The best we know! Saving energy $ now!

[100mpg]

Nearing the goal of energy efficient lighting

Removed the 5 bulb chandelier from the breakfast nook & put it in the dining room since the chandelier in the dining room took 5 small candelabra bulbs. The small candelabra led bulbs are about $34 bucks each while the regular A19 style 40 watt led bulbs are only $9.97 each.*

Once in place the room was too dark since the bulbs only produce light down the celling in the dining room was dark. Therefore 60 watt ecosmart bulbs were installed and they are shaped a little strange but they produce a better 360 degree spread of light. While they use 13 watts as compared to the 8.6 of the 40 watt led bulbs, for me it is worth it. This is not about living in a cave, it is about keeping 100% of our modern lifestyle and making that energy efficient.*

Interestingly, at best buy I struck up a conversation with the geeksquad who when I told him I would be able to run my home lighting on less then 500 watts, he said he could light his whole house on 65 watts!!!

WHAT?

65 watts.

For the whole house with all the lights on at the same time?

Yes!

What kind of bulbs?

1 watt bulbs from Philips.

Is your home dark like a cave?

Yeah, I guess but what do I need the light for? Everything I read is on a lit screen now.*

I thought to my self, ( Oh I don't know, the look in your children's eyes, your wife's smile, to see your food to make sure a fly has not just flown into it as you take a bite?) but really I just said, "Wow that is interesting."

I guess if we wanted to go to an extreme we could just live in the woods & pay nothing for electricity. I don't know about you but to me that is not progress.*

Total 62 bulbs (convert all but 5, so only 57 needed)
49 Done
8 Still need

50 bulbs times 8.6 watts + 7bulbs times 13 watts = 521 watts*

Yes I will fall short of being under 500 watts, but in some rooms in my home I need the extra wattage to my my home more enjoyable. I'm not wanting to live in a dark cave. *The A19 style bulbs work best in can lighting and in ceiling fans that have three or four bulbs that fan out from the fan. While in that direction the cast light on the ceiling as well as the floor. They don't work well in chandlers or in wall sconces that point down.*

As far as the insuladd paint additive I have decided to paint the inside if my garage door and test it with a laser temperature probe. This will allow me to see how well it spreads & what texture it makes before I put it on the outside of my house.*

[100mpg]

LED bulb Project

As of a few days ago I finished all but one bulb swap-out in my home. Out of 60 bulbs (some bulbs were completely eliminated by switching out light fixtures that used fewer bulbs), 44 are converted to 8.6 watt LED bulbs, 7 are converted to 13 watt LED bulbs, 8 CFL bulbs will not be converted and 1 bulb is still needing to be installed in a new down light fixture that wll replace a five bulb chandelier over the breakfast table.

The reason I am not converting those five CFL is that they are used so infreeqently there is almost nothing to gain in switching them out. (Attic, garage light, coat closet, and some outside lights we almost never turn on.)

Today I purchased a dimmer switch for the five 13 watt LED bulbs that nest over our dinner table. The 40 watt replacment lights were just a little too dim for my wife's liking and the 60 watt replacement lights are just a little too bright.

Soon I can put this part of my energy savings behind me.

[100mpg]

Paint additive

I purchased a top of the line paint with primer mixed in today for around $40. I will be mixing in the paint additive and testing it in the inside of my garage doors. This will let me test to see how well it works as a paint as well as how it works preventing heat from getting into my garage. One gallon should cover half of my garage door so this will be the perfect place to test with a laser thermometer while in direct sunlight.

I am hopeful this works as well as everyone claims so I can proceed painting over the months exterior rooms, second story ceilings. Also, the outside of my home will need paint soon anyway. The west side of my home really takes a beating from noon to sunset.

If all goes as I hope, in a year or two we will be installing a three ton
24.5 seer HVAC unit to replace my five ton 15 seer unit I currently have. My AC bills should be $25 to $50 bucks a month.

Right now my bills for this summer are averaging about $105.00 per month in my 2,600sq/ft home. Now I know half of that is thanks to all the rain we have been having but I believe these paint additive will half my bill when I'm all done. The smaller HVAC unit should half it again.

[100mpg]

Insuladd paint additive.

I've just come across some very disturbing news on how thermally reflective paint additives are a scam. Furthermore they have been warned by the federal trade commission to stop making their false flames of 50% savings.

I do have one bag of insuladd to test and I can promise you I will test it before I ever put this stuff on my house.

For now on to the solar attic fan project. Reflective foil insulation.

[Lynn]

energy savings ideas

Aaron is one busy guy - surprised he had the time to share those great ideas.
Logic would tell us to implement everything we can to cut down on loss of energy and waste and it does seem all those practices should be put in place before any solar DIY projects. There are sources and helpful guides to make those improvements, low cost or even no cost. Lay persons can do it!
I did come across a collection of ideas that I have found interesting and useful!
Are you ready for Greener and Easier Ways to Reduce costs