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This Energy Savings Guide is a detailed handbook for reducing energy usage at home, at the office, and on the road. It provides energy-saving tips that you can quickly implement: from efficiency in electricity usage to managing appliances, lighting, insulation, heating/cooling systems, renewable energy technologies, smart meters, and more. It gives you simple energy-saving tips for designing and remodeling a home or office. And you’ll learn how to generate your own clean electricity using solar, wind, and small hydropower systems.

Each year, we waste energy worth billions of dollars and a large portion of that loss comes from residential and transportation activities. In recent years global warming has become a cause for concern, as has the imminent peaking of world production of fossil fuels such as petroleum and natural gas. Wasting energy is no longer a luxury we can ignore.

This Guide provides you with usable tips on saving money off of your energy bills. Many of these tips are simple and free, and can be implemented in your home, office and car immediately.

By adopting a few easy energy-saving strategies, individuals can decrease their energy usage. -efficient improvements not only make a home more comfortable, but they can also yield long-term financial rewards. The key to achieving these savings is a whole-house energy-efficiency plan. A home energy audit helps to pinpoint those areas and points you toward the best measures for cutting usage. This special report provides you with a checklist to perform your own home or office energy audit.

This guide also provides easy solutions for making your workplace greener. You'll find tips on handling office equipment such as computers, printers, and fax machines, on recycling waste paper, and on efficiently using office stationary. You’ll learn about ways to improve energy efficiency in your home, office, and commercial facilities.

Finally, you’ll discover energy-saving strategies for vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, and buses. You’ll get a glimpse of the technologies that will revolutionize transportation.

This handbook gives you energy-saving checklists for your home, your workplace, and your car. You’ll save money while helping to save the planet.


Pages: 255
Published: June 2013
Publisher: Red Mountain Insights
ISBN: 978-1-62484-028-9

Executive Summary 9
Climate Change and Energy Conservation 11
Introduction to Climate Change 11
GHG Emission and Air Pollution 12
Kyoto Protocol 13
Need for Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency 16
Energy Savings at Home 18
Energy Consumption in a Home 18
Energy Auditing 19
DIY Home Energy Audits 20
Locating Air Leaks 20
Insulation 22
Heating/Cooling Equipment 23
Lighting 24
Professional Home Energy Audits 24
Preparing for an Energy Audit 24
Selecting an Energy Auditor 25
Blower Door Tests 25
Thermographic Inspections 26
PFT Air Infiltration Measurement Technique 28
Planning Energy Saving 29
Energy Auditing Tips 30
Formulating Your Plan 30
Apartments and Buildings 31
Apartments and Residential Buildings 31
New Buildings 33
Existing Buildings 36
Commercial Buildings 36
Electricity 41
Purchasing Clean Electricity 41
Reducing Electricity Usage 43
Generating Your Own Clean Electricity 44
Home Appliances 45
Air Conditioner 46
Energy Efficiency of Room Air Conditioners 46
Sizing and Selecting a Room Air Conditioner 47
Installing and Operating Your Room Air Conditioner 48
Dishwasher 48
Refrigerator and Freezers 49
Lighting 52
Lighting Design 52
Types of Lighting 54
Fluorescent Tube and Circline Lamps 55
Lighting Controls 62
Lamp and Ballast Replacement 64
Lamps in Incandescent Fixtures 65
Lamps and Ballasts in Fluorescent Fixtures 65
Lighting Maintenance 66
Turning off Your Lights 67
Energy Savings 68
Insulation and Sealing Air Leaks 69
Air Sealing 69
Insulation 71
Moisture Control 73
Ventilation 74
Heating and Cooling 75
Cooling Systems 76
Ventilation Systems 77
Evaporation Coolers 77
Air Conditioning 78
Heating Systems 79
Heat Pumps 82
Thermostats 83
Ducts 84
Dehumidifying Heat Pipes 85
Water Heating 86
Selecting a Heating System 88
Energy-Efficient Water Heating 99
Swimming Pool Heating 104
Gas Pool Heaters 107
Doors and Windows 112
Doors 112
Storm Doors 114
Windows 115
Storm Windows 117
Skylights 118
Landscaping 122
Climate and Microclimate 122
Cool Region 124
Shading 124
Windbreaks 126
Water Conservation 127
DIY and Gardening 128
Select Natural Materials 128
Use Recycled Products 129
DIY the Green Way 129
Recycle Leftovers 130
In the Garden 130
Get Composting 130
Designing and Remodeling a Home 131
Advanced Framing 131
Earth-Sheltered Homes 131
Underground 132
Bermed 133
Log Homes 134
The R-Value of Wood 134
Minimizing Air Leakage 135
Controlling Moisture 135
Building Code Energy Compliance 136
Manufactured Homes 136
Energy-Efficient Retrofit Measures 137
Renewable Energy Applications 138
Passive Solar Homes 139
Direct Gain 142
Indirect Gain 143
Isolated Gain 144
Straw Bale Homes 144
Zero Energy Homes 145
Financing an Energy-Efficient Home 146
Energy-Efficient Financing Programs 147
Home Energy Rating 147
How to Generate Your Own Clean Electricity 149
Solar Electric Systems 149
Micro Wind Electric Systems 153
Microhydropower Systems 155
Power Output 157
Economics 157
Permits and Water Rights 158
Small Hybrid Electric Systems 158
Energy Savings at Work 160
Running an Energy-Efficient Office 160
Lights Off 160
New Technology 160
New Habits 161
Recycling 161
Office Equipment 162
Computers 163
Copiers and Fax Machines 163
Digital Duplicators 164
Monitors 164
Printers, Scanners, and All-in-One Devices 165
Information Technology Solutions 165
Recycling 167
Commercial Buildings 169
Whole-Building Design 169
Technologies in Use 171
Farms and Ranches 174
Anaerobic Digesters 174
Lighting and Day Lighting 174
Geothermal Use 174
Microhydropower Systems 175
Small Wind Electric Systems 175
Solar Energy Applications 175
Supermarkets 178
Green Travel to the Supermarket 178
Drop Off Your Recycling 178
Shop for Locally Produced Items 178
Shop Organic and Fair-Trade Products 179
Energy Savings While You Drive 180
Fuel Economy 180
Benefits 180
Fuel Savings 180
Petroleum Independence 181
Environmental Protection 181
Strategies for Various Vehicles 181
Low Rolling Resistance Tires 183
Sensitivity Coefficient 183
New vs. Replacement Tires 184
Tire Inflation 184
Cost Effectiveness 184
Idle Reduction 185
Benefits 185
Strategies for Light- and Medium-Duty Vehicles 186
Technologies for Heavy-Duty Trucks 188
Strategies for School Buses 191
Clean School Bus USA 192
Alternative-Fuel Vehicles 193
Benefits and Challenges 193
Issues and Barriers 195
Types of Alternate Fuel Vehicles 197
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Conversion 205
Vehicle Conversion Certification 206
Certificates of Conformity 207
Vehicle Converters 207
Conversion Requirements 208
Cost Comparison of Various Fuels 209
Government Support 210
Energy Policy Act of 2005 210
Automobile Tax Credits 210
Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Tax Credits 211
Business Tax Credits 211
Biodiesel/Alternative Fuels 212
Buildings 212
Energy Star 214
For the Home 214
For Business 214
The Industrial Technologies Program 215
Energy Intensive Industries 215
Crosscutting Technologies 216
Emerging Technologies 216
Power Utilities 216
Transportation 217
Energy Saving Checklists 219
For Homes 219
For Offices 221
For Facilities 222
Glossary 224

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