a significant proportion of the light is wasted (up to 50% depending 88 on the design). This is because the tube is emitting light in all directions. An LED is a directional light source and only emits light in a forward direction. In a typical LED light fitting, the LED is paired with a high efficiency reflecting optic, which captures the majority of the light emitted (90%) and then directs it to the target area in a appropriate beam pattern determined by the optic design (cool!) This means to get the desired lux level at the target surface you need to have more lumens emitted from the conventional light source than from the LED. This in turn means much greater efficiency from the LED light source as you need even less power even though you do not have to generate as many lumens from the conversion of electrical energy into light. LED lights are great for indoor and outdoor decoration purposes. On top of that, they offer many benefits. They help save energy because they 89 emits most of their energy as heat. The typical lifespan of an LED light is 70,000 to 100,000 hours. In addition, they are durable in both the heat and the cold. When shopping for lights, you have to keep in mind where you'll be using them. For staircases, you should use LED recessed lighting. It's best that you use round LED lights, which are installed halfway up the staircase wall. If you want to use it in a nursery, you should use a blue color light. Cool colors such as Blue color LED lights have been shown to create a peaceful environment. For your garden, you can use different colors of LED lighting to create an amazing effect. Light up the garden gnomes to scare neighbors. We tried it and it's a riot! Additionally, the colorful lights will make the garden come alive at night. Ground Buried LED lighting will create an interesting outline in the patio area. If you want to use Ground Buried LED lighting, 90 make sure you install a good drainage system. To install the drainage system, you must encompass an area wider than the LED unit. There's even submersible lighting you can use in a pond. The submersible lighting is totally waterproof so it won't become damaged when submerged in water. When choosing an LED light, check the wattage of the bulb. Wattage refers to the amount of electricity that the light bulb uses. If it has a high wattage, it will consume a lot of electricity. Consequently, you'll wind up with a higher bill. The wattage of an LED bulb is between 1 and 5 watts. Opt for a lower wattage bulb to keep costs low. Lumens refer to the brightness of the lights. The higher the lumens, the brighter the light the LED will produce. LEDs with higher lumens tend to be more efficient. LED lights primarily focus on lighting an area. So if you put a bulb in a display cabinet, you will need an LED light with a focus 91 lighting beam. If you use it for reading, make sure it provides a wider light. Before buying your lights, you should identify the types of connections used for the bulb fittings. There are two types of connections: GU10 and GU5.3. The LED lighting should match with the connections of the bulb fittings in your home. It's easy to install the LED lighting in your home. If you don't know how to install the LED lighting, you can hire a DIY professional to help you. Shopping for LEDs online is by far the cheapest way to go. Online lighting stores often advertise coupon codes, which you can use to obtain a discount on your purchases. If you shop for LEDs online, you can even use the "compare prices" feature in a search engine to compare prices between different lighting stores. Chapter 6 – Laptops 92 Laptop users should be especially concerned with power consumption as they rely on the limited power supply of a battery. This is to say nothing of the energy costs that come into play when a laptop is plugged in! Few groups have dedicated as much research and development into power efficiency as portable PC makers (what a shocker), resulting in a plethora of low-voltage processors, energy- efficient LED displays, solid-state hard drives with no moving parts and various power-saving operating-system features. Without skimping on hardware, laptops run on Microsoft Windows XP Home edition, include a 15.4-inch screen, built-in wireless-LAN, and a 93 DVD burner, giving users a 20 percent improvement in battery life over comparable systems. Things to Consider: Laptops offer an incredibly wide range of power and battery options. Some are built right into the operating system (usually Windows Vista or XP, although similar options are available in the Mac OS X operating system and Linux-based systems), and others are software applications provided by specific PC makers for jumping between power presets. A handful of systems, notably - several from Asus - include physical hardware switches that either shift between preset power profiles or even toggle CPU and GPU overclocking (although this still a relatively rare feature). Choosing a laptop with the correct components can go a long way towards cutting power consumption and prolonging battery life. Specifically, 94 a new breed of low-power CPUs from Intel, AMD, and Via aim to provide Netbooks and other low-end systems with reasonable performance using a minimal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_Design_Power thermal design power (which represents how much heat the system will have to dissipate under allegedly realistic conditions--but those can vary by manufacturer, so bear in mind that TDP numbers may not be exactly comparable between companies). These are some of the best CPUs for energy misers: Intel Atom The smallest processor currently made by Intel, the Atom is found in a majority of Netbook-style laptops. The most common versions are the Atom N270 (1.6GHz) and Atom N280 (1.66GHz), both of which have a 2.5W max TDP. Atom-powered systems such as the Asus Eee PC 1000HE and Acer Aspire One AOD150 can top 6 hours of battery life. 95 Intel ULV Core 2 Duo Known by their "U" designation, this is Intel's ultra-low-voltage dual-core processor line, commonly found in high-end 12-inch ultraportable laptops. Delivering faster performance than an Atom CPU, a chip such as the 1.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U7500 has a 10W max TDP. An updated line, referred to as CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage), and intended to bridge the gap between low-cost Atom processors and expensive ULV processors, is expected to start showing up in mainstream laptops starting mid-April 2009. By way of comparison, a typical mainstream laptop CPU, such as the 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9400, has a max TDP of 35W. AMD Athlon Neo Intended as a step up from Atom-style Netbook processors, AMD's Athlon Neo will be seen in ultrathin laptops such as the upcoming HP 96 dv2. That system will have a 1.6GHz Athlon Neo MV-40 CPU that has a max TDP of 15W. Via Nano Chip maker Via has replaced its older low-power CPU, the C7-M, with the new Nano, intended to compete with the Intel Atom Netbooks. First seen in the Samsung NC20 Netbook, the 1.3GHz Nano U2350 has an 8W max TDP. Solid-state hard drives Another potentially power-saving choice is using a solid-state hard drive instead of a traditional spinning-platter hard drive. With no moving parts, SSD drives are by some measures more efficient. They also generate less heat, preventing the cooling fan from running as often. 97 A study by Intel showed that an SSD can spend upward of 90 percent of its time in a low-power state, while a typical 5,400rpm hard drive only spends about 10 percent of its time in a low-power state. However, most tests show only a minimal improvement in battery life, while costing significantly more per GB (Gigabyte) of storage. We Recommend: Laptops are unique among consumer electronics in that they offer an incredibly wide range of power and battery options. Some are built into the operating system (usually Windows Vista or XP, although similar options are available in the Mac OS X operating system and Linux-based systems), and others are software applications provided by specific PC makers for jumping between power presets. A handful of systems, notably several from Asus, include physical hardware switches that either shift between preset power profiles or even switch on and off CPU and GPU overclocking (although that's still rarely found feature). 98 By default, you'll find three preset power plans listed: one called Power saver, one called High performance, and a third option. The third option, depending on the vendor, is often called "Balanced" or "Custom"; however, some PC makers customize this plan and name it appropriately. HP laptops call this third power plan "HP Recommended." Oh, those clever HP folks! From this menu, you can choose a preset power plan, change the settings within a specific power plan, or simply change a handful of settings on-the-fly with the quick links on the left side of the Explorer window. 99 Opting to change the settings in one of Vista's preset power plans brings you to a new screen. The screen offers pull-down menus for selecting when to turn off the display, put the computer to sleep when running on battery power or when plugged in, and a screen brightness slider for both options. For a good balance of usability, battery life, and responsible energy use, we suggest the following settings as a good starting point. On battery Plugged in Turn off the display 5 minutes 15 minutes Put the computer to sleep 10 minutes 30 minutes Adjust screen brightness 50 percent 75 to 100 percent 100 Both the Balanced and Power Saver set the screen brightness to less than 50 percent, which makes for more impressive battery life, but users often find their screens too dark. Delving deeper, you'll find a link on the "Edit plan" settings page to "change advanced power settings." Clicking on this brings up a pop-up menu that lets you tweak the battery and plugged in power settings for how long the HDD waits until spinning down, suspending USB ports, and dialing down the maximum processor speed when running on battery power. In general, these settings should be left alone, with the exception of the "Power buttons and lid" submenu. This menu is also directly available 101 from the initial Power options page, where it's linked as "Choose what closing the lid does." Unlike windows XP, Vista does not require you to enable the hibernate function before choosing it as an option. Hibernation essentially saves a snapshot of any open applications and documents, saves it to the hard drive, and shuts down the computer to the same state as if you had powered it off through the start menu. When you wake a laptop from hibernation, you'll (eventually) end up exactly where you left off - with the same windows, programs, and documents open. 102 For traveling with a laptop, setting the system to hibernate when you close the lid is key to preserving battery life, and keeps your laptop from overheating in a tightly confined laptop bag. The downside is that while waking up a laptop from sleep mode can take a few seconds, waking it up from hibernate can take as long as booting from a powered-off state. Setting your system's power options appropriately has several advantages. First, you'll extend battery life and be able to work off battery power for a longer period. Second, by extending battery life, you'll recharge your battery less often, thereby saving both wear and tear on the battery as well as use less electricity (although the actual monetary savings in energy costs would be minimal). Additionally, we break systems down into two categories for testing. Performance systems have discrete graphics cards and use a gaming test 103 for the Load test, while systems with integrated graphics - which we call Mainstream - use a general multitasking test. Powered-off test: The "test system" is powered off (shut down) for at least 1 minute, but remains plugged into a wall outlet. Idle test: Boot the system into the operating system. Confirm that the system has an active Internet connection. Leave all active launch programs turned on. Sleep test: 104 Put the system into standby mode by going to the Windows Start, then Shut Down buttons. Let the system sit in standby mode for 5 minutes. Mainstream load test (for systems with integrated graphics chips): Reboot the system and make sure it's powered on, booted up, and logged into the operating system for at least 5 minutes. The only applications that launch should be those that launch automatically during system start-up. Once it boots into the operating system, confirm that the system has an active Internet connection. Launch the multimedia multitasking test. 105 Performance load test (for systems with discrete graphics chips): Reboot the system and make sure it is powered on, booted up, and logged into the operating system for at least 5 minutes. Again, the only applications that launch should be those that launch automatically during system start-up. Once it boots into the operating system, confirm that the system has an active Internet connection. Launch the Far Cry 2 benchmark. Reporting results The individual tests are weighted as follows, and multiplied by the national average cost of a kWh of electricity - currently $0.1135 - to show average power consumption and estimate annual energy costs. 106 Performance Off (40%) Sleep (30%) Idle (15%) Load (15%) Mainstream Off (40%) Sleep (30%) Idle (25%) 107 Chapter 7 – Energy Efficient HDTV Big, flat-screen HDTVs use more power than you might imagine. Now that the old, tube televisions are starting to disappear, replaced by much larger plasma and LCD-based HDTVs, TV lovers everywhere may be noticing a spike in their electricity bills. Plus, with the increasing popularity of TV- based entertainment options, such as video game, digital video recorders, and streaming/on-demand video devices, more and more electricity is being spent on TV-related activity. These devices aren't shy about sucking power. But typically, the biggest energy hog in your entertainment center is the TV itself. 108 Things to Consider: The amount of power used by an active (i.e. turned on) television is determined by three factors: - Screen size - Technology type (plasma, LCD, etc.) - Picture brightness (which nearly always depends on user-selected picture settings.) Screen size 109 Bigger TVs use more power. A 32-inch LCD uses about half as much power as a 52-inch LCD. Of course, the 52-incher's screen is nearly three times as large as that of the 32-inch model, so the efficiency payoff for going down in screen size does tend to taper off. However, chances are that your new flat-screen TV will use more power than your old tube TV--IF the new set is significantly larger. Technology type Plasma TVs use more power than LCD TVs. Since the beginning of 2008, our tests have shown that plasmas TVs consume, on average, roughly two to three times more electricity to produce an 110 image of the same brightness as an LCD. In the last couple of years, plasma TV makers have made some progress--Panasonic claims improvements of 30 percent yearly, for example--but they still can't compete with LCDs in energy efficiency. One problem is that in plasma TVs, each pixel is a discrete light source (think of it as a tiny light bulb), so when resolution increases, say from 720p to 1080p, power use goes up as well. The intensity of light from each pixel must be increased to brighten the picture as a whole. With LCD-based TVs, on the other hand, a backlight shines through an LCD panel to create the image. Since the pixels reside in the panel, and not the backlight, the TV's power use is largely independent of resolution. Many LCDs can conserve additional power by automatically turning the backlight down during dark scenes and up during bright scenes. 111 Many newer LCD-based TVs use LEDs, as opposed to fluorescent (CCFL) backlights. LEDs are more efficient in general and can also employ various dimming technologies that turn down either the entire backlight or independent sections, both of which save power. LED-backlit LCDs are the most efficient type of flat-panel TV available today, although the actual savings over a standard LCD usually amounts to less than $20 a year. Old CRT-based TVs are relatively inefficient, especially compared with LCD TVs. However, since CRT screen size is limited, they often don't use as much power as big flat-screen models. Rear- projection HDTVs are actually the most energy efficient per square inch of these TV technologies but are rare nowadays. 112 Picture settings Brighter pictures consume more power (duh), and since light output is primarily a function of the picture settings available on all TVs, this is the one factor that any user can control regardless of the type of television they own. Reducing the light output of your TV can cut power use by as much as half. And as long as you don't overdo it, you'll still enjoy excellent picture quality. The main settings that matter are contrast (aka "picture") and backlight (or "cell light" on Samsung plasmas). Both directly control light output. Nearly every TV has a contrast control, but backlight is generally restricted to LCD models--and not every LCD has it. In LCDs with both backlight and contrast controls, backlight is the main determinant of light output and power use. Counterintuitively, the brightness control has less of an impact on a TV's light output than 113 the other two settings. Other controls are also often available. Some examples include energy saver modes (which typically limit peak light output), dynamic settings that raise or lower the light output depending on the brightness or darkness of the picture being displayed and room lighting sensors that increase light output in dark rooms and lower it when the lights dim. Engaging any of these controls will generally reduce the TV's power use, but it will often sacrifice image fidelity. Automatic adjustments can be distracting, for example, and aggressive energy saver modes can make images too dim. Other power-saving features might not affect the picture quality at all. For example, many TVs provide a "picture off" setting that just plays the audio, thus greatly reducing power consumption for people who would rather listen than watch. Many TVs can be programmed to 114 turn off automatically after a set period of time, whether via a sleep timer or just after a set period of inactivity. A couple of Sony models, such as the KDL-EX700 series takes it a step further with a "presence sensor" that automatically turns off the picture - and eventually, the TV itself - when you leave the room. Other power factors It may surprise you to hear that TVs use power even when they're not turned on. So that the TV is ready to respond to the remote in an instant, all sets use what's called phantom or standby power. Our tests revealed that standby power consumption varied somewhat among different TVs, but in general, newer models consume a negligible amount of power when turned off. Energy Star 3.0/4.0 (see below) require devices to consume less than 1 watt of power in standby mode to qualify for its certification. To put that in perspective, leaving a TV that 115 uses 1 watt of power in standby mode turned off for a year would cost just $1 based on average 2009 energy prices. Few people have just a TV anymore, and all sorts of ancillary devices contribute to your yearly energy costs as well. Think of all that's plugged into your set, from a DVD or Blu-ray player, an AV receiver, and a gaming console, to a satellite receiver, DVR, or Slingbox that never really turns off. They all need power. It may not sound like much, but a DirectTV DVR can use about 33 watts, while a Slingbox draws about 9 watts--constantly. All told, these boxes can use more power than the TV itself, especially when it comes to gaming. The original Xbox 360 draws an impressive 187 watts, but is outdone by the power-hungry PlayStation 3, which requires 197 watts of juice (newer versions of the game consoles are more energy efficient, however--the PS3 Slim uses about 96 watts during gaming, for example). A recent study by PG&E in 116 California estimated that 10 percent of household power use is devoted to TV-related activity. TV power standards: Energy Star, California, and the FTC The Environmental Protection Agency got serious about certifying TVs for its Energy Star program on November 1, 2008. Prior to that, TVs could be branded with that familiar logo without even being turned on for testing--only standby power mattered. Then came the Energy Star 3.0 standard that mandated testing with the TV turned on. Unfortunately, it wasn't very strict--nearly every HDTV you can buy today, including some of the biggest energy hogs, is Energy Star certified. In May of 2010, Energy Star 4.0 goes into effect, meaning that any TV sold after that date must meet the new standards. The specification requires that TVs consume 40 percent less power overall than the 3.0 spec did and also tries to prevent manufacturers from "cheating" 117 because it ties light output in the default picture setting to light output in the TV's brightest setting (aka "retail" or "torch" mode). Unfortunately, however, we don't expect the 4.0 spec for TVs to provide realistic buying advice to shoppers who care about energy efficiency. Nearly every 2010 HDTV available or announced so far, including large plasmas TVs, qualifies for Energy Star 4.0 certification. Energy Star's more stringent 5.0 version calls for a 65 percent power-consumption improvement over its 3.0 spec and applies the same requirements to all TVs larger than 50 inches. It goes into effect May 2012. Not to be confused with the voluntary Energy Star program, a regulation passed in California actually prevents the sale of TVs that don't meet a certain efficiency grade. However, despite stringent opposition to the regulation by industry groups, we don't know of any new TV--regardless of size or technology--that doesn't qualify. Again, a more stringent version of the California program is scheduled to go into 118 effect in 2013. [2013 or the above-mentioned 2012?] Comparison shoppers can take heart in a new proposal by the FTC that calls for actual wattage and cost estimates--those same yellow and black Energy Guide labels found on refrigerators, furnaces, and other major appliances--to make their way to the world of TVs. However, the FTC has neither announced timing for the move, nor has it confirmed that it's going to happen at all. No discussion of TV power use would be complete without a bit of perspective. For households that pay somewhere near the average retail cost for energy--11.55 cents per kilowatt per hour in 2009--and that watch near the average amount per TV--about 5.2 hours per day--the cost to watch a 50-inch 1080p plasma TV is about $64 per year in the calibrated light output mode (see How We Test). The average 52 to 55- inch LCD TV runs about $29 per year for the same light output and, of course, smaller TVs use less energy. 119 Sure, both electricity costs and average daily TV use are increasing steadily every year but those amounts still fail to make a major dent in most household budgets. According to the Department of Energy, for example, the average refrigerator uses nearly $90 worth of energy per year. It's worth noting that plasma TVs have many picture quality advantages over LCD TVs, so people who really prize video quality may be willing to sacrifice some efficiency. On the other hand, today's high- quality LCDs can balance extreme efficiency with great picture quality. As with all technologies, improvements in HDTV performance are being made with every new generation of products and we expect power consumption to continue to fall in newer models. Below is a table of comparison between different brands of HDTV's power consumption. 120 CHART KEY: Model: The HDTV model name and manufacturer. Default sort is by technology type, with newest reviews listed higher on the chart. HDTV type: We differentiate between LED-backlit LCD TVs ("LED") and standard CCFL-based varieties ("LCD"). CRT models were excluded from this comparison because we no longer test them. Screen size: In inches diagonal. All TVs on this list are wide-screen models with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Default setting (watts): Measured using the default settings when the TV's picture is on. Prior to the Energy Star 3.0 update in November 2008, the default settings were a sort of "torch mode," with high light output and 121 correspondingly high power consumption. But since the update many new models have dimmer pictures and less power use in the default mode. Default setting (watts per square inch): The "Default setting (watts)" result divided by the screen size of the TV in square inches. Default setting (cost per year): Using the default picture setting on a TV, this is the amount of money the TV would cost to operate 365 days, assuming it's turned on for 5.2 hours a day and off for 18.8 hours. We currently use the average price of energy in the U.S. during 2009, which is 11.55 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to the Energy Information Administration. All of the TVs on this list, regardless of when they were actually reviewed, use these figures in calculating this amount. However, the true cost of operating a TV can vary widely depending on local electricity costs and hours used per day. 122 Calibrated setting (watts): Measured using the calibrated picture setting when the TV's picture is on. CNET calibrates all HDTVs it reviews, which includes adjusting luminance (light output) to a certain level. Since power use varies with luminance, this wattage number provides a more reliable, direct comparison than the default setting, where luminance is not equalized. Calibrated setting (watts per square inch): The "Calibrated setting (watts)" result is divided by the screen size of the TV in square inches. Calibrated setting (cost per year): Using the same figures as "Default setting (cost per year)," this is the amount it costs to operate the TV per year in the calibrated picture mode. 123 Default Default Calibrated Default setting setting Calibrated setting (watts Calibrated HDTV Screen settings (watts per (cost per setting per square setting (cost Model type size (watts) square inch) year) (watts) inch) per year) Vizio VF552XVT LED 55 191.14 0.148 $42.54 103.72 0.080 $23.37 Samsung UN55C8000 LED 55 129.46 0.100 $28.44 111.64 0.086 $24.53 LG 47LE8500 LED 47 90.01 0.095 $19.78 70.99 0.075 $15.61 Sony KDL- 46EX700 LED 46 87.22 0.096 $19.22 65.2 0.072 $14.39 Sony KDL- 52NX800 LED 52 122.55 0.106 $26.96 95.16 0.082 $20.96 LG 47SL80 LCD 47 187.29 0.198 $41.26 122.77 0.130 $27.12 Mitsubishi LT- 46249 LCD 46 187.76 0.208 $66.52 149.85 0.166 $58.21 Westinghouse SK-32H640G LCD 32 89.279 0.204 $19.94 46.909 0.107 $10.65 Sharp LC- 32D47UT LCD 32 71.683 0.164 $15.84 47.752 0.109 $10.59 LG 32LH20 LCD 32 82.054 0.188 $18.17 62.741 0.143 $13.93 Samsung LN32B360 LCD 32 75.108 0.172 $16.88 48.304 0.110 $11.00 Sony KDL- 32L5000 LCD 32 91.467 0.209 $20.12 52.69 0.120 $11.62 124 Toshiba 32AV502U LCD 32 87.898 0.201 $19.51 56.031 0.128 $12.52 Vizio VO320E LCD 32 87.404 0.200 $19.41 51.608 0.118 $11.56 Sony KDL- 46VE5 LCD 46 125.31 0.139 $27.48 103.91 0.115 $22.79 Vizio VF551XVT LED 55 161.95 0.125 $35.76 99.53 0.077 $22.08 Sharp LC- 46LE700UN LED 46 101.58 0.112 $22.33 63.91 0.071 $14.07 Samsung UNB558500 LED 55 136.16 0.105 $29.91 123.99 0.096 $27.24 Samsung UN46B8000 LED 46 114.48 0.127 $25.16 104.93 0.116 $23.07 Sony KDL- 46W5100 LCD 46 169.87 0.188 $37.26 110.55 0.122 $24.26 Toshiba 46SV670U LED 46 174.87 0.193 $38.64 142.24 0.157 $31.48 LG 47LH50 LCD 47 186.55 0.198 $41.07 120.11 0.127 $26.51 Philips 42PFL6704D LCD 42 136.80 0.181 $30.18 183.16 0.243 $40.35 Panasonic TC- L32X1 LCD 32 92.10 0.210 $20.69 70.16 0.160 $15.88 LG 47LH90 LED 47 140.86 0.149 $31.01 107.16 0.114 $23.63 Samsung LN46B650 LCD 46 174.10 0.193 $38.28 119.96 0.133 $26.42 125 JVC LT-46P300 LCD 46 132.78 0.147 $29.54 113.54 0.126 $25.33 Sony KDL- 52V5100 LCD 52 242.62 0.210 $53.32 159.27 0.138 $35.05 LG 42LH55 LCD 42 137.65 0.183 $30.37 93.33 0.124 $20.66 Toshiba 47ZV650U LCD 47 181.26 0.192 $39.74 114.54 0.121 $25.11 Samsung LN52B750 LCD 52 191.15 0.165 $41.90 128.86 0.112 $28.25 Sony KDL- 52XBR9 LCD 52 237.52 0.206 $52.07 159.97 0.138 $35.07 Samsung UN46B6000 LED 46 106.40 0.118 $23.39 86.66 0.096 $19.06 LG 42LH30 LCD 42 127.38 0.169 $28.12 94.33 0.125 $20.88 Samsung UN46B7000 LED 46 106.77 0.118 $23.47 93.02 0.103 $20.46 Vizio VF550XVT LCD 55 221.03 0.171 $48.45 145.36 0.112 $31.87 Sony KLV- 40ZX1M LED 40 160.65 0.235 $35.22 79.46 0.116 $17.42 Vizio VO32LF LCD 32 121.58 0.278 $26.65 69.00 0.158 $15.13 Panasonic TC- 37LZ85 LCD 37 142.69 0.244 $31.28 92.59 0.158 $20.30 Vizio VOJ370F LCD 37 145.84 0.249 $31.97 76.64 0.131 $16.80 Toshiba 46XV545U LCD 46 178.59 0.198 $39.15 133.50 0.148 $29.27 126 Sony KDL- 52XBR7 LCD 52 285.68 0.247 $62.63 161.10 0.139 $35.32 Hitachi UT37X902 LCD 37 183.73 0.314 $40.28 106.87 0.183 $23.43 Haier HL47K LCD 47 237.30 0.251 $52.02 231.73 0.246 $50.80 Honeywell Altura MLX LCD 42 207.27 0.275 $45.44 206.74 0.274 $45.32 Sharp LC- 46D85U LCD 46 182.32 0.202 $39.97 122.97 0.136 $26.96 LG 32LG40 LCD 32 116.19 0.266 $25.47 67.86 0.155 $14.88 Sharp LC- 52D65U LCD 52 210.35 0.182 $46.11 121.60 0.105 $26.66 Sony KDL- 55XBR8 LED 55 239.83 0.186 $52.58 139.88 0.108 $30.66 Sony KDL- 52XBR6 LCD 52 272.63 0.236 $59.77 134.97 0.117 $29.59 Vizio VO32L LCD 32 104.90 0.240 $23.00 61.14 0.140 $13.40 Samsung LN46A950 LED 46 145.98 0.161 $32.72 136.34 0.151 $30.61 Vizio SV470XVT LCD 47 239.59 0.254 $53.12 141.01 0.149 $31.51 Samsung LN46A550 LCD 46 137.12 0.152 $30.60 101.52 0.112 $22.79 Sony KDL- 46Z4100 LCD 46 268.57 0.297 $59.17 124.71 0.138 $27.63 127 Panasonic TC- 32LX85 LCD 32 97.79 0.223 $22.38 64.96 0.148 $15.18 Toshiba 42RV530U LCD 42 218.08 0.289 $48.27 114.68 0.152 $25.60 Westinghouse VK-40F580D LCD 40 246.81 0.361 $57.83 96.55 0.141 $24.89 Samsung LN46A750 LCD 46 184.62 0.204 $41.11 119.31 0.132 $26.79 Mitsubishi LT- 46148 LCD 46 263.78 0.292 $75.86 192.85 0.213 $60.32 Sony KDL- 46W4100 LCD 46 274.43 0.304 $60.83 140.00 0.155 $31.36 LG 32LG30 LCD 32 117.88 0.269 $26.63 61.70 0.141 $14.31 Philips 42PFL5603D LCD 42 91.23 0.121 $20.58 193.06 0.256 $42.90 Sony KDL- 32M4000 LCD 32 112.94 0.258 $25.53 78.09 0.178 $17.89 Toshiba 32CV510U LCD 32 131.34 0.300 $29.43 61.20 0.140 $14.05 LG 47LG60 LCD 47 267.21 0.283 $59.61 129.64 0.137 $29.45 Samsung LN52A650 LCD 52 219.90 0.190 $49.16 140.80 0.122 $31.82 Samsung LN32A450 LCD 32 130.65 0.299 $29.50 68.27 0.156 $15.83 128 Sharp LC- 32D44U LCD 32 126.25 0.289 $28.40 59.75 0.137 $13.82 Insignia NS- LCD32 LCD 32 143.20 0.327 $32.26 81.63 0.187 $18.76 Vizio VO47LF LCD 47 277.52 0.294 $61.78 141.86 0.150 $32.04 Olevia 252T FHD LCD 52 257.29 0.223 $57.39 173.80 0.150 $39.08 Philips 47PFL9732D LCD 47 250.10 0.265 $55.94 130.69 0.138 $29.76 Panasonic TC- P54Z1 plasma 54 274.28 0.220 $59.40 321.41 0.258 $69.55 LG 50PS80 plasma 50 384.98 0.360 $84.55 296.76 0.278 $65.21 Panasonic TC- P54G10 plasma 54 282.85 0.227 $62.11 324.00 0.260 $71.13 Samsung PN50B850 plasma 50 207.01 0.194 $45.52 292.21 0.274 $64.20 Samsung PN50B650 plasma 50 252.04 0.236 $55.39 290.46 0.272 $63.82 Panasonic TC- P50V10 plasma 50 255.61 0.239 $56.14 294.42 0.276 $64.65 Panasonic TC- P50X1 plasma 50 217.95 0.204 $47.94 255.88 0.240 $56.25 Panasonic TC- P46G10 plasma 46 168.78 0.187 $37.12 281.18 0.311 $61.76 129 Panasonic TC- P42S1 plasma 42 187.17 0.248 $41.03 235.32 0.312 $51.59 Panasonic TH- 65VX100U plasma 65 575.56 0.319 $126.17 415.17 0.230 $91.01 Panasonic TH- 50PF11UK plasma 50 449.62 0.421 $98.57 336.35 0.315 $73.73 Vizio VP505XVT plasma 50 474.03 0.444 $103.92 383.88 0.359 $84.15 Samsung PN63A760 plasma 63 509.24 0.300 $111.64 416.53 0.246 $91.31 Panasonic TH- 58PZ800U plasma 58 196.37 0.137 $43.05 363.45 0.253 $79.68 Pioneer PRO- 111FD plasma 50 333.54 0.312 $73.12 293.06 0.274 $64.24 LG 60PG60 plasma 60 507.83 0.330 $111.33 385.74 0.251 $84.56 LG 50PG30 plasma 50 401.67 0.376 $88.92 324.85 0.304 $72.08 Samsung PN50A650 plasma 50 380.58 0.356 $84.22 337.77 0.316 $74.84 LG 50PG20 plasma 50 284.64 0.266 $63.43 257.59 0.241 $57.50 Vizio VP322 plasma 32 122.97 0.281 $28.67 115.35 0.264 $27.00 Vizio VP422 plasma 42 283.83 0.377 $62.89 146.49 0.194 $32.79 Pioneer PDP- 5020FD plasma 50 293.33 0.275 $64.64 272.67 0.255 $60.11 Panasonic TH- 50PZ850U plasma 50 163.80 0.153 $36.27 284.36 0.266 $62.70 130 LG 50PG50 plasma 50 401.02 0.375 $88.74 329.92 0.309 $73.15 Panasonic TH- 50PZ800U plasma 50 535.00 0.501 $117.94 286.25 0.268 $63.41 Panasonic TH- 42PX80U plasma 42 260.18 0.345 $57.82 190.53 0.253 $42.55 Panasonic TH- 46PZ85U plasma 46 454.51 0.503 $100.37 329.05 0.364 $72.86 Samsung PN50A550 plasma 50 446.60 0.418 $98.85 373.77 0.350 $82.89 Insignia NS- PDP42 plasma 42 216.76 0.288 $48.62 203.87 0.270 $45.79 Panasonic TH- 58PZ750U plasma 58 562.52 0.391 $124.11 489.38 0.340 $108.07 Hitachi P50H401 plasma 50 336.10 0.315 $74.55 216.65 0.203 $48.37 Mitsubishi WD- 65737 RPTV 65 208.45 0.115 $46.04 208.27 0.115 $46.00 Mitsubishi WD- 65735 RPTV 65 219.27 0.121 $60.35 219.15 0.121 $60.33 Samsung HL61A750 RPTV 61 171.24 0.108 $38.20 83.38 0.052 $18.94 131 We Recommend: Even after you've bought a TV, you can still make a positive difference in your power consumption. We've assembled a short list of tips that just about anybody can use to make their home theater more energy efficient. Turn the TV and other connected devices off when they're not being used Sure, this one's obvious, but it's easy to get into the habit of leaving the TV on as "background" when you're not really watching it. And while TVs still consume power in standby mode, it's a tiny fraction of what they draw when they're actually on. Old habits die hard, but you'll be saving yourself some bucks if you remember this tip. Be careful to power down other connected devices, too, like game consoles and DVD players--which are easy to leave on accidentally even after you turn the TV itself off. A good universal remote that can 132 "power down" the whole system with a single button-press can easily pay for itself in energy savings after a year or so. Turn off the Quick Start option Some HDTVs and some other AV gear have an option called Quick Start (or something similar), which allows them to turn on more quickly when you press the power button. The flipside is that when engaged, it typically consumes more power (sometimes up to 50 times as much) during standby, which can really add up. Do your energy bill a favor and turn this mode off. That few extra seconds' wait for the TV to warm up is well worth it. Turn down the LCD's backlight Many LCDs give you the ability to control the intensity of the backlight in the TV. By turning down the backlight, you'll lower power 133 consumption, but also make the TV less bright. While retail stores love to turn the backlights up all the way for their displays, we find that we get the best image quality when we turn down the backlight significantly. Turn on the power saver mode Many TVs these days come with a power saver mode that's designed to cut down the power consumption. Performance of this mode varies from model to model, with the effect sometimes being drastic and other times providing only a slight savings. The only downside is that the power saver mode usually makes the TV less bright, but we've found that sometimes this has a beneficial effect on the image quality, especially with the room lights turned off (in which case it's a win-win situation!) Reduce light output with other settings Many people buy a TV, turn it on, and never think to change the picture settings. Not only is this bad for picture quality, it's bad for power 134 consumption! Most TVs are very bright by default, which saps more juice. One of the first things a professional calibrator will usually do is turn down the light output--which is controlled primarily by "contrast" or "picture" controls--along with several other adjustments that will maximize the performance of your TV. Control room lighting Many of these tips are going to reduce your TV's brightness but that can be balanced out by controlling the light in your home theater. While this may be a little overboard just for power conservation, limiting the light in your home theater also goes a long way toward creating the "theater" experience, as well as getting the most out of your TV. And beyond TV concerns, good-quality blackout shades offer thermal benefits that keep other energy costs low; they keep heat in during the winter and keep it out during the summer. 135 Buy a smaller screen If you're looking to buy a new TV, you can limit your power consumption by buying a smaller set. This doesn't always exactly hold. For example, rear-projection sets are often larger and use less power than plasma TVs, but once you pick your display technology, going smaller will almost always use less juice. As always, you can compensate for smaller screen size, to a point, by sitting closer to the screen. Watch TV together Having multiple TVs in a house is more of a norm than a luxury these days, but that means your power consumption is going to increase as well. You can cut that power consumption by watching with your family or housemates. You might need to make a few compromises on what you watch, but sometimes it's more fun to watch with friends and family. 136 Watch less TV Instead of sitting down for another dose of reality TV, you could opt for reality instead. You can get some exercise and slash your energy bill 137 Chapter 8 – The Best Rechargeable AA and AAA Batteries and Chargers, Powerstrips Let me guess . . . You're fed up with buying and tossing out conventional batteries. Or you've been using a battery charger that no longer appears to work. Or your rechargeable batteries aren't lasting as long as you think they should. But maybe you just don't know where to begin. NiMH (Nickel-Metal-Hydride) is the current standard in rechargeable batteries. NiCADs (Nickel-Cadmium), at one time ubiquitous, are becoming scarce. Batteries 138 Not all rechargeable batteries are created equal. Those higher mAh batteries -- you know, the attractive high power cells: 2400, 2500, 2700 -- tend to be rapid self-discharge cells. They just don't hold a charge for very long and are good for shorter periods of time. The brand doesn't appear to matter. Look for the low self-discharge (hybrid) batteries, typically marked "lasts 4x longer ... than other rechargeable batteries" (NOT the ones that read "... than alkaline batteries") and usually rated around 2000, 2100 mAh -- Sanyo eneloops, Rayovac hybrid, Kodak white cell (not the older green cell) variety, etc. These aren't quite as high- powered as you'd like but they last longer and are less frustrating to use in the field. Sorry, them's the facts as I understand them. Battery Chargers The typical 15 minute or one hour rapid-charger tends to fry batteries. The heat generated by the rapid-charger adversely impacts the crystalline 139 structure of the battery's insides and your battery life plummets. Most battery chargers are 'dumb'; It doesn't matter how well it currently holds a charge. All the batteries you place inside will get the same charge. Think of filling up four 12 ounce tumblers that already contain various amounts of water with 12 new ounces of water. What happens to the excess? That's not a great analogy. Try this: Using most battery chargers is like turning on a faucet and letting it run with no shut off, except in this case the charger indiscriminately continues to pour electricity into a battery because most battery chargers have no controls, no indication they're working, when they're through working or what the heck they've done. There are some very notable exceptions. Each has its own merits. It's up to you to decide which is best 140 for you. Take heart -- there are only a couple real options. Things to Consider: For those of you who want to know and/or control what is happening with your batteries, there are only two real choices: the La Crosse Technology BC-9009 AlphaPower Battery Charger and the Powerex WizardOne aa/aaa NiMH Battery Charger-Analyzer. Both the La Crosse BC-900 and the Maha C-9000 are outstanding charger/analyzers that give you detailed information and control over charging your batteries. (They appear to leap frog each other's features every several years.) They are capable of refreshing, renewing and revitalizing your individual cells (you guessed it) - individually. You control the settings for each cell separately. Both units have an LCD display by which you can program each cell's charge / discharge and which gives you 141 all the information and the control you need: charge, discharge, refresh, test. Automatic cut-off (delta v) when fully charged and a trickle charge thereafter for as long as you keep the battery in the charger. About the only way to improve these units would be to plug them into your computer's USB port and control them with fine-tuning software! Kodak, Panasonic, Sony or Sanyo might want to jump in with their own analyzers/chargers just to offer up some friendly competition and educate the public. Do I have preference? Which one would I buy? I just bought the La Crosse BC-900. It's almost half the size of the Maha C-9000 and has far less buttons to push for what I want to do. You may have other needs or wants. Actually, it also has more options than what I need. Something like the Sony BCG-34HRMF4 Battery Charger with LCD Display and 4 AA Ni- MH Rechargeable Batteries really appeals to me for its simplicity but I wish it had more options or at least more readouts. Something in between would 142 be right for me. But for now, I opt for more options than less and make the La Crosse BC-900 my choice. We Recommend: Other Battery Chargers 1.) La Crosse Technology BC-700 Alpha Power Battery Charger La Crosse also markets the BC-700, a less powerful version of the BC-900, for maybe, what, five dollars less, so I figure why bother. 2.) Powerex C204 Battery Charger w/4 2700 mAh Batteries Maha also makes the C204W which has no readouts but is a marvelous device which had no rival when introduced around 2001. It was eclipsed by and costs about the same as the BC-900. 143 3.) Sony Quick Battery Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries This simple Sony unit charges each cell separately -- very notable in such a compact unit. No cords -- plugs right into an outlet. Has a little light that lets you know all the cells are charged. As compact as it gets. Hard to beat at this price. 4.) SANYO eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries Sanyo eneloops appear to be the leaders and some speculate other companies re-brand their product -- probably not far from the mark. 5.) Rayovac Rechargeable Hybrid NiMH Batteries, AA-size, 4-count Carded Pack (Pack of 2) Another good choice. May be more difficult to find outside Amazon? 144 [Power Strips] Electronic devices may suck power like a vampire sucks blood, but there are also a number of gadgets on the market designed to help cut down on unnecessary power loss. The Kill A Watt digital wattage reader from P3 International allows you to check how much power your electronic devices are consuming. Vampire appliances are pretty much any that you can plug in that still suck energy when supposedly turned off. Some are pretty obvious – the clocks on your microwave or VCR/DVD player burn all day, everyday. We know they're not "off" because we cans see their LEDs glow. But other 145 electronics, from your television to your cell phone charger, also draw power when they're plugged in but not in use. Check out a handy graph from Good Magazine. Some gadgets are notorious, like your plasma TV. Estimates claim that 5% or more of U.S. energy usage is insidiously wasted by "stand-by mode" or certain misleading "off" buttons. A whopping 5% may not sound like much, but it adds up to about $1 Billion dollars per year – and energy prices will likely continue to rise. Be honest – how many times would you go around the house unplugging everything before it got old? Smart greenies have been switching off their surge protectors, but it's easy to forget while watching your favorite late- night TV show or blogging at 4am. So what can we do about these metal- toothed Draculas in our midst? How about a surge protector that turns off all your appliances for you? 146 Picture any appliance that displays a clock while otherwise idle, such as a microwave oven, coffee maker or DVD player. They constantly consume little bits of energy. Ditto for things that charge, such as cell phones, PDAs, toothbrushes or portable tools, some of which trickle a charge even after the device that's charging is at capacity. Some chargers halt the flow of current when it isn't needed, which should happen automatically with chargers for lithium-ion batteries We recommend: Smart Power Strips are easy to use: One "master" outlet on the strip controls six 147 other "slave" outlets. When the power usage of the master outlet decreases (by a large enough amount), it automatically turns off the slave outlets. If you plug your "master electronic" like a TV or computer into the master outlet, all your periphery appliances – printers, speakers, Playstation, etc. – are automatically turned off. Oh wait, you have a Tivo and you don't want all of your peripheries to turn off? No worries, the Smart Power Strip has three "constant" outlets that behave like normal plugs so you won't miss your favorite shows. And of course, when you turn the "master" back on, the "slaves" will buzz to life as well. So instead of housing a legion of thirsty vampires, you can sleep soundly with a gadget that puts your electronics on a low-energy diet. This is not the first or only such gadget on the market. Your choices range from super-smart peripherals to wall monitors to watt-counting surge protectors. You can even use a low cost, old-fashioned timer. For your energy efficient computer needs, you can download power-saving freeware. These applications extend beyond home use too; businesses are 148 jumping on the band wagon to reduce their energy costs and boost the bottom line. These steps could provide big savings for offices with lots of computers and copy machines. Smart power strips are designed to differentiate between primary devices like computers and HDTVs, and secondary devices like printers, scanners, DVD players, and video game systems. Why is it important to differentiate? Because when a smart power strip senses that a primary device has been turned off, it automatically cuts power to all of the vampirical accessory electronics that are connected to it. After all, there's no reason why you should let your printer and speakers feed voraciously off the power grid if your PC is turned off. Things to Consider: To verify that the chargers for your electronic devices like cell phones and personal digital assistants consume when they are not being used, perform 149 this simple test. Touch your AC to DC transformer. If the wall wart is warm while plugged in even while your powered device is unattached, the transformer is eating power. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that these so called vampire devices consume the output of 17 coal-fired power plants annually. You can do your bit to save energy by simply plugging transformers and remote control activated devices into a power strip which you turn off when not in use. 150 Chapter 10 – Shower Heads and Toilets For Saving Water [This topic is already covered in the bathroom section. Integrate data from earlier chapter into this chapter or Delete this chapter entirely?] All efficient shower heads are environmentally friendly and use water efficiently, but they also give a truly terrific shower. This saves you money in two ways. First, it cuts down on your water bill. Second, it cuts down on your gas or electric bill, because you won't have to use as much hot water. If you're replacing an old shower head that doesn't conserve water, a new one will often pay for itself in a matter of months. Showerheads are measured by flow—the number of gallons they deliver per minute (gpm). Flow is affected by water pressure, measured in pounds 151 per square inch (psi). The greater the pressure pushing water through pipes and shower heads, the greater the volume of water forced out. Water pressure on the high side—80 psi, for example—will push a greater amount of water through a showerhead than low water pressure, say 20 psi. This same principle is in effect when you don't turn on the water full blast. Water pressure varies from community to community and even from house to house. A few years ago, showerheads delivered about 5 to 8 gallons per minute (gpm) at 80 psi. The current standard for low-flow heads is 2.5 gpm at 80 psi. Some showerheads deliver only 1.6 gpm. It's easy to judge your present showerhead's flow rate. Just hold a gallon container under the head and clock the time it takes to fill it. If it fills up in 15 seconds, the flow rate is about 4 gpm. If it's full in 10 seconds, the flow 152 rate is closer to 6 gpm. With a low-flow head, it should take 24 seconds or more. A quality showerhead will feel good at both high and low water pressures. Some have flow restrictors that can be reversed or removed to allow more water through on low-pressure lines, allowing you to achieve the right amount of water flow for your water pressure. Others have restrictors that work automatically. For example, Teledyne Water Pik offers one highly rated "Shower Massage" showerhead that automatically senses the available water pressure and adjusts to deliver 2.5 gpm. We recommend: Water saving shower heads are shower heads designed to decrease water usage. There are a number of reasons to choose a shower 153 head which uses water efficiently, including a desire to save money on water bills, or a need to comply with localized water usage restrictions. Many hardware stores sell water saving shower heads, and it is also possible to order them directly through various manufacturers. Some people are under the impression that a water saving showerhead delivers a meager trickle of water which is barely sufficient for washing. While severely restricting the amount of water which can flow through a shower head is one method for saving water, there are better techniques to use. Some water saving shower heads are so well-designed that people may not notice the difference between them and conventional shower heads. One way to save water is to increase the water pressure. The weaker the pressure, the more water is needed. Many water saving shower heads are designed in a way that increases water pressure, requiring less water to bathe. Other water saving shower heads are designed to turn themselves on and off, encouraging people to use water to get wet and leave the water 154 off while they lather up. Water saving shower heads with manual switches that allow people to keep their hot and cold water settings while turning the water off are also available. There are also some creative ways that a shower head can be used to encourage people to conserve water. Some shower heads are on timers which turn the water off and leave it off after a set period of time, say - five minutes. Others may have light displays which indicate how much water is being used, encouraging people to shower quickly and efficiently. Programmable settings which can be used to adjust the rate and intensity of the water flow can also be found in water saving shower heads. It's hard to know how well a shower head will work until you experience it in action. Alas, most hardware stores do not have a line of shower stalls with water saving shower heads installed so that people can can try them all out. One way to test water-saving shower heads is to take note of shower heads at hotels. Most hotels use water saving plumbing to save money, and if you think that a hotel has a particularly good shower head, 155 don't be afraid to ask about the make and model. You may also ask friends if they have a water saving shower head that you can test before springing for one, yourself. The Waterpik RPB-173 Drenching Rain Fall Showerhead with Adjustable Arm, features a handsome modern chrome design. With a large four-inch face, the showerhead will give you a full- body rain fall that will have you relaxed and thoroughly cleansed. And thanks to OptiFLOW technology, you get up to 30 percent more spray force, giving you good water pressure while saving water. Waterpik makes a brushed nickel version of this showerhead, model # RPB 179. I know, because I purchased 2 yesterday that I stumbled upon at 156 HomeGoods for $19.99 each. Oddly, even Google can't, as of this date, find the RPB 179 - perhaps it's a brand new version? Anyway, it's the same as RPB 173 except the finish is sleek brushed nickel and the face is putty- colored rather than black. [Toilet] The toilet. The commode. The john. The loo. The porcelain throne. No matter what you call it, it is inevitable that we come to discuss this device, because every home has at least one. But more importantly, we'll discuss the toilet because it is a technological marvel -- a fascinating water- handling system! How sad, then, that we hold so many bad connotations of it in our minds. There are the things we do on a toilet, the germs we associate with it, the images we have from public restrooms, the fact that we have to clean it -- 157 all of these details leave the toilet a somewhat ... tainted apparatus. Toilets use the most water in our homes. Every day, Americans flush 4.8 billion gallons of water down the toilet. Reducing the amount of water that your toilet is flushing will go a long way to saving water in your home and general conservation. With one easy adjustment, you'll save money, water and the environment… one flush at a time. It is true -- many cities have conducted a massive drive to replace older toilets with new water-saving models. Here's why... A family of four can consume something like 300 to 400 gallons of water per day on things like bathing, cooking, drinking, laundry and dish washing. Old toilets use about 5 gallons (20 liters) per flush. When you consider that a normal person flushes a toilet seven or so times a day, you can see that a family of four consumes more than 140 gallons per day by 158 flushing alone. Depending on who you ask, the water consumption of toilets represents between 30 percent to 50 percent of the water consumed by a household each day. The new toilets installed in your apartment use 1.6 gallons (6 liters) per flush. If you replace those 5-gallon-per-flush toilets with 1.6-gallon-per- flush toilets, you save a huge amount of water -- something like 100 gallons per day per household. For a city, a big reduction like that means that you can delay the construction of new reservoirs and new sewage treatment plants. That's a huge incentive to replace all the toilets! Things to Consider: If you take off the tank cover and peer inside, you will see all of these parts. They might look slightly different in your particular toilet, but they are 159 all there in one form or another. The three main systems that work together are: 1.) The bowl siphon Let's say that you somehow disconnected the tank, and all you had in your bathroom was the bowl. You would still have a toilet. Even though it has no moving parts, the bowl solves all of the problems a toilet needs to solve. The crucial mechanism that is molded into the bowl is called the bowl siphon, shown in the picture. You can understand how the siphon works by trying two experiments with your toilet. First, take a cup of water and pour it into the bowl. You will find that practically nothing happens. What's even 160 more interesting is that you can pour 25 cups (6 L) of water into a toilet, one at a time, and still, nothing will happen. That is, no matter how many cups of water you pour in, the level of the water in the bowl never rises. You can see in the figure why this is the case. When you pour the cup of water in, the water level in the bowl rises, but the extra water immediately spills over the edge of the siphon tube and drains away. Now, take a bucket of water -- approximately 2 gallons (7.6 L) -- and pour it into the bowl. You will find that pouring in this much water causes the bowl to flush. That is, almost all of the water is sucked out of the bowl, and the bowl makes the recognizable "flush" sound as the water escapes down the pipe. What's happened is this: You've poured enough water into the bowl fast enough to fill the siphon tube. And once the tube was filled, the rest was automatic. The siphon sucked the water out of the bowl and down the sewer pipe. As soon 161 as the bowl emptied, air entered the siphon tube, producing that distinctive gurgling sound and stopping the siphoning process. You can see that, even if someone were to cut off the water to your bathroom, you could still flush the toilet. All you need is a bucket containing a couple of gallons of water. The flush mechanism The purpose of the tank is to act like the bucket of water described in the previous section. You have to get enough water into the bowl fast enough to activate the siphon. If you tried to do that using a normal house water pipe, water wouldn't come in fast enough -- the siphon would never start. So the tank acts as a capacitor. It holds several gallons of water, which it needs mybe 30 to 60 seconds to accumulate. When you flush, all of the water in the tank is dumped into the bowl in about three seconds -- the 162 equivalent of pouring in a bucket of water. There is a chain attached to the handle on the side of the tank. When you push on the handle, it pulls the chain, which is connected to the flush valve. The chain lifts the flush valve, which then floats out of the way, revealing a 2- to 3-inch (5.08- to 7.62-cm) diameter drain hole. Uncovering this hole allows the water to enter the bowl. In most toilets, the bowl has been molded so that the water enters the rim, and some of it drains out through holes in the rim. A good portion of the water flows down to a larger hole at the bottom of the bowl. This hole is known as the siphon jet. It releases most of the water directly into the siphon tube. Because all of the water in the bowl enters the tank in about three seconds, it is enough to fill and activate the siphon effect, and all of the water and waste in the bowl is sucked out. The refill mechanism 163 So the bowl will flush as long as we dump enough water into it to activate the siphon. And the purpose of the tank and the flush valve is to hold and then dump about 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water very quickly into the bowl. Once the tank has emptied, the flush valve re-situates itself in the bottom of the tank, covering the drain hole so the tank can be refilled. It is the job of the refill mechanism to fill the tank back up with enough water to start the whole process again. The refill mechanism has a valve that turns the water on and off. The valve turns the water on when the filler float (or ball float) falls. The float falls when the water level in the tank drops. The filler valve (or refill valve) sends water in two directions. We recommend: 164 Kohler and Sterling, offer an extensive selection of water-saving toilets that continually exceed performance and design expectations. Installing a 1.28-gallon High-Efficiency Toilet (HET) saves up to 16,500 gallons of water each year over less efficient toilets found in more than half the homes in the US. 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