Energi Surya untuk Negara Berkembang

Bram Hendrawan (Kabar Indonesia)

Listrik tenaga surya telah menjadi solusi untuk desa-desa terpencil di negara dunia ketiga. Bagi daerah yang belum terjangkau jaringan listrik darat, beberapa panel surya telah membawa perubahan. Layaknya siang dan malam.

Masalah kekurangan listrik di daerah terpencil sebenarnya bisa diatasi dengan menyediakan generator pembangkit listrik. Tapi, mesin itu mahal dan perawatannya tidaklah mudah. Masalah lain adalah bensin atau solar yang dibutuhkan untuk menjalankan generator. Bahan bakar, yang sangat berpolusi ini, tidaklah mudah didapat.

Dalam situasi seperti itu. Sebuah sistem sederhana yang terdiri dari beberapa panel surya dan aki bisa membuat perbedaan.

Beda Jauh

'Kami sudah bertahun-tahun melakukan uji coba di Indonesia. Tepatnya di Desa Sukatani. Waktu itu, kami berhasil menyediakan listrik untuk seluruh desa dari panel surya', kata Gosse Boxhoorn, direktur satu-satunya perusahaan pembangkit listrik tenaga surya Belanda, Solland Solar.

Sistem kerja panel itu pun sangatlah sederhana. Pada setiap atap rumah penduduk ditaruh panel surya berukuran kecil. 'Ini menghasilkan cukup listrik untuk bisa dipakai pada malam hari', kata Boxhoorn.

Sedikit listrik berhasil membuat perubahan besar. Radio dan televisi bisa masuk desa. Sekolah juga bisa buka malam hari. Desa-desa dengan panel surya mengalami perkembangan ekonomi. Demikian menurut Gosse Boxhoorn, berdasarkan pengamatannya. 

Keajaiban yang Mahal?

Panel surya adalah keajaiban kecil. Hanya dibutuhkan lempengan-lempengan besi, atau bahan lain yang mengkilat, berukuran mini untuk mengubah tenaga surya menjadi listrik. 'Sinar matahari yang jatuh ke panel akan menimbulkan percikan listrik. Aliran listrik ini bisa ditampung', jelas Boxhoor.

Namun demikian, produksi panel surya sangat pelik. Proses pembuatan panel terdiri dari berpuluh-puluh tahap. Semuanya harus dilakukan dengan tingkat akurasi yang tinggi. Semua ini untuk menghasilkan satu panel surya yang mampu menyerap sebanyak mungkin sinar matahari.

Peliknya proses produksi mengakibatkan mahalnya panel surya. Ini menjadi masalah dalam upaya memperkenalkan teknologi pembangkit listrik ini dalam skala besar. Tapi, menurut Boxhoorn, meningkatnya permintaan pasar atas tenaga surya akan merubah keadaan ini.

Pasar panel surya tumbuh 40 persen tiap tahunnya. Diperkirakan dalam sepuluh tahun ke depan biaya produksi listrik tenaga surya di Belanda akan turun di bawah 20 sen Euro per kilo watt listrik. Di negara dunia ketiga, yang mendapatkan lebih banyak sinar matahari, penurunan harga akan terjadi lebih cepat lagi. 

Alternatif Panel

Menurut Profesor Laurens Siebeles dari Technische Universiteit, TU, Delft, Belanda, kita tidak usah bergantung pada mekanisme pasar. Ada cara lain yang lebih murah untuk menghasilkan panel surya. Ia dan para peneliti lain tengah berupaya keras menciptakan panel surya yang lebih murah dan baik.

Cara yang pertama adalah dengan menggunakan bahan murah, misalnya plastik. Bahan ini mungkin akan menghasilkan lebih sedikit listrik. Tapi, karena bahannya murah bisa dibuat sebanyak mungkin panel surya. Jadi, akan dihasilkan banyak listrik juga.

Alternatif lain adalah dengan mengembangkan generasi panel surya berbahan dasar nano-kristal. Kristal-kristal kecil yang mengkilap ini bisa menangkap dan menahan sinar matahari. Sinar yang terperangkap di dalam kristal terus bergerak sehingga bisa menghasilkan energi listrik.

Mungkin masih lama sebelum panel surya dari kristal ini bisa menjadi kenyataan. Tapi, panel surya dari plastik bisa sangat membantu desa-desa di negara berkembang. 'Panel surya dari plastik lebih murah daripada panel yang sekarang dipakai. Selain itu listrik yang dihasilkan juga lebih bersih', kata Siebeles.

sumber berita dan foto Radio Netherland Worldwide 

Sumber :www.kabarindonesia.com

SOLAR STREET LIGHTS Solar Powered LED Lighting

Advanced LED Ltd have created a superb new range of solar street lights that are environmentally friendly, easy to install and offer tremendous light output. These lights are ideal for all sorts of uses and there modern design have found favour with everyone. Solar street lights can be easily installed and moved and delivers free, renewable energy which is stored in a battery ready to be used when darkness falls.

1.Close up of Hammerhead Light Unit, 2.Hammerhead Light Unit with Solar Panel, 3.Hammerhead Light Unit

The Photovoltaic Lighting System designed and manufactured by Advanced LEDs Ltd are the most innovative in the world with patents covering the main application of combining LEDs and Solar power for exterior lighting.

We are able to offer their range of turn-key solutions. Available in various sizes from 6 Watt sign light to an ambitious 45W road Lantern all using LEDs and solar PV panels with advanced energy management options to generate the maximum energy from a PV cell.

Street Light in Hackney, London

Easy to install and operate

There is no need to dig trench, lay underground cables or resort to other expensive methods to install street lighting. Just use solar power. There are no on-going costs once installed, no standing charges and best of all they are helping to reduce energy consumption. Generating their power from the sun means that solar street lights are cost effective.

Besides that they are very environmentally friendly - they do not use any greenhouse gases as sunlight is converted into energy and stored in a battery.
Solar powered LED lighting can be used wherever there is a need for lighting.

Discreet lightingg	Footpaths in parks& car parks	Industrial buildings &Airfields
Countryside roads	Bus shelters	Remote homes
Play areas	Harbour side lighting	Developing countries

BENEFITS OF LED LIGHTING

Long life. The long life of LED (Light Emitting Diodes) lighting means that lamp changing and lamp failures are a thing of the past. LED lighting life is up to 100,000 hours. In a typical UK night time burning situation, this equates to approximately 25 years.

• Reliability. LEDs, as electronic devices, offer superb reliability over conventional lamps.
• Maintenance free operation. No routine maintenance is required to ensure continued performance, so reducing costs and avoiding the possibility of missed maintenance.
• Energy efficient. With advanced leds, luminaire design, energy efficient operation is ensured.
• Environmental benefits. Lamp disposal problems are eliminated due to the long life of LED lights, and no resources are used in routine maintenance.
• New lighting possibilities. New luminaire designs are made possible by the small size of LEDs and eliminating the need to allow for maintenance required for conventional lamps.

AVAILABLE IN A RANGE OF OPTIONS

Option 1	Option 2
A-LED SOL 01 - Sign Light. Sign Light 6 x 1W LED. 18 Watt PV Panel. Solar Controller. Battery pack. 4m column and battery enclosure. Output in lumens 300	A-LED SOL 02 - Pathway Light Hammer Head 0W LED 80 Watt Solar Panel Solar Controller Battery pack 5m column and battery enclosure. 6m columns available. Output in lumens 1200

Solar Lighting feature summary

• Unique Patented Systems.
• Engineered for maintenance free operation.
• Advanced Energy control options.
• Fully sustainable technology.
• Life cycle costs typically 20% of existing technology.
• 6 Watt to 45W Luminaires.
• Ultra High Power LEDs giving > 50Lm/W.
• Ingress protection: IP68.
• High Efficiency PV panels 5W - 150W.
• Battery selection with 10yr guarantee.
• Battery packs built into columns.
• Flood lighting applications.
• Full RGB options on all luminaries.
• Photometry available for some luminaires.

Hammerhead Feature Summary

• No lamp changes – sealed for life.
• Fully controllable with excellent colour rendition
• Multi combination outputs.
• Remote electronics.
• LED Life expectancy – 25 years +.
• IP68 rated.
• 38mm side entry fixing.
• Dimensions – L 543mm x W 475mm x H 127mm.
• Highly robust product resistant to both vibration and vandalism
• Available in – 30W and 45W.
• Environmentally friendly product, reduced CO emissions from lower operating power and increased efficiency of the reflector system.

 source : wirefreedirect.com

Apa itu Q-RAK

sumber : qrak.org

Quark Reiki Atomic-Kundalini (Q-RAK) adalah salah satu teknik untuk mengakses energi alam semesta (Reiki), memiliki energi yang sangat halus dan densitas (kepadatan) energi yang sangat tinggi hingga mencapai level quark atom. Quark Atomic merupakan partikel elementer paling dasar yang menyusun alam semesta ini. Quark Reiki Atomic -Kundalini meliputi semua bidang energi di alam semesta yang berada pada level Quark Atomic. Jika bola energi yang dapat diakses oleh metode Quark  Reiki Atomic-Kundalini dihitung, maka akan mencapai lebih dari 1 x 10 pangkat 25 bola energi.

Q-RAK tidak berhubungan dengan Agama atau praktek ibadah tertentu, tapi murni teknik penyembuhan alami dari energi alam semesta. Mempelajari Q-RAK bahkan dapat dikatakan sebagai berkah karena mampu meningkatkan spiritualitas Praktisi dan jauh dari unsur tahayyul dan mistik.

Kesehatan Terletak di Kedua Telapak Tangan Anda ! Sejak dulu, banyak orang menyakini bahwa sentuhan tangan dapat menyembuhkan. Hal ini dapat dibuktikan misalnya saat bayi sedang gelisah, tidak dapat tidur, tindakan ibu untuk membuat bayi menjadi tenang biasanya dengan mengusap  kepala bayi secara lembut sehingga membuat bayi menjadi tenang, dan tertidur. Begitupun saat orang masuk angin, kedua tangan digosokan hingga terasa hangat, lalu  ditempelkan ke perut yang masuk angin, dan dalam beberapa saat, perut terasa lebih nyaman dan membaik. Sebenarnya yang dilakukan tadi adalah cara untuk menyalurkan energi alam semesta yang ada dalam diri ke bagian tubuh yang sakit tanpa kita sadari. Namun karena energi yang ada dalam tubuh jumlahnya terbatas, bila digunakan untuk menyembuhkan diri sendiri/orang lain maka energi akan terkuras dan mengakibatkan kelelahan bagi kita.

Untuk itulah dengan dibukanya kemampuan Q-RAK, maka seseorang akan dapat mengakses energi alam semesta dengan lebih mudah dalam jumlah yang banyak sehingga sangat efisien untuk digunakan dalam hal penyembuhan dan untuk tujuan lainnya. Jadi reiki merupakan tehnik yang sangat alamiah yang dapat dimiliki semua orang tanpa harus menguras tenaga. Inilah yang membedakan Q-RAK dengan Tenaga Dalam. Kalau tenaga dalam semakin sering digunakan maka energi semakin terkuras,  tapi dengan Q-RAK, semakin sering digunakan, tubuh justru semakin sehat dan bugar karena terjadi sirkulasi energi positif yang masuk dan keluar melalui Cakra-cakra yang ada dalam tubuh kita.

Kemampuan Reiki didapat melalui proses yang dinamakan inisiasi/attunement yang hanya dapat dilakukan oleh seorang Master Reiki. Dalam inisiasi, seorang Master Reiki membuka pintu keluar masuknya energi (Cakra) dan jalur energi (Sushumna) pada diri seseorang dengan cara membornya kemudian menyelaraskan jalur energi yang telah terbentuk dengan vibrasi reiki. Setelah itu setiap Praktisi Q-RAK secara permanent dapat mengakses Energi Semesta melalui Cakra Mahkota (ubun-ubun kepala) dan langsung bisa digunakan untuk menyembuhkan diri sendiri dan orang lain

Teknik Q-RAK terbukti mampu menyembuhkan 4 (empat) lapisan tubuh manusia yaitu menyembuhkan penyakit tubuh fisik (baik ringan atau kronis seperti Tumor, Kanker, Ginjal, Diabetes, Jantung, Hepatitis, Stroke, Leukimia, HIV, Asma, Kista, Gangguan Reproduksi, dll), tubuh psikis (frustasi, gugup, khawatir, marah, dll), tubuh mental (stress, depresi, trauma, dll), dan tubuh spiritual (suka membenci, iri hati, dendam dll,) serta Membersihkan sifat dan akhlak buruk menuju transformasi psikis dan mental yang seimbang, tegar dan terkendali. Selain itu energi Q-RAK dapat juga digunakan untuk Menangkal dan Mengatasi pengaruh energi negatif seperti santet, sihir, kesurupan, gangguan jin, dll.

Cara Penggunaan Q-RAK juga sangat sederhana, dimana setelah di inisiasi/diaktifkan jalur energi saat lokakarya, jika ingin menggunakan Q-RAK cukup dengan berdo’a kepada Tuhan dan niat menyalurkan energi Q-RAK, lalu santai dan pasrah pada ilahi, (tanpa perlu puasa khusus, bacaan/mantra, atur nafas dan olah fisik lainnya), maka secara otomatis energi penyembuhan Q-RAK akan mengalir dengan sendirinya melalui tangan kita. Teknik penyembuhan Q-RAK bekerja atas Kuasa dan Cahaya Ilahi, jadi sama sekali tidak bisa digunakan untuk jalan yang menyimpang dari kebenaran atau untuk kejahatan.

Pada tahun 2009 sistem Q-RAK dievolusikan menjadi sistem Kultivasi sehingga menjadi kultivasi Q-RAK/sistem energi pemurnian yang jauh lebih dahsyat dari generasi pertama Q-RAK dipublikasikan.

Di dunia terdapat 2 sistem energi yaitu :
1. Sistem Energi natural / alami
2. Sistem energi kultivasi

Energi natural disebut juga sebagai energi alam semesta. Sebagian ada yang menyebutnya sebagai Chi atau Prana yang berarti daya hidup atau bio energi.
Energi natural dapat ditemukan dimana pun di alam semesta ini, pada benda-benda mati maupun pada mahkluk hidup.

Pada manusia biasa ditemukan lewat sentuhan telapak tangan sehingga sentuhan telapak biasa digunakan untuk terapi penyembuhan.
Pada hewan dan tumbuhan juga energi natural dapat ditemukan.

Energi natural juga dapat ditemukan pada warna, bunyi , bau-bauan, udara , sinar matahari , bumi, planet-planet, batu-batuan, dan benda-benda apapun.
Batu-batu kristal dapat menjadi sumber energi natural yang kuat.

Energi natural ada yang negatif/kotor dan ada yang positif/bersih.
Energi natural yang negatif/kotor bersifat mengotori dan merusak dan menjadi penyebab penyakit.

Energi natural yang bersifat positif/bersih bersifat membersihkan, membangun, dan menyembuhkan.

Sistem energi Kultivasi

Energi kultivasi disebut juga sebagai energi evolusi.
Energi kultivasi berasal dari energi natural yang dievolusikan, sehingga energi energi kultivasi tidak ditemukan di alam bebas.
Energi kultivasi hanya didapat dari proses evolusi energi natural. Hanya orang atau makhluk yang mengevolusikan energi natural yang dapat memiliki energi kultivasi.

Energi kultivasi ada 2 :
1. Energi kultivasi negatif / kotor
2. Energi kultivasi positif / murni

Energi kultivasi negatif/kotor disebut juga sebagai sihir atau magic atau gaib. Energi ini sangat kotor dan bersifat merusak evolusi spiritual manusia. Maka manusia sebaiknya tidak melakukan kultivasi ini.

Energi kultivasi positif / murni disebut juga sebagai kekuatan illahi atau energi pemnurnian. Energi ini bersifat memurnikan dan sangat baik sekali untuk evolusi spiritual manusia.

Semua hal yang negatif dan kotor apabila dimurnikan akan musnah, sedangkan semua hal yang positif apabila dimurnikan akan makin postif.

Dalam sistem pemurnian maka pemberian dosis energi yang berlipat-lipat akan mempercepat proses penyembuhan.

Informasi tentang asal-usul Q-RAK silakan baca DISINI

Materi Lokakarya...

How can we save energy?

Saving energy means decreasing the amount of energy used while achieving a similar outcome of end use. Using less energy has lots of benefits – you can save money and help the environment. Generating energy requires precious natural resources, for instance coal, oil or gas. Therefore, using less energy helps us to preserve these resources and make them last longer in the future.

Why is it important to save energy? If people use less energy, there is less pressure to increase the available supply of energy, for example by constructing new power plants, or by importing energy from a different country. (SOURCE: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_conservation) What does “life-cycle” mean? What does it have to do with energy use? Nearly all everyday products have an impact in terms of energy, especially when you consider their energy requirements across the whole life-cycle: production, use and end-of-life. In many cases the use phase is dominating. Plastics, for example, are one of the most resource-efficient materials available. In their use phase, plastics products help to save more energy than is needed to produce them: For example, when you choose a bottle of water packaged in a light weight material such as plastic, remember that lighter packaging requires less energy for transport. Thus, less fuel was used to power the truck that delivered those plastic bottles. What can I do to save energy? There are many sources on the web that give you ideas of what you can do to save energy. Here are a few ideas to get you started: Change your travel behaviour, think more in terms of public transportation, if possible, walk or ride your bicycle instead of taking the car Reduce your house heat by 1C, keep the windows closed while heating, dress warmly Choose products that come with lightweight packaging Turn off lights and appliances when you are not using them, use energy-saving light bulbs Reuse plastic bags for shopping and storage Use a microwave instead of a stove to reheat food Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries What effect do materials have on the environment? In our daily life, we rely on many materials. Wood, metal, glass and plastics all have environmental consequences. Think about the impact of every product you use. For example, the lighter an object, the less fuel is required to transport it. A heavy suitcase in the boot of a car will require the car to consume more fuel during its journey. The same goes for all product packaging. Therefore, buying food wrapped in lightweight materials thus helps the environment. by :futurenergia.org

5 Tips to Save Energy at Work

1. Replace desktops with laptops.

Laptops can save energy up to 90% when compared to desktops. Laptops generally use 20-40 watts, while a desktop uses 80-300 watts. Replacing energy-efficient desktop (80 watt) with the most energy-spending laptop (40 watts) already means saving 50% of energy. Remember to always to shut down the equipment when not in use. Although it takes 20 seconds longer, the saved electricity equals hours.

2. Use power management on your laptop.

If we save energy on the use of computers worldwide, we can reduce 50 million tons of Green House Gases, that equals to taking 11 million cars off the road! Save energy by using the power management setting on your laptop. Be sure to have your laptop go to standby or sleep mode after 15 minutes of no activity. Turn off your computer or put it in hibernate mode if you leave your desk for more than 30 minutes. Hibernate means the computer is shut down, while sleep or standby means the computer is still using 0-6 watt. Do not use screensaver or bright screen because they consume more energy.

3. Turn off the lights.

When leaving the room, always remember to turn off the lights. This simple act can save a lot of energy if taken as a habit. It would be much better if you utilize a desk lamp while working and use room lights only when desperately needed. This action is also beneficial to avoid tired eyes without making the room too hot.

4. Unplug.

Although there are some appliances that automatically stop charging when the battery is full, leave them plugged in would dispose electrical energy that can actually be stored. Electronic appliances still consume energy even when they are off but the cables are still plugged in. Try to have a power source near the table, mahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifking it easier for you to plug/unplug them every now and then. Use a smart power strip to really turn off your appliances.

5. Make morning appointments.

Indonesia’s culture of holding inter-corporate meetings around the lunch hour in off-office locations can actually be replaced with a more efficient carbon habit. Meeting in the morning, for example, can reduce used energy on transportation from the distance of home-office-restaurant-office-home into house-restaurant-office-home.

by: http://energyefficiencyindonesia.info

Solar Energy Advantages Disadvantages

Many of us know that solar energy is a good thing, but few really understand why. Therefore, I compiled a comprehensive list of solar energy advantages and disadvantages that will enable you to make an educated decision whether on not Solar Power is right for YOU.

Solar Energy Advantages

1. Saves you money

After the initial investment has been recovered, the energy from the sun is practically FREE.
The recovery/ payback period for this investment can be very short depending on how much electricity your household uses.
Financial incentives are available form the government that will reduce your cost.
If your system produce more energy than you use, your utility company can buy it from you, building up a credit on your account! This is called net metering.
It will save you money on your electricity bill if you have one at all.
Solar energy does not require any fuel.
It's not affected by the supply and demand of fuel and is therefore not subjected to the ever-increasing price of gasoline.
The savings are immediate and for many years to come.
The use of solar energy indirectly reduces health costs.

2. Environmentally friendly

Solar Energy is clean, renewable (unlike gas, oil and coal) and sustainable, helping to protect our environment.
It does not pollute our air by releasing carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide or mercury into the atmosphere like many traditional forms of electrical generations does.
Therefore Solar Energy does not contribute to global warming, acid rain or smog.
It actively contributes to the decrease of harmful green house gas emissions.
It's generated where it is needed.
By not using any fuel, Solar Energy does not contribute to the cost and problems of the recovery and transportation of fuel or the storage of radioactive waste.


3. Independent/ semi-independent

Solar Energy can be utilized to offset utility-supplied energy consumption. It does not only reduce your electricity bill, but will also continue to supply your home/ business with electricity in the event of a power outage.
A Solar Energy system can operate entirely independent, not requiring a connection to a power or gas grid at all. Systems can therefore be installed in remote locations (like holiday log cabins), making it more practical and cost-effective than the supply of utility electricity to a new site.
The use of Solar Energy reduces our dependence on foreign and/or centralized sources of energy, influenced by natural disasters or international events and so contributes to a sustainable future.
Solar Energy supports local job and wealth creation, fuelling local economies.


4. Low/ no maintenance

Solar Energy systems are virtually maintenance free and will last for decades.
Once installed, there are no recurring costs.
They operate silently, have no moving parts, do not release offensive smells and do not require you to add any fuel.
More solar panels can easily be added in the future when your family's needs grow.


Solar Energy Disadvantages

The initial cost is the main disadvantage of installing a solar energy system, largely because of the high cost of the semi-conducting materials used in building one.
The cost of solar energy is also high compared to non-renewable utility-supplied electricity. As energy shortages are becoming more common, solar energy is becoming more price-competitive.
Solar panels require quite a large area for installation to achieve a good level of efficiency.
The efficiency of the system also relies on the location of the sun, although this problem can be overcome with the installation of certain components.
The production of solar energy is influenced by the presence of clouds or pollution in the air.
Similarly, no solar energy will be produced during nighttime although a battery backup system and/or net metering will solve this problem. See http://www.dsireusa.org for details on how net metering allows you to save electricity and money.
As far as solar powered cars go - their slower speed might not appeal to everyone caught up in today's rat race.

To learn more about solar energy, go to http://facts-about-solar-energy.com/
You'll discover ...

what solar energy is
how solar energy works
interesting facts about solar energy
how much solar energy costs
passive solar energy for homes, and
how to build solar energy systems

There's a whole section for students, teachers and parents; whiles homhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifeowners can obtain FREE QUOTES for their solar energy projects. You'll find book and product reviews some helpful energy saving tips.

Please email any questions to info@facts-about-solar-energy.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anita_Van_Wyk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/50178

Article Source :ezinearticles.com

20 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO CONSERVE ENERGY

Whenever you save energy, you not only save money, you also reduce the demand for such fossil fuels as coal, oil, and natural gas. Less burning of fossil fuels also means lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary contributor to global warming, and other pollutants.
You do not have to do without to achieve these savings. There is now an energy efficient alternative for almost every kind of appliance or light fixture. That means that consumers have a real choice and the power to change their energy use on a revolutionary scale.
The average American produces about 40,000 pounds of CO2 emissions per year. Together, we use nearly a million dollars worth of energy every minute, night and day, every day of the year. By exercising even a few of the following steps, you can cut your annual emissions by thousands of pounds and your energy bills by a significant amount!
Home appliances

1. Turn your refrigerator down. Refrigerators account for about 20% of Household electricity use. Use a thermometer to set your refrigerator temperature as close to 37 degrees and your freezer as close to 3 degrees as possible. Make sure that its energy saver switch is turned on. Also, check the gaskets around your refrigerator/freezer doors to make sure they are clean and sealed tightly.

2. Set your clothes washer to the warm or cold water setting, not hot. Switching from hot to warm for two loads per week can save nearly 500 pounds of CO2 per year if you have an electric water heater, or 150 pounds for a gas heater.

3. Make sure your dishwasher is full when you run it and use the energy saving setting, if available, to allow the dishes to air dry. You can also turn off the drying cycle manually. Not using heat in the drying cycle can save 20 percent of your dishwasher's total electricity use.

4. Turn down your water heater thermostat. Thermostats are often set to 140 degrees F when 120 is usually fine. Each 10 degree reduction saves 600 pounds of CO2 per year for an electric water heater, or 440 pounds for a gas heater. If every household turned its water heater thermostat down 20 degrees, we could prevent more than 45 million tons of annual CO2 emissions - the same amount emitted by the entire nations of Kuwait or Libya.

5. Select the most energy-efficient models when you replace your old appliances. Look for the Energy Star Label - your assurance that the product saves energy and prevents pollution. Buy the product that is sized to your typical needs - not the biggest one available. Front loading washing machines will usually cut hot water use by 60 to 70% compared to typical machines. Replacing a typical 1973 refrigerator with a new energy-efficient model, saves 1.4 tons of CO2 per year. Investing in a solar water heater can save 4.9 tons of CO2 annually.

Home Heating and Cooling

6. Be careful not to overheat or overcool rooms. In the winter, set your thermostat at 68 degrees in daytime, and 55 degrees at night. In the summer, keep it at 78. Lowering your thermostat just two degrees during winter saves 6 percent of heating-related CO2 emissions. That's a reduction of 420 pounds of CO2 per year for a typical home.

7. Clean or replace air filters as recommended. Energy is lost when air conditioners and hot-air furnaces have to work harder to draw air through dirty filters. Cleaning a dirty air conditioner filter can save 5 percent of the energy used. That could save 175 pounds of CO2 per year.

Small investments that pay off

8. Buy energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs for your most-used lights. Although they cost more initially, they save money in the long run by using only 1/4 the energy of an ordinary incandescent bulb and lasting 8-12 times longer. They provide an equivalent amount of bright, attractive light. Only 10% of the energy consumed by a normal light bulb generates light. The rest just makes the bulb hot. If every American household replaced one of its standard light bulbs with an energy efficient compact fluorescent bulb, we would save the same amount of energy as a large nuclear power plant produces in one year. In a typical home, one compact fluorescent bulb can save 260 pounds of CO2 per year.

9. Wrap your water heater in an insulating jacket, which costs just $10 to $20. It can save 1100 lbs. of CO2 per year for an electric water heater, or 220 pounds for a gas heater.

10. Use less hot water by installing low-flow shower heads. They cost just $10 to $20 each, deliver an invigorating shower, and save 300 pounds of CO2 per year for electrically heated water, or 80 pounds for gas-heated water.

11. Weatherize your home or apartment, using caulk and weather stripping to plug air leaks around doors and windows. Caulking costs less than $1 per window, and weather stripping is under $10 per door. These steps can save up to 1100 pounds of CO2 per year for a typical home. Ask your utility company for a home energy audit to find out where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. This service may be provided free or at low cost. Make sure it includes a check of your furnace and air conditioning.

Getting around

12. Whenever possible, walk, bike, car pool, or use mass transit. Every gallon of gasoline you save avoids 22 pounds of CO2 emissions. If your car gets 25 miles per gallon, for example, and you reduce your annual driving from 12,000 to 10,000 miles, you'll save 1800 pounds of CO2.

13. When you next buy a car, choose one that gets good mileage. If your new car gets 40 miles per gallon instead of 25, and you drive 10,000 miles per year, you'll reduce your annual CO2 emissions by 3,300 pounds.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

14. Reduce the amount of waste you produce by buying minimally packaged goods, choosing reusable products over disposable ones, and recycling. For every pound of waste you eliminate or recycle, you save energy and reduce emissions of CO2 by at least 1 pound. Cutting down your garbage by half of one large trash bag per week saves at least 1100 pounds of CO2 per year. Making products with recycled materials, instead of from scratch with raw materials, uses 30 to 55% less for paper products, 33% less for glass, and a whopping 90% less for aluminum.

15. If your car has an air conditioner, make sure its coolant is recovered and recycled whenever you have it serviced. In the United States, leakage from auto air conditioners is the largest single source of emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which damage the ozone layer as well as add to global warming. The CFCs from one auto air conditioner can add the equivalent of 4800 pounds of CO2 emissions per year.

Home Improvements.


When you plan major home improvements, consider some of these energy saving investments. They save money in the long run, and their CO2 savings can often be measured in tons per year.

16. Insulate your walls and ceilings. This can save 20 to 30 percent of home heating bills and reduce CO2 emissions by 140 to 2100 pounds per year. If you live in a colder climate, consider superinsulating. That can save 5.5 tons of CO2 per year for gas-heated homes, 8.8 tons per year for oil heat, or 23 tons per year for electric heat. (If you have electric heat, you might also consider switching to more efficient gas or oil.)

17. Modernize your windows. Replacing all your ordinary windows with argon filled, double-glazed windows saves 2.4 tons of CO2 per year for homes with gas heat, 3.9 tons of oil heat, and 9.8 tons for electric heat.

18. Plant shade trees and paint your house a light color if you live in a warm climate, or a dark color if you live in a cold climate. Reductions in energy use resulting from shade trees and appropriate painting can save up to 2.4 tons of CO2 emissions per year. (Each tree also directly absorbs about 25 pounds of CO2 from the air annually.)

Business and community
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19. Work with your employer to implement these and other energy-efficiency and waste-reduction measures in your office or workplace. Form or join local citizens' groups and work with local government officials to see that these measures are taken in schools and public buildings.

20. Keep track of the environmental voting records of candidates for office. Stay abreast of environmental issues on both local and national levels, and write or call your elected officials to express your concerns about energy efficiency and global warming.

resource :www.ecomall.com