Here’s a stab at some helpful hints to save electricity in your home in furtherance of the “green revolution”. Every one has heard and many people are using the compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL). Although expensive, initially, to purchase these light bulbs fit in a standard lamp socket in the place of the old incandescent style bulb. They burn cooler giving off little or no heat, have a pleasant bright white light and last an estimated 10 times longer than the average light bulb. This long life goes a long way toward offsetting the initial cost but where the real savings comes is from the low electricity usage. Lighting accounts for close to 20 percent of the average home’s electric bill. ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy (electricity) than incandescent light bulbs and they provide a quick return on investment. Although may I also remind you of your Dad who went through the house screaming “who left all these lights on?” He was right. We are an amazing people who go through life turning on lights, during broad daylight, when entering a a room and going through the house turning them all off when we get ready to go to bed at night. My family and I lived in Los Angeles in the 1980’s in a nice little house up in the Hollywood Hills whose main attraction was a breathtaking view of the entire L.A. basin spread out before you. We made a game for the children out of watching to see when the first light would come on at night but in reality the lights were always already on all day and truth be known the view was never dark, millions of lights burning all night long in homes and buildings with no one there. Is your home or office that way still today?
You can consider the old tricks. Set back thermostats to control your HVAC systems while you are away and during peak usage times have been around for over 20 years and are now standard equipment on newer homes and are an easy 15 minute fix for your older home at a minimum investment for as little as $20. This can be made up in the first week of proper use. You can invest in “energy star” rated appliances that are certified to save electricity over older models and in some instances can repay the initial costs of replacing some energy hog appliances.
There are some newer tricks that you may not have considered. Have you checked your hot water heater? As I discussed in the last blog you can live with a lower temperature setting on your water heater which should never exceed 120 degrees F any way. The Manufactured home builders long ago built in lighted switches that allow you to completely turn the hot water tank off. These lighted switches fit in a standard outlet box, usually in a hallway or bathroom but instead or being a 15 or 20 amp switch they are 60 amps or greater to control the high voltage on the heater. You can accomplish the same thing by simply tripping your circuit breaker and turn the device off at times when you will be away or it’s less likely that you will need hot water. Most Hot water heaters are terribly inefficient and many people are replacing them with the new tankless varieties that provide instant hot water and when not in use are not using any only small amounts of energy. I live alone and have found that simply keeping my hot water heater turned off saves at least 15% on my monthly electricity bill. Additionally as I mentioned in the previous blog on water conservation if you wash your clothes in cold water that eliminates the need for the hot water tank to be working overtime. Additionally look at the settings on your dish washer. Are you stepping up the water temp by using a Pot scrubber cycle? Are you allowing the dishwasher to dry the dishes by using the drying cycle? Have you ever heard of a dish rack and a hand towel??? Do you have children? how are they earning their allowance?Many people rarely look at their dishwasher settings and are uselessly wasting electricity on those 2 settings alone.
Many electric utilities offer a rebate on your power bill of you will allow them to install a radio frequency device inline with your meter that lets them shed your 220 power off during peak times of demand. This demand times are usually early mornings and late afternoons when people are getting ready for work or getting home from the office and starting dinner and during peak heating and cooling demand times. Can’t live without the HVAC, clothes dryer, hot water heater at those times? I lived in Lakeland Florida or 8 years and had the system in place in my home an never once knew it was working. They also offer rebate plans for new high efficiency appliances and fixtures. Call your utilities today and ask what they can do for you.
I am sure that I have missed many more easy ways to save energy but here is the one that you will disbelieve when I tell you yet it will allow you to save the most electricity in the easiest manner. UNPLUG THINGS. Did you know that if you have an “instant on” TV, VCR, DVD player or stereo system that they are using 70% of the electricity while turned off that they use when running or turned on? If your device has a red power light that shows that it is turned off then its using power and not just to keep the light on. These devices keep the main power supply on so that it does not have to “warm up” to provide the necessary power to operate the device. Unplug it or plug it into a plug strip with a single “on/off” switch that allows you to turn on everything at once. Make sure the strip you use is only using power to light the light. Yes you may have to wait 20 seconds for the TV to come on but think of how much energy its wasting sitting there waiting for you to come home just so you can save that 20 sec wait. The same thing applies to a toaster, toaster ovens, microwave ovens, and literally every appliance that you have plugged in. They are all using electricity even when not turned on. The only small appliance plugged in all the time in my kitchen is the microwave oven which is built in and I’m thinking about having it wired to a switch or a plug outlet so I can turn the darn thing off. I don’t need the clock on it, there are 3 others in the kitchen already that have to be reset every time there’s a power failure and that’s the only thing it does for me when its not heating food.
In summation we can all save electricity just by being a little smarter or “frugal”, which doesn’t mean cheap. Think of your dad once in a while and call him if you’re still lucky enough have him and tell him he was right and maybe an “I love you” would go a long way too. I write this while sitting by the phone waiting for the call from my children and no the recharger for the cell phone is not plugged in because it uses power all the time too and that goes for the computer CPU and the recharger for the laptop and……get the message?
The electric light bulb is one the most abiding symbols of technical advancement. From its early conception at the turn of the 19th century to the present day where the image of the light bulb is still used to represent the notion of a good idea, the design of the light bulb has changed relatively little. However, with efficiency requirements and customer tastes becoming more advanced lighting technology is once again changing rapidly. In this article I will chart the progress of the light bulb, starting with the earliest experiments with platinum filaments to today’s most advanced LED bulbs.
One of the most consistent and interesting themes in this subject area is the aversion to change that inventors and innovators contend with at each new technological advancement. This point can be illustrated with the candle light bulb; the bulb was designed to replicate the aesthetics of a candle in fittings such as chandeliers (the earliest chandeliers were purely functioning as a way of increasing the light output from candles). The candle shaped bulb is now one of the most popular CFL styles due to the potential cost savings from multiple bulb fittings.
When discussing the incandescent lamp one name features more prolifically than any other, Thomas Edison. Historians Robert Friedel and Paul Israel named over twenty inventors of the light bulb before Edison, however they concluded that Edison’s design surpassed earlier attempts because of effective incandescent material, a higher vacuum and higher resistance making the bulb easy to power and therefore economically viable.
Thomas Hughes ascribed the success of Edison’s design to the fact he had invented an entire lighting system, ‘other inventors with generators and incandescent lamps, and comparable ingenuity and excellence, have long been forgotten because their creators did not preside over their introduction in a system of lighting’ (Hughes).
The first incandescent light was created by Humphry Davy in 1802, 45 years before Edison was born, by passing an electric current through a thin strip of platinum, chosen for its high melting point. The light produced was not bright enough nor did it last long enough to be practical.
James Lindley took up the baton in 1835 demonstrating his electric light at a public meeting; however he then turned his attention to other fields leaving the way clear for Walter De la Rue. In 1840 De la Rue passed an electrical current through a coiled platinum filament- enclosed in a vacuum. The theory being that an evacuated bulb would contain fewer gas molecules to react with the platinum, thus prolonging its illumination time. This was a significant advancement; however the use of platinum made the design unfeasible for commercial use.
In 1858 Joseph Wilson Swan began working with carbonised paper filaments but was hindered by the lack of a good vacuum until he teamed up with Charles Stearn, an expert on vacuum pumps. Swan then turned his attention to efficiency, producing better carbon filaments, and in 1880 he began installing light bulbs in his home in Gateshead, England.
Thomas Edison began research into the incandescent lamp in 1878, settling on the carbon filament. His first test in 1879 lasted for 13.5 hours, however several months later Edison discovered that a carbonised bamboo filament could last for over 1200 hours.
Meanwhile in the U.S Hiram S. Maxim started his United States Electric Lighting Company becoming the second man, after Edison, to install incandescent lamps at the Mercantile Safe Deposit Company in New York City. Edison and Swan joined forces to form Ediswan (later to become Thorn lighting), and eventually Edison acquired all of Swan’s interests in the company.
Advancements continued and in 1910 William David Coolidge invented a method of making tungsten filaments more efficient, making the light bulb even more cost effective.
From 1913 to 1930 innovators turned their attentions to the use of inert gases in the bulb to improve efficiency further. In 1930, Imre Brody settled on a mix of krypton and xenon and to reduce costs, also developed a method of capturing krypton from air at his factory in Ajka, Hungary.
The latest significant development in the lighting sector has been the introduction of ‘energy saving’ light bulbs or compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs). Although they are considered a relatively modern invention CFLs were first conceived by Pete Cooper in the late 1980s and were originally used in the photography industry. The first practical florescent lamp was designed by George Inman from General Electric and became the blueprint for the modern CFL invented by Ed Hammer and General Electric in response to the 1973 oil crisis. Although the design met all of its requirements, it was never mass manufactured due to the cost of mass production, however the design was subsequently leaked and copied.
The steady increase in CFL production continues to this day but with the phasing out of inefficient incandescent bulbs, consumption is expected to increase more sharply. By September 2012 no incandescent bulbs will be available reducing carbon emissions and consumer energy costs.
So what is the future of electric lighting? Many people believe that the answer lies with LED bulbs. Originally used in devices such as alpha numerical displays and pocket calculators the LEDs have recently seen successful application in commercial and domestic lighting. LEDs can last for up to 50,000 times as long as incandescent bulbs and the most advanced bulbs can produce a high light output while consuming a fraction of the energy. Although the initial cost of the lighting is high, the bulbs will more than pay for themselves in their lifetime. LED bulbs have a fast on/off time and can withstand a high frequency of cycling making them ideal for car headlights, theatrical spotlights, traffic lights and dynamic road signs as well as household and domestic lighting.
It is clear that lighting technology has come a long way since Edison’s first experiments and the contact we have with lighting everyday encourages advancements to continue.
Please visit Greenhouse Organisation for all your energy saving light bulbs.
I want to know how to apply purple fluorescent hair spray on my hair without getting it on everything like my clothes. This is my first time ever putting that kind of stuff in my hair.
Florescent lights can create a green spectrum, which throws off the color balance of photographs. Find out how florescent light affect photos in thisfree video on photography lighting techniques from a professional photographer. Expert: Mark Bowers Contact: www.bowersphotography.com Bio: Mark Bowers runs Bowers Photography, located in American Fork, Utah. Bowers earned a Certified Professional Photographer degree (CPP) in 1986 from the Professional Photographers of America. Filmmaker …
You can help to reduce the demand for fossil fuels, which in turn reduces global warming, by using energy more wisely. Here are 10 simple actions you can take to help reduce global warming.
1) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging (including the economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to reduce waste. And whenever you can, recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum cans. If there isn’t a recycling program at your workplace, school, or in your community, ask about starting one. By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
2) Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning
Adding insulation to your walls and attic, and installing weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows can lower your heating costs more than 25 percent, by reducing the amount of energy you need to heat and cool your home.
Turn down the heat while you’re sleeping at night or away during the day, and keep temperatures moderate at all times. Setting your thermostat just 2 degrees lower in winter and higher in summer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.
3) Change a Light Bulb
Wherever practical, replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Replacing just one 60-watt incandescent light bulb with a CFL will save you $30 over the life of the bulb. CFLs also last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat.
If every U.S. family replaced one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road.
4) Drive Less and Drive Smart
Less driving means fewer emissions. Besides saving gasoline, walking and biking are great forms of exercise. Explore your community’s mass transit system, and check out options for carpooling to work or school.
When you do drive, make sure your car is running efficiently. For example, keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by more than 3 percent. Every gallon of gas you save not only helps your budget, it also keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
5) Buy Energy-Efficient Products
When it’s time to buy a new car, choose one that offers good gas mileage. Home appliances now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are designed to provide more natural-looking light while using far less energy than standard light bulbs.Avoid products that come with excess packaging, especially molded plastic and other packaging that can’t be recycled. If you reduce your household garbage by 10 percent, you can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
6) Use Less Hot Water
Set your water heater at 120 degrees to save energy, and wrap it in an insulating blanket if it is more than 5 years old. Buy low-flow showerheads to save hot water and about 350 pounds of carbon dioxide yearly. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water to reduce your use of hot water and the energy required to produce it. That change alone can save at least 500 pounds of carbon dioxide annually in most households. Use the energy-saving settings on your dishwasher and let the dishes air-dry.
7) Use the “Off” Switch
Save electricity and reduce global warming by turning off lights when you leave a room, and using only as much light as you need. And remember to turn off your television, video player, stereo and computer when you’re not using them.
It’s also a good idea to turn off the water when you’re not using it. While brushing your teeth, shampooing the dog or washing your car, turn off the water until you actually need it for rinsing. You’ll reduce your water bill and help to conserve a vital resource.
8) Plant a Tree
If you have the means to plant a tree, start digging. During photosynthesis, trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. They are an integral part of the natural atmospheric exchange cycle here on Earth, but there are too few of them to fully counter the increases in carbon dioxide caused by automobile traffic, manufacturing and other human activities. A single tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime.
9) Get a Report Card from Your Utility Company
Many utility companies provide free home energy audits to help consumers identify areas in their homes that may not be energy efficient. In addition, many utility companies offer rebate programs to help pay for the cost of energy-efficient upgrades.
10) Encourage Others to Conserve
Share information about recycling and energy conservation with your friends, neighbors and co-workers, and take opportunities to encourage public officials to establish programs and policies that are good for the environment.
These 10 steps will take you a long way toward reducing your energy use and your monthly budget. And less energy use means less dependence on the fossil fuels that create greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming
Compact fluorescent lamp equal to 1000 w to cover in a 3×3 oom?
Reported to 911 as an “Armed Robbery in Progress”. A small group of want to be Banditos rode their “Fluorescent Lime Green Stallion into the neighboring McDonalds in San Mateo to order up a super size helping of trouble. After making their bold order, and recieving their bag of ill gotten goodies and a side of fries… They all headed on back to their crib in their glow-in-the-dark Hoopty to share in their ill gotten McDonalds booty… ( But, unaware to the Banditos…) The police were …
Here’s what happens when you put a fluorescent tube in a microwave
ELITE Pro Football Combines give hope to players who’ve been left out of NFL consideration
Thar’s talent in them thar fields and it’s not all on display at the NFL draft. For the past twenty years one of the things that have been made clear is that there’s a lot of talent that won’t be picked by NFL scouts and GMs in the first go round. Just ask the likes of Adam Vinatieri, Joe Horn, Wayne Chrebet and Nick Harper how their NFL drafts went. Not good.
It’s a big country, so don’t blame the scouts. Fortunately, the safety net all those and 400+ more past and current NFL players fell into is the ELITE Pro Football Combines, a series of combines put on in May and June that gives passed over players the fortuitous chance to be seen by pro scouts. ELITE Combines has been diligently opening doors for football players who’ve fallen through the cracks. For a variety of reasons those hopefuls have been left out of the NFL combine and initial selection process. But for determined athletes who know they have what it takes, ELITE Combines has been there for them.
ELITE Combines will conduct eight combines plus three kicker-punter combines in major cities throughout the country. The very best athletes from those groups will be invited to the exclusive ELITE NATIONAL COMBINE in Indianapolis, IN at Lucas Oil Stadium on June 19-20. A bevy of NFL and CFL scouts will be on hand to view the goods. Anyone who thinks they have the mettle to make it to the next level can register on ELITE’s site, pay a fee, show up and display their God-given talents. There won’t be any fudging the scores as ELITE runs a tight ship. Standardized drills and tests that match the NFL requirements will be taken, with the results being entered into a data base on the ELITE Combines website where NFL and any other pro league scout or GM will be able to access it and decide if a player has what it takes. Videos and photos will be in there too. Every year a handful of ELITE Combine players make it to the next level. The drama is in not knowing who they will be.
ELITE Combines Executive Director Stephen Austin is considered the guardian for those who’ve not been able to travel the easier routes to the NFL. Many players were rehabbing injuries when their time came, and went. Many played at small schools not in the anointed big time college conferences. Some are just late bloomers. The male body continues to develop past age 23 or so when a player has used up his college eligibility. Most were revered stars on their college teams. Without an NFL development league players are left out of a development process. “ELITE Combines reopens the doors that were closed to these guys. The NFL tests the known best. We test the unknown rest,” says Austin.
Over the years, over 2,600 ELITE Combines players have made it to another level. The NFL, CFL, NFLE, Arena League… including at least five ELITE Combine alumni who are wearing Super Bowl rings right now.
Here’s the schedule:
REGIONALS:
Atlanta, Sat. May 2
Dallas, Sun, May 3
Los Angeles/Long Beach, Sat, May 9
Baltimore, Sat. May 16
Atlanta 2, Sat, May 30
Chicago, Sun, May 31
New Jersey, Sat, June 6
Columbus OH, Sun, June 7
Dallas - KP, Sun, May 3
Baltimore - KP, Sun, May 17
Los Angeles - KP Sat, May 30
ELITE National Combine, Indianapolis IN June 19-20 (invite only based on previous regional combine results)
For more information go to: www.combines.com
ELITE Pro Football Combines is sponsored by Wilson Footballs. Go to: www.wilson.com/wilson/football
How to save power at home
We all learned about the renewable and non-renewable sources of energy in school. However, we never paid much attention to the rapid consumption of the non-renewable sources of energy until recently. The world is faced with severe energy crisis now and none of us remain unaffected anymore. Should we leave everything to the governments, or can we do something to save power? The answer is simple: we can.
Let us look at how you can save power at home.
Computer: More often than not, we do not switch off our monitors even after we have shut down our computers. Keep the monitor and the computer switched off when you are not using them. Start practicing this even when at work. You will help save some more power for the world.
Light bulbs: You must have seen compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs being advertised all the time. You must have even used them at times. As a power-saving measure, start using the CFL light bulbs as much as you can. If you are thinking they are more expensive than the regular bulbs, the benefits of the CFL bulbs will prove much more cost-effective in the long turn by the amount of power they will save.
Air Conditioner: Set the temperature at the minimum or maximum best you are comfortable with, depending on the season. Try not to set it at too high or too low temperatures. Setting the air conditioner at reasonable temperatures helps save a lot of energy.
Washing Machines: Do you use your washing machine as often as you want? Do you use your washing machine even when there are not enough clothes to wash? Minimize the number of washes by washing full load of clothes every time.
Television: Take off the power plug of your television set when not using it. This may not sound a big deal but this tiny step will help save power.
Geysers: Keep the geyser thermostat at the minimum heat. You do not need to heat the water at a very high temperature or for too long.
Refrigerator: Bring hot food to room temperatures before putting it into the refrigerator. You can also save power by taking cold or frozen food out of the refrigerator much before the mealtime, thereby saving power in heating it.
Car: For an air-conditioner equipped car, pull up the windows of your car before switching on the air-conditioner.
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