TIPS ON ENERGY SAVING IN HOME APPLIANCES AND ELECTRICITY SAFETY

The Domestic Sector accounts for 30% of total energy consumption in the country. There is a tremendous scope to conserve energy by adopting simple measures.

This information is a guide, which offers easy, practical solutions for saving energy in Home Appliances. Please, take a few moments to read the valuable tips that will save energy & money and ultimately help conserve our natural resources.

It would be useful to know which gadget consumes how much electricity. Economic use of home appliances can help in reducing electricity bills.

Useful Tips to Save Energy
By following these simple tips one can save energy to a large extent.

Lighting
Ø Turn off the lights when not in use
Ø Take advantage of daylight by using light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room. Also, decorate with lighter colors that reflect daylight
Ø De-dust lighting fixtures to maintain illumination
Ø Use task lighting; instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it
Ø Compact fluorescent bulbs are four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and provide the same lighting
Ø Use electronic chokes in place of conventional copper chokes

Fans
Ø Replace conventional regulators with electronic regulators for ceiling fans
Ø Install exhaust fans at a higher elevation than ceiling fans

Electric iron
Ø Select iron boxes with automatic temperature cutoff
Ø Use appropriate regulator position for ironing
Ø Do not put more water on clothes while ironing
Ø Do not iron wet clothes

Kitchen Appliances
Ø Mixers
§ Avoid dry grinding in your food processors ( mixers and grinders) as it takes longer time than liquid grinding
Ø Microwaves ovens
§ Consumes 50 % less energy than conventional electric / gas stoves
§ Do not bake large food items
§ Unless you're baking breads or pastries, you may not even need to preheat
§ Don't open the oven door too often to check food condition as each opening leads to a temperature drop of 25°C
Ø Electric stove
§ Turn off electric stoves several minutes before the specified cooking time
§ Use flat-bottomed pans that make full contact with the cooking coil
Ø Gas stove
§ When cooking on a gas burner, use moderate flame settings to conserve LPG
§ Remember that a blue flame means your gas stove is operating efficiently
§ Yellowish flame is an indicator that the burner needs cleaning
§ Use pressure cookers as much as possible
§ Use lids to cover the pans while cooking
§ Bring items taken out of refrigerators (like vegetables, milk etc) to room temperature before placing on the gas stove for heating
Ø Use Solar Water Heater – a good replacement for a electric water heater

Electronic Devices
Ø Do not switch on the power when TV and Audio Systems are not in use i.e. idle operation leads to an energy loss of 10 watts/device

Computers
Ø Turn off your home office equipment when not in use. A computer that runs 24 hours a day, for instance, uses - more power than an energy-efficient refrigerator.
Ø If your computer must be left on, turn off the monitor; this device alone uses more than half the system's energy.
Ø Setting computers, monitors, and copiers to use sleep-mode when not in use helps cut energy costs by approximately 40%.
Ø Battery chargers, such as those for laptops, cell phones and digital cameras, draw power whenever they are plugged in and are very inefficient. Pull the plug and save.
Ø Screen savers save computer screens, not energy. Start-ups and shutdowns do not use any extra energy, nor are they hard on your computer components. In fact, shutting computers down when you are finished using them actually reduces system wear - and saves energy

Refrigerator
Ø Regularly defrost manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers; frost buildup increases the amount of energy needed to keep the motor running.
Ø Leave enough space between your refrigerator and the walls so that air can easily circulate around the refrigerator
Ø Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold.
Ø Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight
Ø Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.
Ø Do not open the doors of the refrigerators frequently
Ø Don't leave the fridge door open for longer than necessary, as cold air will escape.
Ø Use smaller cabinets for storing frequently used items
Ø Avoid putting hot or warm food straight into the fridge

Washing machines
Ø Always wash only with full loads
Ø Use optimal quantity of water
Ø Use timer facility to save energy
Ø Use the correct amount of detergent
Ø Use hot water only for very dirty clothes
Ø Always use cold water in the rinse cycle
Ø Prefer natural drying over electric dryers

Air Conditioners
Ø Prefer air conditioners having automatic temperature cut off
Ø Keep regulators at “low cool” position
Ø Operate the ceiling fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively throughout the room and operate the air conditioner at higher temperature
Ø Seal the doors and windows properly
Ø Leave enough space between your air conditioner and the walls to allow better air circulation
Ø A roof garden can reduce the load on Air Conditioner
Ø Use windows with sun films/curtains
Ø Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower will be energy consumption.
Ø Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling.
Ø Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
Ø Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.

Electrical Safety Tips for Homes

Electrical Hazards
Ø Shocks
§ Electric Shock causes an involuntary grip which prolongs the period of contact.
§ More the period of contact, more the damage
§ Passage of current through the heart , stops the blood supply to the brain , resulting in loss of consciousness and termination of breathing
§ When a person standing at a height receives an electrical shock , it is most likely that he will fall
§ Personal sensitivity to electrical shock varies from person to person
Ø Burns
§ Whenever an electrical flash appears, and if a part of a body comes within flashing distance, burns can be caused
§ Burns may be caused by short circuits as well, because a short circuit could create an electrical fire

Preventive Measures
Ø Allow only a qualified person to attend to your electrical repairs
Ø Service your electrical equipment at frequent intervals through a competent electrician
Ø In case of a short circuit or a fire, switch off the mains instantly Make sure that you have easy access to switch off the supply source quickly, in case of an emergency
Ø Make sure your extension cords are free from cuts, improper insulation, or joints
Ø Ensure pins of your plugs are tight and not loose
Ø Use switches of the correct current rating and preferably with indicators to indicate whether the switch is ON/OFF
Ø Use appliances with 3 pin plugs and connect them to 3 pin sockets
Ø Do not overload electrical outlets or use extension cords in place of additional outlets
Ø Switch off electrical appliances when not in use
Ø Provide proper earthing for the building/house

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Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an  

amazing human being

Global Warming Nightmare !!

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

The greenhouse effect, a natural process that regulates the temperature of Earth, is a very complex system. As the sun hits the Earth to heat it, some of the heat bounces back up into space. The remainder of the heat becomes trapped in the atmosphere, due to clouds and greenhouse gasses. The Earth's atmosphere has many components. It contains 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, and 1% Trace Gasses. In addition, greenhouse gasses, the gasses that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, are water vapor, clouds, and other gasses. Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth would be 60 degrees colder, and not able to support life. There are also man made greenhouse gasses that if exerted in abundance, can harm the Earth. The major man made greenhouse gasses are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Basically, the greenhouse effect conserves the warm temperature of the Earth. As more and more fossil fuels are being burned, the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are drastically increasing. In addition, methane and nitrogen levels in the atmosphere are rising, due to everyday human activity, such as driving cars. In contrast, completely diminishing greenhouse gasses emissions in the atmosphere is not an option, as natural gas emissions occur naturally and are needed for the greenhouse effect. However, we do need to reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses being emitted into the atmosphere. If we fail to do so, global warming will remain on the rise. 

GLOBAL WARMING: THE BIG PICTURE

Global Warming, a topic much discussed, is they theory that the Earth is gradually getting warmer, due to atmospheric changes. As fossil fuels are continuously being burned, carbon dioxide is being emitted into the atmosphere, making the Earth warmer. Too many greenhouse gasses are being released into the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Because the Earth is being made warmer, many things in the environment are beginning to change for the worse. 

GLOBAL WARMING: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

There are many contributing factors to global warming. The top contributor is power stations. Power stations emit carbon dioxide by burning fossil fuels. 21.3% of annual greenhouses gasses are from power stations. Following power stations is industrial processes, transportation fuels, and agricultural byproducts, which emit methane into the atmosphere, and is 12.5% of the annual greenhouse gasses. Residential, commercial and other sources, land mass and biomass burning and waste disposal and treatment are the last three greatest factors. 



GLOBAL WARMING: LOCAL EFFECTS 
Global warming isn't a subject to ignore, it is affecting everyone. Over the past century, the average warming was 1.3 ° F. If global warming continues, by 2100, temperatures will have risen by 3 ° F- 7° F. This extreme change will not only cause ocean and air temperatures to rise, but will also cause the melting of snow and ice. This includes the melting of glaciers. For many animals, their home will melt away, and they will become extinct. In comparison, it is predicted that ocean water will expand, and costal parts of Greenland and the Antarctic ice sheets will slide into the ocean. Similarly, tropical storms are expected to intensify, as well as producing more powerful peak winds and increased rainfall. Also, there are many unusual things that global warming will affect. Over the next 40 years, the hotter temperatures will cause a 20% drop in California's almond and walnut crops. In addition, the amount of baseball bats will be lesser. The ash tree, which baseball bats are made from, is in danger of disappearing. If we don't take action now and we keep emitting too many greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, there will be serious trouble for the next generations. 










WHAT YOU CAN DO DIFFERENTLY 
Now the question is…what can we do to put a stop to global warming? There are many things you can easily do in your daily life to help stop global warming. Saving energy is a very important factor in stopping global warming. When you leave lights on, energy is being used up. Many times, lights are left on when people aren't in the room. Not only will turning off lights what only save the environment, but it will also save you money. In comparison, look for bulbs that are Energy Star qualified. As the name says, Energy Star appliances use about 75% less energy than regular appliances, therefore reducing the greenhouse gas emission into the atmosphere. There are more than 50 different categories in Energy Star products. Similarly, green power, an electricity source that is environmentally friendly, is generated from wind and the sun. The average home's annual energy bill is $1,248/year. The home equipped with Energy Star annual energy bill is $888/year. This drastic cost decrease of $400/year (31%) is not only great for you, but is also imperative for the well-being of the environment. If every business and household installed Energy Star products in their own home, over the next 15 years, the decrease of carbon dioxide would be equivalent to 17 million cars of the road for each of those 15 years! Likewise, if this happened, the entire country would save $100 billion in energy bills. In 1997 alone, Energy Star products saved 15 million tons of carbon dioxide from emitting into the atmosphere. 

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH 

Global Warming will do a vast amount of harm to the Earth if we don't take action now and put a stop to it. By doing this, we will be decreasing the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere. Power stations are the greatest amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. They emit greenhouse gasses by burning fossil fuels. Global warming is and will effect precipitation and sea level changes in the future. But, there are many things that everyone can do to stop global warming, such as buying Energy Star certified appliances and turning off lights.