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  1. Eco-Friendly Garage Doors: Combining Sustainability and Functionality

    Posted on May 05, 2023 by Andrew

    Introduction

    In today’s world, where being environmentally friendly is a top priority in design and construction, even garage doors are getting a green makeover. For homeowners who want to reduce their carbon footprint and support sustainability, opting for eco-friendly garage doors is a smart move.

    Getting eco-friendly garage doors installed is pretty simple. You just need to hire a professional installer who knows all about green building practices. They’ll make sure the doors are well-insulated and have energy-saving features. However, it’s worth mentioning that before installing them, you might need to resurface the floor to match the new doors’ height. So, it’s a good idea to get in touch with experts in garage floor resurfacing Fort Myers, FL (or wherever you are), before contacting the door installer.

    Now, let’s take a closer look at how eco-friendly garage doors help make your lifestyle greener, the different features they offer, and how they benefit both the environment and your home.

    Why Go Green with Garage Doors?

    Before delving into the specifics of eco-friendly garage doors, it’s crucial to understand why they are worth considering. Traditional garage doors, often made of materials like steel and aluminum, can have a significant impact on energy consumption and sustainability. Here’s why eco-friendly options are gaining traction:

    Energy Efficiency: Eco-friendly garage doors are designed with better insulation properties, helping to maintain temperature consistency in your garage. This can reduce the energy needed for heating and cooling, ultimately lowering your utility bills.

    Sustainable Materials: Many eco-friendly garage doors are crafted from sustainable materials like reclaimed wood, recycled steel, or composite materials. Using such materials minimizes the demand for virgin resources and reduces waste.

    Reduced Environmental Impact: Sustainable garage doors often require fewer resources in their production and have a lower carbon footprint. They also minimize toxic emissions associated with traditional materials.

    Longevity: Eco-friendly doors are built to last. Their durability means fewer replacements, reducing waste over time.

    Eco-Friendly Garage Door Materials

    Eco-friendly garage doors are available in a variety of materials, each with its unique set of advantages. Let’s explore some of the most popular options:

    Reclaimed Wood: Reclaimed wood garage doors are not only aesthetically pleasing but also environmentally friendly. They repurpose wood from old barns, factories, or other structures, giving it a second life. These doors provide a rustic and timeless look while reducing the need for freshly harvested timber.

    Recycled Steel: Garage doors made from recycled steel are exceptionally durable and resistant to rust and corrosion. By using recycled steel, these doors help conserve natural resources and reduce energy consumption during production.

    Composite Materials: Composite sectional garage doors combine various materials like wood fibers and recycled plastics. These doors are known for their durability, low maintenance requirements, and excellent insulation properties.

    Aluminum: Aluminum is a recyclable material that can be repurposed multiple times. Aluminum garage doors are lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and energy-efficient. They are available in various styles and finishes.

    Glass and Polycarbonate: For a modern, eco-friendly look, consider garage doors with large glass or polycarbonate panels. These doors maximize natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting in your garage during the day.

    Energy Efficiency and Insulation

    Eco-friendly garage doors excel in energy efficiency and insulation, making them a smart choice for homeowners seeking to reduce energy consumption. Here’s how they achieve this:

    High-Quality Insulation: Many eco-friendly doors feature advanced insulation materials, such as polyurethane foam, which minimizes heat transfer and maintains a consistent temperature in your garage. This reduces the need for heating or cooling.

    Weatherstripping: Eco-friendly doors often come with superior weatherstripping, preventing drafts and heat loss. This feature ensures that your garage remains comfortable year-round.

    Energy-Efficient Windows: If your eco-friendly garage door includes windows, they are typically designed to maximize natural light while minimizing heat gain or loss. This reduces the need for artificial lighting and heating.

    Solar-Powered Garage Doors

    Innovations in sustainable technology have led to the development of solar-powered garage doors. These doors are equipped with photovoltaic panels on the surface, harnessing solar energy to power the door’s operation. Here’s why they are gaining attention:

    Energy Independence: Solar-powered garage doors reduce your reliance on the electrical grid. They can operate even during power outages, enhancing your garage’s accessibility and security.

    Reduced Energy Costs: By using solar energy, these doors can significantly reduce your electricity bills. Excess energy generated can be fed back into the grid, potentially earning you credits.

    Environmentally Friendly: Solar-powered doors rely on clean, renewable energy, which reduces your carbon footprint and supports a sustainable lifestyle.

    Eco-Friendly Paints and Finishes

    When selecting an eco-friendly garage door, consider the paints and finishes used. Opt for doors that use low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) or water-based paints and finishes. These products release fewer harmful chemicals into the environment and improve indoor air quality.

    The Long-Term Benefits

    Investing in an eco-friendly garage door offers numerous long-term benefits:

    Cost Savings: Lower energy bills and reduced maintenance costs can result in significant savings over the years.

    Environmental Impact: Contributing to sustainability efforts and reducing your home’s environmental impact is a rewarding experience.

    Enhanced Comfort: Improved insulation keeps your garage comfortable, whether it’s winter or summer.

    Home Value: An eco-friendly garage door can enhance the resale value of your home, as green features are increasingly attractive to prospective buyers.

    Conclusion

    Eco-friendly garage doors are more than just functional barriers; they are environmentally conscious choices that contribute to a greener and more sustainable lifestyle. By selecting garage doors made from sustainable materials, focusing on energy efficiency and insulation, and considering solar-powered options, you can not only enhance your home’s functionality but also make a positive impact on the planet. When it comes to sustainable living, eco-friendly garage doors are an essential step toward a more eco-conscious and energy-efficient home.

  2. Energy Efficiency – Smart Meters

    Posted on September 15, 2021 by Andrew

    A smart meter is a special electronic device that records electrical data like voltage levels, current consumption, power level, and kilowatt-hours (KWh) for billing purposes. Smart Meters communicate the data to the user for better clarity of usage behaviour, and electric power providers for system tracking and customer billing. With the increasing use of smart meters in the energy market, consumers have gained access to vital energy information through websites such as energypolicyblog.com, and improved utility expense management. Energy usage is a major environmental concern today. A smart meter not only helps people to save fuel expenditure but also monitors energy consumption as well as improving air quality. Consumers can choose from several smart meter solutions including Customer Self-SERP (Customer Self-Service), automatic billing, interactive tariff plans and SaaS (Software as a Service) energy management software solutions.

    Smart meters have become a very popular choice in energy efficiency and cost reduction programs. They use energy consumption data to determine whether your home appliances are using energy in a sustainable manner. This information is useful to determine when one of your home utilities needs an upgrade or maintenance. For example, if the efficiency of your dishwasher is improved, it could attract a lower energy tariff. Similarly, if an air conditioning system is malfunctioning or not performing optimally, it can be replaced by an AC Company in Mesa, AZ, or elsewhere. This can decrease your overall energy consumption, and comes with the added benefit of lowering your costs.

    You could even improve your home’s energy consumption through minor home improvements and renovations. For instance, carrying out a crawl space encapsulation chicago (if that’s where you live) could improve energy efficiency in your home by creating a sealed and conditioned environment beneath the house. During encapsulation, the crawl space floor and walls are covered with a vapor barrier, usually made of reinforced polyethylene, acting as a shield against moisture and external air infiltration. This prevents moisture from entering the crawl space, reducing the risk of mold growth, wood decay, and insulation deterioration. The sealed crawl space also minimizes the entry of outside air, preventing hot or cold air from affecting your home’s living spaces. As a result, you’ll enjoy more consistent indoor temperatures, decrease the strain on your heating and cooling systems, experience lower energy bills, improved HVAC efficiency, and an overall more comfortable and healthier living environment.

    The improved energy efficiency can also bring down the need for higher power tariffs. Customers who install and operate energy-efficient devices receive rebates as long as they keep their appliances operational. Moreover, energy efficiency programs can help customers obtain credits that they can redeem against taxes and other charges for energy consumption. This process is known as energy shopping.

    A smart meter not only improves the efficiency of the energy supply but also detects faults before any major damage occurs. In cases where an appliance is failing to operate normally, the energy efficiency program will alert the user and he can immediately repair the problem. Once the problem has been identified, it can easily be repaired by the energy supplier, without the need for expensive repairs.

    The smart meter can work to its fullest capacity if it is properly installed in a home. However, it requires a wifi connection, so it can’t be installed in a home without internet. Spectrum internet packages are a popular option for those looking to upgrade their home with a strong internet connection. This then allows a smart meter to be installed. A fault detection system can also be installed on the mainline or a separate circuit breaker. In addition to the appliances and the entire house, the smart meter will also record and store energy consumption data, so that future billing can be generated accurately. The recorded data can be accessed by the energy supplier for regular updates.

    Installing a smart meter at your home will help you become more energy efficient. It will reduce the amount of energy waste and you can save money on your annual electricity bill. In addition to this, your friendly energy supplier can provide you with the information you need on your energy usage. A smart meter and its accompanying measures are designed to give you greater control over your household energy usage so that you can save money and protect the environment.

  3. Uncovering the most common energy saving myths

    Posted on October 15, 2019 by Andrew

    With climate change at the forefront of today’s issues, saving energy is more important than ever before. Whether we’re cutting down in order to save money, or to help the environment, we should all be making a conscious effort to reduce our energy expenditure. Here, we’re taking a look at some common energy saving myths, as well as the best methods for saving money on energy bills.

    1. Fuel poverty

    For some of us, saving energy is crucial – especially if you suffer from fuel poverty. This is when a household spends more than 10% of its income on domestic energy use, defining them as a fuel poor household. Northern Powergrid, who can help with any new electric connection cost, has been a supporter of the fuel poverty charity, National Energy Action (NEA) for several years. The company’s head of stakeholder and customer engagement, Siobhan Barton, said: “Whilst we don’t sell electricity, as the company responsible for the power network which delivers electricity to 3.9 million homes and businesses across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, we do have a role to play in helping the industry tackle fuel poverty and encouraging energy efficiency.

    “We’ve reduced our network charges, which form part of domestic customers’ bills from their chosen electricity supplier, funded a Citizens Advice Bureau fuel debt advice service and helped kick-start a number of projects through our community energy seed fund.”

    2. Myths surrounding energy use

    It’s important not to believe everything you hear regarding energy tips. A prime example is leaving your heating on all day is better than just turning it on high when you need it. According to the Energy Saving Trust, this is not the case. They confirm that, in the long run, just having your heating on when you need it will indeed save energy if you did not believe this then you may want to speak to a company to install a furnace and ask them about these claims yourself just to make sure that they also apply to the heater you may be planning on installing.

    The key focus here is knowing how much energy is actually required to heat your home. By leaving your heating on for the full day, you are bound to be using energy that you really don’t need to. You could also save energy by opting for appliances like residential heat pump water heater. Compared to their traditional counterpart, these appliances could bring down energy costs by up to 75 percent.

    In a similar fashion, some people still believe that leaving your lights on is better than turning them off and on again. Simply said, this isn’t true. Even if you leave the room for 10 minutes, make sure you get into the habit of turning the lights off behind you.

    It’s also believed in some quarters that electrical appliances don’t use any power when they are not in use. While technology is advancing, and energy-saving techniques are in place, some appliances draw energy even when they aren’t in use. A prime example is a phone charger. Did you know that leaving the socket switched on with a phone charger attached can cost you up to 80 each year?

    A rather bizarre claim is that you should put clingfilm on your windows to save energy. Even more surprising, perhaps, is that this one is actually true. Doing so can help you to keep your home warm, but it’s okay to use any material for the second layer of glazing so long as it’s airtight and transparent. Apply this technique and you can help to trap a small layer of air, which can prevent any heat from escaping. Of course, this should only ever be a short-term measure. If you need this second-layer, you should look into getting double glazing. By using this method to have a third layer, you may see a slight difference, but far less than if you had put it on a single glazed window.

    3. How to save money on your energy bills

    Away from the myths, there are many tried and tested methods which you can rely on and are recognised across the board. Firstly, you should always be sure to shop around, especially if your energy contract is up for renewal. Simply staying with the same supplier as it’s ‘easier’ could see you spending hundreds of pounds more than you need to. There are many price comparison sites for you to benefit from, so make sure you log on and let them do all the hard work!

    While we’ve already quashed the myth that you should leave your heating on, did you know that by turning it down by just 1⁰C, you can cut up to 10% off your heating bill? On average, this could equate to a saving of approximately 75 each year.

    Elsewhere, tumble dryers are expensive to run, so try to air your washing whenever possible instead. If you do need to use a tumble dryer, make sure it’s full, as one full load uses less energy than two half-full loads. The same goes with loading your washing machine. Make sure you have a full machine and keep it to 30⁰C. Another simple energy-saving trick is to just boil the amount of water you need – especially if you are just making a cup of tea or coffee. While this won’t equate to huge savings, every little helps!

    Another handy tip is to spend a little to save a lot. If you are in the position to be able to invest money on insulation, upgrading your boiler, or even using renewable technologies, then you should do so. By looking at links such as www.servicelegends.com/services/air-leakage-test/, you can learn from professionals about the leakage that can occur and how to protect them with proper insulation. By getting a quote and making big changes to your home could save you from wasting money in the long run. Sometimes you can benefit from a grant for these services, but even if not, you can often pay back what you’ve spent quite quickly and start to save money.

    4. How to become more energy efficient

    Of course, while saving money is important, you should also be thinking about helping the environment. Britain is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 34% as early as next year. A key player in achieving this target would be by members of the public becoming energy efficient – both in the workplace and at home. Research has found that many power plants actually waste around two-thirds of the energy that goes into them. In our homes, we simply aren’t monitoring our energy use as closely as we should be, either.

    That is where a new app could aid you. In July 2018, Northern Powergrid revealed how it has collaborated with GenGame to trial a mobile game to demonstrate how gaming could incentivise households to reduce their electricity consumption at times of high demand. Players receive an alert telling them the game is starting encouraging them to consider turning off washing machines, televisions, lights and other home devices for short periods of time to earn points and stand a chance of winning cash prizes.

    For example, while pausing your washing machine may only be worth approximately 10p, if you include this in the game format, it gives players the chance to earn more money through prizes, which makes it a lot more interesting. Each month has hundreds of pounds worth of prizes available and each player reduces their electricity consumption by 11% on average.

    Andrew Webster, Northern Powergrid Innovation Project Manager, said: “Household electricity use will grow significantly as electric vehicles and heat pumps become mainstream, increasing demand on the network. Mobile games offer a fun solution to help manage this demand, rewarding our customers for reducing their consumption at peak periods.”

    There are, of course, many other tips and tricks that can help you to save money on your energy bills, reduce fuel poverty and help the environment, too. It’s also important to remember that if you are struggling to afford your gas and electric charges, your supplier should be able to help you come to a solution and negotiate a deal that helps both parties. Why not make sure you take on board some of the advice and do your part – both for your bank balance and the world you live in?

  4. Everything you need to know about renewable energy

    Posted on August 17, 2017 by Andrew

    Many people are sceptical about how effective alternative energies have been in the last few years. Despite having seen much more investment and attention than they had in the past, renewables still haven’t made any huge steps towards dominating the worldwide energy mix. The simple counter to this statement, is that this absolutely huge overhaul of industry and lifestyle to things like wind power and solar energy solutions is going to take time. We live in a world where money rules all, even if it means destroying our planet. This means that our journey towards a sustainable energy mix will take time, because it does not have the full support of those that prioritise profit margins. This article will summarise the current situation of the generation landscape and what you can do to be a part of the renewable revolution. Read more…

  5. If It Doesn’t Smell, Don’t Wash It

    Posted on March 22, 2015 by Andrew

    According to Real Simple, if every American made an effort to launder less — cutting out just one load of laundry a week per household — we’d save enough water to fill seven million swimming pools each year.

    So if it looks clean, and it smells clean, call it clean and wear it again. Consider hanging worn clothes out on your clothesline to freshen them up between wearings

  6. To Air is Human

    Posted on March 22, 2015 by Andrew

    While walking through our apartment complex this morning coming back from a meeting, I made a point of counting all the open windows I saw. It was easy: zero. And no, I wasn’t casing the joint, making notes about which units contained flat-screen TVs and would be easiest to break into (for which reason I’ll exclude all the bottom-floor dwellers from the following discussion.) My interest instead was a result of the perfect open-window weather, 70 and sunny. This is the time of year in this part of the country to air things out after the pollen has fallen and before the melting heat of summer sets in. Nighttime temperatures have been in the 60s, with daytime highs in the low 80s, and there’s no better time to save some money on your utility bill, which is why it irks me a bit to hear the air conditioners rattling away as I type this.

    It may be true that a programmable thermostat is a great way to save energy, but we shouldn’t forsake logic for the “set it and forget it” mentality (apologies to Ronco.) If you can get your pleasantly cool air straight from the atmosphere around you rather than forcing it through the energy-hogging middleman of the AC, then you should. If not, you could consider hiring the best ranked AC Repair in Boise and similar firms to get the work done. An air conditioner expert can also fix your air quality while getting the repair done.

    Anyway, using AC all the time can invite a lot of problems like increased electricity bills, maintenance costs, and (not to forget) malfunctioning. These problems might then require the attention of skilled handymen from reputed HVAC service providers like Buric Heating and Air (https://burichvac.com/olney-air-conditioning/).

    That is why it is a good idea to open a window and put up a fan. Better still, open windows on two or more sides and let a breeze blow through. I realize that most people are not going to sweat it out like me just to prove a point (especially here in Hotlanta) but surely we can all try and tough it out with no AC in the benign month of May.

    Which brings me to another point: Why, in Atlanta, Georgia of all places, do we build dwellings with windows only on one side that open only from the bottom with no regard to the orientation of the building in relation to the sun? The answer, of course, is air conditioning. Before the advent of AC, homes in warm climes were built with high ceilings, large, abundant windows, and big, friendly porches, the better to take advantage of a passing breeze. Trees were left standing for shade, especially along the south side, and tea was iced. The tea is still iced around here (and instant-cavity sweet) but someone like me is forced to get pretty creative when trying to keep a cave-like apartment cool in the summer, sans AC. We are so used to having AC that sometimes we barely notice we have one. At least until it breaks down and then, as we wait for someone similar to this Pesotum HVAC professional to come and fix it, we really notice it.

    I realize most people are not going to tough it out when the mercury starts climbing, growing more determined as the pool of their own salty sweat expands around them, but for those of you who want to give it a try or at least get by with the thermostat set as high as you dare, I posted some tips on this site for staying comfortable in the heat a while back. And if you have any of your own that you’d like to share, let’s see them in the comments.

Tip of the Day

If It Doesn’t Smell, Don’t Wash It

According to Real Simple, if every American made an effort to launder less — cutting out just one load of laundry a week per household — we’d save enough water to fill seven million swimming pools each year.

So if it looks clean, and it smells clean, call it clean and wear it again. Consider hanging worn clothes out on your clothesline to freshen them up between wearings

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