Are Tankless Water Heaters Real Savers?

Tankless Water Heater

One hot area (yes, pun is intended) in energy reduction is that of hot water heating. As I discussed previously, traditional hot water heaters are (almost by design) inefficient. Storing 80 gallons or more of hot water, constantly being heated whether there is a need or not, simply doesn't make much sense. It's no wonder that many estimates show water heating consuming 10% to 25% of a typical home energy bill.

So when it is time to buy a new hot water heater, it would pay to consider a tankless or a solar hot water heater (to be covered next week). However, there are considerations to keep in mind if you want to see real reductions to your gas and electric bills.

Today we'll look at tankless hot water heaters, and the pros and cons of them.

News Roundup - Another Benefit of Smart Meters

Much has been discussed regarding the current and potential benefits of Smart Meters.  They can provide real-time or near-real-time electrical consumption details and provide that information back to the utility.  This can enable smarter billing plans, usage alerts, and allow for more efficient handling of the electrical grid.

Leveraging this technology, a company called OPOWER is working with utilities to create "smart bills" that show how your usage compares to neighbors.  They can use email and texting to alert customers when certain thresholds are reached, allowing a 'heads up' when a consumer is on-track for a high bill.

OPOWER claims that consumers who have smart meters and are part of this system on average reduce their power consumption 2% to 3%.  Across millions of homes, that is substantial.  Here in Arizona's deserts, 2-3% could translate to $40 to $80 of savings.

Read more about OPOWER on CNN.

Five Reasons to Reconsider CFLs

The CFL light bulb is an interesting product.  It has been around in the mainstream for around 10 years, yet continues to be as misunderstood by some as it is revered by others.

And to top it off, it has become a bit of a political lightning rod in the USA as a symbol of everything from global warming conspiracy to government intrusion.

Like many products with a lot of potential, corporate marketers have played up the best of this potential - especially long life and low energy consumption.  Those on the other side of the issue complain about harsh light, overblown life expectancy claims, and price, and mercury content.

Today we'll look at five reasons to reconsider CFLs for use in your home.

Five Ways to Offset Your Holiday Energy Consumption

If you're like millions of Americans, you just completed setting up your Christmas tree and have strung holiday lights all around your house and yard.  And if you're like most people, you are spending $1.00 to $5.00 per day to run those lights.

Most people tend to run their displays from the Sunday after Thanksgiving through to the weekend past New Year's Day.  That is about 40 days, meaning many people are spending $40 to $200 just to run their holiday light displays.

How can you offset this usage?  There are many ways!

How to Save 1000 Gallons of Water a Month With 5 Minutes of Work

Actually, not only can you save 500 gallons of water with just five minutes of effort, but you can reduce your water heating costs at the same time.

When I moved into my current house over four years ago, it was brand new construction meeting the latest building standards. Over time, standards relating to efficiency have improved greatly, so I felt good about the efficiency of the house.

Of course, as I started to get to know my house I discovered quite a few areas where the standards could be improved upon, and one area that could easily save 500 gallons of water per month with less than $20 to $40 spent, and only 5 minutes of effort.

News Roundup - Spray On Solar Windows

Spray-On Solar Windows

OK, this may not be "news" anymore, since it was announced 2 months ago, but a company called New Energy Technologies announced a product that they claim allows ordinary windows to be converted to solar generating windows.

The product, which would be sprayed onto the window surface, essentially creates a thin-film coating (claimed to be thinner than existing thin-filmed technologies) that generates electricity.

The press release can be viewed on eSolar News.

The company claims that performance numbers with third-party review will be published shortly. No indication of availability and cost has been provided.

Obviously, this method brings up a lot of questions, ranging from durability to how much light will be allowed through. Another interesting one to watch...

Shopping Ideas to Turn Black Friday Green

I've already discussed a few energy saving gift ideas and energy saving holiday decorations that will reduce your electric bills.  But often times you can save energy in some unexpected ways by using products that may not be marketed as 'energy savers'.

Today I'll look at five unexpected products that can reduce you and your friend's electric bills.