How to reduce energy at home? -

Energy bill of a house has been increased significantly over a period of time, Change in lifestyle and comfort living has contributed in increasing energy consumption. Therefore we need to know how to reduce energy at home.

The use of air conditioners and room heaters are the major energy consumers of a middle class family energy requirement. Let the check the area which can be improved for reducing energy bill of a house :-

1. Lighting

Listing is the most essential part of energy consumption in home and various options can be adopted to reduce lighting load:

a. Check for unnecessary use of lighting

Unnecessary lighting should be checked and stopped, discipline should be maintained for switching off light. if required occupancy sensors can be used to prevent excess use of lighting

b. Maximise use of natural lighting

Natural lighting should be harvested to minimize artificial lighting in day time.

c. Energy efficient lighting

Energy efficient lighting such as LEDs to be used to reduce power consumption in lighting. CFL should be replaced with LED, flourocent tubelight should be replaced with LED tubelight.

for lighting performance of common lighting click below

for getting awarness about selection of lighting please click below:-

d. Use of light pipe

For harvesting natural light without solar panels, Light pipe or solar pipe may be used.

2. Celing fans

Fans are second most important power consumption for tropical region. Energy efficient fans to be used.

Old Ceiling fans power consumption is in range of 60-80watt, while BLDC fans can perform same duty with just below 30w of power. Hence BLDC fans to be used.

For larger room sizes use bigger blade fans in-place of using multiple fans.

For understanding BLDC technology click below:

3. Evaporative cooler

If evaporative coolers are used for home cooling, following checks can be done

a. Proper ventilation

Adequate Ventilation should be provided for evaporative cooler for efficient working of evaporative cooler.

b. air changes and right capacity

Air changes should be adequate for evaporative cooler, higher air changes will increase power consumption.

Refer below article for right selection of air coolers

4 Air conditioner

Air conditioners contributes high power consumption in residential power. Following point must be considered while operating air conditioners

a. Higher SEER / ISEER machine,

Check for higher SEER And ISEER machine for lower power consumption. For tropical region inverter ac to be considered.

b. Right temperature

Air temperature should be maintained at room. Every drop in power consumption will increase power consumption.

c. Location of condensers

Condensers should not be placed direct to sunlight, it should be kept at air ventillated and shed area.

d. Cleaning of IDU And ODU

IDU and ODU should be kept clean for energy efficient operation.

e. Room insulation

Room should be insulated properly to prevent lower heat loss and unwanted load in air conditioners.

5. Refrigerator

While selecting new refrigerator energy efficiency should be considered,

Refrigerator setting should be kept according to season.

For old refrigerator check for sealling rubber, if it is hard sealing shall not be proper means heat loss, therefore rubber should be replaced to prevent heat leakage

Use Refrigerator wisely, donot put hot things directly into refrigerator.

6. Water / room Heaters

Heat pump or solar heater may be used for hot water requirement.