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Tips for Building "Green" - Appliances
The vast amount of information available about building green can be overwhelming. To assist our customers in making environmentally sensitive decisions while building their new home, Donald A. Gardner Architects has compiled this handy FREE guide to building green.
Appliances
One of the easiest ways to make your home more “green” is to purchase and use energy-efficient appliances. All the modern gadgets and technology that make our lives easier are also large consumers of electricity. In fact, the energy we use in our homes causes more greenhouse gas emissions than driving our cars. The more electricity an appliance uses, the greater its environmental impact. Inefficient appliances not only use a lot of energy, they cost more money in the long run. Energy efficient choices can save families about a third on their energy bill with similar reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, by using our existing appliances more efficiently we can save money and also extend the working life of the appliances.
Appliance manufacturers have jumped enthusiastically on the green bandwagon, and as a consequence appliances today are more efficient than ever. One of the easiest ways to make sure you’re purchasing an efficient appliance is to choose one with the EnergyStar label. EnergyStar rated appliances save both energy and water over their standard counterparts.
Here are some tips from www.newdream.org to keep in mind when purchasing appliances:
Consider both purchase price and estimated energy use when deciding which brand and model to buy. Every appliance really has two price tags – the cost to purchase, and the cost of utilities to operate it over many years. In many cases you may actually save money by buying the more expensive, more energy-efficient model.
Read the Energy Guide label. This yellow and black label is required by the FTC to be attached to all new appliances (except kitchen ranges, microwave ovens and clothes dryers). It states the estimated annual energy consumption of the appliance. This helps you compare the efficiency or annual energy use of competing brands and similar models.
Ask about the availability of special rebates or incentives. Cash rebates, low-interest loans or other incentive programs are often offered to encourage buyers to purchase energy-efficient appliances. Ask your salesperson or local utility what programs are available in your area.
In addition to purchasing energy-efficient appliances, making small changes in how we use our appliances and electronic devices can pay big dividends in energy savings. Here are some easy habits to adopt and things to consider (tips courtesy of www.newdream.org):
Refrigerator tips:
a) Check refrigerator setting by placing a thermometer in a jar of water and leaving in refrigerator overnight. In the morning, the temperature should read 34 to 40 degrees F. Adjust settings if necessary.
b) Vacuum the coils in the back of your refrigerator twice a year to maximize efficiency, and make sure there is enough space between the coils and wall for air to flow freely.
c) Check the door gasket occasionally to be sure the seal isn’t broken by debris or caked-on food.
d) Refrigerators should not be located near the stove, dishwasher, heat vents or exposed to direct sunlight.
e) The most efficient refrigerators are 16-20cu ft, with freezer on the bottom or the top rather than the side.
f) One large refrigerator is cheaper and more efficient to run than two smaller ones. Getting rid of an old refrigerator is one of the largest single contributions you can make to lowering your electric bills and to conserving energy and resources.
Stove and cooktop tips:
a) Match pots to appropriately-sized burners. Heat is lost and energy is wasted if the burner size is larger than pot size.
b) Use lids on pots and pans so you can cook at lower settings.
c) Keep drip pans under conventional coil burners clean. Don’t line drip pans with aluminum foil because it can reflect too much heat and damage the elements.
d) Only preheat the oven when baking.
e) Check your oven temperature by using a separate oven thermometer to ensure your oven control is accurate.
f) Make sure the oven door seal is tight. Avoid opening the oven door while baking - each time the door is opened, about 20% of the inside heat is lost.
g) Turn your oven off a few minutes before food is ready and let the residual oven heat finish the job.
h) If you purchase a gas stove, look for a model that features electric ignition instead of a pilot light. This uses approximately 40% less gas.
i) Pilot light and burner flame on gas stoves should be blue. If flame is yellow, the ports need to be unclogged or adjusted. Ports can be cleared with pipe cleaners.
j) Use the microwave whenever possible. Microwaves use only 1/3 to 1/2 as much energy as conventional stoves.
k) Induction cooktops use 90% of the energy produced compared to only 55% for a gas burner and 65% for traditional electric ranges. Induction cooking has long been popular in Europe and is becoming more readily available in the states, with several brand-name appliance manufacturers adding this option to their product offering.
Dishwasher tips:
a) An independent study conducted in Germany found that if you can afford a dishwasher you should use one, preferably a new, energy-efficient model. A fully loaded, energy-efficient dishwasher cleans better and has a lower environmental impact than hand washing because it only uses 50% of the energy and a small fraction of water.
b) Keep in mind that dishwasher detergent is more harsh on the environment than hand washing dish soap, but there are Earth-friendly alternatives available from companies like method, Ecover, Seventh Generation, and Trader Joe’s.
c) Newer models of dishwashers with steam-assisted cleaning use the least water.
d) Remember to scrape your dishes rather than rinse them to save even more water.
e) Run only full, but not over-full loads.
f) Avoid the heated dry and rinse hold features to save energy and water.
Laundry tips:
a) Match water level and temperature settings on your washer to the size of your load. Don’t fill the whole tub for a few items. Newer machines have automatic water level settings which adjust to load size.
b) Call your water utility and ask them how “hard” or “soft” your water is. You may be using up to six times as much clothing detergent as you need. Your appliance manuals will tell you how much you need for your water type.
c) As much as 90% of the energy used by your washing machine is used to heat the water. For most washing applications, warm wash and cold rinse are just as effective as hot wash and warm rinse. The rinse temperature doesn’t effect the quality of the cleaning.
d) Avoid using too much detergent. Follow instructions on the box. Over-sudsing makes your machine work harder and use more energy.
e) Clean dryer lint screen after each use. Lint build up greatly reduces efficiency.
f) Overloading the dryer lengthens drying time. Clothes should dry in 40 minutes to one hour.
g) Choose a ‘perma press’ (cool-down) cycle. No heat is supplied in the last few minutes, but drying continues as cool air is blown through the tumbling clothes.
h) Keep the dryer exhaust vent on the outside of the house clean. It should be clear of cobwebs and lint. The moveable shutters should move easily - they’re designed to prevent cold air, heat and insects from entering the vent when the dryer is not operating.
i) Dry multiple loads back to back. Because the dryer takes time and energy to warm up to drying temperature, stop-and-start drying uses more energy.
j) Using a clothesline or indoor drying rack will save energy and reduce fabric wear on your garments (the lint on the lint screen is your clothing being broken down).
k) The newer front load washers require much less water, hold larger loads and save energy in reduced water heating. They also spin more water out of the clothes, reducing dryer time.
l) Some new models of washers and dryers feature steam assist cleaning. They use less water than standard washers and dryers.
Computers and other Electronics:
a) Turn off the monitor when your computer is not in use. Over half of the energy used by the computer goes to the monitor, so turning it off will save significantly.
b) Turn equipment off when it is not in use (except your fax machine). Even machines on standby use up to 30 watts of electricity.
c) Printing can be the most energy-intensive step, so print only pages you need. Edit documents on-screen to save unnecessary printing. If you have a choice of printers, avoid using a laser printer for draft-quality printouts.
d) Re-use paper. Inkjet printers can easily accept used paper, so you can print on the unused side. Or keep discarded pages for jotting notes.
e) Buying a new computer? Consider whether a laptop could meet your needs. Laptops use 10 percent or less of the electricity consumed by typical desktop computers. When buying a laptop, look for systems comprised completely of 3.3-volt components (processor, memory and LCD). These systems use 40 to 50% less energy than 5.0-volt systems, and are generally equipped with a lighter battery.
f) Eliminate loss of phantom power. Plug your TV, DVD player, VCR and stereo into a power bar. When you turn them off, turn off the bar, so they won’t be drawing “phantom power” while you’re not using them.
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