Last month I looked at some summer energy saving ideas for the home. These included installing high efficiency CFL and LED lights, sealing and insulating the home to make A/Cs run more effectively, installing electricity saving economizers for air conditioners, and using solar pool heaters to pay for up to 100% of heating costs.
Here are some additional things that can be done to save you money this summer.
Water - Sure, we all know to turn off the water when not using it but low-flow showerheads and aerator faucets for sinks pay for themselves quickly and offer a 40% return on investment. For the humble toilet $60-75 rebates are available through the City to help pay for approved low-flush models (http://www.toronto.ca/watereff/flush/index.htm). There are also dual action flushers for existing toilets that can reduce annual household water demand by 20%!
Solar Lighting - Solar LED lawn lights have become a common fixture in home and garden stores. They are easy to install - requiring no wiring, and offer good ambient lighting. They will not do much to deter would-be thieves, however, or help you get out of the car late at night. Motion detecting solar security lights provide 2-4 hours of bright light a night (e.g. http://www.maxsainnovations.com/motion_security_lights.htm). Inside the home there are now alternatives to skylights. The Sunpipe, for instance, brings light through insulated spaces without the heat loss (or gain) associated with skylights (http://www.sunpipe.co.uk).
Basic Home Automation - No, you don’t have to spend
thousands of dollars installing a home automation system to get the same energy saving benefits. Interior lights can be turned on
with motion detectors and controllers can be used to pre-set lighting levels and allow for the use of timers or remote controls. A
growing number of homes in the city now have Smart Meters installed. Once activated, these will record electricity usage by the time-of-day
- allowing for higher rates during peak hours (http://www.torontohydro.com/electricsystem/residential/smart_meter/index.cfm). To help
anticipate these changes timers can be used to moderate the usage of high consumption appliances.
Urban Solar and Wind - Images of solar modules and wind turbines symbolize the ‘green revolution.’ For the homeowner they offer energy independence and security in the event of power outages. Although their ROI’s are modest, there are now unique ways to benefit from them. Net Metering has been available since 2006, allowing homeowners to effectively run their meters backwards as they generate their own power - eliminating the need to have stacks of deep cycle batteries (http://www.torontohydro.com/electricsystem/customer_care/cond_of_services/generation_connection/net_metering/index.cfm). As of last November, homeowners can even become micro generators and sell renewable electricity through the Ontario Power Authority in 20yr contracts. Under this program grid connectivity is highly subsidized, and generators are paid .11c/kW for wind and .42c/kW for solar energy (http://www.powerauthority.on.ca/SOP).
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at 416-559-8774 or pburke@villageenergy.ca.
Patrick Burke has researched and written on sustainability issues, and is President of Village Energy – a local energy saving and energy generation system integrator.
