Energy Conservation NATIONAL GREEN HOUSE Navigating through GPS (Green Practices through Sai) ONE with SAI PILGRIMAGE 2010

“The environment is everything that isn't me.” — Albert Einstein “Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees.” — Bible

Energy is defined as "the ability to do work.“ It can be found in many different forms. The most common forms of energy are light, heat, sound and motion. Our bodies use energy every day to do things like walking to school or picking up a pencil to write something.

Electricity, which is the most commonly used form of energy, is generated from both renewable and non-renewable energy sources. Renewable energy sources: Energy source is renewable. Ex: wind, water, solar, biomass, and geothermal. About 9.0 % electricity in U.S. is from renewable sources. Nonrenewable energy sources: Energy source cannot be replenished. Ex: Fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. About 71.5% of electricity in U.S. is from non-renewable sources

Energy conservation is important because consumption of nonrenewable sources impacts the environment. Specifically, the use of fossil fuels contributes to air and water pollution. Environmental impact – Climate change – Rising sea levels – Major changes in vegetation growth patterns In the U.S., the average family's energy use generates over 11,200 pounds of air pollutants each year. Therefore, every unit of electricity conserved reduces the environmental impact of energy use

Household Electrical Appliance Amount of Energy Used Air conditioner and heater50% Water Heater20% Lighting and small appliances10% Refrigerator8% Ovens and stoves4% Clothes dryer3% Other%

Changing What You Can Do Set the thermostat to 68 °F in winter when you're home and down to 55° F when you go to bed or are away Don’t hold the refrigerator open for long periods of time Insulate the ceiling, walls, and floor of your home Plant a tree next to a window for shade to reduce the need for air conditioning Wash clothes in cold water and only in full loads Use energy-saving settings on washing machines, dishwashers, and clothes dryers Wash clothes in warm water at 104 °F (because it uses twice as less energy as washing them in “hot” water heated to 140 °F)

Changing What You Use Shutdown the computer when you are not using it Unplug electronic gadgets like cell phones, video games and televisions when not in use Walk, ride a bicycle, or use mass transit instead of driving Install Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs that use less energy and last 10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs Air-dry your clothes instead of using a clothes dryer Buy appliances with Energy Star label. Pay attention to Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) included on the yellow label of every appliance. These appliances may be more expensive but in the long run result in energy bill savings.

Improving Your Housekeeping Turn down the water heater thermostat to 120° F Turn off lights when leaving a room Close heating vents and close doors to unused rooms Close drapes and windows during sunny summer days and after sunset in cooler weather Stop air leaks around windows and doors with caulk or weather stripping. Air leaks can rob your house of heat in the winter or make it too humid in the summer. As much as 40% of your heating and cooling costs can be due to air leaks Clean or change air filters on your air heating system in the winter and on air conditioning units in the summer so that they work more efficiently

In the Kitchen Put a lid when boiling water (it can save up to $2,212,175 if every U.S. household does this) Use pressure cookers as they consume much less energy Replacing these common kitchen appliances with hand-powered tools: – Can opener – Coffee grinder – Juicer – Stick blender – Electric knife

Increasing Fuel Economy Combine errands into one trip Turn off engine when idling more than 1 min. Perform regular car maintenance Keep tires inflated to recommended pressures Anticipate traffic stops (avoid accelerating if you see RED on the traffic light)

Actions that lower fuel economy Quick acceleration Traveling at high speeds. Traveling at 65 mph instead of 55 mph lowers fuel economy by 15% Carrying unnecessary weight in the vehicle Revving the engine Using electrical accessories that consume lot of power

A study reports that U.S. workers waste $2.8 billion annually in energy costs by failing to shut off their PCs at the end of the work day. What's more, machines left on during off hours may emit up to 20 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) this year alone, roughly the equivalent impact of four million cars. U.S. companies waste almost $4 billion annually on nighttime electricity for computers, according to New Boundary Technologies, a company that says its Green IT Solution software can slash computing energy costs by up to 60 %. After employees go home, the software puts their PCs into hibernation by automatically adjusting power management settings—and overriding any changes the employees may have made during the day. Similar systems include the 1E Nightwatchman, Faronics Power Save and Verdiem Surveyor. For more information visit on-overnight-wastes-bil on-overnight-wastes-bil

Paying bills online not only saves postage, it also makes a serious dent in your consumption of energy and natural resources. According to the “green calculator” devised by the PayItGreen Alliance, the average American household receives 19 bills and statements monthly and makes 7 payments in paper form. Switching to electronic billing would save 6.6 pounds of paper, 63 gallons of wastewater discharge, 4.5 gallons of gasoline and 171 pounds of greenhouse gases a year. If just 2% of American households switched from paper to electronic billing, more than 180,000 trees would be spared and greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by the equivalent to taking 32,572 cars off the road. Check your own potential savings at calculator.htmlhttp://payitgreen.org/green- calculator.html