Smart meters, the new power diet?

Researching the launch of my consumption challenge I’ve learned about a really interesting device this week — the smart meter. It goes someplace visible inside the home, and it connects to the main power meter outside. The display shows more useful, specific and immediate information than the outside meter. I’ve not seen one in person, but it sounds like if you turn something on, you should immediately see a bump in usage on the smart meter.

Apparrently they are more widely used in the rest of the world.

What I think is cool about something like this is that it’s so immediate. Right now, at least to me, using electricity is kind of like overeating. I see the cookie and know it’s got more calories than I need, but hey, it won’t really matter until later when I can’t fit into my jeans. Likewise — sure, running the A/C at 65 degrees uses a heck of a lot of power, but hey, I won’t worry about it until I get that really high bill. The smart meter would step in sooner, an electrical Bob Greene if you will.

To my knowledge they are not widely available, but reps from both TXU and Reliant told me that they are testing these for later release here in TX.

Cool NYT story on how small draws of energy add up

Read this and you might just start turning your computer off rather than letting it go to sleep:

Putting Energy Hogs in the Home on a Strict Low-Power Diet
New York Times
By LARRY MAGID
Published: June 14, 2007

Announcing the Hands On Consumption Challenge

We’ve all heard the ads …

Lower your electric bill 30%! 
Energy efficient appliance pays for itself!! 
Replace your old toilet with a high efficiency one and use 80% less water!!!

But is it really true?  How accurate are the claims?  Do the simple fixes the Energy Star people recommend really work?  Will fixing a leaky toilet really save 200 gallons a day??  And how much will it cost me in new products to save those utility dollars?

It’s time to find out, with the first ever Hands On Consumption Challenge!

Starting with the first official day of summer (June 21) my husband and I will record and analyze how much water and energy we use.  Throughout the summer I will take on the projects we can reasonably afford to reduce consumption and report back on the results we really see and how hard the projects were.  Our goal is to reduce our energy and water usage to below the average per capita rates for our area.  We haven’t lived in this house for a year yet, so it’s tough to analyze our usage vs. a year ago.  The measurement part of the project may still need a little work.  😉

The point is that we’re normal people and we want to use less and spend less.  We aren’t over-the-top like no-impact man, and we don’t have a movie star budget to install solar panels like Ed Begley, Jr.  We’re just a couple people with an old house who care about the environment and saving money.

If you’re like us and have an idea you want tested, or an idea you know has worked for you, I’m interested to hear it!  Please send me your comments.

Worms eat Martha’s garbage

A lot of people think I’m nuts when I tell them about worm farming. But how weird can it really be if Martha Stewart is showing how to set up a worm farm on her show? That’s David Hyde Pierce on the right.

The basic idea is that worms eat your kitchen waste and excrete castings, which are perfect for fertilizing your plants. Visit the vermicomposting page on Martha’s site for specific instructions. Once I get my setup going I’ll post photos.

Save $500 and the world too!

OK so that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Today on the radio I’m talking about Energy Star improvements, and while your efficient updates alone won’t end global warming, they can make a difference. With a bit of planning they will also save you $500 on your taxes, and that’s no exaggeration.

$500 is the maximum credit for improvement projects, and it’s only good for projects completed through Dec. 31, 2007.

Maximum credits for popular energy-saving projects

• Up to 200 on windows
• Up to 500 on doors
• Up to 500 on roofs and insulation
• Up to 300 on a new A/C
• Up to 300 on water heaters

Resources

• Energy Star tax credit FAQs
• 2006 IRS Form and Instructions for the energy credits

The 2007 form will not be out for awhile but it’s a fair assumption it will be similar.

“Greywater Guerillas” take home water conservation to a new level

Renegades in California are installing systems that use wastewater from sinks and washers to operate toilets and water their landscapes, according to this story in the NYT. An earlier commenter on this blog asked whether this sort of setup would work. From what I understand, recycling greywater is against code in Dallas. I anticipate at some point this will change.

I’d love to hear comments from people who’ve tried this or know someone who has.

Low water landscaping, how do I make it look right?

Native plant landscape in Dallas 5, originally uploaded by espeedy123.

Talking to so many people about rain barrels and water conservation has started me thinking about converting my own landscape to a low-water using one.

People accomplish this by reducing water-hogging turf and incorporating efficient plants, especially those native to the area.

Rather than figure this all out by myself, I went looking for good examples. Serendipitously, the Save Dallas Water group is hosting a low water landscape tour and posted a map in advance on its website.

I’ve started driving around taking snapshots of these yards, and several were featured in today’s DMN Home section. What I’m struggling with is how to plan this out and keep it at least somewhat in line with what a traditional suburban landscape looks like. I feel like that balance can be achieved, but I’m not necesarily seeing it in the ones I’ve driven past. They’re great for those who have them, just not what I want for my own patch of land.

If anyone has other really great native landscapes on suburban lots, please do comment.

What makes a building material “green?”

This week on the radio I’m talking about what makes a particular building material environmentally friendly, or “green.”

Consumers have little to go off of apart from a manufacturer’s claim when it comes to really knowing the true ecological impact of some items. To illustrate, consider bamboo vs. wood. Which is a more ecologically sound choice for flooring?

There’s been lots of press about the quick regrowth rate of bamboo. It appears highly sustainable. But now we’re starting to hear about chemicals used during manufacturing to bind the shoots. And what about the standards for the workers producing the flooring in China? And what about the petroleum used to ship it to a house in the U.S.? How does the product then compare to oak harvested from a sustainable forest in the U.S.?

I am not making the claim that either one is better than the other, just that it’s not a black and white issue. It seems there is no perfect material and there are always tradeoffs.

That leads to the question, what makes a material “green?” This list posted on the green building website for the State of California has what I think looks to be a pretty thorough list of considerations:

Factors for evaluating a green building material

Resource Efficiency (embodied energy):

• Recycled Content
• Natural, plentiful or renewable
• Resource efficient manufacturing process
• Locally available
• Salvaged, refurbished, or remanufactured
• Reusable or recyclable
• Recycled or recyclable product packaging
• Durable

Indoor Air Quality:

• Low or non-toxic
• Minimal chemical emissions
• Low-VOC assembly
• Moisture-resistant
• Healthfully maintained
• Systems or equipment for identifying pollutants

Energy Efficiency

• Materials, components, and systems that help reduce energy consumption

Water Conservation

• Products and systems that help reduce water consumption

Construction recycling resources in Dallas

A source at Turner Construction, a large commercial building company with operations in Dallas, provided me this terrific list of resources they use for recycling debris from sites they are working on here. Thanks to Turner for letting me post it!

Construction Recyclers in Dallas

Keeping construction debris out of the dump

Today on the radio I’m talking about recycling as it pertains to construction and remodeling. What’s interesting here is what a large proportion of our waste this debris makes up. Dallas Landfill Manager Rick White told me that while composition of landfill intake fluctuates, it’s not unreasonable to say that construction debris makes up 40% of the total.

One practice that reduces such waste is salvaging more usable materials. I’ve listed a few salvage places to check out at the bottom of this post.

Another option for reducing waste that is doable for just about anyone is to take advantage of free online classified-type ads for disposing of or purchasing items that still have useful life left in them. My particular favorite is the Craigslist “Household” section. On most days this section for DFW alone has more than 300 items posted.

I purchased my dishwasher via this method from a lady who was getting rid of her relatively new, high-end white Kenmore for a stainless steel model. Here it is in my kitchen:

New DW, originally uploaded by espeedy123.

And to come full circle, I posted my old one in the “Free” section of Craigslist, and a guy who actually still has one of these was more than happy to take it off my hands for the parts. Here’s the old one:

Vintage DW, originally uploaded by espeedy123.

My motivation was more financial than environmental, but at the end of the day the landfill had two fewer dishwasers than it might have, and surely that’s worth something.

Architectural Salvage Sources in Dallas

• Habitat for Humanity Outlet Store
• Orr-Reed
• Discount Home Warehouse

Online sources for reusable remodeling materials

• Craigslist: As noted above, the “Household” section is great for nearly new appliances, cabinets, etc.
• Ebay: Helpful for finding specific items such like fixtures with the site’s “Search” and “Watch” features.