COOPERSBURG, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Did you know that lighting accounts for almost 15%* of the average homeowner's monthly electric bill? And that if every home in the US installed two dimmers in place of two standard light switches, the potential annual savings could be $1.2 billion in electricity and close to 25 billion pounds of CO2? Thats the equivalent of taking more than one million cars off the road.

With a variety of products ranging from dimmers, to sensors, to automated shades and thermostats, Lutron Electronics makes it easy for homeowners to save energy throughout their homes, whether you want to update one room or an entire home.

This Earth Day, its time to keep that promise that youll live a more energy-efficient lifestyle. Here are some tips from Lutron on how to start saving energy in your home:

Dimmers

Installing dimmers is one of the easiest green home improvements you can make and it enhances ambiance and creates a mood for romance. The average homeowner can install one in 15 minutes or less.

Every time you dim the lights you save energy. Dimming incandescent and halogen bulbs by 25%, for example, saves about 20% energyand bulbs last longer, too. Dim more and youll save even more.

Lutron dimmers work with all types of light sources, from incandescents and halogens, to dimmable compact fluorescents (CFLs) and dimmable LEDs. In addition, Lutron has dimmers that automatically save 15% energy over a standard switch.

In fact, the new C.L dimmer (for use with dimmable CFLs, dimmable LEDs, incandescents and halogens) can save up to $30 in energy savings, per dimmer, per year for incandescent and halogen bulbs, and up to $50** in energy savings, per dimmer, per year, when the C.L dimmer is used with a dimmable CFL.

Occupancy/vacancy sensors

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Lutron Offers Tips for Saving Energy at Home on Earth Day and Every Day

1. Monitor the thermostat - keeping the thermostat turned down in the winter by as little as two degrees and up two degrees in the summer can result in significant savings on utility bills.

2. Increase comfort with insulation - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates a homeowner can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs by sealing and insulating around the home.

3. Use green household cleaners - shop for non-toxic, environmentally safe and biodegradable cleaning products. Another option is a homemade cleaners, such as white vinegar a common household item used for cleaning grease, mildew, stains and more.

4. Plant shade trees and shrubs around the house - A great way to cool homes in the summer and add to landscaping. A tree not only looks good it blocks some infrared radiation that heats up houses during the warm summer months. One tree can also offset tons of carbon over its lifetime.

5. Keep the refrigerator isolated - A refrigerator works to keep its contents cool so putting it next to a vent, stove or dishwasher - which all give off heat - make it work even harder. Placing it in an isolated location saves money while saving the refrigerator from exerting unnecessary energy.

6. Use compact florescent bulbs - They use about 66 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last about 10 times longer.

7. Upgrade the roof - Solar reflective roofing shingles feature advanced colored granules that reflect the suns rays and can reduce a roof temperature by as much as 20 percent in the summer. Ultimately, this keeps your air conditioner from working overtime in warm weather.

8. Unplug unused energy addicts - electronics, including TVs, DVD players, computers, video game consoles, and cell phone chargers continue to use electricity in the off setting. In the average household, this can account for up to 1,000-kilowatt hours of electricity annually - enough to power an entire home for two months. Avoid unnecessary energy waste by unplugging electronics that are not being used or use a smart power strip that automatically stops the electricity when an item is turned off.

9. Replace older electronics and appliances - installing products that are ENERGY STAR certified can go a long way in reducing energy usage. Certified products include lighting, fans, washers, dryers, roofing, computers and more.

10. Put rainwater to good use - collect rainwater for use in gardens and on lawns instead of using potable water from a drinking water utility. Local hardware stores often carry barrels specifically for rainwater collection that can be connected to a down spout from the roof of a home and come equipped with a detachable hose for easy use.

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Tips to green your home

SANDRA GUY sguy@suntimes.com April 20, 2012 5:48PM

Updated: April 21, 2012 2:15AM

Energy efficiency is out-performing glacially slow bank lending and home buying to provide jobs and more livable rental housing in South and West Side neighborhoods, as Chicagos Energy Savers program is proving.

The Chicago-based program is enabling landlords to invest in building upgrades that cut energy bills an average of 30 percent a year.

The Energy Savers program focuses on the most cost-effective improvements such as insulation, air sealing and heating-system upgrades.

But some owners are leveraging the latest technologies to do more.

Eight buildings in the West Woodlawn and South Chicago neighborhoods feature solar-thermal panels, high-efficiency water heaters and the latest smart boiler-control systems.

On a sunny day, the solar panels satisfy the entire buildings demands for hot water by supplying about 12,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs) of energy.

The water heaters kick in when the panels cannot handle the whole load.

The systems in three buildings use smart boiler controls that adjust in real time how long a hot-water boiler stays on.

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Not heating the neighborhood

Thursday, March 29, 2012

THE Department of Energy (DOE) has called on constituents in Davao Region to practice proper power saving measures in an aim to contribute to the nations energy efficiency and conservation (EE&C) efforts.

Marlon Romulo Domingo, DOE senior science research specialist, urged every household in the region to embrace the EE&C measures during Tuesday's "Seminar on Electricity Conservation in Households and Schools."

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Domingo raised DOEs call through the mothers, school heads, students and representatives from the local and natonal government agencies who attended said seminar held at the Abreeza Mall this city.

Domingo provided tips on energy conservation, starting with a pointer on the importance of basic energy audits such as knowing how many appliances and how much energy the appliances use.

Part also of the audit is to identify proper EE&C measures, he stated during the seminar spearheaded by DOE in partnership with the Philippine Information Agency and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as a preliminary activity for the worldwide celebration of the Earth Hour 2012 on March 31.

Domingo advised the participants to buy more efficient appliances citing a tip on buying air conditioning units which consume the most electricity.

In his cooling tips, he recommended air conditioning unit with higher Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER), adding that units should be installed in coolest and shady part of the room.

He said that air conditioning unit should only be used during warm days like in summer season, and advised to use electric fans in conjunction with the air condition units.

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Energy office urges Davao households, schools to save electricity

GOTHENBURG, Sweden and MILAN, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

On Tuesday Swegon presented the innovative ventilation system TELLUS at the Mostra Convegno Expocomfort in Milano, Italy.

TELLUS can help a property owner save up to 30 percent of the energy needed to ventilate, heat and cool a building, compared with a conventional ventilation system. Everything is also integrated in one single unit, making it easy to install and operate.

"The earlier in the planning process of a building we can come in and help our customers with the total solution, the greater the opportunity to save energy and get a total economic positive solution. The cost of TELLUS is lower than purchasing and installing separate components," explains Markus Kalo, Product Manager at Swegon, and continues:

"It's the same components, except that they are packaged in a compact and quality assured manner. We have run a number of systems for nearly two years now and are confident in our design. When we introduced the compact ventilation unit with built-in control, GOLD 1994, many felt that they were two completely different contracts that could not be combined into one product. Now, compact unit with built-in control is the obvious choice and has become industry practice. What we do now with TELLUS is to also integrate heating, cooling and hot tap water in a compact, energy-optimized manner."

There are many ways to temper and ventilate a building. Sometimes the cooling is only distributed by air, sometimes in combination with water-based modules that can both cool and heat the room it is placed in. TELLUS can solve both problems, although it prefers to use air and water.

In the future TELLUS will probably be exported to the US, the Middle East, India and China. Investment company Latour's wholly owned subsidiary Swegon opens towards the end of the year a plant in India and offices in Shanghai, China.

Mats Holmqvist, CEO of Swegon, says:

"TELLUS is a fantastic example of Swegon's holistic and systems thinking. We lead the industry with innovations and new benchmarks, and thus creating the world's best indoor environment for man and environment."

Please find pictures and graphs here: http://db.tt/QNfzJFYQ

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TELLUS Reduces Energy Consumption up to 30 Percent

(ARA) - This year's winter weather has been unpredictable, but homeowners can take a few simple steps now to ensure chilly temperatures and monthly heating bills don't take a bite out of their wallet.

Seeing your home through the lens of an infrared camera is one simple way to evaluate heat loss - an infrared lens is able to capture thermal energy emitted from weaknesses in the home's "thermal envelope," the barrier created between the exterior of a home and outdoor temperatures.

"What you're seeing in an infrared photo of a home is not unlike what you might see from the human body - the most substantial loss of heat is from the top," says John Smith, leader of Environmental Construction for Johns Manville, a building products manufacturer. "Similar to a winter hat, the proper level of attic insulation combined with air sealing helps trap heat inside, increasing comfort and efficiency and decreasing money wasted on energy bills."

Homeowners can contact a local energy auditor to have a thermal image taken of their home. If you don't have access to an infrared camera, evaluating home efficiency can be as easy as taking a trip to the attic with a measuring tape and measuring the depth of attic insulation - the average home needs up to 19 inches of fiber glass attic insulation for maximum energy efficiency.

Investments made in home energy efficiency pay dividends for the lifetime of a home and improve the home's resale value. For every dollar saved in annual utility costs, homeowners can expect to add $20 to their home's market value, according to the Appraisal Institute. Homeowners can reduce their homes' heating and cooling costs by as much as 20 percent through proper air sealing and insulation techniques, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Do-it-yourself (DIY) or Do-it-for-me (DIFM)?

After evaluating their existing level of attic insulation, homeowners can identify the best approach to completing the project based on available resources, such as time, their personal skill level and budget. DIY-savvy homeowners can install insulation themselves, whereas other homeowners may be more comfortable with a DIFM approach.

"Handy homeowners can add insulation in their attics by placing batts or rolls on top of existing insulation or they can rent an insulation blowing machine to install loose-fill insulation," says Fred Stephan, vice president and general manager of Insulation Systems for Johns Manville. "For those who prefer to hire someone to perform the work, major retailers such as Lowe's offer Installation Services programs, which connect homeowners with qualified contractors in their area. With one stop, a homeowner can select products and a reputable third party to handle the project."

When adding insulation, homeowners should also consider air sealing their attic to help eliminate any holes or gaps that may exist in the floor or walls. By using caulk, spray foam or weather stripping to close such gaps, homeowners can further decrease wasted energy.

"As homeowners tighten up their homes to improve energy efficiency, they should consider using products that are free of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds," says Stephan. "Products such as Johns Manville Formaldehyde-free fiber glass insulation help improve indoor air quality and achieve a healthier, safer home by reducing your overall formaldehyde exposure."

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How to avoid scary heating bills this winter

HIGHER COSTS: A domestic electricity meter. Source: AdelaideNow

A BIG power bill can be a shock to the system, but there are many ways to save while keeping the house ticking over.

Jules Layland, from Somerton Park, received a free energy audit from AGL Energy and just a few small changes made a big difference to the four-person family home's quarterly power bills.

It cut her bill from about $500 to $400 a quarter - a saving of 20 per cent, or $400 a year.

"I think everybody should get one done, especially now electricity is going up," she said.

"Apparently we're going to cop the highest charge for electricity in the country, or the world."

She swapped the tumble drier for a clothes airer, switched off the second fridge, stopped leaving energy-hungry appliances on standby and started using ceiling fans instead of the airconditioner.

On advice from AGL, the family also bought an LCD TV, because the technology is more efficient than a plasma screen TV.

AGL is just one company offering free energy audits under the Residential Energy Efficiency Scheme.

Nick Branson from the State Government's Energy Advisory Service said the intention was to audit 17,000 low-income households under the scheme over three years.

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Get an audit to zap power bills

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Today the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project, an initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) in collaboration with Oregon utilities, named Automatic Heat Service & Installation the 2011/2012 Contractor of the Year for the state of Oregon. The Eugene-based company is known for quality installations, commitment to customer service and educating their community about the energy efficiency benefits of ductless heating and cooling systems. Over the past year the company has installed more ductless heating and cooling systems than any other contractor in Oregon.

The ductless systems have really benefitted our business during the recession, said Michael Schilling, owner of Automatic Heat Service & Installation. Utilities have done a great job of explaining the benefits and of offering incentives, and installs have grown through word of mouth. Our customers love their ductless systems and have seen their heating bills go down by as much as 50 percent. In terms of service calls, weve had next to none.

A ductless heat pump is a highly efficient and easily installed primary heating and cooling system for electrically heated homes. These systems are safe, quiet and heat rooms evenly at a fraction of the cost of baseboard or wall heaters. Since 2008, the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project, in partnership with Northwest utilities, the Bonneville Power Administration and Energy Trust of Oregon, has worked with local businesses like Automatic Heat Service & Installation to install more than 14,000 ductless heating and cooling systems in the Northwest, at a savings of 49,000,000 kWh per year. That is enough electricity to power 4,400 average homes each year.

Automatic Heat Service & Installation is an integral part of EWEBs energy efficiency program success, said Charles Schifferdecker, residential energy management specialist, Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB). Thanks to their leadership and quality work, our customers are discovering ductless systems, installing them and are so satisfied with the performance and energy savings that they are recommending the systems to their friends and family. EWEB is pleased to offer rebates and zero-interest loans to support these improvements.

Each year, in collaboration with its regional utility partners, the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project selects one Contractor of the Year representing each of the four states in the region. Winning companies are qualified as Master Installers, and have completed the highest number of ductless heating and cooling system installations in their state. In addition to Eugenes Automatic Heat Service & Installation, the other Contractor of the Year winners this year include: First Call Jewel in Idaho Falls, Idaho; Formula Fabrication in Libby, Montana; and Advanced Energy Management in Tacoma, Washington.

Currently, 92 utility partners in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington are offering customer rebates on energy-efficient ductless systems, up to $1,500, often covering 30-50 percent of the cost of an installed ductless system.

Visit GoingDuctless.com to learn about available incentives, purchasing this technology and to learn more about ductless heating and cooling systems.

About the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) is a non-profit organization working to maximize energy efficiency to meet our future energy needs. NEEA is supported by and works in partnership with the Bonneville Power Administration, Energy Trust of Oregon and more than 100 Northwest utilities for the benefit of more than 12 million energy consumers. NEEA uses the market power of the region to accelerate the innovation and adoption of energy-efficient products, services and practices. Since 1997, NEEA and its partners have saved enough energy to power more than 568,400 homes each year. Energy efficiency can satisfy more than half of our new demand for energy, saving money, and keeping the Northwest a healthy and vibrant place to live. For more information, visit neea.org.

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Automatic Heat Service & Installation Named 2011/2012 Contractor of the Year by the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Today the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project, an initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) in collaboration with Montana utilities, named Formula Fabrication the 2011/2012 Contractor of the Year for the state of Montana. The Libby-based company is known for quality installations, commitment to customer service and educating their community about the energy efficiency benefits of ductless heating and cooling systems. Over the past year the company has installed more ductless heating and cooling systems than any other contractor in Montana.

When the recession hit, our business really suffered, said Frank Sweedman, owner of Formula Fabrication. Ductless heating systems allowed us to tap into a whole new market and grow our business in a way thats great for our customers and our community they now account for 70 percent of our business.

A ductless heat pump is a highly efficient and easily installed primary heating and cooling system for electrically heated homes. These systems are safe, quiet and heat rooms evenly at a fraction of the cost of baseboard or wall heaters. Since 2008, the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project, in partnership with Northwest utilities, the Bonneville Power Administration and Energy Trust of Oregon, has worked with local businesses like Formula Fabrication to install more than 14,000 ductless heating and cooling systems in the Northwest, at a savings of 49,000,000 kWh per year. That is enough electricity to power 4,400 average homes each year.

Formula Fabrications success is also a success for our local economy, said Ross Holter, energy services supervisor, Flathead Electric. Thanks to their leadership in promoting ductless systems and their quality installations, our customers are enjoying more comfortable homes and are saving on their electric bills during tough economic times.

Each year, in collaboration with its regional utility partners, the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project selects one Contractor of the Year representing each of the four states in the region. Winning companies are qualified as Master Installers, and have completed the highest number of ductless heating and cooling system installations in their state. In addition to Libbys Formula Fabrication, the other Contractor of the Year winners this year include: First Call Jewel in Idaho Falls, Idaho; Automatic Heat Service & Installation in Eugene, Oregon; and Advanced Energy Management in Tacoma, Washington.

Currently, 92 utility partners in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington are offering customer rebates on energy-efficient ductless systems, up to $1,500, often covering 30-50 percent of the cost of an installed ductless system.

Visit GoingDuctless.com to learn about available incentives, purchasing this technology and to learn more about ductless heating and cooling systems.

About the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) is a non-profit organization working to maximize energy efficiency to meet our future energy needs. NEEA is supported by and works in partnership with the Bonneville Power Administration, Energy Trust of Oregon and more than 100 Northwest utilities for the benefit of more than 12 million energy consumers. NEEA uses the market power of the region to accelerate the innovation and adoption of energy-efficient products, services and practices. Since 1997, NEEA and its partners have saved enough energy to power more than 568,400 homes each year. Energy efficiency can satisfy more than half of our new demand for energy, saving money, and keeping the Northwest a healthy and vibrant place to live. For more information, visit neea.org.

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Formula Fabrication Named 2011/2012 Contractor of the Year by the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Today the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project, an initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) in collaboration with Idaho utilities, named First Call Jewel the 2011/2012 Contractor of the Year for the state of Idaho. The 65-year-old, family-owned, Idaho Falls-based company is known for quality installations, commitment to customer service and educating their community about the energy efficiency benefits of ductless heating and cooling systems. Over the past year the company has installed more ductless heating and cooling systems than any other contractor in Idaho.

Weve been installing ductless systems for years, said Bob Bidstrup, owner of First Call Jewel. The technology is so efficient, and with the incentives available, more and more customers are asking for them. We have very happy customers.

A ductless heat pump is a highly efficient and easily installed primary heating and cooling system for electrically heated homes. These systems are safe, quiet and heat rooms evenly at a fraction of the cost of baseboard or wall heaters. Since 2008, the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project, in partnership with Northwest utilities, the Bonneville Power Administration and Energy Trust of Oregon, has worked with local businesses like First Call Jewel to install more than 14,000 ductless heating and cooling systems in the Northwest, at a savings of 49,000,000 kWh per year. That is enough electricity to power 4,400 average homes each year.

For customers with outdated or less efficient electric heating, ductless systems are a cost-effective and easy solution, said Todd Greenwell, Idaho Power Program Specialist. Our contractors like First Call Jewel have an important role in promoting the benefits of these systems; their work is helping our customers enjoy more comfortable homes while also saving on their electric bills.

Each year, in collaboration with its regional utility partners, the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project selects one Contractor of the Year representing each of the four states in the region. Winning companies are qualified as Master Installers, and have completed the highest number of ductless heating and cooling system installations in their state. In addition to Idaho Falls First Call Jewel, the other Contractor of the Year winners this year include: Formula Fabrication in Libby, Montana; Automatic Heat Service & Installation in Eugene, Oregon; and Advanced Energy Management in Tacoma, Washington.

Currently, 92 utility partners in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington are offering customer rebates on energy-efficient ductless systems, up to $1,500, often covering 30-50 percent of the cost of an installed ductless system.

Visit GoingDuctless.com to learn about available incentives, purchasing this technology and to learn more about ductless heating and cooling systems.

About the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) is a non-profit organization working to maximize energy efficiency to meet our future energy needs. NEEA is supported by and works in partnership with the Bonneville Power Administration, Energy Trust of Oregon and more than 100 Northwest utilities for the benefit of more than 12 million energy consumers. NEEA uses the market power of the region to accelerate the innovation and adoption of energy-efficient products, services and practices. Since 1997, NEEA and its partners have saved enough energy to power more than 568,400 homes each year. Energy efficiency can satisfy more than half of our new demand for energy, saving money, and keeping the Northwest a healthy and vibrant place to live. For more information, visit neea.org.

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First Call Jewel Named 2011/2012 Contractor of the Year by the NW Ductless Heat Pump Project