Computers are not the biggest energy hogs in your house, but, depending on how much you use them, they can become a significant cost. If you use your computer for smaller jobs like word processing and emailing, and if you’re using a laptop or smaller desktop, chances are your computer is using moderate amounts of energy. Your computer’s energy use will increase with its size and with the complexity of the tasks it performs – playing high-tech games will strain your computer and it will suck up power.

The good news is that it’s easy to control your computer’s use. The single most important, and easiest, thing you can do is to set your computer to go to sleep automatically after a short period of non-use. This means the computer will remain on and ready to work whenever you need it, but it can shut down all its non-essential systems and the screen can go blank. If your sleep mode employs a screensaver (if it displays images on the screen) you’re wasting all of the 85 percent of energy use that you would otherwise be saved in sleep mode.

Even better than putting your computer to sleep is turning it off. As long as the computer is plugged in it will use some small amount of power (perhaps 1-5 watts), but besides unplugging it altogether shutdown is the least energy-intensive state for your computer. Some people counter that shutting off your computer daily will run down its hardware, but this is a myth.

In short, it is less energy-intensive to idle your computer than to have it constantly opening programs, burning CDs or playing games; it is (MUCH!) less energy-intensive to put your computer to sleep (without a screensaver) than to idle it; it is less energy-intensive to shut your computer off than to put it to sleep; and it is less energy-intensive to unplug your computer than to leave it on.

For more information on computers and energy use, including a comparison of one very energy-efficient and one very energy-intensive computer, go here.

To see more common myths about computers and energy use debunked, view this brochure of the Harvard Green Campus Initiative.

Weatherization, Water & Energy Saving Products, Kits & Programs

When you conduct over 3000 Home Energy Audits per year you’re bound to run into some interesting opinions. Many people believe certain things about home energy consumption that are just not true. These “Energy Myths” have often been inherited from one generation to the next. “Grandma always said…” is the typical preface to many of these energy myths. But a whole lot has changed in the last 50-100 years that makes grandma’s recommendations obsolete. Sorry Grandma. So after hearing many different Energy Myths from many different energy customers, the staff of Conservation Consultants got together and compiled some of the most common ones into a list of… drum roll please…

Top 10 Home Energy Myths

10. Myth: Closing off vents will help save on your heating bill.

Closing off vents, or putting a piece of cardboard over a vent is not typically a good way to save energy. Modern forced air heating systems balance their pressure load throughout the house. If one vent gets turned off it effectively unbalances the system. If you have forced air heating/cooling, you have two types of vents in your home; return and supply. Return is where your HVAC system inhales and supply is where it exhales. Just blocking any old vent is bad practice first off because you definitely don’t want to block a return vent, your heat would not work. But you don’t want to block vents because puts the system out of balance. Pressure will build up in in the ductwork, causing excess leakage into the walls. And less air will circulate through the system. Less air through furnace means less warm air in house which means a colder house. This sort of defeats the purpose. For more information on why you shouldn’t close off vents, go here.

9. Myth: Fiberglass Insulation alone will stop cold air from coming into your home.

While insulating is important, the job is not done until a home has been air sealed. Air sealing is the process of stopping air leaks and drafts which often occur though cracks between drywall and baseboards, windows, doors and any holes in an exterior surface. Insulating is like putting on a warm winter sweater, while air sealing is like putting on a windbreaker so that air doesn’t blow right through the sweater. Lets say you’ve got a hole in your attic floor where you can feel cold or warm air coming through. Putting a piece of insulation in this hole accomplishes very little. Air passes through most types of insulation quite easily. What you need to do is block the hole off using drywall or fiberboard and then insulate it with fiberglass Batt or loose fill. Or better yet hit two birds with one stone by using insulating foam board with a foil back, it blocks air and resists temperature differences. These items can all be purchased at your local hardware store.

8. Myth: Microwaves use a lot of electricity.

The simple explanation to this energy myth is that in the past microwaves used a whole lot of electricity – when they were first produced as giant appliances that took up a whole kitchen counter. Today’s technology makes microwaves the most efficient way of heating food or beverages costing approximately $1.00 per month for every fifteen minutes of daily use.

7. Myth: A dripping faucet is no big deal

At a glance, a faucet that drips may not seem to be a big deal. But try putting a gallon jug underneath that drip and you’d be surprised how quickly it’ll fill up. I hope you’re sitting down because that little drip could use 300-4,600 gallons per month!!!! Now if you’re still sitting, you shouldn’t be, you should stand up and go fix that dripping faucet!

6. Myth: Compact Fluorescent light bulbs don’t turn on when you flip the switch, have poor light quality and make buzzing noises.

Energy efficient lighting, such as Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulbs have really gotten a bad reputation from this pervasive energy myth when in fact they have nothing in common with the old-fashioned fluorescent bulbs of cubicle-jammed offices. Back in the 80s and 90s fluorescent lighting lights always took a second to warm up and turn on. But compact fluorescent light bulbs have come a long way technologically. Manufacturers have been able to make it so that they come on immediately, are brighter and don’t emit that annoying humming sound. And don’t forget how much they will save on your electric bill ($20-50 per bulb over its lifetime) and how long they last (10,000 hours or approx 7 years)

5. Myth: You can save water by putting a brick in your toilet tank.

This one we can directly attribute to Grandma. But while putting a brick in your toilet tank will displace some water, thereby saving the amount of water that goes down the drain, it will also erode. “Erode?” you say. Yes, bricks are made from soils all of which are susceptible to erosion. Once the erosion starts, the flushing water pulls off little abrasive pieces of brick which end up tearing holes in your toilets rubber seal. These holes then let water through in what is called a Silent leak, which can cost you lots of money in the long run. Sorry Grandma.But this whole displacing water thing is a good idea, just not with a brick. So what we recommend is either a water bottle filled with water with the cap on (and perhaps some rocks in the bottom of the bottle to weigh it down) or else a device known as a toilet tummy, which hangs off the inside wall of the tank and displaces over half a gallon of water per flush.

4. Myth: Your house will heat up faster if you set the heat up higher than you’d actually like it. aka “It’s cold in here, let me crank this thing up to 90.”

This one’s a bit of a no-brainer. Your house will heat up to around 70 just as quickly if you set it to 70 as it would if you set it to 90. Setting it to 90 will only waste energy when your furnace actually responds by heating it up to 90. Chances are you’ll forget to turn it back down. And I can guarantee that you will not feel comfortable at 90 degrees. So why not just set it to the temperature that you’d like it to be. Your thermostat doesn’t work like a gas peddle. It works more like… well… a thermostat.

3. Myth: Turning down your thermostat uses more energy because it has to work harder to make it cool/hot again once turn it back up.

This energy myth costs utility customers loads of money during the cold months. Turning your thermostat back (or purchasing a programmable thermostat that will do it for you) while you are away or asleep can only save you money, it will never cost you more. The explanation for this is a bit complicated, but the key points are that your home is much more resistant to heat loss than you may think, furniture and carpeting retain enough heat so that your furnace will not have to work that hard to raise back up to a comfortable temperature. The longer that the furnace is off, the more savings you will achieve because the energy used to reheat a space is always less than or equal to the amount of energy used to keep it at a consistent higher temperature.

2. Myth: “Flipping the light switch on and off makes your electricity bill high!”

This energy myth has induced many parents to yell at their children: “stop flicking that switch – your bringing up the light bill!” In fact, turning lights on and off does NOT use more electricity, so turn off the lights when you don’t need them and on when you do need them! If it’s on then it’s costing you money… if it’s off then it’s not.

1. Myth: “Energy efficiency is expensive… I can’t afford compact fluorescent light bulbs, blown-in insulation, energy star appliances and efficient HVAC systems.”

Although some energy efficiency “measures” (Energy star appliances, insulation, Compact Fluorescent light bubs, solar panels, Green materials etc) may be initially more expensive than their conventional counterparts, they all end up paying for themselves, some almost immediately. The “Payback period,” as it’s called, is the time that it takes for an energy efficiency measure to save enough energy (aka money) that it has paid for itself.

“What?!?! Saves money?” You may ask, “But it cost me money… how does it save money?” Well, to clarify, here is a general example. Lets say you are shopping for a new furnace in your home. The salesman shows you a few options. One, an 80% AFUE behemoth that costs somewhere around $800. And another, a 98% AFUE that costs a bit over $2000. You say, “Ohh boy I can get a new furnace for $800, I’ll Take it!” Then you go home, put in the new furnace , winter arrives and before you know it your monthly Gas bill is $350!!! If you’d have bought the more efficient one your Gas bills could be around $200 (Still higher than it could be, it wouldn’t hurt to insulate) But what this amounts to is a $150/month savings. That means it will only take 8 winter months to make up the cost difference and then a little over 5 months after that, it has paid for itself. While the less efficient furnace ends up costing you way way more than even $2000 in the long run. What you need to have an eye for is the long term cost of a measure rather than the price tag. The low price tag on a cheap furnace does not reflect the the high bills that you’ll be paying down the road. Though it should. The same can be said of any conservation measure. Light bulbs, insulation, solar panels, new windows. So, don’t think that you can’t afford to be energy efficient. Truthfully you can’t afford NOT to be energy efficient.

Weatherization, Water & Energy Saving Products, Kits & Programs

The term “solar panel” refers either to panels that heat water or to those that power electric devices. Water-heating panels have been around at least since the 1920s, but their prominence has recently been diluted by the increasing commercial success of photovoltaic (electric) panels. Whichever type you’re interested in, the solar panel will be the central element of your solar power system. It is the component of the system that actually absorbs the sun’s energy.

In the case of photovoltaic energy, the solar panels are composed of solar cells. The cells are made of semi-conducting material that knocks electrons loose from their atoms. The panels conduct the energy released to the inverter (link), which converts them from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) power. Solar panels are grouped into modules that can be mounted to roofs to receive sunlight. As the images below indicate, solar panels are the most “adjustable” component of your system – you can start with just a few and work your way up as you please.

Just starting out…

A real photon bonanza!

Photos from http://www.nrel.gov/

Because your solar power system depends on absorbing sunlight, the placement of your panels is of utmost importance. Ideally, in the northern hemisphere, panels should be affixed to the south face of your house, the direction from which the sun will shine most of the day. If they are slightly to the east or west of true south, they will retain about 90% of their absorptive capability, but if the configuration of your house prevents you from orienting them more or less to the south, you should consider remodeling or choosing another energy source.

It is also crucial that your panels receive full sunlight as often as possible, so you must ensure that nothing shades the panels or blocks sunlight from reaching them. Even something as thin as an electrical or telephone wire can interfere with optimum exposure. Keeping trees trimmed so they don’t shade your panels is important.

Some panels, known as tracking panels, come with a device that allows them to sense the angle at which the sun is shining and to adjust to that angle. Others can be manually adjusted from one tilt to another, while still others are fixed at a certain tilt. Tracking panels are the best because the sun shines at different angles both throughout a given day and throughout the year, as the seasons change. The optimal tilt will also vary based on your latitude. If your panels are adjustable, it is worth knowing the best angle from which to absorb the sun’s rays.

For information on calculating optimal panel tilt, please visit: http://www.macslab.com/optsolar.html    Personal page of Charles Landau

http://niwascience.co.nz/ncces/csu/2004-07/    National Centre for Climate-Energy Solutions

Building a solar system is a substantial financial commitment. It has both fixed and variable costs. That’s why many people choose to start out with a small system and build on as they can afford to do so. The federal government offers modest tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements, including solar power, and many states also offer tax credits or other incentives, which can reduce your costs significantly. Even so, payback periods on solar power systems are long and extremely variable.Before you install a photovoltaic system, or any alternative energy system, make your home as energy-efficient as you can (link). Every dollar you spend on increasing your home’s energy efficiency will save you between three and five dollars on the cost of your solar power system.

A solar power system requires the following expenses:

• PV Modules (solar panels)

On-Grid: The energy produced via a residential renewable energy system both feeds off of and into the outside utility’s system.

Off-Grid: No connection exists between a residential renewable energy system and the outside utility’s system. All necessary electricity must be produced via the residential system.

While being off-grid is a great way to declare your energy independence, in most cases an on-grid system is more advantageous. It is cheaper and, even in cases where residents choose to obtain all of their energy from the solar power system, most like to know they have a back-up source readily available. Those who go off-grid have additional costs, because their systems must be big enough to supply all their power, and they must store the energy in batteries that on-grid users don’t need. Off-gridders also cannot take advantage of potential net-metering savings.

When residents choose to go off-grid, it’s usually because they live in a remote area where access to a power grid is not available. In this case, solar power becomes not only an environmental decision but a pragmatic one as well. Others choose independence from utilities for political reasons or so they can retain normal energy access if their utility suffers a blackout.

One of the most immediately appealing ways to conserve energy in your home is through passive solar heating. It is a method completely distinct from the use of solar cells; passive solar designs don’t convert energy – they just make better use of the stuff that’s already there! To take full advantage of the ways you can use the sun to heat your home, it’s best if you can design it from the ground up, so passive solar heating is most useful for buildings in the planning stages. But through moderate re-modeling you can help your existing home make much better use of natural light and heat.

When you have a great deal of sunlight entering your home through windows, you have provided yourself with a sufficient amount of heat when the sun is shining. But on cloudy days and at night, you will still need to rely completely on your traditional heating system – unless your home has a built-in way to store the sun’s heat. There are several home designs that can achieve this.

Passive heat storage systems absorb and store the excess thermal energy that enters a well-designed passive solar home during the day. In most cases the heat is stored in the masonry of a house, or its walls, floors and ceilings, which can be made of a number of heat-conducting materials.

For more thorough information on passive heat storage systems, please visit:

Arizona Solar Center – a very thorough list and description of several heat storage systems

Because your solar power system depends on absorbing sunlight, the placement of your panels is of utmost importance. Ideally, in the northern hemisphere, panels should be affixed to the south face of your house, the direction from which the sun will shine most of the day. If they are slightly to the east or west of true south, they will retain about 90% of their absorptive capability, but if the configuration of your house prevents you from orienting them more or less to the south, you should consider remodeling or choosing another energy source.It is also crucial that your panels receive full sunlight as often as possible, so you must ensure that nothing shades the panels or blocks sunlight from reaching them. Even something as thin as an electrical or telephone wire can interfere with optimum exposure. Keeping trees trimmed so they don’t shade your panels is important.

Some panels, known as tracking panels, come with a device that allows them to sense the angle at which the sun is shining and to adjust to that angle. Others can be manually adjusted from one tilt to another, while still others are fixed at a certain tilt. Tracking panels are the best because the sun shines at different angles both throughout a given day and throughout the year, as the seasons change. The optimal tilt will also vary based on your latitude. If your panels are adjustable, it is worth knowing the best angle from which to absorb the sun’s rays.

For more information on calculating panel tilt, please visit:

Personal page of Charles Landau

Or

National Centre for Climate-Energy Solutions

In buildings that use the sun as a heating source, the most important element of design is a southerly exposure, and windows are the most common form.

Window Position

Your windows must face south so the sun has maximum exposure into the house, although you will lose only about 10% of the potential solar radiation by placing solar windows up to 25 degrees to the east or west of true south.

Window Size

The size of your windows is very important: if they are too small your home will miss out on the full benefit of the sun, but windows can also be too big, leading to overheating, even in winter. The recommended size ranges for windows in passive solar homes vary according to climate and latitude. For Pittsburgh, whose average temperature in January is 27 degrees and whose latitude is 40.440 N, the recommended ratio is .25 square feet of window for every 1 square foot of space floor area. Therefore a 200-square-foot space will need 50 square feet of south-facing windows. This ratio will keep your space at an average temperature of 65-70 degrees during the day.

Window Alternatives

If your wall space is otherwise occupied, or if you’d like to mix things up a bit, try using skylights, Sola Tubes or clerestories throughout your home as well. The passive-solar-heating principles are similar. In fact, clerestories offer some benefits over windows in that, if they’re designed correctly, they can accept “low angle” winter sun while preventing “high angle” summer sun from entering and overheating your home.

The following forms of insulation are less commonly used than fiberglass and cellulose, but this doesn’t mean they’re less desirable. Most offer unique advantages over more traditional insulation, although they may have higher initial costs or other drawbacks as well. We urge you to consider them and make the decision that works best for your home, your finances and your environmental commitment.

Structural Insulated Panels

SIPs are an insulation option for homes that have not yet been constructed. They are panels that are pre-built and designed to form the entire building envelope of your house. They are available as wall, ceiling, floor and attic panels, and your contractor can build the whole exterior of your house with them. Like foamed insulation, SIPS offer the advantage of sealing the building envelope completely and can have R-values of between 4 and 7. However, SIPs present fire safety concerns and, when they are made of foam, are potentially more attractive as dwellings for insects and rodents.

For more information on SIPs, please visit:

EERE Consumer’s Guide: Structural Insulated Panels

Toolbase Services: The Home Building Industry’s “Hybrid”

Mineral Wool Insulation

Mineral wool insulation comes in rock wool or slag wool varieties, and usually is found in its loose-fill form. Its application process is the same as that of wet-spray cellulose: the material is mixed with a small amount of water and sprayed into an open cavity. It is also available in batt form. Typical mineral wool insulation has an R-value of between 3.5 and 4.

For more information on mineral wool insulation, please visit:

EERE Consumer’s Guide: Mineral Wool Insulation Materials

A firsthand account of one user’s positive experience with mineral wool insulation

Even More Options

Beyond these insulation options, there are still further alternatives to traditional insulation. They include, but are not limited to, reflective insulation, vermiculite and perlite pellets and concrete block insulation. We invite you to do further research on your insulation options; the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Consumer’s Guide provides an excellent resource:

Weatherization, Water & Energy Saving Products, Kits & Programs