TheStudentElementOnline: Student Work

Smart Design - December 2010

Ever wondered why your ceiling fan has a switch that reverses the way the blades revolve? Well, that is for using your ceiling fan in the winter. Yes, I said using your ceiling fans in the winter!

Use of the ceiling fan in winter might seem a bit strange, but it can actually save you money on your heating bills!

Heat rises, and large amounts of heated air can collect in a large room with high ceilings before it can even be felt. In colder climates most heating vents are put in the floor; because this is the most effective way to heat a room, since the warm air will rise.

Knowing that heat rises, take a room with a 16' cathedral ceiling for example. If you set your thermostat on 68 degrees F the uppermost 3 feet can be almost 90 degrees or higher before the heater shuts off; which is an incredible waste of energy.

To counteract this waste of energy you can use a ceiling fan to combat it! Set the reverse switch for an upward airflow (the blades will turn clockwise)and run your ceiling fan on low speed; this will force the heat accumulated at the ceiling down along the walls where it must rise again.

This mild circulation of air will provide not only lower energy consumption (and bills) but will also help to more evenly heat a room and help shorten the time it takes the heater to work. Make sure to only put your ceiling fan on the lowest speed, in order to avoid drafts.

Recycling a single aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for almost four hours or to run your television for three hours!

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Vampires suck (power)

For big savings in "ghost" power, plug all chargers and other electronic devices into a power strip and turn it off every night.

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Jettison the lead foot.

Obeying speed limits and avoiding jack-rabbit starts and stops could save $200 a year.

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Watering your lawn and plants in the morning can save more than 50 gallons of water a week.

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Buy in bulk whenever it is practical to do so—less packaging, less waste.

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Watering your lawn and plants in the morning can save more than 50 gallons of water a week.

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Recycle yourself! Consider becoming an organ donor. You may literally save someone's life—what better legacy could you leave?

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Keep a durable, insulated mug in your car—avoid throw-away coffee, water, and soft drink containers.

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Green jobs rock!

It is estimated that green construction will generate an additional $554 billion dollars in GDP, support over 7.9 million jobs, and provide $396 billion in labor earnings.

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Plan your stay while away: Energy Star labeled hotels meet strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.

Hotels that have earned the Energy Star perform in the top 25 percent of hotels nationwide, use at least 35 percent less energy and emit at least 35 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than their peers.

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Washing clothes in cold water can save about $60 a year.

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If every American home replaced just one light with an Energy Star light, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, about $700 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year--equivalent to the emissions of about 800, 000 cars!

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Worried about the mercury in energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs)? Don’t be.

CFLs can be recycled, so their mercury never has to enter the waste stream. Also, by using CFLs we reduce the mercury going directly into our air from coal-fired power plants.

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The order is important: Reduce (avoid wasteful consumption), Reuse (choose durable, long-lasting items), then Recycle what's left.

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The web is full of sites that allow you to contribute to charitable causes with a click a day. That means no cost, just clicks! Use the power of your mouse to support rainforests, animal rescue, hunger, and more.

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Turn off lights when away and at night. The United States currently uses nearly twice as much energy per dollar of GNP than other industrialized countries.

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Fix leaky ducts. The move could save $400 a year.

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Buy a programmable thermostat. Potential annual savings: $200.

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Create a neighborhood equipment sharing club—does EVERY homeowner really need a lawn mower, pressure washer, or for that matter, an SUV or minivan?

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