Energy Efficiency Tips for the Summer

The saying goes 'be careful for what you wish for; you might just get it'. Well-O-well, I can say that’s just what most residents in Central Massachusetts are getting. After the very harsh winter we experienced, everybody must have wished for warm weather to come around as soon as possible. The weather has really been good since April, and I know we are all loving it.

With sweltering temperatures such as these, some of us like to keep houses comfortable and cool - hence running the air conditioner for long hours. This directly increases the energy bill say for a normal family home to more than $150.00 depending on the region. This figure also depends on the number of AC units turned on at a specific time and how much time is spent at home. For those who work from their homes for example, this figure may be a little higher. Using an energy efficient AC unit such an 'Energy Star' rated model; may help reduce your cost while helping the environment - but carrying out common practices may even help stretch the dollar even further.

Here are some simple energy effective ideas for us this summer:

1) Install AC unit in the shade: Its often unpredictable which side of the home will be shaded. There are variables like a neighbors tree, a new fence or highway etc that may provide shade. But if your AC could be installed in the shade, it will perform better due to reduction on its work load because of no extra external heat.

2) Use your ceiling fans: If you have ceiling fans, it would be a good idea to turn them on at the same time your AC is running…'Yes!'…at the same time. This may sound counter-productive but the idea is to raise the temperature around your AC making it function better, plus the ceiling fan will leave you dry and comfortable. The EPA estimates that a reduction of 14% can be incurred by raising the temperature around your running AC by only 2 degrees.

3) Use your Microwave instead: Using your microwave to warm up your food can help save as much as 80% of cooking energy according to Energy Star. Plus, the stove is a Hugh heat generator, it'd be great to use the grill for cooking as it will keep most or all the heat outdoors, thus conserving energy.

4) Use a programmable thermostat: Automatically setting your thermostat to a higher temperature between 75 - 80 for example; when not at home can save you up to $180.00 according to Energy Star.

5)  Chores: Try as much as possible to time your chores in a way that would avoid the premium charge during peak hours of the day. You  can for example run your dish washer and or washing machines during the early morning hours or late evenings.

Please leave a comment with more tips and tricks that can help us reduce energy consumption during the summer.

Modern Architecture and Solar PhotoVoltaics

Today's architecture, and the way designers portray their work is slowly transforming into fine art. Constructing tall or massive structures require a lot of skill and technique. Building the world's tallest habitable structure - 'Burj Khalifa' in Dubai, United Arab Emirates - took a lot of engineering. For example: more than 40 mega wind speed tests were conducted that differed in magnitude from studying the general climate in Dubai, to using large analytic models, and equipment.

Having such a stunning work of art is cool but making it green and completely energy self sustainable is actually breathtaking. This is exactly what designers and architects did for Toyo Ito's new stadium in Taiwan. This massive 19 hectare, and 50,000 capacity structure's construction cost, and physical labor was unbelievable. But what is really spectacular is the mega 14,155 square meter solar roof on the stadium that provides power for the over 3,300 lights, and screens.

Approximately 7 hectares of this structure has been reserved as a green space, bike track and ecological pond. It also stands as a 'Green Building' with permeable paving, use of recycled, and local material. Having this incredible and impressive structure harbor solar and be energy self sustainable is a big step towards proving the variable and essential uses of solar PV systems.

International recognition of Solar PV has grown substantially in the last decade. Also, with other conventional fuel or energy sources becoming more and more expensive, we can say it has never been a good time to 'GO GREEN!'



Source: http://inhabitat.com/

GO GREEN!' BLOG teams up with 'PAPER' BLOG

The 'GO GREEN' BLOG has teamed up with PAPER BLOG with the intention to reach a wider audience of over 7 million monthly. I confirm the subscription of this blog to the Paperblog service under the username lajumni.

U.S. Postal Service introduces 'Go Green' Stamps

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is now doing more for a sustainable future by not only providing eco-friendly packaging, delivering on climate change, and actively reducing their footprint; but they have now introduced 'Go Green' Stamps. 

usps.com/green

These 'Go Green' stamps are a series of 16 new stamps designed as shown on the image to illustrate different practices we can adopt to protect the environment. Amongst them is that of a child (top right) trying to 'turn off lights not in use', that of a hand weather stripping a window, recycling, fixing water leaks and more. 


It is important not only to use these stamps because they are the latest in the market, and look great; but to follow the practices they so vividly portray. Sharing a ride for example is one of Absolute Green Energy Corporation's best practices, and we are currently working with the Worcester Sustainable Business Leaders Program to find out how we can as a company reduce our impact on the environment. So we can say that we are on track to meeting all these 16 practices.  


Other best practices to be sustainable when mailing is to use 100% recycled paper, and card boxes for your mails, and packages respectively. Walk to the post office if close by or use the mail drop boxes in your area. Avoid printing emails unless necessary, and why not email instead of writing a letter. Visit www.usps.com/green and read more about these exiting new stamps.

Let's look at the SREC program: "SREC 101"

Many people are inquisitive to know the available incentives for solar energy in their various states. So they goggle and often come across the acronym SREC.

The SREC or 'Solar Renewable Energy Certificate' program, came to light as a result of what is called an RPS. Ha! Another acronym...well an RPS which is 'Renewable Portfolio Standard' is a requirement on all electricity providers in some states to secure or make sure a certain portion of the electricity they serve to their customers actually originates from a Solar generator. "So...where was I? oh yes!"...the SREC program makes this happen by providing certificates for every Megawatt-hour of electricity produced.

http://www.srectrade.com/background.php

The map on the left illustrates various states with an SREC market, those capable of selling to other SREC markets and those with no SREC market. "But wait a sec...!" "we are now talking SREC markets...???" "Yep!" SRECs can and are being traded nationally, this is how: 1 SREC is equivalent to a measure of 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of solar electricity, which is also equivalent to 1 megawatt-hours (MWh) of solar electricity. "Sounds big huh?" "kWh", "MWh"..."but what does all that mean?!" Lets put this into perspective; say you installed a 10 kw solar capacity system on your property today, that system will produce approximately 12 SRECs by the end of its first year at optimum performance. These SRECs are being traded separately from the energy produced and consumed by your solar system.

It becomes difficult to attribute a specific price to an SREC, and its actual monetary value is impacted by demand and supply just like any other market product. The demand on one hand lies greatly on a specific state's RPF. Please watch this video as Absolute Green Energy Corporation's President Mike Ortolano explains in detail.



If you are interested in learning more...please contact me or leave a comment below with your question(s).


Reference: srectrade.com

Useful Facts on Solar Energy

Solar Energy as we  know is usually measured in kWh (kilo watt hours). To put this in perspective, energy measured at 1 KWh can burn a 100 watt light bulb for up to 10 hrs, and is comparable to burning 170 pounds of coal. Imagine that!!  

Now let's fly back into history and visit Albert Einstein. Albert was instrumental to Solar technology for his experiments with solar energy and photovoltaics which landed him the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics. Even further back in time; Leonardo da Vinci during his work at the Vatican, would use concave shaped mirrors to heat water. Doesn't that make you think of Solar Hot Water system?

Back to our time and maybe in the near future, we may be able to use Silicon extracted from say a ton of sand and incorporate them into solar panels to produce electricity equal to burning 500,000 ton of coal. Now how about that?!

That said, here are some interestingly 'geeky' facts on Solar Energy:

In full sun, you can safely assume that about 1367 watts (W) reaches each square meter (m2) of the Outer Edge of the Earth's Atmosphere. The Atmosphere absorbs, reflects, and diffuses a portion of the energy, and 1000 W/m2 is the amount of energy that reaches sea level on a clear day at high noon. This condition is for an air mass = 1.5. As the sun follows its path in the sky, the air mass increases and the amount of energy that makes it to a given location is less than 1000 W/m2.

Reference: New York Post, Wed, April 13, 2011

Absolute Green Energy donates $3,000.00 to the Worcester Sustainable Business Leader Program.

Absolute Green Energy Corporation has supported the creation of a Worcester pilot program of the Sustainable Business Leader Program (SBLP) now based in Boston. They are doing this by participating in the program, and they also have generously donated $3,000.00 to support the Worcester program pilot. This will greatly help reduce the financial barrier to participation, and may motivate other local businesses to join and move Worcester one step closer to becoming a "Green" community.



Launched in 2008 in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), the SBLP has worked with over 90 businesses in Greater Boston to date across 20 diverse business sectors to become environmentally sustainable business leaders. The Worcester SBLP team with assistance from SBN Greater Boston aims to assist 10+ local and independent businesses throughout the city in becoming more environmentally sustainable. The goal of the program is to reduce businesses environmental impacts as well as operating costs through resource use reductions, and as a result strengthen and grow the local economy.