Special Thanks to Jason Szumlanski, our Operations Manager, for this blog post!

Being energy efficient is critical to saving money, but reducing power is only half the battle.  Some changes that may seem energy efficient on the surface may not save any energy at all.

For example, you might ask about replacing an existing 1-1/2 horsepower pool pump with an “energy efficient” 3/4 horsepower pump.  The smaller pump would definitely use less power – in fact, about half the amount of power. Unfortunately, to circulate the same amount of water, you would need to run the smaller pump for more than double the amount of time each day, ultimately using more energy!

A better strategy would be installing a photovoltaic (solar) pool pump that runs using energy from the sun, eliminating the utility electricity consumed by your circulation pump.

Some items are inherently inefficient, and power savings are simply not a viable option.

For example, a curling iron will use essentially the same amount of power to reach the same temperature as any other brand. The only way to reduce energy used in your daily hair care regimen may be to work faster!

Conversely, if you want to watch television, it’s hard to reduce the time it takes to watch American Idol (except with a DVR!)

The best way to reduce your energy use with this appliance is to buy an energy efficient model, which saves energy by using less power.

Some items that can be more efficient by using less power to do the same job are televisions, computers, and air conditioners. Some items that simply need to be used for shorter periods of time are water heaters, hair dryers, and irons.

The bottom line is that saving energy with one appliance may require a different strategy than with another appliance.

Don’t bother shopping for a toaster that uses less power, and you won’t find a light bulb that shines when it is turned off.

Understanding the relationship between power and energy (efficiency and time) is critical to reducing your overall energy use.

- Jason

Special Thanks to Jason Szumlanski, our Operations Manager, for this blog post!

However, these terms represent very different, but related concepts.

Power is the rate at which energy is consumed, expressed in watts or kilowatts.

Energy is the amount of power consumed, expressed in watt-hours or kilowatt-hours (kWh).

To understand energy use, and consequently our utility bills, we must factor in the amount of power devices and appliances use and how long we use them.

Let’s look at the example of a typical light fixture outside your front door with a 60 watt light bulb. Sixty watts is the amount of power the lamp consumes, or the rate at which the lamp uses energy. If you run a 60 watt light bulb from dusk to dawn for 12 hours, you will consume 720 watt-hours of energy (or 0.72 kilowatt-hours).

In Southwest Florida we currently pay around 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, so that light bulb would cost 7.2 cents per night, or $26.28 annually.

If you look at your utility bill, you will see that you are charged for the number of kilowatt-hours (KWH) that you consume.

This is the amount of energy consumed between meter readings. To reduce the energy you use, you must either reduce the amount of power you use, or the amount of time you use that power (or both!)

Energy  =  Power  x Time

Going back to our light bulb example, you could install a light bulb that uses less power, or you could reduce the number of hours it runs. Both courses of action would reduce the energy used and save you money. Here are three different ideas to save energy and money.

1) Replace the bulb with a 13W compact fluorescent with equivalent light output (reduce power).

Energy Saved:                   0.56 kilowatt hours daily, or $20.58 saved annually

2) Put the light on a timer and run for just 6 hours nightly (reduce time).

Energy saved:                  0.36 kilowatt hours daily, or $13.14 saved annually

3) Do both of the above (reduce power and time).

Energy Saved:                   0.64 kilowatt hours daily, or $23.43 saved annually

While power and energy are intimately connected, they are not the same.

Understanding the difference can help you save money!

In my next article, I will take this concept one step further and explain why you think twice when trying to be “energy efficient.”

- Jason

PS – Be sure to check out our information on “TED – The Energy Detective” to monitor your energy usage!

Many are participating in the national Hands Across the Sand event which will be here tomorrow, June 26th at noon.

The regional “UGottaGoGreen.com” web site has a very convenient listing of all of the places you can participate in the event in Southwest Florida (simply visit this page, and scroll down).

If you’d like to learn more about Hands Across the Sand, be sure to visit their web site at www.HandsAcrosstheSand.com.

See you tomorrow at noon!

- Dan

…and I thought based on our previous posts “Buying Eight Track Tapes in an iPad World”, this would be a great follow-up for you to read.

It was created on May 12, 2010 by Janet Larsen for EarthPolicy.org, and it starts:

“The enormously devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is just one reminder that stretching out an addiction to a polluting and planet-warming fossil fuel poses risks to our health, our environment, and our economy. ”

“U.S. oil production peaked in 1970 at 9.6 million barrels per day. Since then production has dropped by almost half and now supplies less than 30 percent of domestic consumption. In 2009, the United States spent nearly $200 billion on oil imports to make up the difference.”

Continue reading this on the EarthPolicy web site…

YOU can reduce your use of fossil fuel by 10% a year for the next ten years… AND INCREASE your standard of living at the same time?

This was the question I put to Charly Caldwell II of ISGFL a couple of years ago.

He put his thinking cap on and managed to save a bunch of money AND make his life a little easier, too. Be sure to check out his blog post on the topic.

Imagine how YOU would feel, if in ten years, 95% of the energy you used was from renewable energy sources. I would like to show you how it can be done and help you along the way. It CAN be done.

Ok, you can put your hands down, now.