SAVE ENERGY - SAVE MONEY

Categories

By george

Old Filter

Well, it’s that time again. Summer is coming and we will start air conditioning soon. But before serious hot weather is here we should take a few minutes and change our air filter. It’s import that we do this because if the filter gets too clogged with dirt it can overwork the fans and prematurely wear out our furnace. An old filter also lets more dirt particles into our living space increasing the risk of illness.

Changing the filter is pretty simple. The filter will either be in a cold air return grill that is often near our thermostat or in the furnace unit itself. If it is behind the return air grill watch this how-to video on changing a return air grill filter (please forgive the commercial). If the filter is in our furnace watch the furnace filter video.

New Filter

We can get new filters at the hardware store, the building supply store or on line. They are sold in packs of multiple filters and cost a few dollars. There are many different filters so be sure to get the manufacturer’s information from the old filter before the shopping trip.

Duct Leaks Cost Money

May

Categories

By george

Air conditioning season is upon us so we have to start thinking about the best way to cool our homes. Having all parts of the cooling system working well is important. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the average home loses 20% of heating and cooling to leaks in our duct work. This is especially true if we have ducts in the attic, unheated crawl spaces, or the garage. If the ducts are located in one of these places we can make a visual assessment of the quality of our ducts. If they have broken joints, are torn, crimped, or loose at the vents we are losing conditioned air and money.

EPA Diagram of Home Air Leaks

This diagram shows where there are the most serious air leaks. Some of these may be repaired by us, the householder, but most require professional help. Here are some resources that our neighbors have used in the past.

ABCD Energy Improvements

Aeroseal Southeast

BIRD-Family Industries, Inc.

Energy Conservation Solutions

GreenLife Energy Solutions, LLC

NRG SVRS

Stop Paying Sewage Rates to Water Your Lawn

May

Categories

By george

If you still plan to water your lawn and garden with treated municipal water this year you are about to flush money down the drain.

The largest part of our water bill is for sewage treatment. The water we use for lawns and gardens does not end up in the sewers awaiting treatment, but percolates back into the soil. Yet, if we use treated municipal water, we are still paying the sewage assessment. Here’s a real life graph of what it cost one neighbor to water her lawn and pay for sewage treatment.

The blue bars indicate the average American family’s water use. Our neighbor’s water use (the purple bars) is normally about equal to or lower than average except during summer months when she waters her lawn and garden with municipal water — then it skyrockets. And she is paying sewage rates for the water her plants are drinking.

The answer is to capture rain water in a barrel and use it to water our lawns and gardens.

Here’s what we need to do

1) Buy an inexpensive rain barrel — It will pay for itself in two months

2) Attach a diverter to the downspout

3) Get a submersible pump

4) Click on the remote pump switch

5) Water the plants

Thanks to neighbor Eileen McNally for demonstrating her rain barrel in operation.

Our Oceans – Hot, Sour, and Breathless

Categories

By george

This Earth Day Greening Neighborhoods wants to alert readers to a real pending environmental crisis.

The scene depicted above is exaggerated, but the fact remains that greenhouse gas emissions are having a serious impact on our oceans and sea life. Among other pressures, like warming of ocean temperature and rising sea levels, the increase in man-made CO₂, called anthropogenic CO₂, which dissolves in ocean water, is drastically increasing the acidity of the oceans. For 400,000 years prior to the industrial revolution levels of CO₂, in the atmosphere were between 200 and 280 parts per million (ppm) of CO₂. The current levels are around 380 ppm and increasing at a rate of 2 ppm per year. Scientists have shown that an increase in ocean water acidity results in the decreased ability of reef building corals to survive. Other studies show that the increased acidity results in decreased planktonic mollusks that are the food source for fish that are the food source for larger fish that are our food source. The tipping point for destruction of calcium carbonate marine life is around 420 ppm of CO₂, in the atmosphere. That would give us only twenty years to turn around the current trend.

Source – EUR-OCEANS 2007

It may seem impossible for individuals to do anything to reverse the current projection of ocean acidification, but we can. We can reduce our carbon footprint and hence the amount of CO₂ that falls into the oceans by:

Using alternative transportation – walking and biking more, car pooling, using public transportation.
Insulating our homes so we use less CO₂emitting electricity and natural gas to heat and cool them.
Buying locally made products and eating locally grown foods.
Recycling and keeping trash from landfills.
Lowering electrical plug load by using Energy Star appliances and by shutting off computers and TVs when not in use.
Using more rainwater instead of treated municipal water, thus using less CO₂emitting energy in water purification.
Using electricity-saving CFL or LED light bulbs instead of tungsten bulbs.

And the added beauty of doing this is that, while lowering CO₂emissions, we save money.

For more check out this eight minute interview with UNESCO’s Wendy Watson-Wright The oceans are ‘hot, sour and breathless.’

The State of Solar

Categories

By george

Our guest blogger this week is Dakin Spain, the business developer for Radiance Solar. He gives us an overview of the requirements for increasing solar installations in Georgia.

A Commercial Solar Array

Over the last 2.5 years the solar industry has experienced drastic price compression. This compression is in part due to the decrease in the cost of silicon, oversupply of modules and extreme competition among manufacturers.

Georgia Power’s Advanced Solar Initiative has generated a buzz in the solar industry over the past few months. The Company has agreed to procure 210 MW of solar energy over the next 2 years. This is the largest voluntary solar initiative from an investor-owned utility to date. Georgia Power will purchase every kWh generated from a variety of solar projects, ranging in size from 1kW to 20MW for $.13/kWh, for a 20 year term. Most of the projects enrolled in this program are of the “commercial size,” (100kW +).

In the Commercial sector, system owners can collect bonus depreciation, a 30% income tax credit, and any other rebates their local utility provides for the installation of a photo voltaic (PV) application. We are beginning to see a return on investment of under 5 years. The economics work. The technology is reliable and the maintenance is minimal. Oh yea, and the energy is clean!

Residential PV Array

In the Residential sector, things continue to be a bit more challenging and more work must be done for widespread adoption. Energy rates are significantly lower in Georgia than they are in regions where residential solar has exploded. More significantly, though, affordable financing continues to be a hurdle.

“Solar Leasing” is illegal in the state of Georgia, eliminating the option to install/purchase a solar system for “no money down,” the model companies like Solar City, SunRun, Sungevity, SunPower and others have made very popular in California, Colorado and New Jersey.

When there is no option to purchase a system for “no” to “little” upfront cost, you eliminate a demographic of people who would otherwise be perfect candidates for a solar solution, minimizing capacity for solar in the market place.

Things that need to be done for increased residential solar adoption in GA:

A Georgia state level incentive, but not one that creates uncertainty like the one in place, but one that actually helps drive the market.
A financing model that works, affordable money or a leasing option.
A renewable portfolio standard requiring our utility companies to purchase a certain percentage of energy from renewable sources.

Though residential solar is a bit more challenging here in Georgia than it is out on the West coast or up north, it still promises long term savings and protection from our historic rate increases of 3-5% each year.

Dakin Spain

Let it Rain

Categories

By george

There’s an overlooked problem we face every time it rains. Storm water is often allowed to flow from our property directly into the street, and then into storm drains, and then into nearby streams and rivers. This causes pollution and, during heavy rains, flooding. There is a cost when this happens. It is not a cost that shows up on our monthly water bills, but is hidden and deferred. In years to come, when we finally clean up polluted rivers and take care of flood damage to our communities, we pay through increased taxes and higher insurance premiums.

Fortunately, there is a simple and inexpensive way to prevent the pollution and flooding. Small, decorative rain gardens that will prevent storm water from leaving our property can be part of our home landscaping .

Rain gardens are inexpensive and relatively easy to install. There are five steps to follow.

1) Find a level or moderately sloped area in your yard that is at least 10 feet from your home. (The 10 feet is so no water seeps into our basements.)

2) Dig a six inch deep pit and fill it with water. If water sits in the hole for 24 hours the soil is not suited for a rain garden without putting a layer of sand beneath the garden. We will assume we have loamy soil that percolates well.

3) Now we need to figure out how large to make our rain garden. Determine the roof area drained by the downspout that will conduct rain water to the garden. The way to do this is measure the foot print of that roof area. It doesn’t matter what the slope of the roof is. Take that number and multiply by 0.20. So, if we have a foot print of 400 square feet, the rain garden will need to be 0.20 x 400 = 80 square feet. An 8 foot by 10 foot garden will work.

4) Lay out the area with stakes and a string and dig down about 8 inches. If the area is sloped we will need to make the bottom nearly flat. In that case the soil we dig out can form a berm on the low side. Now add 2 inches of mulch to the bottom of the garden. Add some compost to the rest of the soil that was dug out and the garden is ready to have the soil replaced.

5) Now we are ready to plant our garden. We need to find plants that will survive in wet weather as well as dry. We need to choose an array of plants that will do well in each season so the garden will look good in summer and winter, in spring and fall. Our local nursery or landscape expert will be able to advise us. Every state has an agricultural extension agency that has web sites where we can find more suggestions.

Here’s a good site for Georgia Rain Gardens.

(Studio ALA is now installing a rain garden for 2400 sq ft of roof at the Helene S. Mills Senior Center. For the installer/designer contact Josh at Ideal Building Solutions. His number is (678) 687-1096.)

Smart Plastics, Smart Alternatives!

Categories

By howard

(“One word: Plastics.” The Graduate, 1967)

Use of plastic containers for food, water, and other beverages has lately come in for much criticism. Besides the expense and enormous environmental damage disposable containers cause, some types of plastic actually leach chemicals from the container and can later be found in the blood stream or urine, potentially disrupting hormones, stimulating certain cancers, and even causing genetic damage, sterility, and miscarriage. Fetuses and young children are at greatest risk (CDC and Smart Plastics, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, 2008).

Numerous petroleum-based chemicals go into the manufacture of plastics. These chemicals can leach into the food or liquid, particularly when heated, scratched, or in contact with oily or fatty foods. The worst types are polycarbonate plastics , PVC , and styrene , and include baby and water bottles, cling wrap and oil or peanut butter jars, and food trays and carry-out Styrofoam. No plastic type is completely safe, but symbols and , juice and other peanut butter jars or milk jugs, seem to be safest.

No plastics should be used in the microwave or to hold hot items, or if they are scratched or clouded from age or use. “Microwave safe” does NOT mean safe for hot food, only that the container should not melt in use.

Plastics won’t be going away anytime soon, but safer alternatives are useful – and often free!

Glass baby bottles and silicone nipples can still be found.
Microwave-safe glass and crockery containers not only do not leach complex chemicals, but also will not alter the taste of the food being prepared. (The snap-on plastic lids must be removed for cooking.) There are even bring-your-own crockery for those
restaurant-excess doggie bags.
Mason and Ball jars still store foods safely, even if not being used for canning. And while most condiments are now in plastic (no more of those great Miracle Whip jars), many other items on the grocery store shelf are still in glass jars, including the tried and true jelly jars. After the jelly is gone, a perfectly good glass container – free. Just wash thoroughly and remove the label.
Wax paper, does not seal as well as cling wrap, but works great in the microwave, where you need it. It’s also cheaper.

Your mother knew this, of course, and you’ve being re-using glass for years. Now you know you’re avoiding those seductive but dangerous-when-hot plastics. You may also know that re-used glass jars are not necessarily microwave safe. Safe for the food, but not if they break.

Smart plastics seem fine for the fridge or cold foods. Use safe alternatives for cooking and hot foods and save money.

It’s Time to Plant a Garden

Mar

Categories

By JBrann

Now‘s the time to plan and plant a vegetable garden in your yard. Growing your own vegetables saves money, tastes fresher, and ensures you know where your food comes from – plus, it’s easy! If you’re wondering how to get started, here are some resources and tips that can help.

Know your planting zone. Atlanta is planting zone 7b with a last expected frost date of March 30 – April 30.
Determine the best place. The garden should be located in an area that is fully exposed to the sun and has easy availability to the water supply.
Contain your garden area. If you have limited space, learn how to build a raised vegetable garden from This Old House pros. Visit your local community garden to see examples of raised beds and get tips from fellow gardeners.
Improve the soil. To know how much lime and fertilizer your soil needs for best growth of your garden, have your soil tested by the County Extension Service.
Decide what vegetables to plant. Check the Georgia Organics seasonal planting calendar for best planting times for Georgia. Some vegetables are more cost effective to grow than others. For a list of the top six most budget-friendly vegetables to grow, go to Eartheasy.com.
Plant seeds or seedlings. Starting from seeds is the cheapest approach, but starting with seedlings in compostable pots gives you a quick start on the growing process.
Tend to monthly chores. Check Walter Reeves’ Seasonal Gardening calendar for the best times to plant, prune, fertilize, plus a wealth of more info.
Enjoy your harvest!

For more information visit Greening Neighborhoods

Jane

LED Lights are Getting Cheaper

Mar