Recently, the Wall Street Journal published an article about going green during tough economic times, with 10 energy-saving ideas.
1. High-Tech Thermostats
Programmable thermostats make it easy to preset a week's worth of temperatures -- and give you much greater control over energy bills. For instance, you could program the gadget to lower the temperature when everyone's asleep, something you might forget to do on a nightly basis.
COST: $50 to $150.
PAYBACK: About a year, assuming the thermostat controls both heating and cooling. The estimates assume natural-gas heat and electric central cooling.
2. Smarter Water Heating
Drain-water heat-recovery systems warm up water for your shower by capturing the heat from waste water as it travels down your drain. (You can also get the systems for dishwashers and other appliances.)
COST: $500 to $700, plus $100 or so for installation.
PAYBACK: Around five years, assuming you heat your water with natural gas and pay fairly high rates. If you use electricity, payback can be under three years. And if your utility offers a rebate for installation, as many do, that payback time can be less than a year in some cases.
3. Sealing Air Leaks
Filling in the gaps around windows and doors, and sealing up ducts, can be a simple way to cut energy bills.
COST: Weatherstripping that goes under and around external doors runs $20 a door. With windows, you insert caulk between the frame and siding, wherever the air is going through, at a cost of about $10 a window. Then there's an often-overlooked source of air leaks: the electrical outlets on exterior walls. These can be fixed with outlet sealers, which cost under $10 for a pack of six.
You can do all those fixes yourself. But you often need to hire someone to seal heating and cooling ducts. The job will usually run from $300 to $1,000, depending on the size of your house.
PAYBACK: About two to three years -- but there are lots of variables.
4. Low-Flow Fixtures
Low-flow showerheads and faucets limit the volume of water you can get out of the fixtures, reducing the amount you spend on water -- and on electricity or gas to heat the water. Although the technology is improving, you'll still feel a difference in water pressure.
COST: Low-flow showerheads start at around $30, while faucet aerators cost $2 and up. Both are simple to install.
PAYBACK: For aerators, almost immediate. For showerheads, a few months. In addition, several utilities offer rebates for buying low-flow fixtures.
5. Leasing Solar Panels
Buying and installing a set of solar panels can cost tens of thousands of dollars. But leasing the same system can be a cost-effective alternative.
Several companies—most of them in California and a handful of other states—will install solar panels on your property, then charge you for the power the panels generate. Essentially, the company owns the panels, and you "rent" them by paying the cost of the power. That rate is often lower than your regular utility rate. (In Oregon, the rate's the same, but people often choose the panels for environmental reasons, according to Lyndon Rive, chief executive of solar leasing company SolarCity.) You'll also have to pay your utility for power when the panels aren't generating any electricity, such as nighttime. But you'll be paying much less than you ordinarily would.
COST: Sometimes nothing. Many companies don't charge an upfront fee for the panels, and their plans promise to reduce your total electric bill immediately by about 11%. Consider a typical plan for condominium owners from Applied Solar LLC. The company says its arrangement delivers savings of $15 per month on a total electricity bill, or $180 a year, for an owner in San Diego Gas & Electric territory who used to pay $135 per month and is buying solar from a 2-kilowatt system.
However, some companies do charge an upfront fee, often $2,000 to $5,000. In some cases, that fee is considered a prepayment on the solar-power portion of your bills -- so you end up paying less for that power every month. In other cases, the fee doesn't lower your monthly bill; it's simply a down payment.
PAYBACK: Immediate, if you pay no upfront fee. If you pay a fee that lowers your rates, payback can take a while. Let's say you prepay $2,000, which some solar companies say can save you an extra 10% a month on your payments for panel-generated power. In a typical case, that translates into saving $25 a month on your total electric bill, or $300 a year -- for a payback of seven years.
If your upfront fee is just a down payment, though, the payback time is much longer -- because you don't get any extra discount on your bill. Assuming you save $180 a year with the panels, your payback time on a $2,000 down payment would be about 11 years.
6. Air Filters
Keeping the air filter clean saves about 7% in electricity costs a year.
COST: New filters cost about $10 each for central systems. Window-unit filters can simply be wiped clean.
PAYBACK: Less than a year in warm climates for central units. Immediately in all climates for window units.
7. Compact Fluorescent Lights
These advanced bulbs (13 watts) use up to 75% less energy than regular bulbs (typically 60 watts), and they last about six to 12 times longer. Experts say that replacing regular lights with CFLs can be the cheapest, most effective way to get big savings on energy bills.
COST: About $3 a bulb.
PAYBACK: 3 to 7½ months.
8. Lighting Motion Sensors
Although they're more common in commercial buildings, motion sensors that automatically turn off lights when a room isn't occupied can offer big energy savings in a home. They're particularly useful when installed on outdoor lights, which are often left on all night.
COST: Many porch lights have built-in sensors and cost about $50 to $60.
PAYBACK: Under a year.
9. Window Treatments
Putting shades on southerly or westerly facing windows can reduce your costs by 6%. Insulated curtains curb losses from air conditioning and heating.
COST: Inexpensive pull-down blinds that provide summer shade run $5 to $10; curtains that promise greater insulation typically sell for as little as $30 and can run as high as $150.
PAYBACK: From just under a year to almost four years, depending on a host of variables.
10. Attic Insulation
It's well known that insulating attics can reduce the amount of heat escaping through the roof. But many attics, especially in older homes, still have too little insulation -- or none at all.
COST: About $500 to nearly $700 for an average 2,000-square-foot house; less if the attic already has some insulation. That doesn't include installation costs, which can vary widely.
PAYBACK: A year and a half, but it can vary depending on the climate, cost of insulation and other factors. Installation costs can also boost the payback time.
The full article is available at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123378447725049229.html
No comments:
Post a Comment