Solar domestic water heater
Get your house off oil with a solar domestic water heater via Chelsea Green
Updated: 02.11.2008. 16:52
A few simple energy-saving moves
- Power strip:
- As much as 75 percent of electricity use by electronics occurs while the devices are off. Big-screen TVs, stereo systems and computer peripherals are some of the worst offenders. Curtail the loss with power strips that kill power when they sense inactivity.
- Install a programmable thermostat
- Install an Energy Star–qualified programmable thermostat that automatically adjusts heating and cooling temperatures based on a daily heating or cooling schedule.
For every degree you push the thermostat beyond your usual set points, you save an additional 2 percent on utility charges. - Fit a ceiling fan
- Ceiling fans circulate the air in a room, evenly distributing the heat, allowing the heating to be reduced by a few degrees.
- Add humidity
- Dry air retains less heat and feels cooler against the skin. Increase ambient humidity with a humidifier this winter, and edge the thermostat down a degree or two.
- Use a low-flow shower head
- Showers account for 26 percent of a household’s hot-water use. Installing a low-flow shower head can shrink the flow from 3.5 gal. per minute to 1.5 gal.
- Install tap aerators
- A tap aerator can save 400 gal. of hot water a year. Translation: less work for the water heater. If the rated flow on your current aerator is visible, and if it’s above 2.75 gal./minute, then replace it with a more efficient model that emits 1.5 gal./minute or less. If the aerator’s flow rate has been scuffed off or it’s too hard to read, just replace it. The new aerator will likely have lower flow.
- Upgrade old windows
- Replacing old, single-pane windows with high-performance, double-glazed, low-e windows seems like a good idea, but at a cost of several hundred dollars each you’ll wait a while for the payoff. Inexpensive storm windows offer quick payback, especially for do-it-yourselfers. In testing performed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, exterior storm windows reduced winter heat loss in single-pane windows by 29 percent, whereas double-pane window replacements saved 47 percent.
Updated: 26.10.2008. 10:13
DIY Batch Solar Water Heater
If you’re not yet in a carbon-free home, installing a solar hot water heater will save you money and fuel all year round…yes…even in the winter. Here’s a project from The Carbon-Free Home that explains the steps. via Chelsea Green, DIY Batch Solar Water Heater
Updated: 13.10.2008. 11:50