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05Jan

Energy-Hungry Devices: 5 Appliances That Consume the Most Energy at Home

Not all of your home’s appliances have the same functions. Utilizing each of them can have a significant impact on your monthly energy bills. It’s also essential to keep your home energy efficient to help prevent high electric bills. Hence, it’s necessary to know which of these devices use the most power in your home.

Home appliances can aid in your everyday household chores. However, when their temperature rises, your energy bills can be at their highest level since producing heat would take a lot of energy. While they can consume a considerable amount of power, some of these appliances may also consume more than the rest of them.

Making your home more energy efficient will help control your power usage more effectively. But aside from that, you also first need to understand which of them consume the most electricity in your house. As such, take a look at these five of the most energy-hungry appliances in your home.

Heating System

The use of a heating system is necessary to help regulate and maintain the level of temperature in your home. However, it’s also one of the appliances that consume the most energy in your home. It uses about 27 percent of your home’s electricity.

The kWh range for running a heating device in your home can be broad. It can consume about 100 kWh up to 3,500 kWh per month. Your heating system would also increase especially during the winter. Moreover, its range would depend on the type of heating system you use and how efficient it operates as well.

On the other hand, you can utilize a programmable thermostat to help reduce your heating bills more effectively. It’s also a great way to upgrade into a more efficient heating unit and save money on your heat-related power use. The high-quality heating appliance can operate up to 97 percent efficiency compared to the other models.

It’s also essential to have the best deal with your energy provider. You may switch to a reliable energy company like Astral Energy that can provide clean and suitable power for your home. In that way, you can lower your kWh and get more savings on your monthly heating bills.

Cooling System

The air conditioning unit in your home uses high-watt machines for an extended time. Apart from controlling the temperature in your area, it can also account for one of the biggest energy users in your home. Hence, utilizing your cooling system can significantly affect your monthly energy bills especially during the summer.

The number of watts consumed in your cooling system depends on the operating time, the capacity, the type of unit and it’s efficiency rating. Your air conditioning unit can use about 200 to 1,800 kWh per month.

You can take simple steps to help improve the efficiency of your cooling system. Since the insulation and coolant charge are vital to keeping your device working efficiently, you can have a pro check for your unit every year. Apart from that, make sure also to close the vents in your area that you hardly ever use.

You can also upgrade to a timed thermostat and turn off your cooling system automatically when the temperature from the outside gets cooler. Make sure that you also have at least 16 inches or 41 centimeters of insulation in your attic. It can help keep more of the sun’s heat out of your area so that your unit doesn’t have to work as hard.

Water Heater

Water heating can account for about 12 percent of your home’s energy use. As a homeowner, you can use a water heater to clean your clothes, wash the dishes, shower, and other home applications. Hence, it can be an essential part of your daily routine.

Water heating is a power-intensive household appliance because it consumes about 400 kWh per month. However, the amount of energy you can spend on it may depend on a lot of factors. These include the type of water heaters such as tankless, solar, or standard water heater and its size as well.

Other factors include the temperature settings, washing your clothes either in cold or hot water and how long you shower in a day. On the other hand, you can also take simple ways to conserve energy to help your water heater perform more efficient and save power on your energy bills.

You can also reduce the electricity used in your water heater by checking its temperature. You don’t need it to be hotter than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, you can drop its temperature up to twenty degrees and get the same heating efficiency while consuming less energy.

Dehumidifier

Utilizing dehumidifier is necessary to keep your home’s humidity levels in check from time to time. It’s an ideal appliance that can remove moisture from the air. The use of the product can also help prevent the growth of mildew by extracting the water from the air in your space. It can help eliminate odor and help make your area more comfortable.

If you live in a humid, wet area, you can leave dehumidifiers to run all the time. It’s a high-wattage household appliance that can consume a vast amount of power. The product comes at 60 to 1,000 watts depending on its capacity. Hence, it may consume about 160 kWh per month depending on how long it runs.

Moreover, you can also ensure that your dehumidifier is not wasting energy. You need to close off the room where it’s working. You can also set the humidistat at a reasonable number that can remove moisture more effectively. Instead of a dial, you can go for an upgrade and get a digital humidistat for greater precision.

Refrigerator or Freezer

Your fridge or freezer is necessary to keep your food and other perishable goods safe and intact. It’s also one of the top-consuming appliances in your home since it’s running on electricity all the time. It can account for a range of 30-200 kWh per month.

There are a lot of factors to consider a high-efficiency unit. These include the model size, freezer or fridge orientation, device placement, temperature settings, refrigeration habits and the energy-saving mode available.

On the other hand, there are also steps you can take to reduce the energy that your fridge or freezer can use. Some of these are checking for its power saver switch, thermostat, and seals. You also need to defrost your unit and don’t forget to use good refrigeration habits to help conserve energy effectively.

Takeaway

Utilizing home appliances can aid in your household chores. However, household tools such as those mentioned above can be power-intensive and affect your monthly energy bills. Hence, making your home more energy efficient is ideal energy conservation at home to help save money by lowering your monthly energy bills.

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31Dec

6 Reasons Why Solar Power is an Excellent Alternative Energy Resource

Solar energy is one of the most abundant energy resources on Earth. It is a renewable energy resource that can provide suitable power for your home’s needs. It’s also continuously growing in popularity nowadays since it can provide significant benefits to human and environment. As a homeowner, the use of solar energy is a great way to contribute to a cleaner future. This renewable resource is a clean and safe alternative energy solution that can help reduce the production of harmful pollution. Hence, utilizing solar power can be an excellent way to fight climate change and help reduce your home’s carbon footprint. Apart from financial benefits, there are also other pertinent reasons why you can switch into utilizing renewables such as solar power. To give you more idea, here are a few reasons why solar power is an excellent alternative energy resource for your home.

It’s a Free Source of Energy

The sun is the largest source of free energy you can utilize on this planet. It can provide enough power in just one minute that can supply the world’s electricity needs for a year. The renewable energy resource like the sun is also a sustainable and inexhaustible resource. Just like biomass, wind, hydro, and other renewable resources, solar energy is also an alternative energy resource that occurs naturally. It can provide your home with clean electricity and help power the place efficiently. Your photovoltaic cells can also help save money right from the moment you turn them on. The benefits you can get from utilizing solar power are best visible during the long run. The longer you use your solar power system, the more you can save money by reducing your utility bills. Just like Astral Energy and other alternative energy providers, utilizing solar energy can also help make your place more energy efficient cost-effectively. Apart from electricity, you can also use solar energy for your home’s heating purposes. You can do the process by installing solar thermal systems and provide your house with free heated water. The system is also low maintenance which makes it an excellent investment for your home.

It Can Make Use of the Underutilized Land

With the increasing needs for solar power nowadays, the use of this renewable power resource can become more accessible for every homeowner. Apart from providing suitable power for your home, solar energy can also make use of the underutilized land and generate substantial value for the area. There are vast land areas from various countries across the globe that are far away from big capitals or cities. Most of these areas might not be used for anything at all. However, solar energy can make use of these underutilized land more conveniently by installing photovoltaic solar panels on the area. Also referred to as a photovoltaic power station, solar farms are a vast, decentralized solar array that supplies energy to the power grid. The primary idea of having solar farms is providing suitable electricity for every homeowner even without installing these solar panels on their roof.

It Can Cause Less Electricity Loss

Electricity is transported from big power plants to consumers via extensive networks. It also travels through the power lines where a proportion of energy may be lost due to these lines’ resistance. Hence, long-distance electric transmissions would result in power losses. However, utilizing solar energy as an alternative power resource can help reduce electricity loss. You can install photovoltaic panels on your roof to help generate suitable energy from the sun. Your rooftop solar power can also help increase electricity efficiency, especially on short distances. The energy generated from your panels can become domestic which helps you control your home’s utility bills and power usage effectively. Solar power systems are also durable, and reliable, so you can assure that they can provide enough energy to help power your home’s needs more conveniently.

It Can Make Your Home Go Off-the-Grid

Traditional electricity might rely heavily on fossil fuels such as coal. The power that they generate can be harmful to the environment since burning fossil fuels would emit the harmful greenhouse gases and other air pollutants. They also have limited resources which could result in a volatile market where energy prices become unpredictable. However, utilizing solar energy can help boost your electricity independence. You can invest in solar power systems to help make your home go off the grid. The sun can provide your home with enough electricity that doesn’t increase in rate. It can also help protect yourself against the unpredictability of the utility price increase. You can install solar panels on your roof and technically reach an energy-independent status. You can also invest in solar battery storage systems to help store extra solar energy for later use. These solar batteries can provide your home with enough power especially during nighttime and rainy days.

It’s Good for the Environment

One of the primary benefits of utilizing solar energy for your home is that it can provide a clean, green source of power. The use of solar power is an excellent way to help reduce your carbon footprint that’s harmful to the environment. It also doesn’t release any greenhouse gases and other toxic chemicals. Solar power is a self-sufficient renewable energy resource. Installing solar panels on your roof is a clean and safe way to help make the future more sustainable. Solar energy is also an excellent alternative energy solution that can efficiently power your home and help preserve the environment cost-effectively.

It Helps Improve Your Grid Security

The solar cells installed in your roof functioned as a small power plant that can generate enough energy for your home. As a homeowner, installing these panels can help provide your place with efficient electricity and improve your grid security as well. Moreover, utilizing renewables can help you save money by lowering your utility bills. It can also help avoid natural or human-caused disasters due to climate change. Since much of today’s energy providers can cause air pollution, then the use of solar power can be an ideal way to fight climate change and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Takeaway

Solar power is a powerful energy resource that can provide suitable electricity for your home. It’s the cleanest and most abundant renewable resource that can efficiently power your place cost-effectively. Hence, utilizing solar energy can provide you benefits such as those mentioned above and help preserve the Earth for the next generations to come.
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29Dec

6 Helpful Ways to Save on Energy Costs in Your Office

Conserving energy in your office is beneficial for your business. It can help your business run smoothly and improve its sustainability. One of the best ways to reduce energy costs in your office is to implement energy-efficient practices in the workplace. Doing so can help save energy and save money by reducing your company’s monthly energy bill. Running a business can be expensive from your employees’ salaries to maintaining your office building. Thus, conserving energy is a great way to reduce your company’s operating costs. It’s also an ideal way to help reduce your carbon footprint and other harmful greenhouse gas emissions. You can save electricity in your office in many ways. You can update your office equipment to more energy efficient tools or adjust your office environment. To give you further insights, here are six simple ways to help save on energy costs in your office and lower your business’s operational costs.

Consider the Renewable Energy Resources

Utilizing solar power and other renewable energy resources are one of the best ways to conserve energy in your office. The renewables are an excellent option to replace your local energy provider with a clean and energy efficient power resource. These renewable resources can provide your company with sustainable power that’s energy efficient. The use of renewables is an excellent energy alternative to help power your business more efficiently. You can invest in these renewables and get paid for every kilowatt-hour of clean energy they can generate. Utilizing these renewables can also help save about half a tonne of greenhouse gases per year. Utilizing wind energy, geothermal heat pumps, solar power, and other renewable power resources can help reduce your reliance on traditional energy. These renewables can make your company more sustainable. Going green can also help your company’s bottom line and help attract new customers or clients.

Upgrade Your Equipment Into Energy Efficient Models

Your heating and cooling systems, exhaust fans in your bathroom, refrigerator, and other old equipment might work inefficiently and require more energy to operate. So, it’s necessary to upgrade your office equipment into energy efficient models and help conserve energy in your workplace. Switching into more energy efficient equipment can help boost your company’s sustainability. These energy saving appliances can help save energy in your office by as much as 75 percent compared to similar products. Doing so can help save money by reducing the electricity bill in your office. Moreover, it’s also necessary to unplug these appliances when not in use or use a power strip to help reduce your power consumption. It can help avoid vampire loads and prevent your office equipment from consuming an amount of power continuously even when they’re switched off. Apart from switching into energy-efficient equipment, it’s also necessary to carefully manage them to help reduce the amount of energy they consume. Saving energy can provide significant benefits to your company such as greater mobility, longer working life for your devices, and lower temperature levels in your office.

Upgrade Into Energy Efficient Lights

The old versions of lights you use in your office might tend to be less energy efficient. As a businessman, upgrading into more energy efficient lights is necessary to help conserve power in your office. Energy efficient bulbs such as LEDs and CFLs can be better lighting options that can help you save money on your electricity bills. The energy efficient CFL or compact fluorescent lamp and LED or light emitting diode bulbs can help make your business more energy efficient. The LED bulbs can produce light that’s 90 percent more efficient compared to incandescent light bulbs. LED lighting can also last up to 50,000 hours which makes it a worthy investment for your business. On the other hand, CFLs are energy saving fluorescent lamp that can only consume up to 25 to 35 percent of the energy compared to incandescent bulbs. CFLs can help reduce your office’s energy consumption and help save a significant amount of your money. Utilizing CFL lighting is also an ideal way to help reduce the impact on the environment.

Make Your Faucets and toilets Energy Efficient

Leaking faucets, toilets, and other fixtures in your office can result in additional water bills every year. With that in mind, you can upgrade into energy efficient fixtures in your office building and help conserve water and reduce your utility bills. You can utilize touchless faucet that doesn’t have handles to turn them on and off. Instead, the product can sense when you place your hands underneath, and the water will automatically start to flow. The water flow would also automatically stops when you took your hands away and help reduce water waste. On the other hand, you can utilize HETs or high-efficiency toilets that allow you to use less water and help remove waste more effectively. The product can eliminate waste in just one flush to clear the toilet. Hence, it can be an excellent upgrade for your office’s bathroom and make the area more energy efficient.

Control the Sun’s Heat Through Solar Window Film

Your office might tend to have a lot of windows which require your air conditioning system to work extra harder. These windows can add more load on your cooling bills as well. To solve this problem, you can use a solar window film and help keep your office cool all the time. The solar window film is an effective alternative to help reduce your office rooms’ temperature cost effectively. It can help guard against 80 percent of solar heat and make your office more energy efficient.

Fix the Leaks on Your Doors and Windows

The drafts and air leaks from your windows and doors can lower the energy efficiency in your office. Your area might lose up to 30 percent of cooling and heating energy through air leaks. Hence, sealing the leaks around these areas is necessary. Doing so can help prevent wasting your office’s heating and cooling power that can cost you money. You can fix air leaks in your office’s doors and windows through caulking or weatherstripping. They are cost-effective ways to reduce air that leaks in these areas. They can also help reduce your company’s energy costs while increasing comfort, improve durability, and create a healthier workplace.

Takeaway

You can improve your office’s energy efficiency to help reduce your business’s operating costs. As a business owner, saving energy can make your business more sustainable and help increase its market value. You can also create significant energy conservation in your office such as those mentioned above and get higher profit in the future.
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24Dec

Flick the Switch: 5 Essential Facts About Turning Off Your Lights to Save Energy

Turning the lights off when you leave your room is necessary to help save electricity and lower your utility bills. As a homeowner, turning the lights off when you’re not using them can help save money by reducing your electricity bills, extend the life of your light bulbs, and buy bulbs less often. Turning your lights off is essential when you go out of your room for a few minutes. Doing so can make your home more energy-efficient. Turning your lights off is also more energy efficient when you choose lighting options that are high-quality and cost-effective. On the other hand, check out these six essential facts about turning off the lights in your home.

Saving Depends on the Type of Bulbs You Use

Not all light bulbs in the market are created equally. The energy you can save by turning off the lights would depend on the type of bulbs you’re using. One of the least energy-efficient types of lighting is an incandescent light bulb. These lights tend to produce heat as their primary electrical conversion before they can generate light. Ninety percent of incandescent light bulbs’ energy use is given off as heat while only ten percent results into lights. Therefore, turning off your incandescent light bulbs can help you save more energy in your home. Turning off halogen lights when not in use can also help reduce energy bill since they use the same technology as incandescent light bulbs. You also need to follow the general rule of thumb when you turn off Compact Fluorescent Lights or CFLs. You can leave the lights on if you’ll return to your room within 15 minutes. But if you go out of your house for more than 15 minutes, then it’s more energy saving to turn them off. The strategy will also help extend the life of your CFL bulbs. However, Light Emitting Diodes or LED bulbs will not be affected whether you turn them on or off. It’s one of the essential characteristics of LED bulbs that makes them ideal for your energy conservation at home. You can also utilize sensors that can help switch them on and off automatically and turn their full brightness instantly.

It Can Help Save Energy and Money

Turning your lights off can help save energy and money. You can calculate how much power you can save for each light bulb you switched off per hour. You need first to check the watt rating printed on each bulb. If you have a 60-watt bulb and you turned it off for one hour, then you can save .06 kilowatt hours. You can also calculate how much money you can save on turning off your light bulbs. You need first to get your recent electric bill and check out how much per kilowatt hour you’re charged. Then, you have to multiply the amount of kilowatt per hour by its given price. The number of changes with how much energy and money you save depends on the place where you live. It might also depend on the time of the day or the season in which you use your lights. If you have an electric rate of 20 cents per kilowatt-hour, then you can save about 1.2 cents when you turned off a light bulb per hour.

There’s a Snowball Effect

Turning the lights in your home can help save a significant amount of money per kilowatt hours and reduce your electricity bill every month. However, your savings would grow more rapidly when many people will do the same movement. One of the best examples is to have energy-saving and sustainability movements. One of the energy-saving and sustainability movements is the Lights Off Cornell. As a project run by a committee of students from Cornell University, it’s a movement that aims to help conserve energy by turning off the unused lights inside the campus. It’s an energy conservation initiative that helps reduce wasted electricity and save money. Cornell also helps encourage the students and the young ones to reduce their power consumption. In 2010, the university calculated an estimated amount of 60,000 dollars that they could’ve saved every year if those lights that aren’t in use are turned off.

The Lighting Controls are Efficient

You can save more energy in your house by turning off the lights using lighting controls. The lighting controls such as motion detectors or timers and dimmers can help reduce your energy consumption by automatically controlling your lights efficiently. One of the technological innovations you can utilize is the motion sensor lights. These lights have sensors that can automatically recognize when there’s someone, or something is coming in your room. Hence, you won’t need to worry about turning on and off your lights when you leave your room. On the other hand, you can utilize dimmers as an ideal lighting control that allows you to reduce wattage and power output that can help you save energy. They’re also inexpensive to install which enables you to bring an adequate amount of light in your room. The motion sensors are also an ideal lighting control that can automatically turn your lights on when they can detect motion or movement. They can also automatically turn your lights off when the activity stopped. Hence, employing lighting controls will ensure that you can reduce wasted energy without checking each of your lights personally.

It Can Help the Environment

Turning off the lights when you leave your room can help save energy. It can also help reduce carbon emission and other harmful greenhouse gases. Hence, turning off your lights is a simple way to help protect the environment and save the planet. It is essential to follow the general rules of thumb when it comes to turning off your lights. If you use incandescent bulbs, it’s vital to turn off the lights if you go out of your room for one minute or more. For fluorescent bulbs, you can leave the lights on if you’re out of your home for 15 minutes or less, and turn them off when you leave for more than 15 minutes. Turning off your lights will also help reduce the use of non-renewable resources that are harmful to the environment. You can turn off the lights during the day especially if you don’t need them. You can also turn off your appliances to help reduce your carbon footprint and help save the planet.

Takeaway

Turning off the lights when you leave your home is a cost-effective way to reduce your wasted energy. You need to choose high-quality light bulbs to make your home more energy efficient. Moreover, it’s also helpful to know essential things such as those mentioned above to help keep your energy bills low, save money, and preserve the Earth.
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22Dec

Obstacles Beyond Success: 5 Barriers Towards Renewable Energy Technologies

The development of renewable energy technologies is growing significantly nowadays. Renewable energy is a natural resource that helps provide suitable electricity in your home. As a homeowner, utilizing these natural resources that can create power from hydropower, wind, and solar is viable for your home’s energy needs. The wind and solar energy are producing about ten percent of electricity in the US. It is considered as an achievement for these technologies which have overcome several barriers against their competitors. To know more of them, here are five barriers towards renewable energy technologies focusing on wind and solar.

The Market Entry

Market entry is one of the significant barriers toward wind and solar technologies. The natural resources need to compete with other energy resources like gas, coal, and fossil fuels. The low-cost solar and wind technologies also need to prove their worth by showing investors and homeowners that they can also generate a large quantity of energy. The nuclear, coal and natural gas are providing most of the energy for the United States. Other countries also invested in these resources which shows that they can hold enormous market power over wind and solar. Hence, it becomes a tough situation for wind and solar energy technologies to enter the market compared to more traditional sectors. The wind, solar, and other renewable resources might also need to compete with companies that are benefiting from existing expertise, infrastructure, and policy. It can be a difficult market to enter, and it presents a formidable barrier for these renewables. However, an increase in government investment in clean energy like Astral Energy in the form of research and development, loan assistance, and subsidies would help wind and solar technologies enter the market. Doing so can help provide electricity for households while reducing greenhouse gases and other forms of pollution.

The Capital Costs

The capital costs are the expenses for installing the wind and solar farms. It is one of the barriers to renewable energy technologies. Although wind and solar and other renewables are cheap to operate, their maintenance is minimal, and their fuel is also free. Hence, the expense would primarily come from building these technologies. Installing solar systems would range from 2,000 to 3,700 dollars per kilowatt. The wind technologies also cost from 1,200 to 1,700 dollars per kilowatt to install. However, fossil fuels like the natural gas plant might only cost about 1,000 dollars per kilowatt. Installing wind and solar technologies would need a higher cost which makes the government as well as financial institutions more likely to find renewables risky. They can lend money into higher rates which makes it difficult for developers or utilities to sustain the investment. However, investors should realize that the wind and the utility-scale solar can become least expensed renewables if the costs over the lifespan for installing them are taken into account. Besides, their energy capital cost might also continue to lower down for the next years to come.

The Misconceptions Regarding Their Reliability

The misconceptions with the reliability of renewable energy can be one of the barriers to adopting wind and solar power. The renewable energy competitors would highlight that the solar and wind generation would always need government assistance to produce electricity grid which means they’re unreliable. They can also stress that renewable energy generators would need fossil fuels as a backup when the sun doesn't shine, or the wind stops blowing. But they must consider that the wind and solar are clean energy. They become highly reliable when wind and solar are spread into a large area and paired with compatible generation sources. Smart appliances, real-time pricing, advanced batteries, and other modern grid technologies would also help wind and solar to have a well-performing grid. These technologies can help California, United States, and other countries to reliably and safely operate the modern grid and generate energy using high levels of renewables. For many utilities, it can be ideal to consider the value of solar, wind, and other renewable resources. These renewables can provide energy planners with narrowcast parameters and long-term opportunities.

The Siting and Transmission

The solar and wind systems are decentralized renewable energy. They are smaller generating systems that are spread across a large area that work together to produce power. One of the advantages of decentralization is grid resilience. However, they can still present two primary barriers to renewables namely siting and transmission. The site is the place where you need to locate the solar farms and wind turbines on the land. Selecting an appropriate location can be challenging, making it one of the barriers to renewable energy. Doing it also requires permits, contracts, community relations, and negotiations that lead to increased costs for the project. On the other hand, transmission is the infrastructure and power lines needed to control and move the electricity from the area generated to its consumption. But since the solar and wind are newcomers, then most transmissions that exist nowadays was built to contain nuclear plants and fossil fuels.

There’s an Unequal Playing Field

The unequal playing field brought by other energy industries is one of the barriers to renewables. It means that you can’t see multi-billion dollar industries without any political influence. Some countries spend almost 38 billion dollars on subsidies for fossil fuels annually. The government incentives like subsidies will help taxpayers to fund the mining, electricity generation, drilling, and the industry’s research and development that can help increase domestic production. The other companies also diverted their capital for more productive projects like energy efficiency that might affect the growth of renewable energy. Moreover, wind and solar will get fewer subsidies and receive less political treatment. The disconnection between policy and science expresses that the price that you pay to energy solutions like fossil fuels might not represent its real cost. It also means that there would be no equal playing field for renewables. They’re competing with industries that directly get subsidies and indirectly unable to punish polluters.

Takeaway

The renewable energy technologies are a clean power generating systems. They help provide suitable power for every homeowner. However, despite their success in the industry, there would still be barriers or obstacles that wind, solar, and other renewables need to overcome against competitors such as those mentioned above.
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17Dec

A Natural Resource: 7 Facts About Natural Gas That You Might Not Know

Natural gas is a hydrocarbon gas mixture that is one of the world’s most significant energy resources. It is a fuel that is useful for cooking, water heating, space heating, and powering the appliances in your home. It’s a sustainable resource that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas is a mixture of different compounds such as methane, chains of carbon, hydrocarbons, and hydrogen atoms. It is formed after the exposure of decomposed animal and plant matter from the heat and pressure under the Earth’s surface over millions of years before transforming into natural gas. This natural resource is a significant source of energy in America and other countries in the world. To catch you up, check out more of these seven facts about natural gas that you might not know.

Natural Gas is Odorless

Natural gas is an odorless fossil fuel since it’s mostly made up of methane which doesn’t have any smell. Its telltale scent came from the added odorizer like sulfur that can help quickly detect any possible leaks. Another form of odorizer is tert-Butylthiol or t-butyl mercaptan that smells like rotten eggs. The natural gas odorizers may vary in most countries depending on their gas distribution regulations. Other companies also add a compound called thiophane into the mixture. It is a volatile and colorless liquid that contains an unpleasant smell. The odorizers mixed to it can also help consumers recognize the natural gas more effectively. Apart from being odorless, natural gas is also colorless and tasteless. Utilizing it for your home’s needs is an ideal way to control your power and energy costs. This natural resource will not only help you save energy but also to help protect the environment by producing less greenhouse gas emissions.

Natural Gas is a Cleaner Fossil Fuel

Natural gas is one of the cleanest combustions of fossil fuels. Compared to coal, burning it can produce 50 percent less carbon dioxide. Many oil and gas industry named it as a bridge fuel because it is cleaner to burn on power plants than coal. Thus, natural gas can be better for the climate and the environment. The use of natural gas as an energy resource in the power generation systems can provide a cleaner alternative from other fossil fuels such as coal. It can produce less carbon and other harmful chemicals that can be ideal for the environment and public health. Using it can also help contribute to improving the local air quality.

It Undergoes Seven Basic Processing Stages

The delivery of natural gas to consumers would require many processing steps and infrastructures. Before delivering it to your houses, it needs to first undergo three categories namely processing, transportation, and storage. The natural gas needs first to meet the specific quality measures before transmitting into the transportation system. The quality measure will help the pipeline network or the grid to produce high-quality natural gas. It is also necessary to remove the hydrocarbon gas liquids and other contaminants before delivering and transporting it to consumers. The processing time would also take long since it involves several stages to remove water, oil, HGL, and other impurities such as nitrogen, helium, sulfur, and more. Its composition will determine the number of processes and stages it needed to produce high-quality dry natural gas through pipelines. There are seven primary stages for processing natural gas. The first stage is Gas-oil-water Separators. It uses pressure to separate the fluid streams and other liquids from the gas such as water and oil. The second stage is separating or removing the condensates at the wellhead gas and sending the natural gas to storage tanks. The third stage is Dehydration that helps remove water condensation in the pipelines. The next step is Contaminant Removal that helps remove nitrogen, helium, hydrogen sulfide, and other contaminants. Then next is the Nitrogen Extraction that uses the Nitrogen Rejection Unit or NRU. The sixth stage is Methane Separation which the natural gas undergoes the demethanization process, absorption methods, and cryogenic processing to separate methane from HGL. And the seventh and last stage is Fractionation that helps separate the HGL into component liquids through its varying boiling points.

It’s a Complement to Renewable Energy

Natural gas is a flexible and reliable energy resource. As renewable energy resources continue to grow as an efficient power source, no wonder it can be a strong complement to renewables that can provide enough power source for your home. Natural gas is a great power source on demand. As a consumer, utilizing fossil fuel as an energy solution such as natural gas is a way to save more energy bills while reducing carbon emissions.

A Good Alternative Fuel for Vehicles

Compressed natural gas or CNG vehicles can help improve air quality by reducing harmful gas emissions. Its engine can function the same way as the gasoline engines. The liquified natural gas or LNG is also ideal for vehicles that travel long distances. Some of the many advantages of using natural gas vehicles are the widespread distribution infrastructure, domestic availability, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to using diesel fuels and other conventional gasoline.

Natural Gas Helps You Save Money

As a consumer, using natural gas as an alternative energy solution can help you save money from your energy bills. It is a clean fuel that leads to less propane, electricity, and heating oil usage in your home. The natural gas appliances can also be more energy efficient than other models, so it helps you save money.

Natural Gas is Environmentally Friendly

The use of natural gas in your home can help reduce your carbon footprint. It is a smart energy solution to provide your home, the schools, and businesses with a clean and efficient energy source. It can also be ideal for upgrading your home with highly efficient natural gas appliances to help reduce emissions while reducing your energy bills. When it’s burned on power generation systems, natural gas would only produce 15 percent less carbon dioxide than wood, 30 percent less than oil, and 50 percent less than coal. This natural resource would also produce no sulfur dioxide, monoxide, and other airborne particles that can be harmful to animal and human health.

Takeaway

The natural gas can be a bridge fuel to a renewable future. It is an ideal renewable resource that can help upgrade and revolutionize your home. It’s also an abundant resource to help reduce your carbon footprint and other gaseous gas emissions that are harmful to the environment. Indeed, with the growing renewable energy resource industry nowadays, it can be ideal to know significant information about a reliable resource like natural gas such as those mentioned above. It shows the significant benefits of using natural gas on the environment that can help conserve and save the Earth.
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15Dec

Conserve and Preserve: 6 Innovative Electricity-Saving Technologies

The advances in technology continuously gives an impact to the lives of people. Its purpose is to provide life experiences with ease, comfort, and convenience. There are new technologies intended for the food industry, fashion, education, as well as for the film and music industry. Technology is so dynamic; it always aims to respond to people’s needs. A concrete manifestation of technological advancement is the comfort and security you experience at home. You might have the latest entertainment appliances, a new model of kitchen equipment, or a modernized surveillance system to protect your home from intruders. All of these things undoubtedly make the most comfortable life. However, since this technological advancement requires electricity to function, Mother nature will consequently suffer. Excessive consumption of electricity results in negative consequences resulting in climate change. The technologies listed below are useful in helping you save electricity every day. Read on and choose some that will suit your home.

Motion Sensors

A motion sensor is a technology that is capable of detecting any physical movement within a particular environment. The device turns off lights in a room when not in use. It also switches off fans if the device doesn’t detect any motion in the surrounding. Business owners usually use this device and have it installed in their business premises. The motion sensor helps you save electricity consumption every day. It’s an electricity-saving device for your equipment and appliances at home like an electric fan, radio, home security system, and plenty more. If your goal is to lessen your bills the following month, you can buy one in your nearest store for your business and your home.

LED Lighting

Incandescent bulbs were the conventional sources of light in most houses in the 20th century. However, incandescent bulbs consumes a lot electricity. As a result, a lot of people have switched to LED (light emitting diodes) lighting. Making the switch will significantly help one save electricity consumption every month. The company and business owners have also switched to LED lighting like in the hotels, resorts, shopping malls as well as different well-known casinos around the world. The use of LED in saving electricity is beneficial and efficient in places where there’s a need to keep the lights turned on 24 hours a day.

Reflective Roofing

Another effective way to save electricity is to install reflective roofing on your roof. The reflective roofing has the materials with reflective pigments helping to absorb less heat than usual. If your roof doesn’t absorb much heat, you can keep your home cool in hot summer without turning your AC units to the highest coolness level. If winter is the time to use the heating system units, summer will make your electricity consumption increase with your air conditioning units at full blast every day. With the use of reflective roofing, you can lower down your bills for months. Contact an experienced person now to do the installation on your roof to ensure the quality of work.

Advanced Windows

Modern insulated windows have sensors and microprocessors which are responsible for automatic adjustment with the shading of your house. It’s based on the amount of sunlight from the outside as well as the time of the day whether it’s in the morning, noon, afternoon, or in the evening to make sure that your home has enough illumination.   These insulated windows help you save electricity consumption by reducing the amount of electricity-wasting air infiltration. If windows are not installed correctly, it will allow air to penetrate through defective seals. You have to design your windows that will give your home insulation for peak energy efficiency. You should always use your heating and cooling systems in cold winter and hot summer. Make it sure to use your electricity efficiently during that time by installing smart advanced windows for your home. Doing it is one of the best ways to conserve energy while helping you save money.

Magnetic Refrigerators

The traditional refrigerators have a system process called vapor compression. It uses coolants that are harmful to the environment. However, due to the technological advancement today, researchers invented the modernized refrigerator that has magnets to create cold. The magnetic refrigerator utilizes the magnetocaloric effect. The Magnetocaloric effect means that the low and high temperature will depend on the magnetic field. Moreover, this modernized model of refrigerator uses a water-based cooling fluid. Hence, it won’t harm the environment. Most importantly, you can save electricity consumption every day.

Smart Power Boards

The smart power board is essential for measuring the flow of electricity from an outlet that can help detect when your device is in use or a standby mode. Just like the multi-boards, smart power brands also allow you to make the most out of your limited power sockets. When the technology recognizes your device from its standby mode, the smart power board will help cut the flow of electricity more efficiently. It won’t compromise the energy flow of the other connected electronics from your device, so it can help commence energy flow from your device more effectively.

Takeaway

The advancement of technology plays a vital role in helping you be more effective in whatever you do and be efficient in your time. It’s not a good practice to move forward with your life and sacrifice nature. Living the most comfortable life while ruining your environment has never been a good idea. The technologies discussed above are just a few of those available in the market. You can search the internet to find more latest tech of your interest. Make it a practice of living your life today while you take good care of nature. Enjoy what the fast-paced world offers and help to preserve the world at the same time.
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11Dec

5 Significant Benefits of Using Energy-Efficient Appliances

These days, households remain to be one of the major contributors to harmful greenhouse gases because they use home appliances that consume a lot of energy. That’s why it could be ideal when you take advantage of today’s innovation such as using energy efficient tools to reduce the emission of carbon footprint.   As homeowners, the energy-efficient appliances are essential to help you save money and energy, protect the environment, and enhance your lifestyle. Thus, the more energy efficient home appliances you use, the lower your utility bills will be while protecting the environment from harmful gases such as carbon dioxide.   Having these appliances could benefit you and your country, and the entire world as well. That being said, here are the significant benefits of using these helpful home appliances.

Energy-Efficient Appliances Help Prevent Greenhouse Emissions

Greenhouse gases are the leading causes of global warming and climate change. These gases are responsible for absorbing the infrared radiation that would lead to holding and trapping the heat in the atmosphere. As a result, the warmth from the Earth’s surface would continue to increase.   Burning fossil fuels, which creates electricity can also contribute to global warming. Fossil fuel combustion would release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases can act as an insulating layer that allows the solar radiation to go in but preventing it from reflecting out into the Earth’s surface.   When the solar radiation heat gets trapped to the surface of the Earth, then it would result in climate change and global warming. So, the use of energy efficient appliances in your home such as dishwasher and refrigerator would help save energy that can also help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and help protect the environment.

These Appliances Help You Save Water

Everyone depends on water to live. And conserving water should be your responsibility. You should help keep the water pure and safe and help preserve it for the next generation. Thus, one of the best things you can do is to use home appliances that will consume less water and energy to help reduce your water and electricity bill for the next years to come.   Electricity rates are increasing every year due to excessive demand for energy from households and other business entity. Hence, it can be ideal to use energy efficient appliances such as dryers, washers, refrigerators, freezers, air purifiers, etc. for more efficient energy conservation at home while helping you save water bill as well.   These energy efficient appliances can provide you more convenience because they won’t only help you save water bill, but they can also help do your household chores more efficiently while protecting the environment.

Energy-Efficient Appliances Help Save Money

Apart from preventing greenhouse emissions and conserving water, energy efficient appliances also help you save money by reducing your energy bills at home. The likes of Astral Energy, and other energy providers to help you get further energy efficient improvements for your home.   One of these energy efficient improvements for your home is buying appliances that can help you save your electricity bills. Replacing your old incandescent light bulbs will also help reduce electricity consumption. Some of these incandescent light bulbs include the energy efficient LEDs or CFLs that can help save more than half of your current electricity bills.   Having these home appliances also allows you to take energy efficient actions quickly. Some of them is washing your clothes with cold water using an energy-efficient clothes washer to help protect their color from fading and keep them to last longer. Thus, you can save money and reduce your electricity bill as well.

Energy-Efficient Appliances Help Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Carbon footprint is the number of carbon compounds such as carbon dioxide emitted due to consumption of fossil fuels from your house and other businesses. These carbon compounds can lead to trapping the sun’s heat from the Earth’s atmosphere that is one of the primary causes of climate change.   However, you can help reduce your carbon footprint and other greenhouse gases by using energy-efficient home appliances since they have lower emissions of harmful gases into the environment. Using these appliances is one of the best ways to help reduce them that can help decrease the effect of climate change to all living things.   Moreover, air pollution, carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gases are harmful to the environment, for human health and to other living things as well. That’s why according to research, reducing carbon footprint and other greenhouse gases can help prevent premature deaths by the year 2100.

They Can Help Enhance the Quality of Your Life

The energy-efficient appliances are essential for enhancing the quality of your life. Using them can be more convenient by making your life a lot easier. Some of these home appliances will only need a lesser replacement and maintenance, so you can assure that they can help you save money and your time as well.   An example of this is when you replace your ordinary fluorescent bulb with a more energy efficient light bulb. As the days passed by, you can observe that it can last longer while it can help reduce your electricity bill.   It is also the same way the energy efficiency can help provide positive effects on the environment. By using environmentally friendly appliances, you can help breathe cleaner air while helping your family, and other people to become healthier and happier as well. Thus, using them can be an ideal way to help improve the quality of your life.   Furthermore, these ideal appliances can also help improve the economy too. They can provide a positive impact on the economy by saving a significant amount of money and save up to billions of dollars on the national level. Thus, using them can help benefit every homeowner and the nation as a whole.

Takeaway

There are a lot of benefits when you go the energy efficient way. Using energy efficient appliances, you’ll not only save money and reduce your monthly energy bills, but you can also help conserve and protect the environment.   Furthermore, with the growing average of households that produce air pollution and other harmful chemicals, the use of energy efficient appliances is indeed one of the best ways you can do to help fight climate change. It can be a simple way to save Mother Earth for the next generations to come.
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09Dec

5 Helpful Ways to Save Electricity at Home

Monthly bills are part of the reason why a husband and wife have arguments. It might be the unknown charges reflected on the bills or the unexpected fluctuation due to the excessive use of the service. Rental fees, taxes, and insurances, as well as phone and internet bills,  are the typical responsibilities of every household each month. Also, the fluctuation of monthly electricity bills usually creates a continuing issue. To avoid being in a tight jam, here’s a list of helpful ways to save your electricity consumption. Read on below and practice them at home to lessen your next monthly expenses.

Turn Off the Lights When Not in Use

Lightings inside and outside of your house that are usually left unattended often result in high charges. Lights in the bedroom, in the bathroom, as well as in the kitchen and dining area that are used even when no one’s around all add up. If you want to save on electricity, you better practice turning the lights off when not in use. Inform all your family members to do the same and make it a habit at home. Also, you can open all the windows and some doors during the daytime to let natural light come in. Natural light with fresh air will surely give your home a more healthy environment.

Manage Your HVAC Usage

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is for heating and cooling commercial as well as residential buildings. If the weather is too warm, you can turn on the air conditioning unit to turn down the temperature. If it’s too cold,  you can use the heater to make you and your family feel warm at home HVAC equipment consumes a lot of energy. However, there’s a way to avoid excessive electricity consumption. After a few years of use, HVAC tends to accumulate trouble especially if you don’t give it proper and regular maintenance. If your HVAC starts to manifest malfunctions, it’ll surely consume more power than normal. That’s why you have to make it sure that your HVAC equipment has regular maintenance from a specialist to avoid excessive electricity consumption. It looks like you’re paying more, you’ll be saving more money in the long run. Regular maintenance for your HVAC will surely enable you to avoid the possible costly repairs in the future and worse, buy a new one if it’s completely broken due to small mishaps that could have been resolved by regular maintenance works.

Use Your Washer and Dryer Efficiently  

Doing laundry is one of the most tiring house chores especially when you do it every day. With advances in technology, there are smart washers and dryers available in the market today. If you’re busy or don’t have the time, you can have one of them at home to help you out with your laundry. Since washers and dryers are typical home appliances, you tend to use it from time to time. You might say that it’s fine as long as you've cleaned your clothes and other fabrics properly using the machine. However, if your goal is to save electricity and water consumption, you could start doing it with your laundry. It is a good idea to do laundry in bulk. Washing your clothes and other fabrics every day will consume more water and electricity. However, doing your laundry once a week or over the weekends will surely save you more bucks. Different brands and units of washers and dryers have different designs and capabilities. Others are designed for a long day of laundry work, but some aren’t. Other units consume more electricity and others are electricity-saving models. You have to choose one that is suitable for your need and goal.

Make Use of Your Kitchen Appliances

Prepping meals is usually what most people do at home. If you don’t want to take your breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the fast food restaurant, you’ll surely have to cook your meals at home. If you are married and you have children, preparing food is very important. Preparing and cooking food isn’t and doesn’t have to be rocket science. Appliances such as Rice cookers, microwave ovens, pressure cookers, and electric stoves are just a few examples of kitchen appliances that consume too much electricity. Using these appliances from time to time will surely give you fluctuation in your next bills. If you want to cook a particular dish, make sure that it will cater to all of the members of the family. If you’re using an electric stove, make use of the time that you’ve turned it on. As much as possible, cook everything that you’re going to eat in a particular meal to maximize the time you’re using the stove. Using kitchen appliances from time to time will surely consume electricity. That’s why making it a practice at home good for slashing down the bills on gas and electricity. If there’s an extra meal, keep it in a safe storage for anyone who’d want to eat it later. Moreover, having a regular inspection of the appliances that you use in the kitchen will make you find one that needs repair or an appliance that needs to go the dump. Remember that kitchen appliances with underlying issues or malfunctions often consume more electricity and worse, cause electric-related accidents.

Takeaway

If your goal is to lower down your electricity bill every month, you can apply all of the cost-saving tips discussed above. Make sure to have a proper discussion about this stuff between you and your whole family. It’ll be better if all of your family members have the same understanding and objective as yours.
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