In the present situation, when there is heavy demand for energy and acute constraints in its availability, it is a great challenge to not only for home owners and tenants but also experts on energy sources to identify the areas of wastage in residential power consumption and energy leakages and their causes.

A saving of a thermal unit of combustible gas and a kilowatt of electricity means a corresponding reduction in the need to generate combustible gas and electricity. The requirement of water for turning turbines and the coal for the furnace would also be accordingly less. Hence, if we could make our home more energy efficient, we would reduce the burden of national power plants having to meet energy demand.

Effecting savings in residential power consumption has the advantage of slowing down the building ‘smoke piles’ and nuclear towers. Climatic conditions of the area where the residence is located, the features of the home and the daily routine of the inmates have an important bearing on residential energy inefficiency.

For instance, while wastage of heat may affect a residence in the North Dakota, wastage of energy in cooling is the highest in Texas. Water heating and lighting may be predominant in a high-rise apartment.

Inefficiency in power consumption affects every home and the following 8 factors contribute to the normal energy wastage.

1) Occupants energy consumption habits.

Residents and managers of apartments can assist in preventing wastage and reducing power consumption by about 50% through awareness and cooperative efforts. People can be motivated to take effective steps to reduce energy consumption by offering suitable incentives.

Residents can approach electricity supplier to help them with appropriate training and offer rebates. If the neighbors consume less electricity, it may be a good idea to get a few tips from them on saving energy.

2) Home electrical appliances.

Energy Star will facilitate appraisal of the present inefficiencies in usage of power so that one can get the most energy efficient models suitable to his requirements.

Refrigerators, water beds, lights, televisions, music systems, computers and washing machines and even fish tanks can cause considerable energy losses due to their outmoded designs and improper use. Energy Star appliances can contribute to a great extent to reduce power consumption.

3) Heat distribution system.

Heat distribution systems are other areas where wastages can occur. For example, air leaks in heating ducts cause a lot of wastage of energy. It is advisable to get the ducts sealed if one heating register blows a large amount of warmer air than the other register.

4) Solar gain from the sun.

Many homes consume much more power than required to cool the rooms as they get warmer due to heat from the sun warming their rooms and there is not enough shade for protection, which will be evident if we place our hands on any of the objects in the room. Gadgets like hair dryer also consume a lot of energy. It may be helpful to use a thermal curtain on the west side window.

5) Air conditioning systems.

Air conditioning systems consume abnormally high amount of power due to irregular and incorrect maintenance. In order to ensure that air conditioners operate efficiently, it is essential to enter into an annual maintenance contract. This will help in reducing energy consumption on A.C.

With outstanding advances in technology, numerous energy-efficient air conditioning systems are now available. Even after regular servicing, if the existing air conditioner consumes a lot of energy, it is better to replace it with a latest model of energy-efficient

6) Hot water heater.

Your home water heater also consumes plenty of energy. A water heater contributes to an energy loss of 40%. A proper insulation of water heaters and hot water distribution lines can minimize heat energy losses.

It is essential to set the water temperature below 120 degrees for optimum saving in energy. If ‘baseline’ electricity or gas consumption is excessive, it means that there may be a water heating problem.

7) Air leakage.

A blower door test can determine the cubic feet of air that leaks out and fills into the house per minute. It is quite common for an old house to let out 3000 cubic feet of air through the holes in a home every minute. Air sealing is the most cost-effective way to prevent the gush of air and reduce energy losses.

8) Heat loss.

The heat losses occur when heat passes through the air, cooled by an air conditioning system. Wood and several other construction materials are responsible for high consumption of energy.

This is due to thermal resistance of the structure of a home that considers ‘R-value’, thermal and air barriers, the effectiveness of doors and windows and design and quality of the structures.

A heat loss can be detected by touching the walls of the room. If they feel cold in a cold day, it means that it is a case of heat loss.

Power surges can cause companies to lose valuable time and data as equipment shuts down unsafely. There are also dangerous fire risks associated with power surges. To protect sensitive and important information from a sudden electricity supply spike, the solution is to hire an electrician to install dedicated circuits. These circuits will provide power to areas which are vulnerable to power surges, as well as areas which use a heavy power load.

Dedicated circuits are specialized circuits which perform on only one appliance. Each of your vulnerable machines will have its own dedicated circuit breaker. This breaker will be placed in the proximity of the power source, the closer the better.

By neglecting to install dedicated circuits in your home or office, you are putting yourself and your business at risk. Without dedicated circuits, circuit overloads will occur. These circuit overloads are a dangerous fire risk. Because of this fire risk, the National Electric Code legally requires businesses to have dedicated circuits on various appliances.

In addition to causing fires, circuit overloads can result in loss of sensitive data on computers. Without dedicated circuits, a company loses its security capabilities.

In residential homes, a power surge can neutralize home alarm, motion detectors, security lights and other security measures, leaving your home weakened towards threats. A security system is not safe if it can be rendered useless by something as simple as a family member plugging in a coffee pot into the wrong outlet.

By not having dedicated circuits, you are putting your household in unnecessary risk. In this digitalized age, companies are increasingly reliant on computers to do business. Power surges associated with a lack of dedicated circuits will destroy sensitive information and render computers useless.

Power surges can do more than simply cost you untold damages, as certain vulnerable equipment such as high priced motherboards on your computer can be destroyed. In addition to sensitive equipment, equipment that uses a high volume of power are at risk of a power surge. This includes refrigeration, air condition, and heating which can be knocked out by a power surge.

Restaurants which have deep freezers and refrigerators can lose thousands of dollars of perishable items if a power surge causes the freezer to shut off. Gymnasiums with treadmills are huge consumers of power, and as such are known to be hit by power surges if they do not have dedicated circuits.

Because each home is different, it is important to have a professional electrician fully evaluate each unique situation. The electrician will do an inspection of vulnerability to a power surge, and will be able to plan dedicated circuits to provide security and stability.

After the installation process, the system will run smoother and more efficiently. Security and deadly fire risks will be minimized, and your home will not be at risk to the dangerous effects of power surges anymore.

Air conditioning is a necessity for most people, particularly for those living in humid conditions of the Deep South or the sweltering heat of the deserts of the Southwest. Air conditioners are of two types: wall mounted or window type units and whole house units or central air conditioning systems.

While both types of air conditioners bring down the room temperature, cool and dehumidify the air, they vary in the extent of power requirements and the degree of cooling effect.

Components of air conditioner

Air conditioning equipment consists of several components such as compressors, heat pumps, fans, fan motors and coolant circulation system.

Air conditioning is a complex process in which hot and humid air drawn from the atmosphere is subjected to a series of processes designed to cool the hot air and eliminate most of the dampness from it. It is then forced into the house through an outlet vent reducing the surrounding temperature.

All air conditioning appliances need a coolant, external ventilation and electricity. Earlier, carcinogenic and environmentally harmful CFC s was used as coolant gas. However, at present several other substances are used as coolant.

Window type air conditioners.

Whether a window type or wall mounted or a split air conditioner, it is a single air conditioning system. This type of air conditioner can be permanently installed in the room through an opening in the wall or placed in a window. The ventilation and cooling systems are assembled within the unit.

Though the electrical installation of air conditioning equipment depends on how many BTUs the unit requires for efficient operation, most of the units normally consume 900 watts per kWh. Before purchasing window type units, it is essential to measure the area of the room to be cooled so that one can buy the right capacity equipment that can run efficiently without overworking.

Pros & Cons window type units.

Window units are normally portable equipments, though frequent shifting from place to place can damage the parts inside the units. When buying a window unit, one should select the proper size. If it is very small, it has to operate for long hours, resulting in increase of electricity bills.

On the other hand, too large a unit will operate inefficiently and cooling will not be so effective. In addition, it can increase sticky dampness in the room. Wall mounted units are susceptible to dripping and leaks, particularly in extreme humid conditions.

Moreover they make much more noise than central air conditioners. The operating expenses of window units are much lower if they are used in small areas and the thermostat is set to moderate temperature. Window units also cost less; as low as $300.

Central air conditioning system.

This is bigger air conditioning equipment comprising a ‘condenser’, which is usually kept outside the house, a ‘blower fan’ and a ‘cooling coil system’. The hot air from the atmosphere is compressed, channeled into the fan and after cooled by the coils is allowed to expand through the air conditioning ducts into the house and the rooms, accordingly cooling and dehumidifying the air.

If the house is not equipped with a ‘forced-air furnace’, the fans and cooling coils should be located in the roof space. The thermostat will monitor and adjust the temperature level in the house. A whole house air conditioning unit needs around 3500 watts of power per kWh.

If a house is spacious with many rooms that require cooling, installation of a whole house air conditioning system is the best option. The installation costs of a central air conditioning system depends upon several factors, such as the region, type of the system and the extent of modification required in the house for installation.

If the house is not provided with any duct network, installation costs will be very high. Whole house units dehumidify and maintain the temperature in the rooms at comfortable levels.

A central air conditioning system eliminates all the irritants that normally occur when it is unbearably warm inside the house. One should select a unit that has high energy efficiency rating.

You can ensure that electricity bills in each type of air conditioning unit are kept at acceptable levels by taking certain precautions. Set the temperature at 78° F as any temperature below this level will steeply increase power consumption, as much as 4%.

When not in the room or house raise the temperature level to 80° F or even more. Set the blower fan at a lower temperature to facilitate better air circulation. Insulate the home properly, especially the area directly facing the sun so that the room temperature is maintained at a uniform level throughout the year. In addition to these steps, regular maintenance of air conditioners is essential.

These jobs include replacing filters, cleaning ducts, inlets and outlets often to prevent clogs and checking coolant level from time to time. The number of rooms in the house that require air conditioning and the installation budget are the two major factors that determine whether to install a window type unit or a central air conditioning system or a combination of both.

Irrespective of which type of air conditioning system one opts for, it is important to set the thermostat at a desired level and maintain it properly to obtain maximum cooling efficiency.