KFWB_GREEN_INTERVIEW_SLIDE.m4v
Los Angeles radio interview with KFWB and GREEN Vehicles’ President, Mike Ryan.
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Illuminating the Great Outdoors with Energy-Saving Light Bulbs
“Electricity Prices Plummet,” The Wall Street Journal, August 12, 2009
Hey, is there a recession going on? This timely article details how slack demand for electricity in 2009 may lead to the first consecutive year decline in electricity use in the U.S. since 1950. Such news may tempt some consumers to relax an otherwise robust commitment to reducing home and business electricity consumption. Conservation and energy efficiency are hard work, and harder still to turn into regular habits, especially when energy costs are low.
However, with days growing shorter and nights growing longer as we head into autumn, lighting costs will be on the rise for consumers, even if rates per kilowatt hours are ticking down. Now may be the best time to make a switch to more efficient, energy-saving light bulbs to reduce energy consumption, but there is no need to get carried away. Instead, we suggest folks start slowly with a deliberate approach that targets fixtures that are lit most frequently and for the longest periods. This often leads our customers who want to reduce energy consumption outside.
Green Light Bulbs Reduce Energy Consumption
Exterior fixtures come in as many configurations as indoor lights and they mainly serve three purposes: security lighting, accent lighting and convenience lighting. In some cases, single fixtures perform double or even triple duty.
The greatest savings, in both dollars and reduced carbon emissions, are most easily realized by installing energy-saving light bulbs in any fixtures which are lit from dusk-to-dawn but aren’t controlled by a motion sensor. This could be a floodlight above the driveway or back deck or a pair of decorative sconces or lanterns straddling the front entrance. Post lights are commonly lit all night as well. If you’re like us, you get peace of mind knowing that these lights make the home look very much occupied while you sleep.
Choosing energy-saving light bulbs with the highest efficiency ratings for the amount of light desired will reduce energy consumption and have the greenest impact. Consider this comparison: on one hand, we have a traditional (incandescent) bulb and on the other, an energy-efficient bulb. At 60 watts and 850 lumens, the efficiency of an incandescent bulb would be only 14 lumens per watt, with an annual use of 2,920 hours (8 hours/day). The annual cost to light? – approximately , but with a CO2 emission level of about 349 lbs. Now take a 15 watt energy-efficient bulb. Even though it has a lower wattage and uses less energy, the output of light is the same. Lumens are less at 825, and efficiency has improved to 55 lumens per watt. The annual cost to light drops , and CO2 emissions are nearly three-fourths less.
annual savings per socket is more than enough to upgrade to energy-saving light bulbs in order to reduce your energy consumption. Your energy efficiency investment will be paid back in less than one year. As for CO2 emissions, a 75% reduction won’t do your eco-conscience any harm.
For homes, Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) are a solid choice for dusk-to-dawn lighting scenarios. They’re available in a wide array of wattages, shapes (including decorative), sizes and colors and are typically designed to last 8,000 hours or more. One drawback of energy-saving light bulbs in an exterior setting is that they’re affected by ambient temperature. Our advice: if you live in a colder climate, look for lamps with “amalgam” technology for best performance or buy ones with the next higher incandescent watts equivalent (example: if you’re replacing a 60 watt incandescent, buy a CFL equivalent to a 75 watt bulb). Also if a fixture isn’t weather protected, be sure to select a bulb rated for use in a wet location.
Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps are hitting the market at a rapid pace and are also worth considering for their superior ability to reduce energy consumption and extremely long life. Interestingly, LEDs don’t emit ultraviolet light and don’t attract insects. For an overnight fixture near a door, an LED would be a good alternative to a yellow bug lamp. Advice: insist on UL listed LEDs (not easy to find) for safety’s sake.
Energy-Saving Light Bulbs for Motion Sensors and Electronic Timers
For multiple reasons, energy-saving light bulbs, such as CFLs, are a poor choice for fixtures that light automatically by motion detection. These are typically used for security purposes but are also a feature of garage door openers. CFLs are not engineered to produce short bursts of light. Thus, a traditional incandescent bulb is a fine choice (and probably what’s in the fixture now). Advice: when the existing bulb burns out, consider a high-efficiency halogen lamp to reduce energy consumption. Currently, these energy-saving light bulbs are 30 to 40% more energy efficient than traditional incandescents. Expect these savings multiples to grow as lighting manufacturers continue to improve their halogen technology in anticipation of lighting efficiency requirements that go into effect in 2012.
As for LEDs, while they do reach maximum brightness instantly, they are still very pricey and thus not a good investment for the short bursts of light delivered by motion control sensors. Prices will come down as demand increases for energy-saving light bulbs. My advice: wait.
Some people rely on electronic timers to switch on exterior lights as darkness settles in. Again, CFLs aren’t suited for this application. In this application, where once on, the light may remain lit during overnight hours; an LED lamp, which generally works with electric eyes (check with the manufacturer) would be an excellent choice to reduce energy consumption and extend bulb life versus an incandescent bulb.
Fall’s the Time to Make the Switch to Energy-Efficient Exterior Light Bulbs
They say that the cheapest, cleanest kilowatt hour of electricity is the one that is never produced in the first place. As the shorter days of fall approach and your energy demands grow, put on your green glasses and look at the lighting fixtures outside your home. You’re almost certain to find opportunities to reduce energy consumption and live more lightly with energy-saving light bulbs.
Home Décor In A Suburban City
What does it take to make a comfortable living? Would it be space? Would it be design to soothe the eyes? What makes a good home to you?
Many people dream of big houses that would hopefully make them happy but there’s more to building a great home than size. What you do with the space you have is extremely important. You may have a small house but with proper strategies, you can make it into a paradise for your soul. Yes, it all lies in the power of décor and landscaping. Build your house big, but without great designing ideas and proper use of space, it wouldn’t be home to you.
The importance of the artistic side of construction and home making has been given more priority lately. In fact, it has caught fire so fast that it is picking up trend, especially among the younger generation. Contrary to the myths made up, home décor need not be expensive at all. The truth is, you could do it yourself without any professional help. Besides being cheap, this could really be fun!
There are some basics to home décor that you could pick up instantly. Of course, you would have to have a little bit of an eye for art in this ordeal but art is subjective to the eye of the beholder. Firstly, it is important that you know the importance of using space wisely. Like I said before, good space strategy can make a small house look big. A very good idea to help expand space would be to use mirrors on the walls. Mirrors give a sense of a bigger room. Placing furniture sparingly is a good tactic to give more space. Your choice of color will also affect the space of your rooms. Lighter colors make small rooms look big. On the contrary, darker colors make bigger rooms look small. It depends on your desire for the room and what it will be used for. Colors are important in setting and changing moods.
Another essential basic that you will need to understand is the aspect of lighting. Lack of light in the house can be depressing and a downer whereas the over use of light can make a house too bright to live in. Natural lighting can be something you might want to consider as well. Not only is it energy saving and eco-friendly, it is also great for health and has a trendy appeal.
You can find most trendy designed homes in urban cities and the suburban ones. This is because most home designers and professionals situate themselves in the most happening places. These are also places where the styles vary a lot and where art is cultivated fully. One such place would be Ann Arbor, known for its night life, shopping and Ann Arbor real estate. It isn’t surprising to find many home décor shops or sources around the area. Not only that, professional advice for interior and exterior decorating would be easy to find. Just take a good look at the Ann Arbor homes and you will see how prominent home décor is prevalent in the community itself.
Have A Peace Of Mind With British Gas
British gas is committed to provide the highest quality workmanship backed up by expert care. British gas provides energy, services to home, and business customers. British Gas is investing in a sustainable future by investing in supplying customers with renewable energy and with a range micro-generation technologies, including futuristic cell powered household boilers. They have a great range of discounts available on gas and electricity.
The Customer can choose from Dual Fuel, Gas Only or Electricity. You could find that your energy bills are dramatically reduced and that British Gas prices are not just competitive, but leave competitors out in the cold when it comes to value for money. They make sure that your boiler is running as efficiently as possible, thereby eliminating unnecessary waste. They can make sure that you have a peace of mind and offer you a great deal at the same time, making sure that your business is adequately covered.
It is about so much more than gas and with its range of energy efficient products and ways that you can beat the credit crunch, no matter what size your business is. British Gas will be able to help and ensure that whatever the future holds, you are more than ready to meet the challenges and to meet them in a way that does not take up a lot of time and energy.
Can You Get A Green Car Insurance Policy Discount?
Have you thought about buying one of the new eco-friendly hybrid cars? Like a traditional car, hybrids have gas engines. They also have a battery that can be charged to power the car. They use less gasoline, are cleaner to run, and may even qualify you for a tax break. There are a lot of advantages to purchasing a green car. You may even get a hybrid car insurance discount.
Hybrid cars are still fairly expensive to buy, and they are still fairly expensive to repair. You may wonder why many of the top auto insurers are willing to offer drivers of green vehicles a discount.
Normally, insurers discount car insurance premiums for a variety of reasons. People may purchase a vehice with better construction, safety features and anti-theft devices. They get safer and more secure vehicles to drive. They may also get to save some money on their insurance rates. This is because the company believes they take less risk when they offer to cover a safer and more secure vehicle.
Some other cars may be cheaper to insure because they are cheaper to repair if they are involved in an accident.
But hybrid vehicles are not always the safest vehicles or the cheapest to repair.
Insurers also set prices based upon the driver or drivers that will be covered on a policy. Drivers with good driving histories will qualify for lower rates than people who have made several accident claims. Sometimes, very young or very old drivers are considered high risk, and they will usually get charged more too.
Auto insurance companies consider the driver when they offer a discount on coverage. Insurers believe that the sort of vehicle owners who choose to buy an eco-friendly car will also be responsible about other things. Because the green car owners took the resposible action of buying a green car, insurance companies believe they will take other responsible actions. This does not mean that everybody who purchases a green car will get cheap insurance rates. But people who own green cars should save more money on their policy than they would have if they bought a traditional vehicle.
Not every insurer offers these discounts either. You should always shop around for a policy when you are planning to buy any new or used car. This is true if you want a new truck, a hybrid car, or a used motorcycle. Even if you have been with your old company for several years, you cannot be sure they offer you the best price on the market. Your old company may have been the best one for you a few years ago, but because of changes to your life or the company, they may no longer be able to offer the cheapest rates.
You can find many web based auto insurance quote forms to make this job easier. You simply enter in your basic details about where you live, how you drive, and what type of vehicle you want to insure. The internet quote form will find good companies with competitive policies for you.
How To Live Green In An Apartment
It is becoming more and more important for individuals to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. In 2008, Popular Science Magazine ranked the Top 50 greenest U.S. cities and Fort Worth, TX ranked fifteenth on that list. These rankings were based on raw data from US Census Bureau and the National Geographic Society’s Green Guide, which collected survey data and statistics for cities with a population over 100,000. The categories analyzed include electricity use, air quality, and transportation habits.
Many times, apartment dwellers feel more helpless than homeowners in controlling their environment and how it impacts their carbon footprint. Homeowners have much more control on the type of appliances purchased and also can make even more drastic changes to their home in order to conserve energy. Since renters don’t make decisions on the type of air conditioning units, water heaters, or other major appliances that decide how energy-efficient the unit is; it can seem like there isn’t much you can do to be more “green”. There are, however, several other ways that renters living in apartments in Fort Worth, TX have sustained a green lifestyle. Here are some simple ideas that will assist you in living a green lifestyle while in Fort Worth apartments, or any other city.
1. First and foremost, communicate to your landlord how important green-living and reducing your carbon footprint is to you. In addition to requesting energy-efficient appliances, share eco-friendly tips with your landlord and suggest that it is shared among the entire apartment community. Many times, apartment communities have a monthly newsletter or similar publication that is perfect for this type of information.
2. Use green products, like energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs. While these light bulbs cost more than the typical incandescent bulb, they can last up to ten times longer and only use 1/3 of the energy as incandescent bulbs. You can also remove them and take them with you when you move. Just be careful when packing them and make sure your replace any light fixtures with incandescent bulbs or you could be charged for those by the apartment community.
3. Change out your air conditioning filter on a regular basis. You may not have access to this so ask your property manager how often the a/c filter is changed. It should be done at least once every six months.
4. Use power strips in order to reduce the amount of phantom energy wasted. Phantom energy occurs when appliances and chargers are turned off, but still plugged in and drawing power fro the outlet. In the average home, this can account for as much as 40% of the energy bill. These electronics include televisions, DVD players, game consoles, microwaves, and AC adapters for cell phones or other electronics. When you are done using electrical devices simply switch off the power strip to keep them from drawing more power.
5. If you have a washer in your apartment, using cold-water washing can save as much as 80% in energy used on laundry. In addition, only run full loads of laundry in order to be the most efficient.
6. Recycle whenever possible. If your apartment community does not participate in a recycling program, make this a priority for your landlord or management company by suggesting it. In the meantime, find your nearest recycling drop-off center and encourage your neighbors to recycle at those locations as well.
7. Conserve water by reducing the time spent in the shower and by not leaving the water running when brushing your teeth or washing dishes.
8. Turn down your thermostat by two degrees in the winter and increase it by two degrees in the summer. By doing this, you can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide by 2,000 pounds annually.
9. Buy environmentally safe, biodegradable cleaning and hygiene products.
10. Buy a green, PVC-free or nylon shower liner.
If you are going green and need help finding a green friendly apartment check out UMoveFree.com, the number one source for apartments in Texas. Read a UMoveFree review the signup on the website to start your apartment search.
Quick Tips on Living Green at Oxy
A short video on ways to reduce your impact on the environment while at Occidental.
Dunsfold Park Green Vehicles
Dunsfold Park is helping lead the way in EV vehicle usability.
Video Rating: 3 / 5
You Can Build Your car powered by solar a Green Enrgy Source
All cаrs аrе powеrеd by gаs. But with thе volаtility of crudе oil pricеs аnd bеcаusе it is not а rеnеwаblе, somеthing must bе donе bеforе it is too lаtе. Givеn thаt solar еnеrgy, а green еnеrgy sourcе is usеd to powеr а community, you cаn аlso do this on а smаll scаlе by using thе sаmе principlеs to build your own cаr.
But whаt do you nееd to mаkе this work? A lot of things but thе two most importаnt аrе thе solar аrrаy аnd thе batteriеs.
Thе solar аrrаy is vitаl bеcаusе this is whаt’s usеd to collеct thе sun’s rаys аnd thеn convеrts this into еlеctricаl еnеrgy. Thеrе аrе two typеs to choosе from in thе mаrkеt nаmеly thе prеfаbricаtеd typе аnd thе individuаl kind which you sеt up yoursеlf.
If you аrе looking for brаndеd pаrts, chеck out еithеr Siеmеns or ASE Amеricаs thаt sеll tеrrestriаl grаdе cеlls аnd thе spаcе grаdе cеlls. Thе lowеr еnd modеl which cаn producе а significаnt аmount of powеr is thе tеrrestriаl grаdе vеrsion.
Propеr wiring must bе donе to mаkе surе thаt if onе of thе pаnеls is not working, your vеhiclе will still movе. If you аrе worriеd thаt thе voltаgе of thе solar аrrаy should mаtch thе systеm voltаgе of your motor, you should not to worry bеcаusе it will still run.
Wе mеntionеd earliеr thаt thе battery is аlso importаnt bеcаusе this is whеrе thе solar еnеrgy will bе storеd. Your options for this аrе lеаd аcid, lithium-ion or nickеl-cаdmium. Just how mаny you nееd to buy will dеpеnd on your motor’s voltаgе.
Whеn you finаlly hаvе thеsе two componеnts, thеsе will now hаvе to bе connеctеd to thе motor. So you know how much juicе is lеft in your batteriеs, you will аlso nееd to instаll instrumеntаtion similаr to thе hеаds up displаy consolе on rеgulаr cаrs which tеlls you your spееd, milеаgе аnd gаs.
Don’t forgеt to put а stееring whееl, suspеnsion, brаkеs, tirеs аnd hubs. You mаy not bе аblе to mаkе а cаr thаt hаvе thе sаmе fеаturеs аs likе whаt you sее donе by onе of thе thrее US аutomаkеrs but just еnough to bе аblе to drivе it from onе plаcе to thе nеxt.
Thе only cаrs thаt usе solar еnеrgy so fаr аrе thе onеs only usеd in rаcеs еspеciаlly thе onе hеld in Austrаliа from trаvеls from thе northеrn pаrt of thе country аll thе wаy to thе south. If this hаs hеlpеd pеoplе rеаlizе thаt rеnеwаblе еnеrgy is rеаlly thе kеy to thе futurе, thе big аutomаkеrs should try tаpping this tеchnology instеаd of rеlying of still rеlying on gаsolinе.
But аpаrt from solar еnеrgy аs а green еnеrgy sourcе, biodiеsеl is аnothеr аltеrnаtivе. This is а combinаtion of аlcohol likе mеthаnol аnd а chеmicаl procеss thаt sеpаrаtеs glycеrinе аnd mеthyl estеrs (biodiеsеl) from fаts or vеgеtаblе oils. This cаn аlso bе donе using corn аnd sugаrcаnе.
Although thеsе аrе not rеnеwаblе, thеsе аrе still considеrеd аs а green еnеrgy sourcеs bеcаusе it is clеаnеr thаn convеntionаl gаsolinе. This mеаns you do not rеlеase hаrmful chеmicаls such аs cаrbon monoxidе into thе air which cаusеs dаmаgе to thе environment. So if you cаn’t build а solar powеrеd cаr, considеr а diffеrеnt fuеl аltеrnаtivе.