Here are some ideas that we, some friends, and others have suggested for saving energy. Some of these requre a professional.
.Around the house.
- Hot Water Heater
- insulate it
- turn the internal thermostat down a few degrees or more
- replace the heating elements (especially if heater is more than 5 years old)
- put it on a timer for peak hours
- and of course Solar Panels
- Bathrooms
- install a few extra towel bars to dry towels on and re-use them
- saves hot water in wash machine and energy of dryer and washer
- Attics
- insulate them
- install a solar roof vent or a powered whole house ventilator
- or wind turbines...pulling cooler air into the attic makes the inside of the house cooler
- Split A/C Units
- clean filters monthly
- try raising the temperature setting a few degrees….every two degrees could save 10% on cooling costs
- Windows
- still the best window for Hawaii is the jalousie style for ventilation
- there are other choices now besides the old 4” style that we all know and dislike...we have been installing the 6” for years now and they come in various colors
- tint all the windows
- Florescent Bulbs
- these have come a long way in the last 2 years
- standard screw in bulbs (they look like a spiral) come in all shapes and sizes and reduce energy by about 75% and can last 10 years
- there are also some for 6” recessed cans
- use the regular ones for 4” cans
- down side is that some dimming switches won’t work well and some styles of the fluorescents take a few seconds to “warm up"