100-Bulb Strings of Mini or Icicle Lights (50 Watts):
25-Bulb Strings of Bigger 5-Watt Bulb Lights (125 Watts):
Spotlights (150 Watts):
Holiday Lighting Usage
Hours
Hours Per Day:
Your Estimated Usage
KWH per Day:Cost per Day:Cost per Month:
Example: To see how much you can save by using LEDs over traditional lighting, enter a number of strands of mini (traditional) lights and how many hours you intend to use them each day. To compare, reset the calculator and enter the same number of LED strands and the hours per day. Big difference!
Energy Savers 2 is focused on meeting our customers' energy needs in an environmentally responsible manner. We know that today's operations affect tomorrow's environment.
As the major energy supplier in uniquely beautiful and natural regions, we have always worked to protect and enhance the economic and environmental quality of life for our customers and our employees.
We are committed — and will remain committed — to full compliance with all laws and regulations of local, state and federal governments that affect our operations.
We will also continue to cooperate closely with the agencies that regulate our business, and even go beyond legal requirements when such action is supported by sound science and informed policy-making that makes economic sense, and encourages long term solutions.
Energy Savers 2 will continue to use its dedicated workforce and a spirit of innovation to not only remain environmentally responsible in changing times, but to aggressively seek new ways to provide its customers the services they need with even less impact on the environment that surrounds us all.
Here are some quick and easy ways for you to conserve energy and save money!
In cooler weather, gradually reduce heat settings. Your employees and customers should feel comfortable at 68°F.
In summer, raise air conditioner settings. 78°F is optimal.
Turn off heat and air conditioning in unoccupied areas. Conditioning air in storage, basement or empty space is usually unnecessary.
Turn off heat and air conditioning at night, on weekends or other times your business is closed. With many systems, it's cheaper to heat or recool at the start of each business day.
Pre-cool work areas to use less energy during high demand (peak) hours and turn on ceiling fans to circulate already pre cooled air.
Install timers or program thermostats to power down after closing.
Turn off systems earlier in the workday. Your building should remain comfortable for an hour or more.*
Lower hot water temperature. Unless you wash clothes or dishes, cooler water - about 120°F - will do the job.
* This may not be necessary during the winter months if your business uses a heat pump, which maintains comfort most economically at a constant temperature.
Turn off lights whenever possible. Just a few hours a day over a year's time can really make a difference.
Close curtains or shades at night and weekends to maintain comfortable working areas.
Install motion detectors to control lighting in frequently unoccupied areas, such as restrooms.
Remove unneeded lighting. Fixtures near doors and windows often burn energy needlessly. Also turn off non-essential lighting, signage and window displays when not in use.
Turn off unnecessary lights, especially in unused offices and conference rooms. Turn down other lighting levels wherever possible.
Use lower wattage or higher efficiency lamps. Replace incandescent or halogen lamps with LED lamps.
Use a desk caddy to save envelopes, rubber bands, and paper clips for reuse.
Not only recycle the paper from your printer, but recycle your newspapers and boxes too.
Be more eco-efficient. Use a mug or glass instead of styrofoam or paper cups.
Write with refillable pens made from recycled plastic.
For fax machines and printers, use refillable ink cartridges and recycle old ones.
Save paper by printing and copying on both sides. And only print what you really need.
Carpool or use public transportation. If you own a business, encourage carpooling or allow telecommuting to reduce carbon emissions.
Take your lunch to work in a reusable container.
Note: If you rent or share your systems with other businesses, work with your landlord or neighbors to accomplish reductions in energy use.
Energy Conservation : Energy saved is energy produced
Energy nservation means optimizing our energy needs, managing with minimum expenditure of energy. It may be achieved through efficient energy use, in which case energy use is decreased while achieving a similar outcome, or by reduced consumption of energy services. Energy conservation may result in increase of financial capital, environmental value, national security, personal security, and human comfort. Individuals and organizations that are direct consumers of energy may want to conserve energy in order to reduce energy costs and promote economic security. Industrial and commercial users may want to increase efficiency and thus maximize profit.
Energy conservation is the reduction of quantity of energy used. Energy conservation supports the eco friendly lifestyle by providing energy, which saves your money and at the same time saves the earth. When you decrease the amount of energy you use you automatically make efforts to reduce increasing global warming.
Sources of energy conservation:
Sources of energy conservation are Solar Energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, wave energy, hydroelectric energy, and biomass energy. Some Useful Suggestions for Energy Conservation :
1) Interior Lighting:
[lamp/luminaries, bulb, fluorescent (standard/compact)] Good energy management can easily cut lighting energyusaage by 50%.
Use fluorescent tubes in preference incandescent bulbs.
Consider the purchase of compact fluorescent lamps/luminaries (CFL)
LED lighting /OLED lighting fixtures are even better than CFLs
Dimmer switches can save energy when used with incandescent lighting fixtures
Turn off all lights, when someone is not occupying the washroom, closets and in-frequently used area.
Consider use of ‘smart’ lighting systems which will automatically dim under darkening and switch off altogether when the room is unoccupied.
All office equipment is to be in accordance with the suppliers/manufacture operational procedure manual; failure to comply can and would result in poor equipment operation and failure.
Use as necessary or as the need arise. All nuisance use or non- work related task and assignments are to be avoided.
Do not leave transformers plugged into the wall outlet receptacle; disconnect (turn-off the outlet switch) and isolate (remove) all transformers at the end of the working day.Leaving them connected wastes measurable small quantities of power, best is to unplug them.
Shut off unnecessary computers, printers, and copiers that are not in use and close-down/disconnect at the end of the working day. Smart buildings have inbuilt devices to shut all devices off.
For efficient use it is recommended that all personal computers (PC’s) utilize the power management option.
Suggested Settings:
Monitor – 15 min.
Hard Disk (Central Processor Unit) – 25 min.
System Standby – 30 min.
Screen Saver – 1 min.
Additionally, use the automatic save feature when working in all applications, preferable at one (1) minute intervals.
Shut off unnecessary computers, printers, and copiers that are not in use and close-down/disconnect at the end of the working day.
4) Air Conditioning: [air conditioner unit (window, split, central)]
All office windows are to be covered by light coloured blinds/curtains or screens. E.g. white, beige, light cream, to reduce heat conduction, radiation and convection
All doors, windows and openings are to be thermally sealed and kept closed on entry/exit to reduce unit over-work
Depending on occupancy level and local area disposition, room air conditioners [window type units] can be replaced by more energy efficient split units or central air conditioners
Set thermostat/temperature control to “auto”. The “fan-on” setting will increase energy use
Do not use ceiling fans with the air conditioner unless the thermostat for the air conditioner is set higher than normal
Natural Cooling:
Fans should not run in rooms that are unoccupied
Open windows as wide as possible to admit cool circulating breeze and fresh breeze
5) Domestic Refrigeration, Heating & Ventilation: [refrigerator, freezer, chillers, water fountains, water heater, fans, ventilator]
Be conscientious and mindful of the time spent with the refrigerator door open, during the entry and/or retrieval of items.
Use as the need arise; however before opening (the door) think and decide on what item, one wish to remove from the appliance.
Set the level on the temperature control (thermostat) at 3 or 4 depending on the quantity of the items in the refrigerator (medium level or full).
o Allow warm food to cool before storing in the refrigerator.
o Make sure that air spaces under/beneath and behind the refrigerator allows for the free escape of hot air currents
o Place refrigerator and/or freezer away from direct exposure to heat sources such sunlight and stoves.
All appliances must be turned off, when not in use.
Microwave should be set at ‘medium or medium-high’ for 2 – 4 min duration.
Kettles should be quarter filled for preparing a cup of coffee or tea.
Stove/oven/ ranges are to be set on the medium range at 2 – 3 temperature level.
Measures Stipulated by the Government of India for conserving energy in buildings:
ECBC : Energy Conservation Building Code
Building have energy conservation code, which is made by government in India,, i.e., ECBC. It is the norms of the energy requirement per square meter of area and takes into consideration the climatic region of the country where the building is located .It aims at increasing awareness about efficient use of energy and its conservation in new commercial buildings. Energy Conservation In Manufacturing Facilities :
Many leading large-scale corporate bodies in India e.g. Schneider Electric Pvt Ltd., Siemens et al, have turned the energy conservation ideas into entire integrated systems –which is a very pragmatic approach and results in far more conspicuous savings in the long run. Lets examine some of these systems which are conceived and implemented to give best results.
Thanks to GOI’s more stringent rules and regulations, companies such as Schneider Electric have focused on providing a complete solution to major projects where the requirements usually are as shown below in the diagram : Apart from implementing the energy audit and putting in place the most efficient power management, the manufacturing plants would have the following features :-
The diagram below, shows the interdependence of every facet of planning and implementation in larger projects air + energy + water + soil for a total cycle that is symbiotic in nature, meaning every facet depends upon the other facets, for a balanced existence.
Here’s a pie-chart showing the three major segments of human enterprise industry, buildings and transportation -with detailed consumption concerning only the buildings. Energy Management & Audit
The fundamental goal of energy management is to produce goods and provide services with the least cost and least environmental effect.The term energy management means many things to many people. One definition of energy management is:“ the judicious and effective use of energy to maximize profits (minimizecosts) and enhance competitive positions.” Additionally, we could think of a wider definition embracing the relation of energy conservation with reduction in global warming and hence, our own survival.
It may also be defined as “ the strategy of adjusting and optimizing energy, using systems and procedures so as to reduce energy requirements per unit of output while holding constant or reducing total costs of producing the output from these systems.” The two vital-most goals of energy management are :
To minimise energy costs / waste without affecting production & quality
To minimise environmental effects.
Energy Audit is the key to a systematic approach for decision-making in the area of energy management. It attempts to balance the total energy inputs with its use, and serves to identify all the energy streams in a facility. It quantifies energy usage according to its discrete functions. Industrial energy audit is an effective tool in defining and pursuing comprehensive energy management programme. Sometimes it may also be defined as defined as “the verification, monitoring and analysis of use of energy including submission of technical report containing recommendations for improving energy efficiency with cost benefit analysis and an action plan to reduce energy consumption”. Why Energy Audit ?
In any industry, the three top operating expenses are often found to be energy (both electrical and thermal), labour and materials. If one were to relate to the manageability of the cost or potential cost savings in each of the above components, energy would invariably emerge as a top ranker, and thus energy management function constitutes a strategic area for cost reduction. Energy Audit will help to understand more about the ways energy and fuel are used in any industry, and help in identifying the areas where waste can occur and where scope for improvement exists.
The Energy Audit would give a positive orientation to the energy cost reduction, preventive maintenance and quality control programmes which are vital for production and utility activities. Such an audit programme will help to keep focus on variations which occur in the energy costs, availability and reliability of supply of energy, decide on appropriate energy mix, identify energy conservation technologies, retrofit for energy conservation equipment etc.
In general, Energy Audit is the translation of conservation ideas into realities, by lending technically feasible solutions with economic and other organizational considerations within a specified time frame.
The primary objective of Energy Audit is to determine ways to reduce energy consumption per unit of product output or to lower operating costs. Energy Audit provides a “ bench-mark” (Reference point) for managing energy in the organization and also provides the basis for planning a more effective use of energy throughout the organization. Thus Energy Audit can be classified into two types :-
Preliminary Audit
Detailed Audit
Preliminary Energy Audit Methodology
Preliminary energy audit is a relatively quick exercise to:
Establish energy consumption in the organization
Estimate the scope for saving
Identify the most likely (and the easiest areas for attention
Identify areas for more detailed study/measurement
Preliminary energy audit uses existing, or easily obtained data
Detailed Energy Audit Methodology
A comprehensive audit provides a detailed energy project implementation plan for a facility, since it evaluates all major energy using systems.
This type of audit offers the most accurate estimate of energy savings and cost. It considers the interactive effects of all projects, accounts for the energy use of all major equipment, and includes detailed energy cost saving calculations and project cost.
In a comprehensive audit, one of the key elements is the energy balance. This is based on an inventory of energy using systems, assumptions of current operating conditions and calculations of energy use. This estimated use is then compared to utility bill charges.
Detailed energy auditing is carried out in three phases: Phase I, II and III.
Phase I - Pre Audit Phase
Phase II - Audit Phase
Phase III - Post Audit Phase
A Guide for Conducting Energy Audit at a Glance
Industry-to-industry, the methodology of Energy Audits needs to be flexible.
A comprehensive ten-step methodology for conduct of Energy Audit at field level is presented below. Energy Manager and Energy Auditor may follow these steps to start with and add/change as per their needs and industry types.
The information to be collected during the detailed audit includes: -
Energy consumption by type of energy, by department, by major items of process equipment, by end-use
Material balance data (raw materials, intermediate and final products, recycled materials, use ofscrap or waste products, production of by-products for re-use in other industries, etc.)
Energy cost and tariff data
Process and material flow diagrams
Generation and distribution of site services (eg.compressed air, steam).
Sources of energy supply (e.g. electricity from the grid or self-generation)
Potential for fuel substitution, process modifications, and the use of co-generation systems (combined heat and power generation).
Energy Management procedures and energy awareness training programs within the establishment.
Existing baseline information and reports are useful to get consumption pattern, production cost and productivity levels in terms of product per raw material inputs. The audit team should collect the following baseline data:
Technology, processes used and equipment details
Capacity utilisation
Amount & type of input materials used
Water consumption
Fuel Consumption
Electrical energy consumption
Steam consumption
Other inputs such as compressed air, cooling water etc
Quantity & type of wastes generated
Percentage rejection / reprocessing
Efficiencies / yield
Data Collection Tips
It is important to plan additional data gathering carefully. Here are some basic tips to avoid wasting time and effort:
Measurement systems should be easy to use and provide the information to the accuracy that is needed, not the accuracy that is technically possible
Measurement equipment can be inexpensive (flow rates using a bucket and stopwatch)
The quality of the data must be such that the correct conclusions are drawn (what grade of product is on, is the production normal etc)
Define how frequent data collection should be to account for process variations.
Measurement exercises over abnormal workload periods (such as startup and shutdowns)
Design values can be taken where measurements are difficult (cooling water through heat exchanger)
Two very vital facts to remember are :Do not estimate when you can calculate,
Do not calculate when you can measure.
The present-day scenario is grim – we should have started practising all this fifty years ago, but as it is we owe it to our next generation, to leave the planet unharmed. Hence Energy Conservation becomes one of the most crucial activity for our survival and for minimizing the damage to this planet.
We can create a more sustainable, cleaner and safer world by making wiser energy choices.
Energy Conservation:
Nowadays, we are all aware that man's urban or modern lifestyle requires huge amounts of ever increasing energy. This is the energy required to run manufacturing units, factories, machines, automobiles, homes in terms of electricity for heating and lighting and many others to name a few. This energy is provided by fuel such as coal and oil. To produce energy is expensive and based on several researches and studies, different sources of energy produce also some bad effects on the environment and even our health.
The common sources of energy come from beneath the surface of the earth, and these are the oil, coal and natural gas. These are what we call fossil fuels which are formed by the anaerobic decomposition of buried organisms millions of years ago. Several studies also show that the formation of such fuels could even take 650 million years.
¨ Oil is made from the bodies of tiny sea creatures gathered on the seabed which where gradually squeezed down under the rocks that formed above them
¨ Coal is made from trees that died millions of years ago. Which were squeezed down until they turned into carbon.
¨ Natural gas is produced through the decomposition of animal and plant bodies
Careful considerations are needed to be able to adopt an approach that would encourage the production and consumption of the minimum amount of energy to meet such urban lifestyle. This should be an approach that would lead to efficient energy usage called energy conservation. Energy conservation can be done through simple ways in our own homes, offices and schools by doing the following:
1. Use fuel efficient vehicles for transport.
2. As much as possible use public transport and car pooling.
3. Increase the efficiency of air conditioning units not only through building energy. efficient air conditioners but also by following best practices in controlling energy loss such as proper building insulation.
4. Switching off your electronics gadgets whenever possible. Appliances kept in stand-by mode waste a huge amount of energy when not in use.
5. Use Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL bulbs) or any other energy efficient products for lighting in heating, kitchen and electronics use.
6. Adopt recycling.
7. Use energy efficient machines.
8. Use efficient and renewable sources of energy and the dependence on fossil fuels should be reduced. So as to promote a healthier environment.
9. Encourage research in creating energy efficient building designs and appliance designs. What about Energy Audit?
Energy audit is a critical assessment of an energy consuming facilities: at home, school, office, store, establishment and building. The said audit could be utilized to identify possible sources of energy and to save money. More importantly, audit is designed to reduce energy consumption, fuel consumption, emissions and electric bills. For an audit to be successful, it needs project planning, data collection, data analysis and recommendations or conducting a research on energy utilization and conservation. Initial researches and studies show that audit provided the following benefits: at the local level, audit provided the ability to withstand energy cost and increases environmental benefits. On the other hand, at the national level it showed deferred construction of new power plant, reduction in imported fuel conservation of dollar outflow & reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
TRIVIA:
Did You Know…?
Placing your air conditioner in the shade can reduce its energy used by as much as 10%.
Heating and cooling cost make up 45% of the typical home’s utility bill.
If your water heater is more than 10 years old, it is probably wasting 50% of the energy it consumes.
Water heating is the third largest energy consumer in your home, typically accounting for about 13% of your energy bills.
FACTS
Energy production and use account for nearly 88% of air pollution, more than 83% greenhouse gas emissions, and more environmental damage than any other human activity.
If you replace four 75-watt incandescent bulbs that burn four or more hours a day in your home with four 23-watt fluorescent bulbs, you’d get as much light and save more than 2,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity and PhP 15,000 over the 10,000-hour life of the bulbs. If all our nation’s households did the same, we’d save as much energy as is consumed by several million cars in one year.
- See more at: http://www.apga.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3334#sthash.NQLkQJ2U.dpuf
*Original Graphic courtesy of Elk River Public Utility District; updated by APGA based on 2008 EIA data
To date, federal energy efficiency policies have been crafted with the implicit assumption that reducing energy use at the point of use automatically reduces total energy used and the requisite pollution. This fails to consider how primary energy and electricity are produced and the effects of moving energy over long distances. The energy use definition in the Energy Conservation Policy Act of 1975 runs counter to federal government efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and other air pollutants such as SOX, NOX and particulate matter.
The U.S. government has consistently supported the most efficient use of our natural resources. During the current shortage of natural gas, it has become increasingly important for policymakers to look at the full fuel cycle to find out if we are using our natural resources most efficiently. If there is any question, then we must begin to look at the full fuel cycle when measuring energy usage: consider energy use from the point of extraction, whether fossil fuels from the earth or otherwise, in a continuum through their ultimate usage. The above language clearly states the intent that energy use and efficiency policy shall look at energy resources holistically.
Currently, the way we measure the efficiency of consumer products such as appliances and homes (codes and standards issues) is based on examining products that run on different fuels independently from one another. Products powered by electricity are evaluated differently from natural gas-consuming products. These codes and standards and evaluation criteria force us to consider gas that is used in a power plant and turned into electricity differently from natural gas that is used directly in industrial, commercial and residential applications. If future energy policy is to optimize natural gas usage, and in fact, all natural resource usage, we must decouple supply and demand and truly consider full fuel cycle of delivered energy.
Changing the way we measure, use and account for energy will have significant, and positive, implications. These include:
1) America will use its natural resources more efficiently. We should begin measuring the full fuel cycle of energy, thereby considering all primary energy and other uses, whether that energy is, at any point, carried by electricity or not.
2) Resource energy accounting is the only way to connect the use of energy to environmental consequences. If we consider equipment separately from the “source-based” energy that fuels it, then we cannot account for the environmental consequences of that equipment. For example, an energy efficient clothes dryer that runs on electricity from a coal fired power plant has a very different emissions profile than one that runs on electricity generated at a hydroelectric plant, which also has a very different profile from one that runs on natural gas directly.
3) Resource-based energy efficiency will allow consumers to evaluate energy use choices based on cost, resource usage, and emissions attached to those choices.
4) Policies that encourage the best overall use of our natural resources can help utilities address line losses and grid congestion during peak demand for electrical energy, particularly during the summer months.
5) A resource based accounting of energy efficiency will spur investments in new technologies that are efficient on a full fuel cycle basis. This is counter to our current inclination to squeeze small amounts of efficiency out of technologies as measured at the point of usage.
- See more at: http://www.apga.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3334#sthash.NQLkQJ2U.dpuf
