… for a new refrigerator? Here are a few tips to consider if you are.

Yep, Energy Star rates refrigerators, so that’s obviously step one. However, there are several other things that should also come into play when you are buying a refrigerator. Namely:

• Size ~ How much room are you going to need?Also, are there any limits where you will be installing it?
• Type ~ What fits your needs better: freezer on top, freezer on bottom, side-by-side, no freezer?
• Price ~ What’s your budget? This will probably help eliminate quite a few refrigerators from your options list.
• Options ~ Do you like the ice/water dispensers on the door? What about crisper drawers, and butter and meat trays? What color?

Don’t forget to make sure the refrigerator can be cleaned fairly easy. Let’s face it, everybody makes messes, and even if they didn’t, accidents happen. There will be times when your refrigerator will need cleaning, so it’s a good idea to make sure it can be done fairly easily.

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No matter how difficult it is for most of us to be upset about the dropping gas prices we need to remember the end goal: more efficient cars. HERE.

Starwood hotels going to install energy efficient televisions in an effort to cut long-term costs. HERE.

KONE Inc. going forward with project to install seven new KONE EcoSystem MR elevators in historic, art-deco Market Square building in heart of San Francisco’s Civic Center Area. HERE.

A new store for energy efficient products, QVB Store, is set to open on November 5 of this year. HERE.

The units that have the washer and dryer stacked (but connected), and the single units that do it all. Are they efficient? If they are, which ones are better? I can’t find good sources from which to write a short article, but here are a few links to pages that have reviews of both the stacked and the all-in-one units:

THIS page favors the all-in-one units, but it has several stacked unit as well.

Again THIS page seems to favor the all-in-ones, but it’s got some different stacked units too.

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Fuel efficient cars supported in Europe. HERE.

California’s energy policies have saved on energy and created more jobs. HERE.

Recognition for greater energy efficiency among top naval commands. HERE.

Talking about Energy Star homes. HERE.

Which is better? Well, let’s see:

Both gas and electric dryers use a small electric motor to turn the large drum, so even if you get a gas dryer you’re still going to need an electric hook-up. With gas models this hook-up only needs to be the standard 115-volt outlet, but electric models require a 240-volt outlet. Electric dryers are usually less expensive initially, and they have fairly easy installation going for them too. However, gas dryers are generally less expensive to run after the slightly higher (about 50$ more for a comparable gas dryer) initial purchase. Understand though, that gas dryers are only a viable option if the house already has a gas hook-up; if not, then definitely go with an electric model.

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Many newer dryer models have sensors for detecting moisture. Many sensors estimate the moisture only by the temperature of the exhaust air, but some also gauge the humidity inside the drum. With this sensor, the dryer will cut off when the humidity is removed. You can save about 10% with just the temperature sensor, and 15% with the moisture sensor. These sensors not only help you save money through efficiency, but it also reduces the wear and tear on your clothes. Definitely watch for these energy smart options when you’re buying a dryer.

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Well, depending on the size of your household anyway. Remember from the last post mentioned that it is best to get a dryer that can accommodate the majority of your clothes in two or three loads at the most? Here’s a quick reason why:

The more room the clothes have the faster they will dry. The faster your clothes dry the more they save you on your energy bill in the end. As a rule, you’ll probably want a dryer that’s about twice a large, in cubic feet, as your washer. This doesn’t mean, however, that you can cram two loads from your washer into your dryer; remember, the clothes need room to tumble.

THIS article makes several good points when you are thinking about buying a dryer.

… for a new clothes dryer? Here are some things to think about if you are:

Guess what? Energy Star does not label dryers because there is very little energy use difference between models. Well, aside from the Energy Star there are still a few other things that you can watch for that will help you decide which dryer is the best option for your household.

• It helps if your dryer is large enough to accomodate the majority of your clothes in two or three loads at the most.
• Many new dryer models have sensors that are able to tell when the clothes are actually dry.
• Timers that can be manually adjusted for the size and weight of the load are really good.
• Gas dryers are, in general, much more efficient than electric dryers.

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New Orleans, Brad Pitt, and… energy efficient homes??? HERE.

California gets first place on ACEEE’s 2008 Energy Efficiency Scorecard. HERE.

Environmental questions and answers with Dino Rossi, Republican candidate for Governor of Washington. HERE.

Presidential candidates on energy efficiency. HERE.

When you are looking to buy a new washing machine one thing to remember, if your budget allows, is that options are GOOD! For example, take a look at the spin speed: if you have a separate dryer then you will probably need a spin speed only up to 800 rpm; however, if you don’t have a dryer, you’ll want a spin speed of at least 1000 rpm.

Adjustable water levels are also a convenience on many newer washer models. This is very nice when you have an extra small loads. Along with adjustable speeds, and water levels, many washers have cycle time options: cycles for delicate clothing, anti-wrinkling, heavy clothing, etc.

Automatic temperature control is another good option. The water is heated to just the right temperature for the setting, and it doesn’t matter what temperature it is when it reaches the washer.

These are just a few of the many options that are currently available on many washing machine models. Of course, the options you get will be dependent on your budget, household, and convenience requirements.

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I’ll just jump right in here, and start off by saying that almost all of us have thrown something or other into our old top-loading washers once the cycle had started. This would most likely be impossible with front-loading washers because many models actually lock the door so that you can’t accidentally open it during the cycle and spill water everywhere. However, there are a few front-loading models that allow you to toss things in mid-cycle because the water level never reaches the door.

Okay, next point. Front-loading washers are usually much gentler than top-loaders. Top-loaders have agitators which push, pull, and poke the clothes clean, but front-loaders gently lift the clothes and use gravity to tumble them around. This can be an even gentler way to wash clothes than hand washing them! No agitator means more room. More room means fewer loads. Fewer loads means laundry is done faster!!!

Top-loading washers use about three times as much water as front-loading washers. Switching from as top-loader to a front-loader can realize very significant savings in the water bill! Because they use less water, front-loaders use less energy to heat the water, thus realizing savings in the energy department as well.

One thing we haven’t touched on here is space. Front-loaders can be huge space savers when paired with companion dryers because they can be stacked. Now, this doesn’t help anything if you suffer from back problems and don’t like to bend down to load/unload the washer; the washer still has to go on the bottom of the stack because it is so much heavier than the dryer. However, front-loaders shouldn’t be much more difficult to load and unload than unloading clothes out of the bottom of a top-loader.

Now for the biggie. Cost. Well, there’s no doubt about it; you’re going to pay more for a front-loading washer. You’re going to pay significantly more. A good front-loader is $800 or more compared to a good top-loader’s $350 price tag. Your budget is definitely going to have a say in this decision, but with all though the initial purchase is quite a bit more, the energy savings that come from having a front-loading washer is such that it will pay for itself in a very few years.

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What are MEF and WF, and what do they have to do with choosing an energy efficient clothes washer? Those are the questions we will try to answer today.

The Modified Energy Factor, or MEF, is the quotient of the volume of the tub in the washer and the total clothes washer and dryer energy consumption as determinted through laboratory test procedure. In other words, it takes into account the amount of dryer energy used to remove the remaining moisture content from the washed items.

The efficiency of clothes washers, along with other household appliances, was once rated with the energy factor (EF), but was modified to account for the final spin speed. The higher the MEF is the more efficient the washer is. Clothes washers sold in the United States are now required to have a MEF rating as high as or higher than 1.26, and for it to be qualified for the Energy Star the MEF must be 1.72 or greater.

The Water Factor, or WF, is the number of gallons per cycle per cubic foot that the clothes washer uses. For example, if a washer uses 30 gallons of water per cycle and has a tub volume of 3.0 then the water factor is 10.0. So, the lower the WF, the more efficient the washer. The United Stated does not currently have a requirement for the water factor, but the goal is for all washers to have a water factor of less than or equal to 9.5 by January 1, 2011. For a washer to be Energy Star approved however, it must have a water factor no greater than 8.0.

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… for a new clothes washer? Here are several points to consider if you are:

Of course we all know to look for the Energy Star when we’re in the market for something like a clothes washer, but there are some other things to look at once you’ve found the Energy Star. Here’s a quick list of some of thos things to watch for; we’ll look at each point in more depth in different articles:

• Watch for washers with the highest Modified Energy Factor (MEF) and the lowest Water Factor (WF).
• Front-loading washers are usually more efficient than top-loading models.
• It needs to allow you to adjust the water level for smaller loads.
• Options are always good, especially when it comes to wash and rinse cycle options.
• Faster spin speeds will be more efficient in the long run.

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Obama urging Americans to start saving more energy in homes. HERE.

Minnesota Chamber of Commerce helping small to mid-sized businesses connect to more energy efficient programs. HERE.

Angstrom Microsystems Corp. announces the launch of a new product that will raise the bar for high-performance computers. HERE.

Ethanol production may be more efficient that previously thought. HERE.

In 2004 the Oak Ridge National Laboratory concluded a three-year study of metal roofing materials; this study evaluated the energy efficiency as well as the service life of various metal roofing materials. These materials included painted and unpainted galvanized steel, painted and unpainted Galvalume®-coated steel, and painted polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) aluminum, and were tested on both steep and low slope installations.

This study showed that both painted and unpainted metal panels maintain their energy efficiency better than any other roofing system studied. Pre-painted metal roofing retains ninety-five percent of its initial solar reflectance over a three-year period. Some field data showed that PVDF painted metals maintained a resistance to soiling for at least thirty-five years! Infrared emittance increases over time, but the study shows that it isn’t in any way affected by the climate because of the overall uniformity of the increase.

A basic, unpainted metal roof will reflect much of the solar radiation that is usually absorbed into the attic and home by the traditional asphalt roofs. Pre-painted or granular-coated metal roofs will even go a step further and cool the home by re-emitting much of what solar radiation is absorbed. This is definitely a good choice for warmer climate homes.

By installing a metal roof you could cut your summer cooling costs by forty percent! If the roof is a highly emissive metal roof it could even reduce the urban air temperature by as much as twelve degrees Fahrenheit! Metal roofs sure seem like an energy smart idea.

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Is it really worth it?

Usually generators have higher costs per KWH compared to other sources of electricity. This means that, in most cases, the income earned from generator-made electricity that it sold back to the utility company is less than the income that must be put into the generator for fuel, maintenance, and permits.

Another thing that is worth looking into is the required equipment. Special equipment or specialized generators are needed to synchronize your electrical system’s output to the the grid. More equipment is necessary to quickly disconnect you system from the grid when problems occur. This is very important!

One last thing to glimpse at is the overall desirability of it. Net billing laws were established for renewable energy sources, and engine generators do not usually qualify. This means that, in order to set up your generator, you would have to establish it under a power purchase agreement. This type of agreement usually pays at an “avoided cost,” or about 2-3¢ per KWH. It also sends you through a whole bunch of regulatory hoops.