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They’re not sexy, and the Department of Energy estimates 13% of your home energy consumption goes into a big tank of hot water. I’ve seen other estimates that go higher, and a larger or older tank will burn more energy. So your water heater may be one of the more boring appliances in your home, but it’s a leading load on your energy bill. Fortunately, there are easy ways to fix that.
First let’s talk about how to improve a water heater that you already have. For less than $20, you can hit your local DIY hub/ home improvement store and buy a water heater blanket with quick and easy assembly instructions. If Internet testimonials are true, it will probably take more time to drive to the store and buy one, than it will to install it. If your water heater already has a blanket, bravo! Just keep in mind that the big sticker on the front of your water heater has some important information. You might want to tape it to the blanket for easy reference. While you’re at it, you could also consider insulating some of your pipes or ducts (see first link in this paragraph) for even more savings.
As for the yawn-factor on water heater tanks, check out my favorite Myth Busters episode from the Discovery Channel. (Please don’t try at home, duh)
Reducing the amount of water you use is good for the environment, and good for your wallet. Better yet, you don’t have to sacrifice water pressure to do it. Check out the best water faucet aerators of 2008.
Source: MetaEfficient.com
Video Courtesy of Google Videos
By Sarah Lozanova •
March 20, 2008
Water shortages are on the rise, from Mexico to the Andes, northern China to southern India, and Spain to Pakistan. Drought, soaring populations and population densities, changing diets, and increasing living standards are all factors. Is this an issue that technology can fix?
Judging by investors’ responses, the answer seems to be yes. FourWinds will invest up to $4.7 billion in water treatment and desalinization and companies that make meters, pumps, and pipes.
BlueWater Bio is a player in the wastewater and sludge treatment arena. Their claim to fame is a treatment technology called Hybrid Bacillus Activated Sludge (HYBACS). It uses proprietary bacteria that eats waste, saving on chemicals. The high quality treatment effluent has reuse potential for commercial or industrial applications, but I wouldn’t recommend drinking it.
Monsanto’s top 20 experts have been examining how climate science will affect the company, with drought being the leading problem to solve. New drought-resistant crops are being created.
“The most advanced of these is now a drought-tolerant corn product … commercializable within several years,” said Monsanto’s head of technology strategy and development David Fischhoff . “We expect this to be the first generation of an ongoing stream.”
Solar thermal technology provides space heating and hot water and is a frequently forgotten member of the solar family. These highly effective systems are popular in many parts of the globe, from China to Greece to Zimbabwe. They displace the use of the existing hot water heater and heating equipment, typically saving either natural gas or electricity.Solar thermal is a more mature technology than solar photovoltaic systems that produce electricity. It has been used for centuries for water heating. In fact, even Leonardo Da Vinci owned one.
When considering the installation of such a system, it is important to consider the following items.
Advocates of green building, and specifically of the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED program, have maintained that green building does not have to mean extra cost. An exceptional case for this argument is found in a recently completed multi-purpose university building. The less-than-poetically named Education Building III (SG III) at the University of Maryland’s Shady Grove campus was built with the intent of attaining LEED Silver certification and
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