GoingTrueGreen's Blog Postings

Making Coffee, Saving Energy and Money

8/12/2013

coffee, cup of joe, fresh brew, goingtruegreen, coffee beans, coffee makers, cafe, coffee tea or milk

First cup of coffee in the morning!

For many, waking up to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is the best way to start the day.

Can you almost smell it?
Especially when you used Distilled water to make your coffee.

Okay, but how can we save money, energy, and Earth by using our Coffee Maker more efficiently?

- An average Coffee Maker will use 930 watts with a running time of around 15 minutes.  
- The same Coffee Maker can use 900 watts when the warming feature is on to keep your coffee hot.
(This feature will turn on and off and be on for about 1/4 of the time)  

If coffee is made twice a day and the warming feature is on an hour in the morning and two hours in the evening, (Thus the warming feature will have consumed about 225 watts for each hour it is on), the following is the electric cost for people buying electricity from the most expensive utilities in the country:

Coffee Maker

$ 61.27 per year to make coffee 
$ 44.35 per year just to keep the coffee warm. 

A lot of money to pay each year just for one (1) appliance!

Now what if you forget to shut off the Coffee Maker when leaving the house? Well, the electric cost will be higher and very dangerous if your Coffee Maker Does Not have an automatic shut-off feature.

To prevent the risk of fire always look to buy a Coffee Maker with the auto shut-off feature that works after the Coffee Maker has been on for a pre-set amount of hours.

coffee timers, coffee makers, coffee clocks, coffee displays, goingtruegreen

Clock, Timers, Displays

Now what about that Digital Clock or Display?

As everyone knows, that means the total electric cost will be even higher. Today's Coffee Makers are always using electricity even when off and still plugged into the socket.

Ask, "Do we really need another clock to set and tell you the time in your house?"

Ask, "Do we really need to set the Coffee Maker the night before to come on in the morning?"

If the answers are NO to the two questions above then you can save the electric cost to operate another digital clock 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by pulling the PLUG out of the Socket when done.

Also if you shut the Coffee Maker off after the coffee is made you will save at least $ 44.35 per year.

After all, the coffee was just made, it is hot and will stay hot for at least 15 minutes.  Isn't that enough time to drink coffee, have breakfast, fill up the travel coffee mug and leave for work?

PLEASE NOTE:
By shutting off the Coffee Maker when done and pulling the plug out will save around $50.00 a year for people paying the highest utility rates.  

FIFTY dollars a year is a tremendous amount of money, especially when you DONATE that amount each year to an organization like FEED THE CHILDREN. 

The power companies DO NOT need another $50.00 from each of us, each year.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!

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LEED Certification, A Tinted Shade of Green?

8/8/2013

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LEED

Soon after the twenty year anniversary of Earth Day in 1990, I received a phone call from an EPA representative. I had worked with the Earth Day Committee in New York City and had been interviewed by TV, magazines, and newspapers, as an expert on how to save energy in houses and office buildings. At first I was honored by the request to meet with an EPA official and hoped to provide any helpful input. However, halfway through our meeting I realized that EPA was just exploring energy saving examples from businesses that I worked with and suggestions on how to present those implemented energy saving actions. In other words, I saw EPA having yet to find direction. When I pushed the issue, I was informed that EPA is looking to have outside institutions run various programs to guide America toward more savings in energy. I didn't agree on the grounds that businesses of any kind want to make money and the process to making money gets manipulated all too often. I stated there may be conflicts of interest and that this is something the government must operate. With that, the meeting came to an end. I still believe the meeting's ending occurred because I didn't concur with the mode of operations.

So a few years later, in 1993, a private organization LEED was underway with a program that had admirable goals. Those goals are still admirable today. However, LEED standards have many critics and most criticism is believed to be well founded by many experts in the very diverse fields of energy and our environment. For many, the highest standard, Platinum, is far from being True Green. Reportedly some facts have come into light depicting failed or disparate rules that award buildings points toward LEED certification.1

One case is the Bank of America Tower that opened for business in 2010. Built in New York City and promptly labeled as: One of the world's most energy and environmentally efficient skyscraper to receive Platinum LEED certification. However, by 2012, the tower is known to use more energy and create more greenhouse gases than any other comparable building found in the Big Apple.2 Several other buildings, such as the Empire State completed in 1931, along with buildings with lower LEED certifications that consume less, only demonstrate an inherited failure incorporated into the "point structure" for receiving LEED certification.

There is difficulty in justifying why a building should receive points toward LEED certification just because they have educational posters and displays throughout the building. What does having bike racks do for a building's energy or environment consumption? Bike racks help the individual person to use and waste less when commuting, this doesn't make the physical building more efficient and yet points are award toward LEED certification. I also was told that if two people built the exact same building, but one had spent time and money to be LEED certified, the certified person would receive more points toward his or her building. So two buildings that are exactly the same receive a different set of points.

The USGBC who operates LEED is correct when they state they have no control over how the buildings are used by the tenants that occupy the office space. Nevertheless, many have asked why not revoke the LEED certification when evidence is presented to show waste. A recently reported answer from Scot Horst, senior vice president for LEED, said, "We are not the government. We can't regulate anything."

While the LEED point systems are in question, LEED's global portfolio does demonstrate a positive effort toward more accountable construction. A close look at Bank of America's Tower shows this with the building using a co-generation power plant on site to produce electricity. The building deviates consumption from peak hours to off peak and reduces the load on the power grid. Thus, the local infrastructure that has aged-out, can provide for other consumers.

Perhaps a better way can be obtained through some team work. A correct balance should be obtained between what the government and private industry operate. In addition, those who build and consume, must realize there is an accountability and consequences to our deeds.

I for one, believe here in the United States, EPA should correct and regulate the LEED point system, while USGBC continues with the implementation. This way we can have a check and balance to LEED certifications and avoid walking forward through smog filled air.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!
1 - Testimony before the House in 2012 by John Scofield, professor of physics at Oberlin
2 - According to data released by New York City in fall 2012

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Heat Wave

8/2/2013

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Topic related GTG Video at our Youtube Channel

heat wave, heat, heatwave, WHILE formula, window airconditioners, AC units, EER, hot, how to save on AC units, how to buy an efficient AC unit, Bill Lauto, goingtruegreen, GTG

Are you having a Heat Wave?

If you are having a heat wave and need a new air conditioner, you will also need this formula... For those of you who saw our related video called Heat Wave on YouTube , this may prove to be an easier way to copy down the formula.

Using the W.H.I.L.E. Formula will help you when buying a new window or through the wall AC unit. This formula tells you the BTU size you will need to cool your room efficiently.

Sometimes salespeople at stores use a formula that only helps to sell inventory. So it is best for you to calculate your BTU size before you even leave your house.

The W. H. I. L. E. Formula divided by 60 equals the BTU size needed:

W = Width of your room
H = Height of your room
I = Insulation value in the walls
plug in the value of 10 for "I" when you have well insulated walls with R-13 or higher insulation value.
plug in the value of 18 for "I" when you have poorly insulated walls with R-11 or less.
L = Length of your room
E = Exposure
Take the longest wall in the room that is exposed to the outside and see which direction that wall faces:
plug in the value of 16 if that wall is facing North
plug in the value of 17 if that wall is facing East
plug in the value of 18 if that wall is facing South
plug in the value of 20 if that wall is facing West

Then multiply W x H x I x L x E divided by 60 to equal the BTU size you need

The WHILE formula DOES NOT calculate factors such as:
- Body heat, are you having a party? Body heat adds up.
- Window exposure, are they facing south or west or both? Do you have and use shades or curtains?
- Large openings into the room without doors.
- An Upstairs room, an uninsulated or poorly insulated Attic floor above, and/or is your roof Flat?
- Uninsulated Basement ceiling below.

Star rating, Yellow energy guide, EER, EnergyGuide, Room Air Conditioner, efficient AC units, how to buy an air conditioner

Yellow Energy Guide may look like this

Once you know your BTU size you can go shopping and LOOK for the Yellow Energy Guide Label on the floor models. You want to find a model in the BTU size you need that has the Highest EER number possible. The Energy Efficient Rating is very important and only the yellow guide label tells you if you are buying the best AC unit out there in your BTU size. Even if the AC unit has the Energy Star Label that DOES NOT necessarily mean you are buying the most energy efficient model made. You have to use the Yellow Energy Guide to know that.

Also don't worry about the most efficient model costing $75 or $125 dollars more, you will save that difference on the electric bill within the first full season of use. Please watch our related video for more detail info and extra facts. The Link is below. Thank you.

Bill Lauto, GTG
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