| |
|
|
|
Environment Learning Center
Environment
I want to make the largest difference in benefiting the environment
It is sometimes hard to know where to start or where we fit in to this new ‘green’ world.
For that reason, we have compiled a list of potential projects that can spark a change in everyone
(no matter whether big or small!) Keep checking back for new tips and project ideas that may help you
to save money and make a difference!
 Upgrade your clothes washer to an energy star washer
|
- Energy Star washers use 35-50% less water per load
- They also use 50% less electricity per load
|
Buy It Now
Ask an Expert
|
Upgrade your toilet to a high efficiency toilet
|
- A family of 4 would save between 14,000 to 17,000 gallons of water per year by upgrading their toilets
|
Buy It Now
Ask an Expert
|
Repair any leaks
|
- Fixing any leaky faucets or running toilets can save up to 2,700 gallons of water per year
|
Buy It Now
Ask an Expert
|
Check the air pressure in your tires
|
- By driving on under-inflated tires you decrease your car’s mileage. About 25% of all cars on the road have under-inflated tires
- We could save 800 million gallons of gasoline per year if every car's tires were at the proper air pressure
|
Buy It Now
Ask an Expert
|
Install a low-flow showerhead
|
- 32% of a home's water use is dedicated to showering
- A low-flow showerhead can save up to 20,000 gallons of water per year for a family of 4
|
Buy It Now
Ask an Expert
|
Switch your incandescent light bulbs for Energy Star
qualified CFL bulbs
|
- CFLs use 66% less energy than conventional bulbs
- It takes 10 incandescent bulbs to last the equivalent life span of one CFL bulb
|
Buy It Now
Ask an Expert
|
Install a Solar Water Heater
|
- You will cut back on conventional utility demands by approximately 50-85% annually
- You can expect a simple payback of 4 to 8 years on a well-designed and properly installed solar water heater.
(Simple payback is the length of time required to recover your investment through reduced or avoided energy costs)
- When a solar water heater replaces an electric water heater, the electricity displaced over
20 years represents more than 50 tons of avoided carbon dioxide emissions alone
|
Buy It Now
Ask an Expert
|
Install Solar Panels
|
- PV Systems create no pollution and generate no waste products when operating.
- You won’t have to worry about the prediction of conventional electricity prices skyrocketing as your solar system
cost will remain the same. It is comparative to the stability of buying a home and locking in at a fixed rate vs.
renting a home and being susceptible to the movement in the markets. By purchasing a solar system, you are able to
lock in your rate for the next 25 years vs. gambling with the conventional market price
- PV is cost effective for residential customers located further than a quarter of a mile from the nearest utility
line and the advantages of a PV system often offset the relatively high initial investment
- There is net metering potential, which can offset the price of any extra electricity needed from the grid or you
can earn extra income (make sure that net metering policies are in force in your location)
|
Buy It Now
Ask an Expert
|
Install a Wind Turbine
|
- Homes, businesses, farms and ranches can receive a significant portion of their needed power from free wind energy and can gain more independence from your local utility provider and grid
- Wind energy is a clean and renewable energy and is virtually pollution free
- There is net metering potential, which can offset the price of any extra electricity needed from the grid or you can earn extra income (make sure that net metering policies are in force in your location)
|
Buy It Now
Ask an Expert
|
Install a GeoExchange System
|
- GeoExchange qualifies as a renewable energy because a typical two bedroom house-sized installation is equivalent to taking two cars off the road or planting one acre of trees
- GeoExchange systems out-perform even the most efficient gas technology, and gas heat pumps, by an average of 36 percent in heating mode and 43 percent in cooling mode
- Energy costs with GeoExchange typically are 25 to 70 percent less than other HVAC systems and energy requirements
- Due to the 'zone' conditioning functionality, GeoExchange systems allow specific areas or rooms to be heated or cooled independently from each other
|
Buy It Now
Ask an Expert
|
|
|
|
|
|
|