Table of contents hide 1 Individuals and energy savings 2 European Union 3 EU regulations 4 Industries 5 Domestic energy savings 6 7 Air conditioning with air conditioning 8 9 Lighting 10 11 Kitchen 12 Fridge and freezer 13 Heating 14 Hot water 15 Oven 16 Washer and dryer 17 Dishwasher 18 Avoid stand-by mode 19 Transport savings 20 Energy savings in buildings 21 Home automation as energy savings: 22 Study of energy cost savings.
Energy efficiency is the relationship between the amount of energy consumed and the final products and services obtained. It can be optimized through the implementation of various measures and investments at the technological, management and cultural habits level in the community.
Individuals and energy saving
Individuals and organizations that are direct consumers of energy may wish to save energy to reduce energy costs and promote economic, political and environmental sustainability. Industrial and commercial users may wish to increase efficiency and thus maximize their profit. Current concerns include energy savings and the environmental effect of electric power generation.
European Union
An active energy saving plan is the one that has been implemented in the European Union in the housing and services sector, mostly composed of buildings, which absorb more than 40% of the final energy consumption in the Community and it is in the expansion phase, a trend that will foreseeably increase energy consumption and, therefore, carbon dioxide emissions. This regulation is similar to the energy label of household appliances. The idea is to build bioclimatic buildings responsible for harnessing the energy of the environment.
EU regulations
The European Parliament approved a Directive that will force the Twenty-Seven Member Countries to assume the so-called “ twenty-something tripe ” by 2020: reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 20%; increase in energy efficiency by 20%; and that the energy in the European Union (EU) comes from 20% renewable energy. Those responsible for the European industry in this sector have received the document favorably, while various associations and environmental groups have criticized some of its specific aspects, such as support for agrofuels.
Industries
Industry is one of the sectors of society most in need of energy savings, since its achievement means greater competitiveness. They are large consumers of electricity, for example cement, metallurgical, ceramic, etc. and apply in their production processes various production strategies and technologies to minimize electricity consumption. One of the most used techniques for energy saving of this type of companies is cogeneration. The search for greater energy efficiency implies an increase in financial, environmental, national security, personal security and human comfort capital.
Domestic energy savings
Domestic energy savings The usual daily operation that is done in the home can lead to considerable energy savings if attitudes are changed and real and needy consumption is aware. In most cases, the choice of a low-consumption appliance, or a rationalization of the consumption of heating, air conditioning and hot water is sufficient.
Appliances are very important in saving domestic energy. In the European Union, most of them have a special label called energy label that indicates their efficiency in consumption and how respectful an apparatus is with the environment. Not all appliances have the label, only those that consume a lot or spend much of their life on and are: refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, dishwashers, dryers, washers-dryers, domestic light sources, electric oven, and air conditioning.
European regulations express the energy efficiency of household appliances on a scale of 7 efficiency classes, and are identified by a color code and letters ranging from green and letter A, for equipment with greater efficiency, up to the color red and the letter G for the equipment of less efficiency. A class A appliance can consume 55% less than the same in a middle class, the choice of an appliance with this information can save money.
Sensor networks can be used to control the efficient use of energy, such as Japan.
Air conditioning with air conditioning
Maintaining an adequate temperature in the home is one of the factors that consumes and wastes the most electricity if adequate measures are not taken, such as having rooms with insulated glass t well insulated from outside. thermal, awnings and blinds, have a temperature in the home or office that is not less than 25 C in summer or higher than 20 C in winter. Switch off the air conditioner when there is no one in the heated zone. Ventilate the house when the temperature difference with the outside is smaller, that is, in the early hours of the morning in summer and at noon in winter.
Lighting
Use energy-saving light bulbs in those housing units that have to stay on for a long time. Whenever possible, take advantage of natural lighting. Use the light only when needed. Do not leave lights on in rooms that are not being used. Halogen lamps consume much more energy than other types of bulbs and dissipate more heat. The fluorescent tubes last up to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs and are very energy efficient, if you are going to have a fluorescent lamp off less than 20 minutes, it is better to leave it on. If you have outdoor lighting in a garden, control its operation by means of a programmer or twilight switch.
Kitchen
Always use pans and pans with a diameter slightly larger than the plate or cooking zone and always cover the pans because cooking is faster. Use recipes that do not waste much energy. Use kitchen batteries with heat diffuser bottom. Always use pressure cookers because they consume less energy and save a lot of time. Take advantage of the residual heat in the ceramic hobs. Once boiling, reduce to a minimum, since a vivid boil does not imply a higher temperature and, therefore, does not shorten the cooking time. Induction cookers consume much less electricity than ceramic hobs.
In homes that have a proper orientation with sunny windows or terraces, solar accumulation ovens can be used, simmering while retaining many properties of food. The cooking time is twice that of a normal oven, but the energy cost is zero. They have little power and this does not burn the food. They are very good for cooked, roasted, stews…. Many users leave the food inside in the morning before going to work, and at noon when they return it is ready to eat. It is not necessary to monitor it.
There are companies that sell solar ovens, although their price is high. There is the possibility of becoming one for little money, and using cheap materials (wood, glass, aluminum foil, and a thermal insulator such as cardboard or paper).
Fridge and freezer
The refrigerator is the household appliance that consumes more electricity, making a rational use of it achieves good savings.
Regulate the temperature of the device according to the manufacturer's instructions (a degree more cold than Celsius means a 5% increase in energy consumption). Install these appliances as far as possible from heat sources (sun, oven, etc.). Do not put hot food in the fridge or freezer: letting them cool outside saves energy. Keep the doors open as little as possible and check that they close properly. When buying a new refrigerator or freezer, choose an “efficient” and ecological model because they consume less energy than conventional ones.
Heating
Ensure that as much sun as possible enters the house in winter; for this it is necessary to raise the blinds on sunny days. The sun provides the home with light and heat for free. At nightfall close the curtains and lower the blinds, because it will reduce heat loss. If the windows are changed during a home renovation, it is advisable that the new windows be double glazed. Installing gaskets or gaskets on doors and windows can reduce heating leaks by 10%, a well insulated house can save up to 30% on heating costs (and up to 50% in single-family homes). To fully ventilate a room 10 minutes are enough. A temperature of 20º in winter is very comfortable. For each grade this level is raised, you will unnecessarily spend 10% more energy. Using electric heating, you will have strict control of the temperature of each room. Using heat storage equipment and hiring the nightly rate you can save more than 50% on the cost of heating.
Hot water
The hot water thermos should be installed inside the house, as close to the points of use as possible (kitchen, bathroom), if the shower is used instead of the bathtub, practically a quarter of water and energy is consumed . By installing a mixing valve at the outlet of the thermos, you will get hot water at a constant temperature, that is, more comfort and less consumption. If the thermos is regulated above 60 ° C, it reduces its duration and wastes energy. Using hot water storage tanks and hiring the nightly rate, you can save more than 50% on the cost of hot water. Regarding hot water, solar thermal energy can also be used as an aid, by using energy storage systems that retain heat so that hot water is available for as long as possible.
Oven
Ensure that the oven door closes well during operation and does not open unnecessarily because every time it is opened, up to 20% of the accumulated heat can be lost. Use the programmer clock warning of the desired operating time because it is a very effective way to control energy consumption. Microwave ovens achieve a great saving of time and energy compared to conventional ovens and plates and are cleaner. Microwave ovens should not be used with metal containers.
Washer and dryer
Whenever possible, wash programs should be used at temperatures as low as possible, many detergents are effective with cold washes. A wash at 60 ° C instead of 90 ° C reduces energy expenditure by almost half. Using the maximum capacity of your washer (or dryer) with this practice greatly reduces the consumption of water, detergent and energy, and also considerably extends the life of the appliance. If you buy a new washing machine, choose it with high speed spin. The clothes will be drained and you will reduce the time of use of the dryer. A spin of the washer at 1, 200 revolutions, instead of 700, reduces dryer consumption by 20%. Even so, if possible, it is advisable not to use a dryer, but to extend the clothes to dry in the air.
Dishwasher
Make the most of the dishwasher's capacity and select the appropriate program. If it is not full, a prewash with cold water can be performed as it facilitates subsequent washing. Be careful when placing utensils since water should circulate between them easily. Use the recommended salt and brightener levels. Remember that economic / ecological programs tend to be the longest, contrary to what you might think. This is due to the reuse of water and the use of lower temperatures, so the time needed to match the result of a short wash is less. The short programs are those with the highest consumption of both water and electricity.
Avoid standby mode
It is convenient to completely turn off the electrical equipment that will not be used since it is estimated that the stand-by mode represents 5-10% of the total consumption, which we can consider completely superfluous. In the case of equipment that does not have a shutdown button, it may be useful to use strips that do have it or a standby eliminator system.
The savings in transport
The transport sector is very important in saving fuel by increasing the efficiency of vehicle consumption and proper management of fuel, through shorter routes, adequate fleet maintenance, driving n efficient, etc. The reduction of fuel costs increases the benefits.
Using the bicycle on trips less than 5 km means not spending fuel, not generating noise, not emitting gases, and occupying very little urban land.
Energy saving in buildings
The design of buildings should consider energy saving aspects, for example by placing large windows facing south (in the northern hemisphere and at medium and high latitudes) so that winter days the radiation Hot solar enclosures; applying a thermal insulator to the building's surfaces, especially those that make up the building's thermal envelope (roofs, facades, floors, etc.), to reduce heat leakage; or by installing solar panels that increase the independence of electrical energy.
In the European Union there is a regulation applicable to buildings similar to the energy label of household appliances. The idea is to build bioclimatic buildings responsible for harnessing the energy of the environment.
Domestic as energy saving:
Domestic controls and automates the intelligent management of housing. It provides comfort, communication and security, in addition to efficiently managing the use of energy, favoring the saving of water, electricity and fuels.
By incorporating domestic systems in your home, you can intelligently manage lighting, air conditioning, domestic hot water, irrigation, appliances, etc., making better use natural resources, using the lowest hourly rates, and in this way reduce your energy bill while earning comfort and safety.
In addition, by using a consumption monitoring system, you can be aware of the energy consumption of your home. This functionality of the home will provide you with the necessary information to modify your habits and increase your savings and efficiency. (http://www.avanc.biz).
Study of energy cost savings.
With this information, we want to help the end user, showing them the potential of building automation to improve energy costs efficiently.
Efficiency must be transferred to concrete construction projects, to give qualified statements about the effectiveness of the functions of the different elements used in automation, planning the efficient automation of energy, to the specific position and selection of product to be installed.
The base is a study carried out at the Institute for Building and Energy Systems of the University of Biberach (Germany) conducted by Professor Dr. Becker. )
