Energy Star Appliances Solar Power Energy Generation Guide
Energy Star Appliances Help To Reduce Your Power Bills
By Gerard J Howson
In many countries, most electricity is produced by
coal fired power plants and water turbines. Fossil fuels
like coal are a non-renewable energy source, and its
combustion releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Once coal resources are depleted, you cannot get more
coal. Unlike solar power, where solar energy is used
as a renewable source, using the sun as an infinite
source of energy.
Water turbines need the construction of large dams,
causing a serious disturbance to surrounding ecosystems.
Rather than building more power plants, a better option
is to reduce the consumption of electricity with Energy
Star appliances and devices. Modern homes have plenty
of electrical equipment and other energy hungry technologies.
It would be unrealistic for your family to stop using
a refrigerator, or to ban homework on the computer.
On the other hand, some refrigerators and computers
use far less energy and are therefore more energy efficient
than many other electrical devices.
Before Purchasing An Electrical Appliance
Before you purchase an electrical appliance or electronic
device, you should review your options and look for
Energy Star appliances, and take note of the Energy
Star label on these home appliances.
Energy Star is a designation given to devices and other
electronic products that use less energy than a standard
appliance. Emerging first in 1992 as a government program
in the U.S. the Energy Star Standard has since been
adopted in Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan
and the European Union. It is now considered an international
standard.
Qualification For An Energy Star Rating
How do appliances qualify for this standard? These
appliances use significantly less power than their standard
counterparts. The Energy Star dishwasher, for example,
must use at least 41% less energy than a regular dishwasher.
A refrigerator, on the other hand, uses 20% less energy
to qualify for the Energy Star. An Energy Star air conditioner
uses 10% less electricity.
Electronics are also subject to the standards of Energy
Star. For example, an Energy Star TV, uses 30% less
electricity. Your battery chargers, VCRs and cordless
phones need to use 90% less energy than the average,
to meet the Energy Star qualification.
A More Stringent Standard For Computers
Computers use a more stringent standard where the new
Energy Star standard requires the power supply to the
computer follow the 80 PLUS program. This means, the
power supply unit must be at least 80% efficient at
20%, 50% and 100% power loads. In plain speaking language,
this means if the unit has 1000 watts of power, at least
800 watts should be used.
When purchasing appliances and electronics, look for
the Energy Star logo. Most of the department, home improvement
and electrical stores sell electrical products with
Energy Star labels in each category. Read the Energy
Star label affixed on the electrical appliance or device
to find out how much electricity you save by using this
device in a year.
Anomalies Uncovered By The EPA
Some anomalies of the Energy Star system have been
published by the EPA. For example, in December 2008,
the EPA Inspector General published a report on the
Energy Star program. The report found that the Energy
Star requirements for energy consumption reduction were
inaccurate or unverified.
The testing of energy efficiency ignores the basic
methods of research. The manufacturers tested their
own products, and presented their own results, presenting
a blatant conflict of interest. Data provided by the
manufacturers has rarely been verified by Energy Star.
Read User Reviews Online Before Making A Final Purchasing Decision
Tests no longer relevant were used, when new and more
reliable methods were available. Even though the ratings
of Star Energy may not be reliable, it remains the best
system to identify savings in energy.
However, to determine your choice, do more research.
One option is to read user reviews online and verify
the quality of the product before you make a final decision
to purchase Energy Star appliances.
About the Author:
Gerard J Howson has written a number of articles on Saving Energy,
Solar Power and Renewable energy including
Energy Saving Products,
Energy Efficient Refrigerator,
Saving Energy Tips,
Solar Technology,
Solar Hot Water,
Solar Electric,
Portable Solar Power.
Gerard is working on more articles. Look out for new articles as they become available on this site.
Little Known Solar Facts.....
What is the initial cost of switching over to
using alternate energy?
Switching over depends on
what exactly you are switching.
Houses that have to be retrofitted using solar
panels to generate electricity can be quite costly.
Vehicles are cheaper to retrofit but require work.
The costs can vary for anything switched over.
The best way to get an estimated idea is to seek
out a contractor or mechanic that is for using
alternate energy sources.
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