Gas Stoves, Convection Ovens, Pressure Cookers or Solar Ovens? I myself like my Toaster Oven but there are other options

Posted on July 14, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

Unlike many appliances there does not seem to be any “lists” of the most efficient stoves. There does not seem to be any comparisons of stoves. Like one with a convection oven compared to a combo microwave convection oven. There is however a whole lotto’ advice:

http://energyhawk.com/cooking/cooking4.php

Choosing the Right

Appliance For the Job

You can save energy simply by getting in the habit of cooking with the most efficient appliance possible for the food you are preparing.

In general, the higher on the following list, the less energy the appliance will cost you:

So, lets say you want to reheat some leftovers for lunch. You could pop it in your big, hulking oven, but it would be cheaper to use the toaster oven. It would be cheapest to heat it in the microwave. But be reasonable. You’re not going to make pancakes in your crockpot, so fire up that electric frying pan with impunity. And I know the Thanksgiving turkey won’t fit in most toaster ovens.

These energy savings are not something to sneeze at. For example, using a microwave will reduce your energy consumption by about two-thirds compared to using a regular oven.

Perhaps the greatest innovation of the ’70’s was a great appliance to cook soups and stews that need to simmer for a long time. Yes, I’m talking about the crockpot. (Points off for those of you who guessed Leisure Suits were the discovery.)

Finally, you know how Asian cuisines always emphasize steaming vegetables instead of boiling them? You use a lot less energy steaming vegetables over a little bit of water compared to boiling them in a whole pot of water (some of us think they taste better that way, too). Or try microwaving them in a covered bowl with a little water in the bottom, to get the same effect using less time and less energy.

http://www.eartheasy.com/live_energyeffic_appl.htm

Stoves

Use the burner which is the closest match to pot size. Heat is lost and energy is wasted if burner size is larger than pot size.

Use lids on pots and pans so you can cook at lower settings.

Keep drip pans under conventional coil burners clean. Don’t line drip pans with aluminum foil – they can reflect too much heat and damage the elements.

Only preheat when baking.

Check your oven temperature. Use a separate oven thermometer to ensure your oven control is accurate.

Make sure the oven door seal is tight. Avoid opening oven door while baking – each time the door is opened, about 20% of the inside heat is lost.

Turn oven off a few minutes before food is ready, and let oven heat finish the job.

Gas stoves: electronic ignition (piezo) will use about 40% less gas than a pilot light.

Pilot light and burner flame on gas stoves should be blue. If flame is yellow, ports need to be unclogged or adjusted. Ports can be cleared with pipe cleaners.

Use the microwave. They use only 1/3 to 1/2 as much energy as conventional stoves.

Induction cooktops use 90% of the energy produced compared to only 55% for a gas burner and 65% for traditional electric ranges.

Sun (Solar) ovens are the most energy-efficient cooking appliance, as they require no fuel of any kind to cook, yet reach temperatures of 360° – 400°.

Hybrid solar ovens have all the benefits of a solar oven, with the added convenience of an energy-efficient electric backup for use when sun power is not available. When used in ‘electric’ mode, these units use 75% less energy than conventional electric range.

This one is brand spanking new:

http://www.eartheasy.com/article_induction_cooking.htm

Induction Cooking
A revolution in home cooking

Induction cooking uses 90% of the energy produced compared to only 55% for a gas burner and 65% for traditional electric ranges.

Cooking food at home may have just gotten safer and easier, thanks to the help of an induction cooktop that controls and intensifies heat using electromagnetism. However, this is no new phenomenon. Induction cooking has been around for decades but until recently never made it past a restaurant’s kitchen.

How does it work?
Traditional electric cooktops use some form of electric resistance to create heat, which is transferred to the saucepan and its contents. Induction cooking is based on magnetic fields: each ‘element’ (an induction coil) generates a magnetic field that induces heat in steel cookware placed on top of it. In essence, the pot becomes the element that cooks the food, so the cooktop surface doesn’t get as hot as other cooktops. Induction cooktops have the same instant control as gas and are the fastest of all cooktop types to heat and cook food.

The only stipulations include:
• pots and pans must be made of steel, cast iron or other combinations of metals that will react with the magnetic field.
• a kitchen must be wired for 220 volts (which is not likely if you are using gas). What’s more, the induction cooktop is more energy efficient:
• Induction cooking uses 90% of the energy produced compared to only 55% for a gas burner and 65% for traditional electric ranges.
• Induction provides extremely fast boil and re-boil, over 50% faster than gas or electricThe surface of the cooktop does not heat up, so overflows and spills do not stick. The cooking surface stays cool even during the cooking cycle.

The Magnetic Factor
Induction cooking uses the transfer of magnetic energy (magnetic coils) — rather than flames or electric elements — to generate heat. Within this magnetic field, molecules in the pan jumble around at very high frequencies; the friction creates instant heat.If consumers are curious if the pans they already own are capable of induction cooking, all they have to do is hold a magnet to the bottom of the pan. If the magnet sticks, the pan will work with induction.

Cleaning
Induction cooktops are easy to clean. They have a continuous surface with no dirt traps, and the controls are touch-sensitive, so there are no knobs to clean around. Because the surface doesn’t get as hot as other electric cooktops, most spillages won’t bake on, although you do have to be careful with sugar because it can still pit the surface. On the downside, some models don’t have a lip around the edge to contain spills, and you may have to buy a special cream to keep it streak-free.

Cost
Induction cooktops are expensive. Typical price: Twin-element: around $1700; two radiant ceramic and two induction elements (as one unit): $1800–$2500; four induction elements: $3000–$4000+.

Then there are some unconventional approaches:

http://www.lostvalley.org/haybox1.html :} THIS ONES AS OLD AS THE HILLS:

Haybox cooking (also called retained-heat cooking) is an age-old method that can be used to conserve energy not only during times of crisis, but anytime. Depending on the food item and amount cooked, the use of a haybox or insulated cooker saves between 20% and 80% of the energy normally needed to cook a food. The longer an item usually takes on a stovetop, the more fuel is saved. For example, with a haybox, five pots of long-cooking dry beans will use the same amount of fuel to cook to completion as just one pot cooked without a haybox.

The principle of retained-heat cooking is simple. In conventional cooking, any heat applied to the pot after it reaches boiling temperature is merely replacing heat lost to the air by the pot. In haybox cooking, food is brought to a boil, simmered for a few minutes depending on the particle size (5 minutes for rice or other grains, 15 minutes for large dry beans or whole potatoes), then put into the haybox to continue cooking. Since the insulated cooker prevents most of the heat in the food from escaping into the environment, no additional energy is needed to complete the cooking process. The hayboxed food normally cooks within one to two times the normal stovetop cooking time. It can be left in the haybox until ready to serve, and stays hot for hours. “Timing” is much less important than in stovetop cooking: stick a pot of rice, beans, or stew in at lunch time, and it will be ready when you are, and steaming hot, at dinner time.

The haybox itself is any kind of insulated container that can withstand cooking temperatures and fits relatively snugly around the pot. Hayboxes have been made using hay, straw, wool, feathers, cotton, rice hulls, cardboard, aluminum foil, newspaper, fiberglass, fur, rigid foam, and/or other suitable materials as insulation. The insulation is placed between the rigid walls of a box, within a double bag of material, or lining a hole in the ground. “Instant hayboxes” have been created by wrapping a sleeping bag, blankets, and/or pillows around a pot. The most effective insulating materials create many separate pockets of air, which slow down the movement of heat. 2 to 4 inches of thickness (depending on the material) are necessary for good insulation. Some materials, such as aluminum foil or mylar, actually reflect heat back toward the pot. Important characteristics of any insulating material incorporated into a haybox include:

It must withstand cooking temperatures (up to 212 degrees F or 100 degrees C) without melting.
It does not release toxic fumes (any kind of foam insulation needs to be covered with aluminum foil or mylar) or dangerous fibers (fiberglass also needs to be covered).
It can be fashioned to be as snug-fitting as possible around the pot. A little pot in a big box will not cook as effectively; it’s better to wrap pillows, towels, or blankets around it to fill up the space.
It can be made to form a relatively tight seal, so that heat does not escape from the cooking cavity. Since hot air rises, a container designed to open at the base rather than the top will retain more heat.
It is dry, and can be kept dry, since wet materials don’t insulate as well. An inner layer of aluminum foil or mylar helps keep cooking moisture from entering the walls of the box. Mylar, which can be salvaged from used food storage containers, balloons, etc., tends to be a more durable inner layer than aluminum foil.

Cooking containers, too, should have tight-fitting lids, to prevent the escape of heat and moisture.

Since water is not lost in haybox cooking the way it is during extended stovetop simmering, the amount of water used to cook grains and beans is normally reduced by one-quarter. Instead of adding 2 cups of water per cup of dry rice, try adding 1 1/2. Also, the larger the amount cooked, the more effective haybox cooking is, since a full pot has more mass and therefore more heat storage capacity than a half-full pot. Haybox cooking is ideally suited for a family or large group, or anytime there’s a reason to cook in quantity. If you’re cooking alone, try cooking full pots of food using a haybox, then reheating small portions for individual meals–this too can conserve fuel.

Retained-heat cooking has many other advantages in addition to energy and water conservation. As mentioned, it makes “timing” less critical, since it keeps meals hot until serving time. Once the initial boil-and-short-simmer stage is past, it also eliminates the danger of burning the food on the bottom of the pot (the sad fate of too many pots of grains, beans, or other foods left simmering too long without stirring on the stove). Hayboxed food can actually be better for you, and tastier, than food prepared exclusively on a stovetop, because most of the cooking takes place in the 180 degrees F to 212 degrees F range, rather than at a constant 212 degrees F (lower temperatures preserve more flavor and nutrients, as they also do in crockpot cooking and solar cooking).

http://idreamofgreenie.blogspot.com/2008/01/fast-energy-efficient-cooking.html

Fast, Energy Efficient Cooking

No, it’s not a campfire or a blow torch.

I have a childhood memory of my mother making our dinner using a pressure cooker. It had a small weight on top of it that would bobble around when it reached full steam. I have to admit, it seemed a little intimidating, knowing that if you touched it the wrong way, it might explode all over the kitchen.

Fast forward to adult life. One of my holiday gifts was a pressure cooker. ( So much for jewelry and clothes.) Oh no, I thought. I’m not using that thing. It’s old fashioned, it’s passe, and most importantly, that thing is dangerous!

After a few years, I decided to open the box. I read the instructions. I inspected the pot. Hmmm…no more bobble weight on the top. The new models seemed pretty much idiot proof now. So I gave it a try, with careful supervision. I sauteed a little onion, carrots and celery and threw in some chicken parts, seasoning and water. I sealed it up and turned on the heat. I sat there, staring at the thing to make sure it didn’t explode. It didn’t, naturally. And in 15 minutes, I had made chicken soup. I was amazed. I will try this again, I thought. And I did. Again and again. Now I am a huge proponent of pressure cookers. I use it all the time, and my family is amazed at what comes out of there so quickly. Pot roast, chicken, our lamb and french bean stew…in the time you would boil pasta!

At some recent family gatherings, the ladies would congregate and swap stories, one of which was about their beloved crock pot. In only 8 hours, they would come home to a nice hot meal. That’s all good but 8 hours? Not only is the pressure cooker faster, but it uses a heck of a lot less energy. 8 hours vs. 15 minutes. I mentioned this to the ladies. And they say,”Oh yeah, but I’m afraid of it.” Aren’t we all? Hell, if we can give birth, this is a cakewalk.

There are several good ones on the market. If you have an interest in an energy efficient way to cook your family a nice, healthy meal, this one is my choice.

Fagor Pressure Cookers. This is a great company out of Spain that makes good quality products. Go to www.fagorpressurecookers.com.

http://www.sunoven.com/?gclid=CPiYncvZv5QCFQH0IgodrnQAUQ

Then

http://www.solarcookers.org/basics/how.html

There

http://solarcooking.org/

http://www.cookwiththesun.com/

The Sun:

http://www.knowledgehound.com/topics/solarcoo.htm

Cookin’ with Sunshine

Ed Eaton

In just a few days, the sun showers us with energy equal to all the
earth’s fossil fuels. Consider our environment and its condition;
using solar energy seems only logical. One way to use the sun is
to cook with the solar energy. We can bake, fry, steam, or even
solarque our favorite dish right in our own backyard.

Brief History
Successful solar cookers were reported in Europe and India as early
as the 18th century. The increased use of glass during that period
helped inventors to trap heat & hot air. In 1870, Augustine Mouchot
invented a fairly portable oven for the French Foreign Legion. It
could bake a pound of bread in 45 minutes or 2 pounds of potatoes
in one hour.

Around the same time, W. A. Adams developed an eight-sided mirrored
oven which reflected light through a glass cone located in the center
of the oven. This oven could cook a 12 pound turkey in 4 to 5 hours.
This is still a popular design today. We actually use a large model,
very similar to Adam’s oven. In this oven we can cook 60 pounds
of food at a time

Present Times
Interest in solar energy seems to fluctuate along with the price
of fuels (oil in particular). We feel a new awareness is blooming.
It is due to the ever growing concerns about OUR planet EARTH and
our desire to help
Earth out! Solar cooking enables us to contribute in a small, simple
way.

Energy Efficient Refrigerators – Cool because they are cool

Posted on July 10, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

OK so my energy efficient 27 inch Samsong is all set up. I looked in the paper and CSI is not new so we can go back the appliances now. As I said in the last post a truely efficient Refrigerator would have the freezer compartment on the floor, followed by the food compartment and then the compresser. It would be up against an outside wall, and there would be a system for venting the heat outside during the cooling season. I may even be able to find a drawing of one…I think it was in the original Whole Earth Catelog….whatever. Here’s what the experts say:

Buying a New Refrigerator To find the most efficient refrigerators , download a qualifying product list from the ENERGY STAR Web site (link to excel file in the upper-right). Sort by “Configuration,” “Volume,” and “Percent Better” to see which refrigerators meet our recommendations (below). For a quick search by manufacturer, here’s a direct link to the list in html.

When buying a new refrigerator, consider the following:

1. Low Annual Energy Use
ACEEE recommends that you consider models that use at least 20% less electricity than that required by federal law. Models that are 20%, 25% and 30% better than the federal standard may qualify for rebates — check with your local utility.

2. Choose top-mounted freezer configuration over side-by-side
Side-by-side refrigerator/freezers use more energy than similarly sized models with the freezer on top, even if they both carry the ENERGY STAR. The government holds the two categories to different standards, allowing side-by-sides to use 10-30% more energy. Icemakers and through-the-door ice also add to energy consumption. To compare energy performance across different refrigerator types, look for the measured “kWh/year” either on the ENERGY STAR list above, or on the yellow EnergyGuide label posted on the refrigerator (and available on-line through many manufacturers and retailers websites).

3. Size Matters
Refrigerators under 25 cubic feet should meet the needs of most households. The models over 25 cubic feet use significantly more energy. If you are thinking about purchasing such a large unit, you may want to reconsider. A smaller unit may well meet your household’s needs.

4. Minimize multiple refrigerators
That said, if you need more refrigerator space, resist the temptation of moving your old refrigerator to the basement or garage for auxiliary purposes. Instead, have it recycled and think about other options if you need more refrigerator space. Depending on your situation, it is generally much more efficient to operate one big refrigerator rather than two smaller ones. If your big fridge is likely to be empty most of the year, maybe the better option would be to purchase an ENERGY STAR compact fridge. Compact refrigerators less than 7.75 ft3 must be 20% more efficient than the minimum federal standard to qualify for ENERGY STAR. They are listed alongside full-size refrigerators at the ENERGY STAR link above.

5. Recycle your old fridge
Be sure you dispose of your old refrigerator properly. You can usually have the utility or the city pick it up; they might even pay you to throw it out. To learn more, go to our web page on appliance recycling and disposal.
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I you want the website and their spiel:

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=refrig.pr_refrigerators

Residential Refrigerators

Commercial Solid Door Refrigerators & Freezers

ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators require about half as much energy as models manufactured before 1993. ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators provide energy savings without sacrificing the features you want.

Earning the ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator models use high efficiency compressors, improved insulation, and more precise temperature and defrost mechanisms to improve energy efficiency.
ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator models use at least 20% less energy than required by current federal standards and 40% less energy than the conventional models sold in 2001.
Many ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator models include automatic ice-maker and through-the-door ice dispensers. Qualified models are also available with top, bottom, and side-by-side freezers.
ENERGY STAR qualified freezer models use at least 10% less energy than required by current federal standards. Qualified freezer models are available in three configurations:
- upright freezers with automatic defrost
- upright freezers with manual defrost
- chest freezers with manual defrost only
ENERGY STAR compact refrigerators and freezers use at least 20% less energy than required by current federal standards. Compacts are models with volumes less than 7.75 cubic feet.

Remember, saving energy prevents pollution. In most households, the refrigerator is the single biggest energy consuming kitchen appliance. Replacing a refrigerator bought in 1990 with a new ENERGY STAR qualified model would save enough energy to light the average household for nearly four months.

You may also be interested to know that you can reduce the amount of energy your refrigerator or freezer uses, whether with a standard or an ENERGY STAR qualified model:

Position your refrigerator away from a heat source such as an oven, a dishwasher, or direct sunlight from a window.
To allow air to circulate around the condenser coils, leave a space between the wall or cabinets and the refrigerator or freezer and keep the coils clean.
Make sure the door seals are airtight.
Keep your refrigerator between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
Minimize the amount of time the refrigerator door is open.
Recycle older or second refrigerators.

Then there are the Propane Refrigerators:

http://www.oasismontana.com/refrigerator.html

Propane Refrigerator by Servel

one of the oldest and most reliable manufacturers of LP units, are still available without significant lead time, for $1195 plus freight. The Servel Americana 400 series is their latest technology of fully independent refrigerator/freezers. The absorption-type cooling system (no freon) is quiet and dependable, with no compressor or other moving parts to wear out. Choose almond or white for exterior finish with designer beveled edges; 7.5 cu ft (5.6 ‘fridge, 1.9 freezer). CFC-free. Outside dimensions: 63.5″ tall; 23″ wide; depth of 26.5″. Door hinged on right. Features include all-white interior with adjustable, removable shelves and door bins, plus two vegetable crispers and a battery powered interior light. All models can be operated on AC electricity if desired (but are not energy efficient used in this fashion, using almost 4000 watts per day). Fuel consumption averages (at 77° ambient temperature) 1.1 lb of propane daily or 1.5 to 2.4 gallons per week. Swedish made with famous European craftsmanship, these units will provide many years of use. American Gas Association approval, of course; one year warranty. Call for your freight on these units. Also available as fueled by kerosene for $1550. The kerosene units do require additional maintenance (as kerosene is a less clean fuel than propane). There is a maintenance kit suggested for those interested in the kerosene units that costs an additional $149; spare parts included are 12 wicks, wick raiser, flame spreader, wick cleaner, and glass chimney.Click here for a picture and additional information on these great units .

Full Sized Propane Refrigerators Now Available

The Crystal Cold! (click this link for more data). Made by the Amish for the Amish, who usually have large families and demand high performance. White, bisque, stainless steel & black colors are available in some models. Click here for more details. These units look like a ruggedly-built, conventional refrigerator, available in 12 cu .ft , 15 cu ft, 18 cu ft, and now a whopping 21 cu. ft. model. Runs on natural or LP gas, very gas efficient; one year warranty, with option to extend warranty to three years for $65. For natural gas conversion at the factory, add $50. Call, write or e-mail us for additional information on these quality NEW units.

Made by the Amish for the Amish. I love it. Lord there is hope. Then there are the solar people:

Full Sized Propane Refrigerators Now Available

http://www.partsonsale.com/sundanzer.html

Remote home and cabin owners, are you aware that it takes ten 85 watt solar panels with their associated mounting brackets, wire, charge controller, combiner box, inverter, inverter cables, battery cables, fusing and a fairly large bank of deep cycle batteries to power a conventional 600 watt refrigerator !

Save on system costs with these Ultra High Efficiency battery-powered solar refrigerators and freezers. These highly efficient units with exceptionally low energy consumption require a smaller photovoltaic (PV) system for your refrigeration needs. these Ultra High Efficiency units feature 4.33″ (110 mm) of polyurethane insulation and coated steel cabinets. The brushless motor compressor operates on 12 or 24 VDC. A patented low-frost system reduces frost build-up for low maintenance.these Ultra High Efficiency chest-style refrigerators and freezers are easy to clean using the drain hole at the bottom of the unit. With thick insulation and a refrigeration system optimized for solar, these Ultra High Efficiency refrigerators and freezers provide outstanding economical and reliable operation. these Ultra High Efficiency cabinets are commercially produced by one of the world’s leading appliance manufacturers.

www.geappliances.com/products/energy/

www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/icebox2.htm

www.sunfrost.com

www.blog.techsoup.org/node/411

www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/icebox2.htmp

Energy Efficient Televisions – Now that we have covered the basics

Posted on July 9, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

So we have you house super insulated, we have a tankles water heater, and you have turned your refrigerator upside down and moved the coils outside (more on that tomorrow), what do we get next? Most people would say an efficient “something” to cook on but me I gotta have my TV! While I am doing the research on all that other silly stuff I can watch CSI.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/05/top_energy_effi.php

Shopping for an energy efficient television set can be difficult. You can scan the manufacturers’ specs, but many don’t provide power information, and the numbers provided rarely include standby power ratings. Depending on what type of set you buy, a television can consume as little as 45 watts or as much as 500 watts, and cost anywhere from $13 to $145 per year to run.

Basically, TVs that use the least amount of electricity are smaller LCD TVs, and the biggest energy consumers are the 50+ inch plasma sets. The most efficient LCD televisions are generally those in the Sharp Aquos line. Last year, CNET tested the energy efficiency of 20 television sets, and the Sharp Aquos LC-20B8U-S 20 inch set was found to be the least power hungry — it costs just $13 a year to run. Rear-projection TVs are also technically energy efficient, but these sets are large and rarely get as bright as the others.

These people do a bang up job of laying out the cost for 80 different Television sets. All HDTV because in February we all have to switch over.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6475_7-6400401-2.html?tag=nav

The price of energy always seems to be rising, and costs can run high when just about every modern appliance can be seen as a power-hungry mass of circuits, lights, and buttons that sucks down electricity, day and night. We put 104 TVs–old and new–to the test by measuring how much power each uses in a simulation of actual use. Our results, detailed in a chart on the next page, show that it can cost between $29 and $223 a year to watch TV, depending primarily on screen size and technology type.

Technology and size matter
There are four basic technologies that TVs use to produce a picture, and technology type has a large influence on power consumption per inch of screen. The traditional cathode-ray tube (CRT) blasts electrons onto chemical phosphors embedded on the inside of the tube, while plasma sets ionize gas to create colors in a million or more tiny pixel cells. SpongeBob or American Idol then show up on the other side of the glass, and both require more electricity to create a brighter image.

Power consumption compared

TVs:
Average plasma: 350 watts
Average rear-projection: 212 watts
Average LCD: 213 watts

Other A/V gear:
PlayStation 3: 197 watts
Xbox360: 187 watts
Average PC: 78 watts
DirecTV HR20 DVR: 33 watts
Wii: 19 watts
Slingbox: 9 watts
Wireless router: 7 watts

On the other hand, flat-panel LCDs and rear-projection microdisplays use a powerful fluorescent backlight or bulb that either punches through an LCD panel with its three color filters or that reflects off of a digital-light-processing chip that has a million miniature mirrors and a spinning color wheel. Either way, they consume the same power, regardless of the brightness of the image. That’s because the primary light source–the backlight or the bulb–is essentially always running at maximum power. Note that many flat LCDs actually have adjustable backlights that you can turn down to consume less power and produce a dimmer image.

Size matters as well, so we divided each set’s power use by its screen area to get a watts-per-square-inch rating. This way, small and large screens can be compared. While there are plenty of exceptions, the average score of each technology type is telling:

Microdisplay rear projector: 0.14 watt per square inch
LCD: 0.29 watt per square inch
Plasma: 0.35 watt per square inch

If power efficiency is all you’re after, the clear choice is rear-projection technology.

This is a really long very well written article and tests of more than 80 TV’s. Please read it and click on every commercial you see because these folks are the best! One more quote because it makes an important point. Many electronics consume power whether they are on or off. The worst is the chargers because people leave them plugged in and they draw power constantly. Then we will reveal the winner of the cheapest TV to operate contest.

Other power factors
It may surprise you to hear that TVs use power even when they’re not turned on. So that the TV is ready to respond to the remote in an instant, all sets use what’s called phantom or standby power. Our tests revealed that standby power consumption varied widely among different TVs. In most cases, it’s just a few watts, but we found several TVs that used more than 10 watts in standby. In any case, it adds up.

Few people have just a TV anymore, and all sorts of ancillary devices contribute to your yearly energy costs as well. Think of all that’s plugged into your set, from a DVD player, an A/V receiver, and a gaming console to a satellite receiver, a digital recorder, and even a Wi-Fi transmitter. They all need power. It may not sound like much, but a DirecTV DVR can use about 33 watts, while a Slingbox draws about 9 watts–and these are devices that are typically always on. All told, these boxes can use more power than the TV itself, especially when it comes to gaming. The Xbox 360 pulls down an impressive 187 watts, but is outdone by the power-hungry PlayStation 3, which requires 197 watts of juice

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Envision A27W221
For absolute cheapest

And:

Samsung LN-R3228W

For Quality

www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=TV

www.associatedcontent.com/article/187183/tips_for_choosing_the_most_energy_efficient.html

www.usnews.com/blogs/beyond-the-barrel/2008/1/17/seeking-an-energy–efficient–tv-yes-its-confusing.html

www.yosemite.epa.gov/…/b0789fb70f8ff03285257029006e3880/dd87fab13244d90285257274006cb78a!OpenDocument

http://familycorruptioninthebigeasy.blogspot.com/2008/01/looking-for-energy-efficient-tv.html

www.dispatch.com/…/business/stories/2008/06/18/green_tv_0618.ART_ART_06-18-08_C8_26AH7KN.html?sid=101

www.tech.yahoo.com/blog/raskin/6816

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Solar Water Heaters – Why not it’s free

Posted on July 8, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

Not the system the Sun. There are so many Solar Water Heaters available now that it is embarressing. Anyone who owns their own home and doesn’t install one is an Energy Hog. Tankless water heater owners are given a pass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_hot_water

Solar hot water

Solar Hot Water refers to water heated by solar energy. Solar heating systems are generally composed of solar thermal collectors, a fluid system to move the heat from the collector to its point of usage, and a reservoir or tank for heat storage and subsequent use. The systems may be used to heat water for home or business use, for swimming pools, underfloor heating or as an energy input for space heating and cooling and industrial applications.

In many climates, a solar heating system can provide a very high percentage (50% to 75%) of domestic hot water energy. In many northern European countries, combined hot water and space heating systems (solar combisystems) are used to provide 15 to 25% of home heating energy.

In the southern regions of Africa like Zimbabwe, solar water heaters have been gaining popularity, thanks to the Austrian and other EU funded projects that are promoting more environmentally friendly water heating solutions.

Residential solar thermal installations can be subdivided into two kinds of systems: compact and pumped systems. Both typically include an auxiliary energy source (electric heating element or connection to a gas or fuel oil central heating system) that is activated when the water in the tank falls below a minimum temperature setting such as 50 °C. Hence, hot water is always available. The combination of solar hot water heating and using the back-up heat from a wood stove chimney to heat water^[2] can enable a hot water system to work all year round in northern climates without the supplemental heat requirement of a solar hot water system being met with fossil fuels or electricity.

Evacuated tube collector

Evacuated tube collectors are made of a series of modular tubes, mounted in parallel, whose number can be added to or reduced as hot water delivery needs change. This type of collector consists of rows of parallel transparent glass tubes, each of which contains an absorber tube (in place of the absorber plate to which metal tubes are attached in a flat-plate collector). The tubes are covered with a special light-modulating coating. In an evacuated tube collector, sunlight passing through an outer glass tube heats the absorber tube contained within it. The absorber can either consist of copper (glass-metal) or specially-coated glass tubing (glass-glass). The glass-metal evacuated tubes are typically sealed at the manifold end, and the absorber is actually sealed in the vacuum, thus the fact that the absorber and heat pipe are dissimilar metals creates no corrosion problems. The better quality systems use foam insulation in the manifold. low iron glass is used in the higher quality evacuated tubes manufacture.

Lower quality evacuated tube systems use the glass coated absorber. Due to the extreme temperature difference of the glass under stagnation temperatures, the glass sometimes shatters. The glass is a lower quality boron silicate material and the aluminum absorber and copper heat pipe are slid down inside the open top end of the tube. Moisture entering the manifold around the sheet metal casing is eventually absorbed by the glass fibre insulation and then finds its way down into the tubes. This leads to corrosion at the absorber/heat pipe interface area, also freeze ruptures of the tube itself if the tube fills sufficiently with water.

Two types of tube collectors are distinguished by their heat transfer method: the simplest pumps a heat transfer fluid (water or antifreeze) through a U-shaped copper tube placed in each of the glass collector tubes. The second type uses a sealed heat pipe that contains a liquid that vapourises as it is heated. The vapour rises to a heat-transfer bulb that is positioned outside the collector tube in a pipe through which a second heat transfer liquid (the water or antifreeze) is pumped. For both types, the heated liquid then circulates through a heat exchanger and gives off its heat to water that is stored in a storage tank (which itself may be kept warm partially by sunlight). Evacuated tube collectors heat to higher temperatures, with some models providing considerably more solar yield per square metre than flat panels. However, they are more expensive and fragile than flat panels. The high stagnation temperatures can cause antifreeze to break down, so careful consideration must be used if selecting this type of system in temperate climates.

For a given absorber area, evacuated tubes can maintain their efficiency over a wide range of ambient temperatures and heating requirements. The absorber area only occupied about 50% of the collector panel on early designs, however this has changed as the technology has advanced to maximize the absorption area. In extremely hot climates, flat-plate collectors will generally be a more cost-effective solution than evacuated tubes. When employed in arrays of 20 to 30 or more, the efficient but costly evacuated tube collectors have net benefit in winter and also give real advantage in the summer months. They are well suited to extremely cold ambient temperatures and work well in situations of consistently low-light. They are also used in industrial applications, where high water temperatures or steam need to be generated. Properly designed evacuated tubes have a life expectancy of over 25 years which greatly adds to their value.

Or you could make your own:

www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1979-09-01/A-Homemade-Solar–Water–Heater.asp

This is what the Chinese buy:

http://www.made-in-china.com/showroom/cninterma/product-detailxoHJaYFbJrhW/China-Solar-Collector-SCS-.html

Or you could Pay Alot for it:

http://solarroofs.com/

There is a lot out there:

www.firemountainsolar.com/solarhotwater.html

www.honglesolar.com/SolarWaterHeater.htm

www.sunheat.com

http://talensun.com/procuct.asp

www.toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Plumbing/solar–water–heaters

www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterHeating/water_heating.htm

www.solarpanelsplus.com

www.solarenergy.com

Energy Independence Day – Stop burning things up.

Posted on July 4, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

Community Energy Systems’ mission is to educate the public regarding energy conservation, energy efficiency, and the prudent and fair operation of utility companies. We believe that mission requires both intellectual and practical applications.

Energy Independence
Every July 4rth it is long over due that the people of Illinois declare their Energy Independence from the utility companies that prey on them and from the green house gases they emit.Everyday the Earth is bombarded by in excess of 27 gigawatts of power by the sun. This is after the Earth captures enough to grow all of the food to feed everyone on the planet. This is after the earth captures enough to warm the oceans. Yet the 27 gigawatts that we allow to be reflected away everyday is 7 gigawatts more than we humans consume in a single day. Instead the utility companies burn coal more desperately everyday.Everyday the Earth is orbited by the moon, which generates untold gigawatts of tidal power. These sources are so powerful that the first attempts to harness them in the Hudson River crumpled the turbines steel fins like so many sheets of tissue paper. This tidal power causes a drop in water levels in some extreme cases as much as 26 feet everyday. This generates more than enough power for a state like Illinois for an entire day. Instead the utility companies burn uranium more desperately everyday.

Everyday the Earth itself generates enough energy to power the state of Illinois. The Earth generates enough rain to power Illinois using smart hydroelectric systems. The Earth generates enough wind power to feed Illinois’ thirst for electricity everyday. Indeed when harvested properly the Earth generates enough geothermal energy to power Illinois everyday. And yet everyday the utility companies burn natural gas more desperately. So desperately that they are proposing huge Liquid Natural Gas ports up and down our coasts which will put peoples lives in jeopardy.

It is time for Illinois to stand up for its Energy Independence Day. Dig and Burn is no longer an earth acceptable way to generate energy. Burning the planet up is not the answer for Illinois’ future.

If You Are A Genius You Install A Geothermal Heat Pump

Posted on July 3, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

Short of Heating your house with Solar and cooling your house with evaporated water, this is the closest thing we have right now to an environmentally sound system. Its advantage is that it heats and cools the house as one unit and the Earth becomes your heat sink.

Thanks to the good people of Econar for the Explanation:

http://www.econar.com/

ECONAR^® GeoSource^® Geothermal Heat Pumps

How Geothermal Works

Geothermal can be used to providing heating or cooling services. In each instance the process is similar.

Geothermal Heating
In the heating mode, the water circulating in the earth loop is colder than the surrounding ground. This causes the water to absorb energy, in the form of heat, from the earth. The water carries this energy to the heat exchanger in the pump. In the heat exchanger, refrigerant absorbs the heat energy from the water. The water now leaves the heat exchanger at a colder temperature, and circulates through the earth loop to pick up more energy.

The refrigerant gas, which contains energy gained from the earth loop, travels from the heat exchanger to the compressor. In the compressor, the refrigerant temperature rises to 160°. From the compressor, the superheated refrigerant travels to the air heat exchanger. Here, the heat pump’s blower circulates air across the air coil, increasing the temperature of the air, which is blown through ductwork to heat the home. After refrigerant releases its heat energy to the air, it then flows to the earth loop heat exchanger to start the cycle again.

Geothermal Cooling
In the cooling mode, the water circulating in the earth loop is warmer than the surrounding ground. This causes the water to release energy, in the form of heat, into the earth. The water, now cooler from traveling through the ground now flows to the heat exchanger in the heat pump. In the heat exchanger, hot refrigerant gas from the compressor releases its heat into the water. This causes the water to increase temperature, which it releases to the ground.

The refrigerant, which has released its heat energy and became a cold liquid, now travels to the heat exchanger. Here the heat pump’s blower circulates warm, humid air across the cold air coil. The air is then blown through ductwork to cool the home. The refrigerant in the air coil picks up the heat energy from the air, and travels to the compressor. When the refrigerant leaves the compressor, it then flows to the earth loop heat exchanger to start the cycle again:}

Then there is Mr. Slim – The Japanese are always one step ahead:

http://www.mrslim.com/Products/subCategory.asp?ProductCategoryID=24&ProductSubCategoryID=140

Which does not explicitly say it can be hooked up to a geothermal loop but I am sure it can…I can’t copy Mitsubishi’s web page so you will have to look for yourself. Then self promoter Doug Rye:

http://www.geothermal-heat-pump-resource.org/

Geothermal Heat Pumps (GHP’s) have been supplying homes and businesses with high efficiency heating and cooling for nearly 20 years.

If you’re planning to build a new house, office building, or school, or replace your heating and cooling system, you may want to consider a geothermal heat pump (GHP) system. Geothermal heat pump systems are also known as GeoExchange^SM, ground-source, water-source heat pumps (as opposed to air-source heat pumps), earth-coupled heat pump, heat pump ground-source, or ground-coupled heat pump. Regardless of what you call them, energy-efficient geothermal heat pumps are available today for both residential and commercial building applications.

Did you know? The average life span of a geothermal heat pump is 22 years. That’s a long time!

Geothermal heat pumps save money, reduce emissions, and are cost effective in replacing conventional heating and cooling technologies

www.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/heatpumps.html

www.igshpa.okstate.edu/geothermal/residential

www.reddawn.com/featart11-98.html

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_exchange_heat_pump

People will even give you money for installing one:

www.nhec.com/residential_residentialheatpumps.php

What a deal!

We Are All Going To Die – Oil hits 150$$ a barrel.

Posted on July 2, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

Just kidding. It’s hard to concentrate on the residential housing market when everyone is all aflutter about the high prices of gasoline and the artificially high oil prices. I wish gasoline prices would double again. Then we would see some real doom and gloom. This from Asianone:

http://business.asiaone.com/Business/My%2BMoney/Opinion/Story/A1Story20080701-74069.html:}

The economics of running on empty

Wed, Jul 02, 2008
The New Paper

By Dr Larry Haverkamp

Surprisingly, there are only two ways to invest: You can own or you can lend. That’s it.

Owning is called ‘buying equity’. Examples are stocks and property.

It earns about 12 per cent a year with lots of ups and downs. You could lose some sleep.

Lending is called ‘buying debt’. Examples are fixed deposits and bonds.

It earns about 3 per cent a year and lets you sleep soundly.

An age-old truth of investments is that equity earns more than debt. I guess it’s obvious since 12 per cent is more than 3 per cent.

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

But now, everything has changed. The world is entering a new era of shortages that could turn the old rules on their heads.

Stocks would follow the economy down, leaving fixed deposits as the top money-earner.

The story begins with the higher prices for natural resources like food, fuel and minerals.

High prices, however, are only a symptom. Chronic shortages are the problem.

You can imagine, for example, the difficulty of building a house without steel or cement.

We saw something like this in 1973 and again in 1982. The US was hit with an oil shortfall, which resulted in both recession and inflation, called stagflation. It spread to Singapore and around the world.

In hindsight, it seems overblown, since everything turned out okay. Prices shot up, then they came down. Growth slowed, then it picked up.

Prosperity returned, as it always does. If it didn’t, you would have a permanent recession. The notion is so absurd that no economist in their right mind would even consider it. So I will.

In a worse-case scenario, permanent recession hits and each generation becomes poorer than the last. Gross domestic product (GDP) declines continuously. It eventually hits zero and we return to subsistence living, like our cavemen ancestors.

We may be seeing the beginning of that now.

Demand is out-pacing the world’s limited supplies, pushing prices higher.

NEW OIL RECORD

Last Friday, oil hit another new high of US$142 a barrel. It is exactly double the price of one year ago.

The demand comes from a rising middle class in China, India and the Middle East. This is new. We didn’t have it in 1973 and1982.

When Li Yong, Ramesh and Abdullah buy their first motorbikes, they love it. They find it hard to go back to peddling bicycles.

The US Department of Energy expects energy use in 30 developed countries to increase 25 per cent by 2030. In developing countries, it will increase 95 per cent.

As high prices persist for one, two, three and then 10 years, people will grow to understand that this is more than just a speculative bubble. (Sorry, Fat Cat.)

A permanent shortage of input (resources) produces a continuous decline in output (GDP). That, by the way, is the definition of a permanent recession.

To drive the point home, try this experiment:

Fill up your car or motorbike with one tank of gas and drive to Kuala Lumpur. When you run out of petrol, walk the rest of the way. It shouldn’t take more than a week.

You’ll be tired, but you will gain insight into a life without natural resources.

The shortages will sneak up on us gradually. A tank of petrol will soon cost some drivers a full day’s wages. After that, it will take a month’s wages and then a year’s.

Finally, availability will cease altogether and the lights will go out.

Future generations will sit around the campfire and tell fantastic stories about hollow trees with wheels that took people from Yishun to Orchard Road in less than an hour.

This from Singapore no less…

Heating And Cooling Your House The Grown Up Way – Pump pump my heat pump

Posted on July 1, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

That’s right for you rap fans Hump up to the Heat Pump, Jump up to my Heat Pump it’ll burn you baby!…Well maybe not. The idea behind a heat pump is temperature differential. When its cold outside you throw heat inside because the fluid is colder than the cold and when its hot outside you throw heat out side because the heat is hotter then the hot. Well let’s let the experts explain…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pump

According to the second law of thermodynamics heat cannot spontaneously flow from a colder location to a hotter area; work is required to achieve this. Heat pumps differ in how they apply this work to move heat, but they can essentially be thought of as heat engines operating in reverse. A heat engine allows energy to flow from a hot ‘source’ to a cold heat ‘sink’, extracting a fraction of it as work in the process. Conversely, a heat pump requires work to move thermal energy from a cold source to a warmer heat sink.

Since the heat pump uses a certain amount of work to move the heat, the amount of energy deposited at the hot side is greater than the energy taken from the cold side by an amount equal to the work required. Conversely, for a heat engine, the amount of energy taken from the hot side is greater than the amount of energy deposited in the cold heat sink since some of the heat has been converted to work.

One common type of heat pump works by exploiting the physical properties of an evaporating and condensing fluid known as a refrigerant.

A simple stylized diagram of a heat pump’s vapor-compression refrigeration cycle: 1) condenser, 2) expansion valve, 3) evaporator, 4) compressor.

The working fluid, in its gaseous state, is pressurized and circulated through the system by a compressor. On the discharge side of the compressor, the now hot and highly pressurized gas is cooled in a heat exchanger called a condenser until it condenses into a high pressure, moderate temperature liquid. The condensed refrigerant then passes through a pressure-lowering device like an expansion valve, capillary tube, or possibly a work-extracting device such as a turbine. This device then passes the low pressure, barely liquid (saturated vapor) refrigerant to another heat exchanger, the evaporator where the refrigerant evaporates into a gas via heat absorption. The refrigerant then returns to the compressor and the cycle is repeated.

In such a system it is essential that the refrigerant reaches a sufficiently high temperature when compressed, since the second law of thermodynamics prevents heat from flowing from a cold fluid to a hot heat sink. Similarly, the fluid must reach a sufficiently low temperature when allowed to expand, or heat cannot flow from the cold region into the fluid. In particular, the pressure difference must be great enough for the fluid to condense at the hot side and still evaporate in the lower pressure region at the cold side. The greater the temperature difference, the greater the required pressure difference, and consequently more energy is needed to compress the fluid. Thus as with all heat pumps, the energy efficiency (amount of heat moved per unit of input work required) decreases with increasing temperature difference.

Due to the variations required in temperatures and pressures, many different refrigerants are available. Refrigerators, air conditioners, and some heating systems are common applications that use this technology.

A HVAC heat pump system

In HVAC applications, a heat pump normally refers to a vapor-compression refrigeration device that includes a reversing valve and optimized heat exchangers so that the direction of heat flow may be reversed. The reversing valve switches the direction of refrigerant through the cycle and therefore the heat pump may deliver either heating or cooling to a building. In the cooler climates the default setting of the reversing valve is heating. The default setting in warmer climates is cooling. Because the two heat exchangers, the condenser and evaporator, must swap functions, they are optimized to perform adequately in both modes. As such, the efficiency of a reversible heat pump is typically slightly less than two separately-optimized machines.

Everyone sells them..everyone:

http://www.searshomepro.com/hvac/options.aspx?lst=352

If you want a quote on one:

http://www2.qualitysmith.com/heat_pump

http://www.servicemagic.com/sem/category.Furnace-Central-Heating.10335.html

or if you just want to look:

www.residential.carrier.com/products/acheatpumps/heatpumps/index.shtml

www.trane.com/Residential/Products/HeatPumps.aspx

www.rheemac.com/home_cooling_pump.shtml

www.nhec.com/residential_residentialheatpumps.php

Efficiently Cooling Your Home – Air conditioning the old fashioned way

Posted on June 30, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

I know, there are better ways to cool your house than you cool your food. Nonetheless it must be discussed for the people who just can’t do it any other way.

http://www.bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/EnergyWise_House_Energy_Efficient_Air_Conditioning-Air_Conditioning-A1629.html

EnergyWise House: Energy-Efficient Air ConditioningMany people buy or use air conditioners without understanding their designs, components, and operating principles. Proper sizing, selection, installation, maintenance, and correct use are keys to cost-effective operation and lower overall costs.

Related Showrooms

• Cadet – Zonal heating solutions for your home from Cadet
• Sears – Heating & Cooling Repair
• Trane – Enjoy perfect heating, cooling and beyond year-round.
• WholeHouseFan.com – Cool Your Home with a Whole House Fan

Air conditioners employ the same operating principles and basic components as your home refrigerator. An air conditioner cools your home with a cold indoor coil called the evaporator. The condenser, a hot outdoor coil, releases the collected heat outside. The evaporator and condenser coils are serpentine tubing surrounded by aluminum fins. This tubing is usually made of copper. A pump, called the compressor, moves a heat transfer fluid (or refrigerant) between the evaporator and the condenser. The pump forces the refrigerant through the circuit of tubing and fins in the coils. The liquid refrigerant evaporates in the indoor evaporator coil, pulling heat out of indoor air and thereby cooling the home. The hot refrigerant gas is pumped outdoors into the condenser where it reverts back to a liquid giving up its heat to the air flowing over the condenser’s metal tubing and fins.

Central Air Conditioners
Central air conditioners circulate cool air through a system of supply and return ducts. Supply ducts and registers (openings in the walls, floors, or ceilings covered by grills) carry cooled air from the air conditioner to the home. This cooled air becomes warmer as it circulates through the home; then it flows back to the central air conditioner through return ducts and registers. A central air conditioner is either a split-system unit or a packaged unit.In a split-system central air conditioner, an outdoor metal cabinet contains the condenser and compressor, and an indoor cabinet contains the evaporator. In many split-system air conditioners, this indoor cabinet also contains a furnace or the indoor part of a heat pump. The air conditioner’s evaporator coil is installed in the cabinet or main supply duct of this furnace or heat pump. If your home already has a furnace but no air conditioner, a split-system is the most economical central air conditioner to install.Today’s best air conditioners use 30 percent to 50 percent less energy to produce the same amount of cooling as air conditioners made in the mid 1970s. Even if your air conditioner is only 10 years old, you may save 20 percent to 40 percent of your cooling energy costs by replacing it with a newer, more efficient model.But then there is new technology out there:

http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Appliances/Air_Conditioning_And_Heating/W2D2V4S2

Get rid of the bug spray because an air conditioning system that kills bugs and gives you a better night’s sleep has been revealed. The innovative new inverter wall mounted air conditioning systems, that have been scientifically proven to provide a better night’s sleep.

Samsung recently conducted extensive research in Good Sleep technology involving the Bukyung National University, Busan, Korea which revealed that a room’s temperature should change in accordance to sleep patterns, to achieve longer periods of deep sleep and ensure an optimal night’s rest. The Samsung Good Sleep 2 air conditioner control program adjusts temperature profiles to the most comfortable according to the three stages of sleep.

http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Appliances/Air_Conditioning_And_Heating/K5J2C3C7

Smart Energy Saving Air Conditioner

By Manisha Kanetkar | Monday | 19/03/2007

Australian company Advantage Air has developed a smart reverse cycle air conditioning system that not only saves on your energy bill but is also able to be fully integrated into a home automation system.

According to Advantage Air’s Walter Kimble, all parts of the GEN III air conditioning system are designed to operate as a cohesive, integrated system making it easier for the home automation system integrator to set up.

The system allows you, among other functions, to control the temperature of individual zones as well as program Fresh Air control.

And with sensors in each zone, the system ensures that no room is being over-heated or over-cooled, thus contributed to the product’s energy efficiency.

The Fresh Air system is an electronically controlled device that measures the temperature outside of the house. If this is cooler than that inside the house (which Advantage says is 25 percent of the time) it opens and brings cool air in. This smart function means not only do you get fresh air circulating around your house (as opposed to the same air re-circulating) but it is also energy efficient. According to the CSIRO, the GEN III is capable of energy savings of up to 38 percent or approximately $1000 a year.

Oil Hits 144$$ A Barrel! We are all going to die!