GREEN PROJECT
Highland Park Green Resident’s Resource Guide
Energy Saving Techniques
Primary Focus of this Section:
To provide suggestions and resources for techniques and actions for residents to increase energy conservation and efficiency at home. The goal is to reduce / conserve home energy use and provide a toolkit for residents to lower there electricity, water and heating bills and improve their quality of life.
Position Statement:
“Electricity consumed by American citizens and businesses generates more pollution than any other U.S. industry. Buildings account for one third of all the United States' carbon emissions. In fact, the American Lung Association says pollution is America's #1 health threat.”
Energy prices have been steadily rising over the past decade and American’s are paying an increasing share their income towards energy.
We have decided to provide the most practical solutions and techniques to rising energy prices and energy related pollution generation so that you can decide what makes the most sense for your home and family.
This section is divided into No Cost, Low Cost, and Other Techniques, so that you may better decided on how to conserve energy at home, save money and improve your quality of life.
No Cost Techniques:
- Wash Your Cloths in Cold Water
- Do Full Loads of Laundry
- Use the Microwave Instead of the Stove
- Get Rid of Halogen Lights
- Lower Your Thermostat in the Winter and Raise it in the Summer
- Turn off Appliances/Lights/Water When Not In Use
- When Appliances Aren’t in Use: Pull the Plug
- Turn Off Your Computer, Don’t Let it Run All Day
- Close Blinds or Shades On the South and West Facing Portions of Your Home in the Summer
- Take Showers Instead of Baths
- Hand-wash Your Car
Low Cost Techniques:
- Install a New Low-Flow Showerhead
- Weather-strip and Caulk
- Install Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
- Use Fans Instead of Air Conditioners
- If You Use Air Conditioners Shade Them
Other Techniques:
- Choose To Purchase More Efficient Appliances: At a Minimum Look For the Federal Government’s Energy Star Label (www.energystar.gov)
- Consider Solar Panels
- Re-Insulate Your Home Using More Efficient Insulation
Home Energy Analysis Program:
- Residential Program, part of New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program
- Energy audit program to help you conserve energy and save money
- It will help you to: “Analyze your home’s energy use and find out: Which appliances use the most energy and where your home energy usage stands versus other homes in New Jersey.”
http://www.njcleanenergy.com/home_analysis.html: New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program
COOLAdvantage Program:
- Residential Program, part of New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program
- Program designed to improve the energy efficiency of new electric air conditioners and heat pumps
- Incentives include rebates on new electric air conditioners and heat pumps
http://www.njcleanenergy.com/html/1residential/1_cool_advantage.html NJ Clean Energy Program
WARMAdvantage Program:
- Residential Program, part of New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program
- “Designed to promote the purchase of high efficiency natural gas home heating systems and/or water heaters. To this end, the Program provides rebates towards the purchase of qualifying high-efficiency natural gas equipment.”
http://www.njcleanenergy.com/html/1residential/2_warm_advantage.html NJ Clean Energy Program
General Resources:
http://www.greenfaith.org/-GreenFaith-Interfaith Partners for the Environment
http://www.ase.org/: Alliance to Save Energy
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/ed/rr.html Maryland Environmental Design Program
http://www.nrdc.org/cities/default.asp Natural Resources Defense Council
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/: US Department of Energy
http://www.atlantaregional.com/qualitygrowth/toolkits.html#Greenbuilding: Atlanta Regional Commission
http://www.nesea.org/buildings/: Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/greenbuilding/: Scottsdale Arizona Green Building Program
www.njcleanenergy.com New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program
