Energy Efficiency
![[photo: hand turning down thermostat]](/img/phChallenges_Energy.jpg)
Reducing your household or workplace energy use is a great way to reduce your impact and save money!
Use this list of ideas to put your house or office on an energy diet. Once you’ve picked your EcoChallenge Actions, add them to your profile to inform and inspire your teammates.
For my EcoChallenge action(s), I will:
- Turn your home and/or office thermostat down 1 degree in the months you use heat and up 1 degree for the summer months
- Turn off the lights when not in use (remember to do this in conference rooms, bathrooms, etc. too)
- Wash clothes using cold water and dry them outside on the line or using drying racks
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs) or LEDs
- Unplug appliances and electronics when not in use: many of them still draw electricity even when they are turned off
- Plug appliances (computers, toaster ovens etc) into a power strip and turn it off in between uses
- Complete an online energy audit of my house and identify next steps for saving energy at home
- Replace manual thermostats with programmable ones
- Install energy meters at home or in the office and monitor energy used
- Power down the office by plugging computers, printers, etc. into power strips and turn them off at the end of the day
- Enable the energy saving settings on my computer and/or printers and reduce the amount of time before the equipment reverts to power saving mode
- Say no to screen savers they use 28% more energy; put the computer to sleep instead
- Cut my personal "screen time" in half and save the energy used to power my TV, DVD player, computer, etc.
- Purchase a solar charger and use it to charge small electronics (cell phones, ipods, and cameras, etc)
- Share a networked printer with coworkers instead of powering a printer for every person
- Find out if my utility company has a clean energy purchase option
- Naturally heat and cool the house and office using fans, curtains and blinds whenever possible
- Using daylighting to light my office and home
- Insulate my water heater and pipes
- Look for energy efficient models when replacing appliances
- Replace inefficient heating and cooling units, upgrade uninsulated windows, and fix the roof
- Install a home alternative energy system (e.g. photovoltaic or solar electric systems)
- “Offset” my environmental footprint with renewable energy credits
- Organize one of NWEI’s discussion course such as Powering a Bright Future or Just Below the Surface and invite friends, neighbors or coworkers to join your discussion group
Looking for more precise information on your electricity consumption?
If you are interested in the breakdown of your electricity and want to thoroughly investigate your home, habits and usage, consider an energy audit either with a professional or with freely available online tools.
Resources:
- Use the Energy Trust of Oregon’s Home Energy Profile tool to get a read on your energy use
- Watch Portland General Electric’s Switch Labs video series for tips on how to save energy and check out the Renewable Energy page too
- For an exhaustive list of energy efficiency resources for home and work visit Energy Savers
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