Energy Conservation

We have an important role to play right now. Energy conservation and efficiency go a long way preserving our planet's rich natural resources and promoting a healthy environment. We can all reduce demand, cut energy costs, and protect our precious natural resources.

Let There Be Light

To understand fluorescent lamps, it helps to know a little about light itself. Light is a form of energy that can be released by an atom. It is made up of many small particle-like packets that have energy and momentum but no mass. These particles, called light photons, are the most basic units of light.

Atoms release light photons when their electrons become excited. Electrons are the negatively charged particles that move around an atom's nucleus (which has a net positive charge). An atom's electrons have different levels of energy, depending on several factors, including their speed and distance from the nucleus. Electrons of different energy levels occupy different orbitals. Generally speaking, electrons with greater energy move in orbitals farther away from the nucleus.

When an atom gains or loses energy, the change is expressed by the movement of electrons. When something passes energy on to an atom heat for example and electron may be temporarily boosted to a higher orbital (farther away from the nucleus).

The wavelength of the emitted light depends on how much energy is released, which depends on the particular position of the electron. This is the basic mechanism at work in nearly all light sources.

Energy Facts

Do you know how much energy you can save by using recycled aluminum vs virgin aluminum? Or how many tons of plastic can we keep out of landfills by recycling plastic bottles?

Landscaping for Energy Conservation

Quick Facts:

• Proper landscaping can modify the climate around your home and reduce both heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter.
• Properly placed plants reduce wind velocity near the home.
• The goal of energy-conserving landscaping is to regulateenergy flows from the sun and the wind.
• Windbreaks can save up to 25% on heating costs.
• Faced with rising energy costs, homeowners are looking for ways to conserve energy in the home. Proper landscaping can make a significant difference in the amount of energy required to maintain a comfortable home.
• Proper use of trees, shrubs, vines and man-made structures can modify the climate around your home to reduce heat gains in summer and heat losses in winter. Plants can protect your home from winter winds and shade it from summer sun. Winter heating bills may be reduced as much as 25% and summer cooling bills 50% or more.

Heat Exchange

Heat exchange in a home occurs through three major processes: air filteration, heat conduction, and transmission of radiant energy through windows.

Air Filteration

Air filteration is the passage of outside air through cracks around windows and doors or other openings in house walls or ceilings. One way outside air is forced through these openings is by pressure differences caused by wind on the outside of the home.

Air pressure on surfaces that face the wind are subject to increased air pressure as wind velocity increases. In winter, heat losses due to air infiltration may represent up to half of the total heat losses on the windiest, coldest days.

Conduction

The second process is conduction through materials from which the home is built. The amount of heat conduction depends on the insulating property of the builing materials, thickness of materials, surface area available for heat flow, and the temperature difference between the ineer and outer surfaces of the home. Landscaping can help control the temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of walls and ceilings, and thus reduce heat conduction. The outer surface temperature is controlled mainly by outside air temperature, wind velocity and solar radiation.

Solar Radiation

The third process for heat exchange in a home is transmission of solar radiation through windows. Large expanses of east or west-facing glass admit undesirable solar radiation in the summer. Large expanses of south-facing glass can help heat a home in winter. Vegetation around a home can regulate solar radiation during different seasons of the year.

Summer shade is best provided by strategically located plants along the sunny borders of the home. Vegetation protecting these surfaces intercepts solar energy that would otherwise overheat the home.

Wind Protection

Windbreaks can cause snow drift that can be a nuisance if a driveway is located between the trees and the home. Design and composition of the windbreak depend on the space available and the species and size of trees. Where space is limited, a single row of evergreens is adequate.

Most windbreaks also can serve other purposes. They provide a visual screen for privacy once they reach 5 to 6 feet high. Well-planned and properly maintained, they are aesthetically pleasing. Birds and mammals are attracted to trees for protection and food.