In our previous article, we talked about Saving Electricity in the Kitchen. People asked us for more Saving Electricity Tips….So, today, we want to talk about Saving Electricity on a wider spectrum. From July 2016, electricity prices in South East Queensland are determined by electricity retail providers. — Do you have high Electricity Bills???? — Then I do hope you’ll find the Saving Electricity Tips from Opto Electrical, Valuable.
Saving Electricity with the correct Lighting and Lighting Control
- Replace your halogen lighting with LED lighting
- Use solar light tubes where possible
- Use occupancy sensors where possible
- Use dimmers where possible
- In general, dimmers save an additional 20%
- Occupancy sensors save an additional 50%
- and dimmers +sensors 60%
- Use security lights with motion detection
- Use task lighting where possible
Saving Electricity on Hot Water Systems
- Lag all exposed water pipes (hot and cold)
- Fit energy efficient tap facets (reduced flow)
- When washing hands, try not using hot water tap if not necessary.
- Fit a timer to your HWS
- Compare your HWS with more modern units (energy consumption)
There are more energy-efficient systems on the market now
- Gas storage and gas instant
- Solar gas boost and solar electric boost
- Electric storage and heat pump units.
Check for availability of incentive schemes from Energex or Government
Saving Electricity on your Air Conditioning Systems
- Set the temp settings lower for night time use
- Close off vents and areas that doesn’t require air conditioning
- Service AC unit regularly (especially filters and condenser coils)
- (can be done by yourself )
- Fit a smart thermostat
- Turn off unecessary lights as they ad to heat load
- Close curtains / blinds to avoid solar heat gain
- Don’t cool unoccupied rooms
- Ceiling fans are great to help circulate conditioned air
- Check for incentive schemes from Energex or government
- Install energy star rated AC units when replacing or new.
Saving Electricity on Pool Heating Systems
- Try using Solar hot water systems
- Install heat pumps, they are the most economical at the moment
- (electricity is cheaper than gas right now)
- Have a pool blanket made and fitted, close your pool when not in use.
Saving Electricity with Ceiling Fans
- Ceiling fans are considered the most effective of most fans because they circulate air most efficiently in a room to create a draft throughout. When using a fan you can raise your thermostat setting by about 4° F with no reduction in comfort.
- In more temperate climates, install a fan in each room. Because they cause a draft they cool you down. When you leave the room, switch the fan off, because they only cool people and not rooms.
- Choose the right fan for a specific room, for instance, you don’t want a big breeze in a room where you have a lot of papers lying around. The size and shape of the fan blades will determine how strong the breeze would be. A large fan will move more air than a small fan and also turn at a slower speed, thus less noise.
- In general, more expensive fans are more quite than cheaper units.
- Check for an energy star rating on the fan you purchase, as these fans are about 20% more energy efficient than other fans.
Saving Electricity with Insulation
- Lowering your heating and cooling bills by using the correct rated insulation. Properly insulated houses will save you money on your heating and cooling costs.
- Most people think that heat only rises, but heat actually moves in all directions from warm to cooler areas by conduction and radiation.
- Ceiling insulation is in most cases the fastest and easiest to do.
- Wall insulation however in most cases gets done in the construction phase….it can be done after construction, yet it will be inconvenient and have extra costs involved.
- It makes good economic sense to insulate the entire building envelope. In some cases, it was proved that no heating or cooling had to be used in insulated buildings.
- The most modern type of insulation is called phase change insulation, this is a material that can retain heat or cold for longer periods of time. This type of insulation will enhance the energy efficiency of your home.
- The good thing about insulation materials, you can do it yourself or if you want to, you can have professionals install it for you.
- Should you have combustion type appliances in your home, be careful not to seal your house too tight. This could become a dangerous situation.
Saving Electricity with Heat Pumps
- Heat pumps are the most energy-efficient water heating system at the moment.
- Whether you require hot water for your home, commercial or industrial facility.
- Swimming pool heating with heat pumps, are the most economical to do at the moment due to the expensive gas prices.
- Most common types of heat pumps used, are: Air-source, ductless mini-split, geothermal and absorption heat pumps.
- Heat pumps nowadays typically use 1kw of input energy to deliver in excess of 5kw of heat energy.
Saving Electricity with Solar Lighting
- The sun is FREE, why are we not utilising the sun more???
- Nowadays you can have a solar light tube and combine it with artificial light and you can have a dimming option on the daylight or the artificial light.
- Furthermore, you can add an occupancy sensor, so when everybody leaves, all electrical lighting is switched off.
- These solar tubes also have the ability to stop all infra-red rays, therefore no heat build-up in your room.
- No heat build-up also means that your air conditioner works less.
Saving Electricity on Gate Motors and Borehole Pumps with Solar PV
- Most electric gate motors only operate approximately 16 times per day, therefore it may be feasible to have a battery-operated motor, charged by solar PV (small panel)
- This leads to no cable laying costs, electricity usage.
- An intercom system can also be wireless and work off the same battery.
- Most borehole pumps can run during the day to fill tanks or drink troughs.
- Therefore, Solar PV system powering a 12 or 24Volt pump in most cases is more than sufficient.
- If need be, a battery backup storage unit can be added for the odd occasion when there is no sunlight available.
- These are totally independent systems, but can still be monitored and controlled, should the need arise.
Saving Electricity on Pool Pumps
- Choose the highest energy star rated pump motor for your pool.
- Choose the appropriate pump size and plumbing sizes for your pool.
- Multi-speed or variable speed pumps are more desirable as you can reduce the speed when filtering and up the speed when you are using cleaning equipment.
- Try using your pump in off-peak tariff periods.
- Don’t run the pump un-necessary, schedule run times according to usage and season.
- Maintain your pool at all times and keep filters clean, will save the pump from working against clogged plumbing and filters.
Are you in need of a Reliable Electrician to implement some Saving Strategies? Then click the button to get in touch with Opto Electrical for a FREE Quote.
