Eleven Energy Myths
I have no commercial utilites and must generate electricity so saving energy is important to me. The less I need, the less I must invest in my system. However, it's not just a pragmatic interest. I have an innner passion for preserving our environment. For me, preserving the environment is a spiritual act. Perhaps you will find this list of myths interesting and helpful.
Additional information: The energy crisis has given rise to a growing set of energy myths. In this article, researcher Evan Mills of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Environmental Energy Technologies Division reviews the myths and then lays out the facts. (http://enews.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/energy-myths3.html)
- Myth: When my appliance is turned off, it's off.
- Myth: Fluorescent lighting is unhealthy.
- Myth: Halogen lighting is super-efficient.
- Myth: Cleaning refrigerator coils improves efficiency.
- Myth: Leaving lights, computers, and other appliances on uses less energy than turning them off and also makes them last longer.
- Myth: Energy efficiency products increase the initial cost of houses.
- Myth: Insulating the ceiling will just cause more heat to leak out of the windows.
- Myth: Switching to electric room heaters will reduce your energy bill.
- Myth: Electric heating is more efficient than fuel-based heating.
- Myth: Buying an efficient air conditioner or furnace will automatically reduce my utility bill.
- Myth: Installing foam gaskets in electrical outlets will significantly reduce air leakage.
Additional information: The energy crisis has given rise to a growing set of energy myths. In this article, researcher Evan Mills of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Environmental Energy Technologies Division reviews the myths and then lays out the facts. (http://enews.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/energy-myths3.html)
posted by Paul at 7:42 PM
4 Comments:
Is there a link to the copy of the article?
Sorry, "Additional Information" is an active link to the article. I edited the original post and put the url at the end of the post since the hyperlink wasn't obvious. Here's the url to the full article: http://enews.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/energy-myths3.htmlhttp://enews.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/energy-myths3.html
Thom, Here's the "Myth" and related "Fact" from the full article.
Myth: Cleaning refrigerator coils improves efficiency.
Fact: While this seems intuitively logical, and very small savings may indeed arise, efforts to actually measure this effect on residential refrigerators have typically come up empty-handed.
Sometimes we put plastic over the windows in winter here, as we have no storm windows. And the thermostat is set at 65 - we just wear layers and sweaters. I've found that cool air in a home is healthier. And, if we eat frequent small meals we stay warm.
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