Energy Savers Blog
Published: 1969-12-31 17:00:00.0
Goodbye, Watts. Hello, LUMENS!
-
For years, I bought light bulbs based on watts, or energy use. Like many light bulb consumers, I looked for a traditional 40, 60, 75, or 100 watt incandescent bulb. Now that stores today carry more and more energy efficient lighting choices, I wanted to replace my old incandescents with new bulbs to save energy and money on my electricity bill. But in shopping for the right bulb, I came across a challenge in looking for bulbs based on watts. Since these newer bulbs use less energy, I found bulbs that use 8, 15, or 26 watts. The wattages are pretty close to each other, but the brightness levels of each of these bulbs can vary a lot! Sound confusing? No worries. Read on, because there is a light at the end of this tunnel (pun intended)…
So, all I wanted to do was to find a light bright enough for my bathroom so I don't get cut shaving in the morning. I realized that the best way to shop for light was to look for the brightness, or lumens, of the bulb, instead of the watts. Lumens tell you how bright a bulb is, and are listed on the bulb packaging. More lumens mean brighter light. When replacing a 60-watt traditional bulb, you should look for a new bulb that gives you about 800 lumens.
The Energy Department has some informative resources to educate consumers on lumens. For example, check out our lumens placard and tip card. Or listen to some of our radio public service announcements. We have recently launched a billboard campaign effort to raise awareness of lumens in Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; Phoenix, Arizona; Miami, Florida; Denver, Colorado; St. Louis, Missouri; Detroit, Michigan; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin—so be sure to look out for it if you're driving by those cities.
So, the next time you find yourself looking to replace your traditional incandescent with an energy efficient bulb, choose your next light bulb for the brightness you want and look for lumens—the new way to shop for light.
As for me? After looking for lumens instead of watts, I found an LED bulb for my bathroom that was about 800 lumens. The light quality was great for the bathroom, the color was warm white, and my electricity bill has gone down a lot compared to using the traditional incandescent.
John Chu is a Senior Communications Specialist at the U.S. Department of Energy.
Dear 30% of Gamers: Here's an Easy Way to Save Some Money
-
A couple of years ago, I wrote an incredibly nerdy post about videogame consoles and energy. (I'm still stupidly proud of that lame Castlevania reference in the first line. Seriously.)
Why, you might ask, am I bringing up my nerdiness again? Well, it's because I ran into this article on Ars Technica on energy and videogame consoles that cites a Carnegie Mellon study with surprising results: America used nearly 16 terawatt-hours of energy on videogames in 2010, and a good chunk of it was wasted.
In fact, the study assumed that 30% of all gamers left their consoles on 24/7.
That's just an estimate, of course. But when I wrote my post in 2010, I didn't even consider that angle. How wrong I was!
So if you are one of the approximately 30% of gamers who never turn their consoles off, you now have an easy way to save some money. According to the article, idling at your console's main menu uses nearly as much energy as playing a game.
For me, leaving the system on all the time doesn't seem worth it. The Xbox 360 starts up in less than a minute. I don't have a PS3, but I bet it's about the same.
And once your machines are off, you can start worrying about the energy they draw when they're not even on at all! But first thing's first, right?
Elizabeth Spencer is a communicator at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which assists EERE in providing technical content for many of its websites.
Do You Have Your Own Tips for Saving Fuel?
-
Earlier this week, Amanda shared a checklist on Fueleconomy.gov that helps you keep your car well maintained. Keeping your car well maintained is one way to make sure that it's not using more gas than it needs to.
Do you have any other ideas for saving gas this summer?
You have the chance to share your thoughts on a question about energy efficiency or renewable energy for consumers. Please comment with your answers, and also feel free to respond to other comments.
A Few Simple Steps for Better Gas Mileage
-
Last week I went home for a family reunion. Visiting my family was great, and one of my favorite things was hanging out with my dad in the garage while he works on the car. When my siblings and I began to drive and own cars, my dad continually reminded us of the need to keep our cars on a regular maintenance schedule. With warmer spring weather here, and summer just around the corner, it’s a great time to get these things done. To make things easy, we have a checklist for you so it’s easy to remember what needs to be done.
Keeping your engine in tune can be one of the most effective things you can do for your gas mileage. Repairing some problems that can be uncovered with a routine engine tune-up can improve your fuel economy by as much as 40%! Other things, such as putting the right grade of motor oil in your vehicle and keeping the right amount of pressure in your tires don’t take very much time.
So before you head out on your summer road trip, or even drive to the park for a picnic, take a moment to make sure your car is in good health. It will be more than worth your time when you notice the savings.
Amanda McAlpin works for New West Technologies supporting the Vehicle Technologies Program at the U.S. Department of Energy.
Good for the Community, Good for the Globe
-
April showers may be best known for bringing in May flowers, but in my D.C. neighborhood, they also bring in…a local farmers market! There's something about fresh produce that just tastes better—kale is a little spicier, strawberries a little sweeter, and tomatoes are completely different fruit than those watery things sold at the grocery store. And it's so nice to know that I'm supporting my local farmers and economy by buying at the farmers market.
But did you know that you're not only doing your body and local economy a favor by buying locally grown food—you're also saving energy! How?
American food travels an average of 1,500 to 2,500 miles from farm to table, according to the Worldwatch Institute. By purchasing food locally, you're helping cut out the carbon emissions associated with that travel. And if you drive less, you're saving gasoline and money too! See our tips for improving your vehicle's fuel efficiency. Eating seasonally also can help ensure that your food was grown in an open field, not a fossil-fuel powered greenhouse.
And won't that make your fresh strawberry shortcake taste even sweeter?
Lynn Meyer is a Presidential Management Fellow on detail with EERE's Communications and Outreach office in Washington, D.C.
How Can You Save Energy While Spring Cleaning?
-
Cleaning your home in between winter and summer is a great way to welcome warmer weather and get some fresh air. Speaking of fresh air, Stephanie talked about her challenge in replacing her furnace filter - a project that usually leads to replacing other filters that can make appliances less efficient (and use more energy), and cleaning the surrounding basement area. It's a great example of how doing one thing to save energy can lead to others.
If you're doing any spring cleaning this season, is energy efficiency part of your project? If not, are there any small changes you can make to save money and energy?
You have the chance to share your thoughts on a question about energy efficiency or renewable energy for consumers. Please comment with your answers, and also feel free to respond to other comments.
Earth Day 2012: A Day to Remember the Past and Shape the Future
-
Last Sunday was Earth Day 2012. That day, many of us took a moment for contemplation, and stepped back to reexamine how we use the natural resources that our amazing planet offers us.
Perhaps we took time to think about the some of the historical events led to the first Earth Day in 1970. A colleague of mine, for example, went to Rockville, Maryland, to visit the cemetery where Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, is memorialized for generations to come. For those of you unfamiliar with Carson's work, she was one of the 20th century's most influential American writers on conservationism, and her bestselling book Silent Spring—which envisioned a future where environmental pollutants devastated wildlife and human lives alike—led to the ban of DDT and other harmful pesticides.
I thought about the Cuyahoga River of Northeast Ohio, which garnered nationwide media attention in 1969 after a series of fires broke out on the river's surface, the most famous of which Time magazine described this way: "The oil-slicked river burst into flames and burned with such intensity that two railroad bridges spanning it were nearly destroyed." That incident and its backlash added momentum to the mainstream environmental movement that eventually inspired Congress to pass comprehensive environmental laws in the 1970s, including the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act.
Others attended the Earth Day rally on the National Mall—in the rain, no less—to show their support for the actions of individuals and organizations around the world working to ensure a more sustainable future for their children and grandchildren. And one of my fellow Energy Savers bloggers, Elizabeth, pledged to buy and ride a bike (carefully this time) in honor of Earth Day.
But it's not too late to use Earth Day as an inspiration to commit to protecting the environment and saving energy. Check out our resources, tips, and ideas to learn how you can make every day Earth Day.
Eric Barendsen is a communications specialist and former Presidential Management Fellow with EERE's Communications and Outreach office in Washington, D.C.
Spring Cleaning
-
One thing I forget to do in the spring is to change the furnace filter. I try to do it at least quarterly, but that doesn't always happen. I don't have air conditioning (which would also have a filter that needed to be changed periodically)—I don't particularly need it at 8,000 ft, especially when I'm working in town all day—so I just turn the furnace off altogether for the summer, usually some time in May. I can just open the house up on a summer evening, and the evening breezes cool everything off pretty well—the ultimate in energy efficiency! I'll remember again in September, when it's time to turn the furnace back on.
Part of the problem is that I can't just change the filter. I have to vacuum out the coils and the bottom of the flue, change the furnace filter (and the vent filters at the upstairs outlets—the first defense against dog hair in the ducts), then re-tape the joins where the outside panels don't seal completely. One thing I hate is when the furnace repair/maintenance person comes in and remarks, "you don't see many of these anymore." It's time to start thinking about a new, more energy-efficient one. Even though the furnace is electric, at least it does have a solar hot-water assist as part of the system, which is also linked to the hot water heater.
And, I haven't mentioned yet that "changing the furnace filter" has, on more than one, occasion turned into "cleaning the basement." While I'm down there, I also change the water filter. My household water comes from a well, and especially in dry conditions such as we've had lately (March 2012 was the driest March on record in Denver), I get some sediment in the water. Why are these filters so important? A dirty filter reduces the air or water flow, taking more force to move air or water through it or for the blower or water pump to run longer, and thus uses more power.
How do I also save energy, in addition to changing the furnace and water filters? Daylighting! I've got a walk-out basement that faces south, so I try to do my furnace and water filter changes (and basement cleaning) in the morning when I get the sun shining in the basement door and window. Even with a couple of 100-watt lightbulbs (actually, the CFL equivalents), the daylight provides better, brighter—and free—illumination. Of course, it would help if I washed the windows in the basement, which would let more light in—see what I mean about "changing the filter(s)" leading to other things?
Where are other filters located in the home that should be checked? There are ones in my vacuum cleaners—both the standard upright house vacuum and also in the Shop Vac that I use to clean the furnace, the basement, and the garage. Some filters need to be replaced outright (such as the furnace or water filters), but some are washable/reusable (e.g., vacuums). However, any dirty filter can cause its system to operate less than optimally. A periodic check under the sinks can be useful too—when my handyman friend was replacing my kitchen faucet with a new, low-flow one, he found a long-forgotten, long-unchanged filter under the sink. The whole-house filter was installed many years ago, and I'd totally forgotten about the one under the sink! He removed that one as well as some other unnecessary fixtures from under the sink, and now everything is much neater and more efficient, too.
Stephanie Price is a communicator at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which assists EERE in providing technical content for many of its websites.
How Are You Celebrating Earth Day?
-
Are you doing anything special this week, or this month, to save energy and money? If you're looking for ideas, check out the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Earth Day website for energy saving ideas, or read Elizabeth's Earth Day resolution post for inspiration.
Tell us your Earth Day plans!
You have the chance to share your thoughts on a question about energy efficiency or renewable energy for consumers. Please comment with your answers, and also feel free to respond to other comments.
Breaking a Cycle-Free Lifestyle for Earth Day
-
Earth Day is just around the corner! And while it might not be a major day for most people, I still think it's kind of fun. I think every special day is an excuse to do something you normally wouldn't! (And, speaking of little somethings, the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website is going to have a small page up to commemorate Earth Day this year. Look for that next week.)
This Earth Day, I'm buying a new bicycle!
Now, before I start, let me get this out of the way: Bikes and I have not historically gotten along. When I was a young girl, I was so thrilled to have learned to ride a bike that I invited my best friend over to watch. Then I ran her over. I biked to school when I was in high school, but I stopped after I ran over an innocent student and, a few weeks later, got hit by a car. In university, a friend lent me his bike. I was on it all of ten minutes before I ran over the first other person to show up on the walking path.
I'm not really that careless, reckless, or dangerous, so I can't really figure out what it is with me and bikes. I decided pretty early on that I was probably cursed, because I'm not this ill-fated when I'm driving. (And thank goodness for that, huh?)
But now it's time for things to change. I moved recently, and the new place is lovely. It's also incredibly close to a ton of really nice shops and stores. This is super cool! I've never lived in a place where a grocery store was within walking distance before. And because everything is in walking distance, it'd be kind of a waste to just drive around all the time.
So I've decided to get a bike. It's really a win-win situation. I'll save some gas (which means I'll save a little money), and I'll get a little exercise to boot. It'll also get me out into the beautiful super-warm spring weather, which—I admit—I actually need encouragement to do sometimes. I don't think I'll ever be one of those hardcore cyclists, but hey. There's no harm in getting out and about sometimes, right?
And yes, don't worry: I promise that I will read up on bicycle safety before I go out! The Oregon Department of Transportation's Drive Less, Save More website provides resources and tips for bicycle commuters just like me.
Elizabeth Spencer is a communicator at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which assists EERE in providing technical content for many of its websites.