Summer energy conservation tips

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. David Walke
  • 60th Civil Engineer Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The summer months are quickly approaching; now is a great time to go over some ways to keep your energy usage down both in your home and the work place. Following these tips can lead to a significant reduction in energy consumption: 

Home and office 

-- Close drapes, shades and blinds during the day to keep sun from passively heating your home or office. Open windows and shades during the evening when it’s cooler. 

-- Turn off lights when they are not needed. Seventy-five percent of the electricity used by incandescent bulbs becomes waste heat, not light. 

Home 

-- Shift the use of heat-producing and major appliances such as ovens, dishwashers, clothes dryers and irons from mid-day to early in the morning or later at night when possible. The best times vary, but generally before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m. whenever possible. 

-- Use your microwave, toaster oven, slow cooker, broiler oven or other energy-saving appliances for cooking food. They use half the energy of a regular oven and keep your kitchen cooler. Using your outdoor grill to cook dinner also avoids heating up the kitchen. If you must use your oven, cook several dishes at once and turn the heat off a few minutes before the food is fully cooked. Do not preheat your oven except for baking. 

-- Wash clothes in cold water with a cold water detergent. Wash full loads of laundry for maximum efficiency. If less than full, set the water level in the washing machine to suit the size of the load; you’ll save energy and water. 

-- Dry laundry on a line to avoid using clothes dryers. You can even put laundry in the dryer when it’s almost dry; a sheet of fabric softener will take the stiffness out of the clothes. Clean the lint filter in the dryer after each use. 

-- Make sure your air conditioner filter is clean. Clogged filters cause the unit to use more energy [replacing them takes just seconds and will save you money]. 

-- Take short showers instead of baths. 

-- Defrost food in your refrigerator, this helps cool the refrigerator, easing energy requirements, and it is better for the food than defrosting in room temperature. Keep refrigerator full so that it is cooling less open space [water jugs make good fillers]. 

-- Vacuum the coils of your refrigerator, and check for frost buildup in refrigerators and freezers which causes an appliance to work harder. 

-- Plan ahead before taking food from the refrigerator— don’t leave door open any longer than necessary. 

-- Try to wash only full loads in the dishwasher and use the short cycle. Except for dirtiest dishes, short cycles work just as well but use less energy. 

-- Turn down the temperature on your water heater to 120 F. 

-- Plug air leaks in basement, attic and fireplace and seal leaks in pipes and ducts. 

-- Set your air conditioner thermostat at 78 F or higher when at home. Consider using fans if outdoor temperatures are below 78 F. Raise air conditioning to a warmer temperature when you leave. Air conditioners account for as much as 40 to 60 percent of summer energy bills. 

-- Make sure furniture and draperies are not blocking cooling outlets. Blocked outlets restrict air circulation, overwork the cooling equipment and increase operating costs. 

-- Close off rooms that are not used directly for cooling, so rooms most used by the household will remain cool. Turn off any unnecessary equipment in rooms not in use [such as TVs, stereos, etc.]. 

-- Keep storm windows and doors in place to reduce the air conditioning load. 

Office 

-- Remove excess lights. Many buildings have more lighting then needed. In some areas, half the light may be sufficient. When removing excess fluorescent tubes, remember to disconnect the ballasts that serve them. 

-- Switch to energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps. They use about 25 percent as much energy and can last 10 times longer, saving energy and replacement labor. Add occupancy sensors in rooms that are not occupied constantly, such as conference rooms, lunchrooms and restrooms. 

-- Install separate switches for smaller areas. Some businesses have dozens of lights controlled by a single switch, and not all are needed at the same time. Have an electrician rewire lights into smaller groups on independent switches. 

-- Keep the cooling to a minimum. Heating and cooling accounts for half of the total energy use in office buildings. Request the air conditioning at 78 F and use a programmable thermostat to set back the temperature at night, on weekends and holidays. 

-- Shut computers off at night. A computer, printer, scanners and fax machines can use more than 100 watts of power. When replacing computers, purchase new energy-efficient models that use less energy.