Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Utility Company
Energy
Reduction and
Cost Savings
Analyze the
Information
Measure Consumption
Apply Conservation Measures
Computer
Home
Fig. 1.1
Home energy information cycle
a baseline from which to measure improvement as we make changes to particular
sources of energy consumption.
Measuring the energy consumption directly from its source gives us the infor-
mation we need to decide when and if changes are required. Home owners can use
small, inexpensive power meters to measure the electric power consumption of any
appliance that plugs in to a wall outlet. The devices are safe for anyone to use and
measure the electricity consumed in kWh. This makes it easy to compare the dif-
ferences in electric consumption for all those plug-in appliances in the home. De-
vices are also available to measure the hot or cold air leaking into the home around
windows and doors. This is an excellent way to focus in on when to take action and
what actions to take in order to conserve energy.
Taking actions to try to conserve energy is a popular subject and has been for
several years. There are many topics available about how to make your home more
energy efficient. There are even topics about how to live completely “off the grid”
and consume absolutely no power … at least not from power companies. Insulating
is one of the most effective ways of improving your home's energy efficiency. If
you own an older home your insulation is probably not as effective as the insulation
available today. One inexpensive way to start conserving is to replace older incan-
descent light bulbs with CFLs or LED light bulbs. These light bulbs not only use
less electricity but they last much longer as well. Changing out an older refrigerator
for a newer, more energy efficient model will likely make a measurable difference
in the amount of energy your home consumes.
After taking actions to conserve it is important to circle back and re-measure
energy consumption using the devices mentioned or any other methods to verify
that changes actually resulted in improvements. Small changes spread over several
appliances will add up to significant improvements. Diligence is important since
