Keeping Hot Water Hot

It may surprise you to find out that in the average Canadian home, the second largest use of energy is heating water. Typically, the only activity that uses more energy is the heating and cooling of the house itself. As a result, water heating provides a significant energy conservation and money savings potential.

First, to understand where energy is used in the water heating process. There are two activities that use significant amounts of energy: one, in the heating of the water when it arrives at the house; and two, in the storage of the hot water so that it can be readily available for your morning shower.

With this process in mind, it then becomes logical that if the water can be preheated before entering the house and/or the water be stored in a more efficient manner, then significant savings could be realized. There are a couple of ways to make this happen, some more involved then others.

Assuming you have a water tank, insulate both the tank and any accessible pipes carrying the hot water to the rest of the house. At almost any hardware store you can find pipe insulation as well as water tank 'blankets'. These items are inexpensive and very easy to install.

For the more adventuresome, consider the age and type of water heater and tank you have. If the tank is old, then not only is it likely to be working inefficiently, but the technology is also dated. It is worth doing some research to determine what type of tank might make the most sense for you. The options include: electric heaters and tanks; gas heaters and tanks; and the 'new kid on the block 'tankless water heaters'.

Tankless water heaters, also called 'instant' or 'on-demand' water heaters rapidly heat the water as arrives at the house. As a result, no storage tank is needed and there is an 'unlimited' supply of hot water.

Another option to consider is preheating the water through a solar panel system. This system works by capturing passive solar energy and then using it to heat the water as it enters a standard water tank. For larger water applications, a second, solar powered storage tank can also be added which maintains preheated water.

For more information about these possibilities check out the Water Heater section of Eco Building Options.

Energy Suckers

If someone said to you that they can cut your electricity bill by up to 20% without any additional cost, would you stop and listen? Well, stop and listen.

In every home there are Power Vampires. Power Vampires are items that appear to be 'sleeping' or 'off' but are still drawing electricity. For example, VCRs, phone chargers and most commonly computers. Although the items are off, they are still drawing dribbles of power. In some cases, these dribbles can account for up to 20% of your electricity usage!

So, what to do. Fortunately, the solution is about as simple as turning off a switch. First, take a tour of your home and identify which items are likely culprits.

Here are a couple simple rules:

-items that use an external power adapter or brick are always vampires
-if the equipment feels warm even after it has been turned off for a while it is a vampire [heat=energy]
-if the item has a clock or some other item that is always on, it is likely vampire
-if the item has indicator lights [ie a computer modem] that are always on, it is a vampire

After the items have been identified consider which items do not have to be on all the time. For example, my VCR will always be on because, well, re-programming the clock is a pain. However, my computer does not have to have a constant energy source.

Next, consider what is the most convenient way to disconnect the power source. One of the most common solutions is to put items on a power bar which can be turned on and off with one flick of the switch. For example, all the plugs for my computer [monitor, modems, CPU etc] are on one power bar. After I turn off the computer, I just need to turn off the one power bar and all the vampires are shut down. Other items, such as a stereo unit that is not used often, I simply unplug directly from the wall socket. If the wall socket is not within easy reach, consider getting an extension cord to make the plug more accessible.

Having just started tackling the vampires in our home, it is still at the stage where I must consciously remember to unplug and turn off items. However, like turning off the lights when I leave the room, it is starting to become more and more of a habit. The best part is that it is a habit that will reward me in my pocketbook!

NIMBY - in a Good Way

The acronym NIMBY stands for "Not In My Back Yard". It is most frequently used to explain opposition from neighbourhoods to perceived negative, but often necessary services in their neighbourhood such as homeless shelters, half way houses and waste disposal sites. While these things are good for the larger society, and people often agree that they are necessary, they do not want them in 'their back yard'.

Because of the short sightedness of NIMBY it is often cast in a negative light. However, the other day I was thinking about the things I do not want, and am actively working on preventing, from "being in my back yard".

Here are some of the things I am fighting to keep out of my back yard:

-toxic emissions
-pesticides and herbicides
-huge shopping malls
-acres of parking lots
-houses being built on green space
-ravines being used as illegal dumping grounds

Clearly I am guilty of "NIMBY" and proud of it!

$1 per day Eliminates Six Tonnes of CO2

About five years ago I signed a contract for a flat rate for electricity. That contract is now up for renewal. While I do not regret my decision, the world is very different now then it was just five years ago.

Indicative of this change, in 2005 a little company by the name of Bullfrog Power jumped onto the scene. Bullfrog Power is an Ontario electricity distributor that sources all of its energy from renewable or EcoLogo certified sources.

Prompted by the contract renewal my husband and I took a careful look at Bullfrog as an option for our household electricity supplier. What we found out was a pleasant surprise. Yes, getting our electricity through Bullfrog is more expensive, we estimated about $1 extra per day. However because the energy we use would come from non CO2 producing sources, we will be reducing our CO2 production by about 6 tonnes per year!

The way it works is that although we will continue to draw our electricity from the Ontario power grid, Bullfrog will purchase and put into the grid the equivalent power from non CO2 generating sources. The more people that purchase their power through Bullfrog, the greater the percentage of green energy in the grid.

In addition to CO2 reduction, I see the even greater benefit of helping to develop alternative energy sources. One of the major challenges that alternative energy producers face is that to make the cost of renewable energy affordable there must first be a significant demand [economies of scale]. The catch 22 is how do you create the demand needed for supply without first having supply! What companies such as Bullfrog enable the average individual to do is to help build that demand for a relatively small additional cost. This is what I see as a significant long term advantage.

Ribbitt!

Spring is in The Mailbox!

As I face another day of bone chilling temperatures, my heart is warmed by the gradual appearance of gardening magazines in my mailbox. February and March are some of my favourite gardening months because Mother Nature has dictated that all I can do is dream. Furthermore, the appeal of spending hours on my hands and knees toiling away in the garden has not yet been tainted by harsh reality.

This time of year is also the best time to start researching and planning your gardening projects. This preplanning will mean that rather then impulsively buying whatever catches your eye at the garden centre, you will be looking for specific plants, or at least those with specific characteristics. As a result, not only will the plants you come home with fit better into your garden, but you might even have a few bucks left over to splurge on a whim.

When flipping through the catalogues and magazines I really encourage you to look at native plants. The biggest advantage with native plants is that once established, they tend to be heartier. Furthermore, they are generally more resistant to drought meaning they require less water. Perfect for the lazy gardener!

For more information about native gardening, check out: the Evergreen.ca Native Plant Directory.

Another type of plant to consider are "plants looking for a good home". Once established, most plants have to be thinned out, not only for the health of the plant, but also for the appearance of the garden. As a result, there are usually a whole bunch of plants that will either end up in the compost pile or need to find a new home. Because these plants have been grown 'locally' they will be harder to kill and even if they do not thrive, at least the price was right!

Finally, for folks that do not have a garden space, consider container gardening or getting involved with a group such as Evergreen. Both of these activities will provide you the opportunity to get your hands dirty, as well as the happiness that comes from seeing your efforts result in a beautiful sanctuary.

Raindrops

We sometimes feel that what we do is just a drop in the ocean, but the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.

Mother Theresa

The next time you are wondering if it is worth while to walk across the room to turn off an unused light or purchase earth friendly products I encourage you to remember the above quotation from Mother Theresa.

The world needs as many drops as possible!

But What Can I Do?

The other day my eleven year old son Jeffrey [sorry no picture due to 'technical issues'] and I were talking about global warming and climate change. Like most of us he has heard a lot about it but was not too sure what it all meant, or more importantly, what HE could do about the problem.

Here are a couple of the ideas that Jeffrey and I came up with for what kids can do about global warming:

• Rather then having baths all the time, take the occasional shower. This will decrease the energy use by decreasing the amount of hot water usage.
• Use BOTH sides of a piece of paper.
• Make sure that all used paper ends up in the recycle bin.
• Take lunches in reusable containers, and bring the containers home.
• Walk/ride your bike rather then asking for a car ride.
• Put on a sweater, grab a blanket rather then turning up the thermostat.
• Turn off lights not in use.
• Close doors.
• Lead by example, for friends and family

Jeffrey realises that he alone will not solve the problem of global warming, but I commend him for willing to be part of the solution!

Carbon Offsetting - Buying Your Way into Heaven?

One of the buzz words that seems to have become more prevalent in the past few months is "carbon offsetting". Like all good buzz words, it is bantered around as if everyone knows what it means, and furthermore, at least in this case, it is presented as a good idea, and everyone should be doing it.

Unfortunately, I suspect that the majority of people really have little understanding about what carbon offsetting means, and more importantly, if it is something they should be doing. If you happen to fall into this category, here is a brief overview and explanation about carbon offsetting.

Basically, carbon offsetting is a donation that you make to support the development of renewable energy sources. The size of your donation is calculated by the amount of CO2 your action releases into the atmosphere and how much it will cost to generate an equivalent amount of green energy.

For example, according to TerraPass a return trip from Toronto to Vancouver emits 1,620 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere. By buying a TerraPass for $9.95 you can 'offset' 2,500 lbs of CO2, which more then covers your emissions. The $9.95 is then invested in renewable energy projects and technology. It is projected that this investment will produce the equivalent amount of green [not CO2 emitting] energy that it took to travel from Vancouver and back. As a result, your trip was 'carbon neutral'.

While I am all for supporting renewable energy, I am not a huge fan of carbon offsetting. The problem that I see with it is that it allows you to just pay for your environmental sins, rather then avoiding the sin altogether! In some ways, carbon offsetting seems to allow you to pollute as much as your pocket book can afford. Theoretically, by simpling adding the financial cost of carbon offsetting I could argue that a Hummer is a green vehicle!

The only redeeming factor about carbon offsetting is that at least it is a step. It is also a step that is relatively easy for large corporations to take. I guess, something is better then nothing.

So what is a person to do? In my opinion, at the very least off set your carbon by either making financial contributions, but even better, reduce the amount of energy you use in the first place! For example, make your home as energy efficient as possible; take mass transit; walk and bike more; purchase gas efficient cars.

To find out more about carbon offsetting, as well as tools such as carbon calculators I highly recommend the Carbon Neutral page from the David Suzuki Foundation.

Green Building and Energy Conservation Resources

Next time you are near a magazine rack take a look for the "Save Energy Save Money" edition of The Family Handyman. Although it is a US based magazine, this is more then compensated for by the sheer volume and quality of information it contains!

I also noticed that Canadian Tire has recently beefed up it's energy conservation and alternative energy product selection. Check out the Canadian Tire Advance Green website for both conservation tips and resources, as well as product availability.

Finally, one of the projects I have been involved in is the creation of Eco Building Options, an online resource for Canadian homeowners, architects, contractors and designers interested in green building products. While this website is still in the early developmental stages it will hopefully provide some clarity to the increasingly cluttered world of green building products!

Most Popular Outdoor Cafe

In addition to my many other activities I also run a very popular outdoor cafe in my backyard.

About eleven years ago a very good friend of mine gave me a bird feeder as a house warming gift. This was the beginning of a long and enriching experience which provides a ray of sunshine on even the dullest of days!

To be clear, I am not a bird watcher [that is a role I leave more to my husband], and cannot identify much beyond a handful of common birds. Nor does my urban birdfeeder attract rare or nearly extinct species. The usual patrons are more pigeons scrambling on the ground picking up seeds dropped by the hoard of sparrows that diminish in number only when one of the local squirrel population 'leaps' in for a bite! On very special days, often excitedly reported to friends and family members, a pair of cardinals will drop in, or a blue jay will do a fly by.

However, I can, and have, spent hours with a cup of tea just watching the birds and squirrels come and go. In a life full of stress and hustle and bustle it provides me an escape and a pleasant, constant reminder of the amazing natural world that surrounds us all the time.

I think that an important, but often discounted component to living a greener life is to notice and appreciate the world in our own backyard.

If you can, invest in a birdfeeder, fill it up with birdseed, put it in a place that you can watch it and momentarily escape the realities of the day.

If you cannot set up your own feeder, here is a link to the Bird Feeder Cam at Cornell University, courtesy of Wild Birds Unlimited. For a wide variety of information about backyard birdfeeders, check out the education section of the Wild Birds Unlimited site.