Hi everyone! I’m Tolby, the energy saving firefly.
Hello! Thanks for stopping by. My name is Tolby and that stands for Turn Off Lights Behind You. I like my name because turning off lights I don’t need is one of my favorite ways to save energy.
On this blog I will be sharing a bunch of great ways to save energy. I am excited because I get to help my energy saving friends,save more energy and have fun at the same time! Using less energy is great because it is good for the earth, saves money and is fun.
To make a big difference I need YOUR help! Look around the website, or choose from my action guide, pick a couple of your favorite energy challenge actions, and do them with your friends and family. Look for the “Tolby approved” button on the side bar to see the actions I am doing to save energy.
Remember, if you ever have any energy questions, or would like just like to say “HI!” comment on the blog posts or e-mail me at tolby@mncee.org.
Lifecycle Energy Showdown: CFLs vs LEDs
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use 75% less electricity than older incandescents, and light emitting diodes (LEDs) use even less – but how does their energy use compare when you take into account their whole lifecycle, from creation to destruction? A study done by the Green Design Institute at Carnegie Melon University compared the energy use of these three types of light bulbs with production, manufacturing, and end of life included. An LED bulb, or solid-state lighting (SSL) as it is called in this study, takes approximately 15 to 20 kWh to manufacture and will last for 25,000 hours. This is less than 2% of the total energy used in the life cycle of a LED. Your typical CFL takes 2.2 kWh and lasts about 7,000 hours, and a 60 watt incandescent takes only .9k Wh- yet it also only lasts 1,000 hours.
The above graph shows the energy use for 25,000 hours of light- which is the lifetime of a LED bulb. From this it is concluded that for the same number of hours and lumens- the life cycle energy use of CFL and LED are, for all purposes, the same. Yet,within the next three years LED technology is expected to make large improvements in manufacturing and lumens/watts. When this happens LED technology will be much more energy efficient in comparison to CFLs (refer to the last bar in the graph above). This is because the higher lumens/watts, the more energy efficient the bulb is.
This is an interesting and I think important perspective to consider when thinking about new higher efficiency lighting technology.
All about e-cycling!
Tablets, smart phones, e-readers, 3D TVs – so much technology! The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) estimates that Americans own an average of a whopping 24 electronic products per household. In 2009 there was a total of approximately 309 million computers, cellphones and TVs that were ready for ‘end of life management’. With constant technology updates and short life-cycles we need to remember to dispose of old devices properly.
Among those consumers that did report throwing away a TV in the last year, 42 percent reported that they weren’t aware of recycling programs for electronics.-CEA
The great news is that 86% of consumers say it is important to recycle their electronic products. Electronics have many nasty metals in them like lead, nickel, cadmium, and mercury that can pose a risk to human health when they are not disposed of properly.
Okay, so what do you do with your 0ld electronics? Reselling or donating is a great way to increase the life of an electronic product. Ecosquid is a great site that customizes the best option, sell, donation or recycling, for your specific device. On Earth911 you can put in your zip code to help find recycling centers near you.
The Energy Bills
In the past few months I have noticed that my status as an energy nerd has significantly increased, which might be part of why I love these videos so much. But they are also funny, clever and get a good point across. As a homeowner you have a choice between a BIG energy bill and a small energy bill. “The Energy Bills” videos are Energy Impact Illinois attempt at highlighting the many simple and effective ways homeowners can save energy.
Enjoy. I recommend all 4 “episodes”.
Happy Friday everyone!
Mushroom Wall Chargers
New technology alert! This handy little battery charger developed by Braketron Inc. could help you cut down on your vampire energy waste. 
As you know, leaving a charger plugged in the wall when it is not charging anything – or when a device is fully charged – wastes energy. Many of us pay for this wasted energy because it is easy to forget to unplug your chargers all of the time. We are in LUCK. The Mushroom GreenZero Wall Charger automatically detects when a device is fully charged or unplugged and shut off. When it is shut off it will consume zero vampire energy! When you want to charge your device again, you just push the bi
g green button- which is conveniently easy to push with your foot.
The prices start around $25.00 and comes in three forms- USB port, Micro USB port and Apple 30 pin for all your iDevices. There is also a portable mini charger. The Mushroom charger should be out for purchase in March.
::Source
But I don’t want to get out of the shower – It’s COLD.
The other day I found this wonderful and hilarious picture. It sure rings true to me – especially gaining courage to step into the cold air.
In the winter a hot shower is a wondrous piece of therapy to escape the constant Minnesota cold. But this is just a plug to encourage you to keep up the tough Minnesotan behavior and stick to a five minute shower when you can. There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to a longer shower every once and a while – and taking a five minute shower is a great way to start your day the energy efficiency way. There is always hot tea to cozy up to!
The Why and How of Compact Florescent Light Bulb Recycling
Once your compact florescent light (CFL) bulb has served its energy saving duty- it does have to be recycled. WHY? CFLs have a small amount of mercury in them – 4mg or 1/5 the amount in a typical watch battery. When you throw a CFL away it will break and release the mercury. You can prevent this mercury being released into the air by recycling the bulb! It is also the law in Minnesota to recycle them. When a CFL is recycled all parts are separated including the glass and mercury which can be reused (source).
So where do you recycle CFLs? Most hardware stores and retailers such as Menards, Lowes, Home Depot, and IKEA will recycle your CFL for free. I recycled one for free this weekend at my local ACE hardware! Here is a list of small retailers in Minnesota that recycle CFLs.
Whats with all this moisture on my windows?
Don’t replace your windows just yet - you might just have too much moisture in the air. There are various reasons and solutions for high humidity in your home:
“In general, problems will occur whenever there is an imbalance between the moisture input to your home and the ventilation rate of your home. The solution often lies with some combination of reducing the moisture input, increasing the ventilation, and improving the thermal performance of the building materials.” Home Energy Resource Minnesota
Our homes are like bodies- they need to BREATHE. If your home is too air tight, it prevents your home from breathing well. Humidity levels change with the temperature outside. Below are the recommended indoor humidity levels depending on the lowest temperature outside:
Outside Temperature (F) Indoor Maximum Rh (% humidity)
20+ 35%
0 25%
20- 15%
To measure your homes humidity level you need a hygrometer. They are fairly inexpensive (this one runs about $20) and are available at all hardware stores. If the humidity is too high, the quickest way to help lower it is to use ventilation - such as turning on your kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom exhaust fan.
For more detailed overview: Home Energy Resource Minnesota
If you want a home assessment to help evaluate the problem further contact http://mbpa.us/
Hey, it’s Radon Action Month! (So what does that mean?)
January is National Radon Action Month! Radon is a odorless, colorless gas that comes up from the earth and seeps into your home. When in the home radon can damage the lining of your lungs, which can cause cancer. In fact, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and causes over 21,000 lung cancer death a year.
Now that I have sufficiently freaked you out, let me reassure you that it is easy to test your home’s radon level and fairly inexpensive to fix a radon problem if you have one. Because Minnesota’s geology provides an ongoing source of radon, and the climate affects how homes are built – 1 in 3 Minnesota homes are said to have raised levels of radon.
- You can order a test kit online, or purchase it from your local home improvement store- shouldn’t cost any more than $25.
- If you live in Minneapolis pick up a low cost test kit offered by the city.
- Follow the instructions on the kit and send it in for laboratory testing.
2. Determine if there is a problem
Radon is not regulated in Minnesota, so it is up to you to decide if your homes level is high enough to fix. Recommended action level is 4.0 pCi/L. If you determine you want to take action contact a radon mitigation professional to help you figure out which way is best for you home to reduce the radon level.
| Radon (Annual Average) Level |
Additional Lung Cancer Risk for People Who Never Smoked |
| 20 pCi/L | 36 out of 1,000 |
| 10 pCi/L | 18 out of 1,000 |
| 8 pCi/L | 15 out of 1,000 |
| 4 pCi/L | 7 out of 1,000 |
| 2 pCi/L | 4 out of 1,000 |
Stay safe everyone and test your home for radon this month!
::EPA Radon Action ::Minnesota department of health- Radon ::Radonmonth.org
A Water-Powered Clock?
What? A water powered clock?! Yes, Bedol has come up with a digital clock that uses the electrons in water to generate a small electrolytic battery. More on how that works here. I am no electrolytic battery expert, but that sounds pretty cool to me. My first thought about this clock was, “oh man, no one is going to want fill up their bedside clock every day”. Thankfully I was wrong because the water (and a drop of lemon juice) only needs to be refreshed every 6 months. Couldn’t be much easier than that.
This is my favorite design but they come in other sleek shapes and colors. Go check out the selection of designs and get excited to have an appliance that uses no electricity!
