3 replies to this topic

[eds]

There is a saying among many green energy experts that,
. . . "you have to earn solar."  
What this means is that if your home is inefficient in energy use,
. . . . . . due to old,
. . . . . . poor-performing appliances,  
. . . . . . lack of proper insulation, or
. . . . . . air sealing,
. . . then the energy created from solar is going to largely be wasted.

This pyramid diagram,
. . . is a useful tool to show the loading order of home energy upgrades.  
It all begins with the base of the pyramid,
. . . with an increased general understanding, and knowledge.  
. . . A homeowner can be educated by having a home energy audit, or
. . . by reading about various methods, tools, and practices,
. . . to help make a home more energy efficient.  
From there, the homeowner can move up the pyramid,
. . . to items that are more complex and/or require more of an investment.  
Not every upgrade is going to be appropriate for each home.  
. . . This is why it is important to work with experts in home energy efficiency,
. . . to maximize your specific results.

9-14-2015 Source:  Home Energy Upgrade Pyramid

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[Shortpoet-GTD]

Very nice Ed!!
I'm energy efficient but I don't have solar yet.

[eds]

Actions at the bottom of the pyramid,
. . . are more cost effective than actions at the top, and
. . . should be undertaken first.  

The pyramid lays out an intelligent course,
. . . to allow you to make the most efficient use of energy, and
. . . save the most money.  

Here's some more Basic Pyramids

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[eds]

Lighting: Incandescent VS LED light bulbs math,
. . . How much money can you save?

1) . . Replacing a 60 watt incandescent bulb with a 9 watt LED equals a 51 watt savings per hour.
. . . 60 - 9 = 51 watt savings per hour.

2) . . 51 watts savings per hour, times residential lights are on, an average of 3 hours per day, times by 365 days a year.
. . . 51 X 3 X 365 = Total watts saved a year.

3) . . 1,000 watt, or Kilowatt-hours (kWh) ,is the measure of electrical consumption typically used by utilities on an electric bill.
. . . 1,000 / Total watts saved a year = total kWh's

4) . . Multiply the result by your utility’s cost per kWh, and you’ll get a rough calculation of how much money you can save in a year.
. . . Total kWh's X cost per kWh = how much Money you save'll per year.

5) . . If your LED lasts for 30 years, you just multiply your annual savings, times 30.

2-3-2017 Source:  LED's save Money