Tips on Energy Conservation / Money Savings:

Tips on Energy Conservation / Money Savings:



With ever rising cost of energy & electricity, the only way to control our energy bill is to start conserving energy by all possible means. Here are some tips on Energy Conservation & money savings



1. (a) Lights, fans & other electrical appliances

' Make maximum use of sunlight during the day.

' Turn off lights / fans and other electrical appliances when not required.

' Switch over to BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) labeled energy efficient fluorescent tube lights, etc. which will be shortly available in the market.

' Ninety percent of the energy absorbed by an ordinary incandescent bulb is given off as heat rather than as light

' Clean the dust accumulated on lamps since dirty tube lights can absorb 50% of the light

' Provide low wattage task lighting over desks for reading which focuses light where its needed and avoids illuminating the entire room

' Use Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) in fixtures that are on for more than two hours in a day. A 15 watt CFL produces the amount of light as a 60 watt incandescent bulb.

' Install photoelectric controls or timers to make sure that outdoor lighting is turned off during the day.

' Switch off appliances such as TV, computer, tape recorder, music system, etc. when not in use to save electricity instead of keeping in standby mode.

' Opt for light colored walls & ceiling which reflect light better and hence need less wattage lamps.

' Use ISI marked electrical appliances and equipments and energy efficient motors.



(b) Refrigerator

' Switch over to BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) labeled energy efficient frost free refrigerators which will be shortly available in the market.

' Defrost and clean the inside of the refrigerator and freezer periodically

' Make sure that the refrigerator is not placed against the walls which are exposed to the direct sunlight.

' Keep the refrigerator and freezer at the right temperature. Even if they are only 2-3 degrees colder than necessary, the energy consumption may go up by approximately 25 %.

' Always keep clean the heat transfer area of the fridge.

' Make sure the door is sealed tightly. To verify the tightness place a bit of paper in-between the fridge and the door and close it. Now try to pull out the paper. If the paper comes out without much effort it means that the door is not closing tightly and the beading needs to be replaced.

' Do not put uncovered liquids in the refrigerator. The liquids give off vapors that add to the compressor workload.

' Allow hot food to cool off before putting it in the refrigerator.

' Do not open the door of the refrigerator frequently. Plan ahead and remove all ingredients for each meal at one time.


(c) Ovens / Microwave Ovens

' Test the thermostat in the oven to be sure it measures temperatures accurately.

' Check the seal on the oven door to see if there are cracks or tears in it

' Develop the habit of "lids-on" cooking to permit lower temperature settings.

' Microwave Ovens use around 50% less energy than conventional ovens: they are most efficient for small portions or defrosting. For large items, stove-top cooking is most efficient, especially with gas.

' Keep reflector pans beneath stovetop heating elements bright and clean.

' Carefully measure water used for cooking to avoid having to heat more than is needed.

' Cook as much of the meal in the oven at one time as possible. Every time the oven door is opened, 4° - 5° C is lost.

' Whenever preheating is required, do it for the minimum required time

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(d) Washing Machines

' Follow detergent instructions carefully. Adding too much detergent actually hampers effective washing action and may require more energy in the form of extra rinses.

' Wash only full loads of clothing- but do not overload machine.

' Soak or pre-wash the cloths for effective cleaning.

' If there is an option of hot wash or cold wash, as far as possible choose cold wash, since in hot wash around 90 % of the energy is consumed by washing machines to heat the water.


(e) Air Conditioner

' Check air gaps around windows every 6 month and seal it properly.

' An air conditioner exposed to direct sunlight uses approximately 5 percent more energy than a shaded one.

' Don't block the air flow at the back of the Air Conditioner.

' Minimize the amount of direct heat entering your home by pulling shades and curtains on hot days.

' Have the air conditioning unit checked every 6 months. Incorrect level of Freon would result in waste of energy.

' Use automatic door closer for all air-conditioned rooms.

' Set the thermostat to as high as comfort permits, may be a few degrees higher. You can use combination of AC with ceiling fan. Fans produce air currents that carry heat away from the skin, so even air conditioned rooms feel cooler when fan is running.

' Close cooling vents in unused rooms and keep doors to unused rooms closed.

' Check and clean air filters every month and replace it as and when required.

' Clean the outside condenser coil once a year.

(f) Computers:

' Setting computers, monitors and copiers to use sleep mode helps cut down energy cost by 40%.

' Screen savers save computer screens, not energy. Start-ups and shutdowns do not use any extra energy, nor are they hard on the computer components. In fact, shutting down computer when finished using them actually reduces system wear and saves energy.

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2. Energy conservation in farms

' Provide shunt capacitors at terminals of your three-phase motor to help reduce current and ensure longer life to your pumpset.

' Use rigid PVC pipes to get more discharge.

' Avoid sharp bends and too many joints in the suction and delivery lines.

' Use frictionless foot valves.

' Lubricate pump sets at regular intervals.

' Choose suitable crop mix so that at least one crop in a year is grown with least water consumption.


3. Energy conservation in Street Lights:

Normally a tube light of 40W rating with a choke of 20W are being utilized for street lights with a total power of 60W. Alternately the use CFL bulbs of 18W rating which has an equivalent luminosity would lead to a power saving to the extent of 70% ie. 42W. Also the life of the CFL bulbs are much longer than that of the tube lights with a cumulative savings on life and as well as the energy consumption for the entire life.

The experience of such a reported transition from tube light to CFL in Thiruvallur District is as follows:

' 340 Nos of tube lights originally deployed were replaced with 18 W CFL lamps

' Consequent to the switching over to 18 W CFL lamps the annual savings in the cost of energy reported to have been generated is to the tune of Rs.2,13,000/- (~ 626*340)

' This is based on the Savings derived from a single street light which is as follows:



Parameter


40W Tube Light with a 20 W choke


18 W Compact Fluorescent Lamp


Savings

Annual Consumption in units (with an average of 12 hours per day for 365 days)


60*12*365= 263


18*12*365 =79


184

Cost of Annual consumption @ Rs.3.40 per unit




894.00




269.00


626.00

Life Period in hours


2500


6000


3500



The pay back period of investment is about one year leaving behind a savings thereafter till the end of life period.

' The savings that can be materialized on transition to CFL for the entire State would cross several Crores.

' Alternately, yet another means to conserve energy that is gaining attention is the Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) devices. SPV can be used for meeting the needs of home lighting, office lighting and street lighting.





2. Energy conservation in Industries:

' Auditing of Energy Consumption (including any heat and power generated)

' General examination of work place (including physical condition of organisation, its processes, occupancy time, and variations in ambient temperature and energy consumption pattern etc.)

' Measurement of all energy flows (including testing of boiler or steam raising, heating equipment, refrigeration, etc.)

' Analysis and appraisal of energy requirements and actual usage.(e.g. specific fuel consumption, energy-product interrelationship).

' Energy management procedures and methodology.

' Identification of energy improvement opportunities and recommendations for energy efficiency measures and quantification of implementation costs and paybacks.

' Identification of possible usages of co-generation, renewable sources of energy and recommendations for implementation, wherever possible, with cost benefit analysis.

' Provide shunt capacitors at terminals of your three-phase motor to help reduce current and ensure longer life to your pump set.

A systematic approach, to monitor industrial energy consumption and to pin-point sources of wastage, is known as Energy Audit. In the present energy scenario and in the era of industrial competition, Energy Auditing has become a very important part of any industrial activity to cut cost.



An energy audit is thus called for to identify power intensive areas, call attention to wastages, point areas in which saving can be accomplished, and provide a benchmark against which performance of projects can be compared.



An Energy Audit Study helps an organisation to understand and analyse its energy utilisation and identify areas where energy use can be reduced, decide on how to budget energy use, plan & practice feasible energy conservation methods that will enhance their energy efficiency, curtail energy wastage and substantially reduce energy costs.

The Energy Audit serves to identify all the energy streams in a facility, qualify energy usage with its discrete functions, in an attempt to balance the total energy input with its use. Energy Audit is thus the key to a systematic approach for decision-making in the area of Energy Management. As a result, the Energy Audit Study becomes an effective tool in defining and pursuing comprehensive Energy Management Programme (EMP).


Elements of an Energy Audit

* Establishment of a baseline: Historical review of energy related records to establish a baseline against which progress can be measured (examination of past record).
* Identifying areas for savings/wastages: Preplanning walk-through of the plant to identify obvious sources of energy waste, such as leaks and uninsulated equipment.
* Data collection and clarity on data and use: Detailed definition of data requirements (audit must be based on actual operating data, not hypothetical). The auditor must approach this problem with several questions in mind.
* Mass and energy balance: Computation of mass and energy flow and estimation of energy losses.
* Energy conservation opportunities (ECOs): Enumeration of ECOs.
* Energy saving potential: Estimation of energy saving potential for each ECO.
* Feasibility: Determination of cost and profitability potential for implementation of ECOs.
* Prioritized recommendation: Establishment of priority recommendation for ECO implementation.
* Monitoring: Establishment of continuous monitoring effort for major energy using system.



4. Energy conservation in Commercial Buildings and Industries:

The following energy conservation measures shall be installed in a commercial building, where applicable:



A. Heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC):



1. All thermostats shall be functioning. All non-functioning thermostats shall be repaired or replaced.

2. Time clock controls that can turn systems off and on according to building occupancy requirements shall be present and connected to the following HVAC devices: chillers and other space cooling devices, chilled water pumps, boilers and other space heating devices, hot water pumps, heat exchanger circulation pumps, supply fans, return fans, and exhaust fans.

3. Accessible air supply and return ducts shall have no leaks. Any leaks shall be sealed with appropriate sealants

4. Outside air dampers, damper controls and linkages which are controlled by HVAC units shall be in good repair and adjustment.

5. All accessible heating and cooling air ducts and plenums, in mechanical rooms, around air handling units, and in other non-conditioned space, meaning space not served by heating or cooling equipment, shall be properly insulated.

6. All accessible hot water, steam, steam condensate return, and chilled water piping, including that above suspended ceilings, shall be properly insulated

7. Furnace combustion units shall have been cleaned and tuned. Filters shall be replaced in accordance with the furnace manufacturer's recommendations. For electric heat, in existing apartment buildings, when central heat is intended to be replaced with individual electric space heaters, the application for the electrical permit shall include documentation which demonstrates, using an approved method, that the new electric heaters will not consume more energy than the existing nonelectric heater(s).

8. Boiler systems shall have been cleaned and tuned.

9. Reset control for boilers.

10. There shall be no hot water and steam leaks, or defective steam traps or radiator control, relief, and vent valves in any accessible piping.

11. Chiller systems shall have been cleaned and tuned.

12. There shall be no leaks in any accessible chilled water lines and equipment.

13. Chillers shall be equipped with an outdoor air lockout thermostat and a chilled water reset control.





B. Service water systems:



1. The temperature of the supply of hot water for domestic or commercial purposes other than comfort heating shall be set and maintained to provide water at no higher than one hundred ten degrees Fahrenheit at point of use.

2. Water heater and storage tank and piping shall be properly insulated

3. The system of circulating pumps for hot water supply for domestic or commercial purposes other than comfort heating shall be under time clock control.



C. Lighting:



1. Reduce interior lighting load.

2. Standard incandescent and halogen lighting shall be replaced with fluorescent lighting or light-bulbs.

2. Reduce exterior lighting load. Outside lights, exit signs, and lights in parking garages that are in use an average of two or more hours per day shall not use incandescent bulbs.

3. Exterior lighting shall have automatic controls to turn off lighting during daylight hours.



D. Commercial refrigeration equipment:



1. Commercial refrigeration equipment shall have been cleaned and tuned for efficiency, including, but not limited to, cleaning of condensor coils and evaporators, and replacement of defective or worn door gaskets and seals.

2. Thermal doors and curtains.

a. Doors and strip curtains. Low and medium temperature commercial refrigeration cases shall be equipped with doors, strip curtains, or similar devices.

b. Compressor systems. The compressor system shall be modified, as appropriate, to compensate for the reduced cooling load resulting from the installation of doors and strip curtains.



E. Motor-driven equipment:



1. Repair of air and water line leaks.

2. There shall be no leaks in compressed air and in-pumped water systems.

3. Filters shall be cleaned or replaced.

4. Belts or other coupling systems shall be in good repair.



F. Swimming pools and spas:



1. Pool and spa recirculation pumps shall be under time clock control.

2. Heaters shall be cleaned and tuned.

Sources

http://tnerc.tn.nic.in/download/safety.htm