Glacial Energy Blog

Greener Greenhouses

On the surface, a greenhouse can be considered an environmentally-friendly architectural structure as it stands due to the protective environment it provides for various types of plants.  They serve to optimize plant growth by trapping heat and providing light in winter months, stabilizing unreliable water supplies, preventing withering with controlled cooling in summer months, and minimizing exposure to pests and harmful bacteria. However, depending on the location of the greenhouse and the types of plants being grown within, maintaining a suitable environment can consume a lot of energy. Electricity-fueled ventilation fans, grow lights, heaters, and pumps run up energy bills significantly and rather unnecessarily.

There are many different ways a greenhouse can be constructed and maintained efficiently. Listed below are just a few options greenhouse growers should consider to lower utility bills and reduce the infrastructure’s overall carbon footprint:

• Ventilation – Natural ventilation systems – like those used by West Virginia University’s Department of Agricultural Engineering – consist of multiple vents placed strategically around the greenhouse, such as the roof and perimeter of the building. Be sure to invest in larger exhaust fans if needed, as they tend to be more energy-efficient than smaller ones.
• Heating – Solar panels, although an expensive investment, work to convert sunlight into natural heating for your greenhouse, which can save a lot on your energy bill in the long run. Cheaper options include placing hay bales around the building, installing a thermal curtain to trap heat, and running hot water or steam pipes under the floor, all of which use less energy than heaters.
• Lighting – High-output lights, such as straight-tube fluorescents and cool white LEDs, produce more light, and use less electricity than low-output lights.  LEDs also have a longer lifetime than other types of lighting, which helps to reduce material waste.
• Irrigation – Drip irrigation systems send water directly to roots at set times preventing overwatering of plants and excessive water waste. Install a rainwater collection tank and water plants early in the morning, so your plants have a chance to take in the water before it evaporates.
• Insulation – Adding additional layers of insulated covering, like polyethylene over glass, improves insulation by reducing fuel use as much as 30%. When installing insulation boards in walls choose reflective boards over foam boards and thoroughly cover the north wall to reduce heat loss.

About Glacial Energy: Glacial Energy is one of the fastest growing national retail energy suppliers selling electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in deregulated markets across the country. Glacial Energy has the resources and market knowledge to provide customized quotes for your business or cost-saving opportunities for your home. Learn more about Glacial Energy by visiting: www.GlacialEnergy.com.

Energy Efficiency and the Technology Behind It

In today’s world, energy efficiency and technology go hand in hand. With technological advances becoming more and more user friendly, it’s easier for businesses to incorporate them and to use them to manage their energy resources. From hardware to software, quite a few different types of energy efficiency technology are playing vital roles in businesses today. Here are some of those different types of technology that businesses will often find as they start to incorporate an energy efficiency platform into their processes.

Energy Management Software

When you think about software, chances are that you don’t often think about how it might be able to relate to your business’s energy efficiency. However, it is possible to integrate some types of software right into your business so that you can have more control over your electrical usage. Have you ever wondered what times of day your energy usage peaks?  You can use software to determine just that.

The software systems are generally very easy to use, and the training necessary to use them isn’t painful in order for you to start using the program correctly. As we mentioned earlier, technology today keeps the user in mind by making the experience as quick and efficient as possible.

Efficient Appliances and Units

Of course, digital technology is just one of the tools used to create a truly energy efficient business today. Other tools can be anything from efficient water heaters and heating systems in your building to changing the light bulbs or light fixtures (and installing timers so you don’t have to worry about manually turning fixtures off and on throughout the day). Today’s advances are making all of the appliances that you would use in your business more energy efficient, and every little bit will help when it comes to reducing your energy usage.

Are all companies making use of all of the different types of technology out there today? It’s not likely. Some solutions are going to work far better for companies than others will, and that means it’s a good idea to have the help and guidance of professionals when it comes to developing and implementing an energy efficiency plan.

About Glacial Energy: Glacial Energy is one of the fastest growing national retail energy suppliers selling electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in deregulated markets across the country. Glacial Energy has the resources and market knowledge to provide customized quotes for your business or cost-saving opportunities for your home. Learn more about Glacial Energy by visiting: www.GlacialEnergy.com.

Energy Saving Tips for Handheld Devices

The presence of electronics in the consumer world continues to grow with the release of new and upgraded versions of devices every few months. It’s quite common for people to own multiple electronics, interchanging devices throughout the day and draining the battery life in each. These electronics and their corresponding chargers do not seem to consume a significant amount of kWh on paper, but they do waste energy by transferring it as heat (which becomes apparent when chargers become hot to the touch) and getting lost en route from the original energy source. Below are a few tips to help you save energy with your smartphone, tablet, e-reader, and MP3 player.

Smartphones

Although you may have gotten into the habit of charging your phone overnight while you sleep, this practice may actually be harming your smartphone. According to Cellutips.com’s cellphone battery guide, lithium-ion batteries that stay plugged in past 100% could damage the battery’s health over the long run in addition to using up unnecessary energy. Unplug your phone from its charger as soon as it is fully charged and be sure to unplug the charger from the wall when it is not in use. An alternative to unplugging is using a socket timer that you can program to automatically turn off when your device is done charging.  You can see an example of a socket timer here. Be sure to also turn off the Bluetooth feature when it is not in use as it eats up energy while it tries to connect to other devices.

Tablets and e-readers

Tablets and e-readers such as the Kindle or Nook are powerful devices that save a lot of space and paper on their own. It’s advisable to adjust light settings by lowering the brightness in order to protect your vision, but it will also reduce the amount of times you need to charge your device.

MP3 Players

Because MP3 players use the same batteries as most smartphones, the same limitations to charging times apply. Close applications that are not being used and try to save downloading for when you are connected to Wi-Fi rather than 3G or 4G to minimize the impact on your battery. Socket timers can be used for these devices as well and much more.

If you own any handheld electronic devices such as the ones listed above, you can reduce phantom loads and save money on your utility bill by investing in a power strip and shutting it off when all devices have finished charging.

About Glacial Energy: Glacial Energy is one of the fastest growing national retail energy suppliers selling electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in deregulated markets across the country. Glacial Energy has the resources and market knowledge to provide customized quotes for your business or cost-saving opportunities for your home. Learn more about Glacial Energy by visiting: www.GlacialEnergy.com.

Save Green by Going Green

Owning a home is the “American Dream” but it doesn’t always feel that way, does it?  Besides your mortgage and insurance, you have to worry about all the other bills a house comes with, like water and electricity.  Saving money in this day and age has become even more of a priority.  If you’ve been looking for ways that you can put more money back in your pocket, read on for a few tips on how you make some easy, energy efficient changes to your home while being a little more green.

1)      Seal leaks and drafts.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy, sealing off drafts can save you 5 – 30 percent off your energy bill!  One easy way you can test for a draft in a room is to hold a lit incense stick close to a window frame and watch the smoke.  If there is a leak, get the right kind of weatherstripping material for a quick do-it-yourself project.

2)      Get a programmable thermostat.  We live in a technology-filled world and that world now holds programmable, or what we like to call “smart”, thermostats.  With this type of technology, there’s no need to worry about constantly changing the temperature manually.  These types of thermostats will “learn” your temperature control behavior and keep your home at a comfortable level year-round.  These thermostats can range in price but you’re likely to recoup your money in one season!

3)      Fix water leaks.  The U.S. Geological Survey reports that one leaky faucet can waste 3 gallons of water per day.  So, besides the constant “drip drip drip” that’s driving you crazy, it can also drive up your water bill if left unrepaired.  It can be as simple as a quick tightening , but if it proves to more than that, call your plumber.

4)      Go low-flow.  Do you have older model toilets?  If you do, they’re likely using more water than they need to.  The toilets of today (never thought we’d write a sentence like that) come with a low-flow feature to reduce your water usage with every flush.  The same feature is available on showerheads.  You don’t have to worry about a loss of quality by going low-flow.  Just sit back and enjoy the savings.

5)      Look for the blue label.  You know the one because we’ve mentioned it so many times before.  ENERGY STAR rated appliances are meticulously reviewed to ensure their energy efficiency and energy efficient products save you money and use less energy (with an added bonus of being kinder to the environment).  If you’re wondering what products are rated, visit the ENERGY STAR website.

The tips above aren’t just about saving you money and being nicer to our planet.  They also have the potential to increase the value of your home.  Not a bad deal!

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About Glacial Energy: Glacial Energy is one of the fastest growing national retail energy suppliers selling electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in deregulated markets across the country. Glacial Energy has the resources and market knowledge to provide customized quotes for your business or cost-saving opportunities for your home. Learn more about Glacial Energy by visiting: www.GlacialEnergy.com.

Eco-Friendly Companies

For the fourth year in a row, Newsweek examined the 500 biggest public companies in the world to see just how socially and environmentally responsible they are.  Companies on the list are ranked by their overall “Green Score”, which is derived from three component scores: Environmental Impact Score, Environmental Management Score, and an Environmental Disclosure score.  For more about these, click here.  More and more, companies in every industry are realizing just how important it is to be green for their long-term survival.  They call it their “triple bottom line”:  people, planet, and profit.  Let’s take a look at a few companies and what they’re doing to be leaner and greener.

1. McGraw-Hill:  Back in 2011, more than 95% of their paper purchases (about 77,703 metric tons) came through suppliers who produce paper in the most environmentally sustainable way possible.
2. Microsoft:  In the spring of 2012, they announced they’d be making each of their divisions responsible for tracking, minimizing, and offsetting the environmental costs associated with electrical use and air travel.  Due to this, in the current fiscal year, they will be carbon-neutral for the first time ever.
3. EMC:  According to their website, EMC means transformation and that’s just what the company started doing back in 2004 when they began moving their IT services and infrastructure to a virtual space (the cloud).  Their home office also includes a facility that treats wastewater for reuse in irrigation, cooling, and sanitation.
4. Accenture:  This large consulting firm encourages employees to avoid nonessential travel and holds virtual conferences when possible.  By 2012, employees’ carbon footprints were 30 percent smaller compared to 2007.
5. CA Technologies:  This software provider lets 30 percent of its workforce work from home, which cuts back on commuting pollution.  By 2015, it plans to buy 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.

If you’re curious how the companies rank and who came in at number one, make sure you click the source links for more!

Source 1, Source 2

About Glacial Energy: Glacial Energy is one of the fastest growing national retail energy suppliers selling electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in deregulated markets across the country. Glacial Energy has the resources and market knowledge to provide customized quotes for your business or cost-saving opportunities for your home. Learn more about Glacial Energy by visiting: www.GlacialEnergy.com.

Electric Motorcycles Anyone?

Do you love the speed and the flexibility of a motorcycle?  These days, most people talk about electric cars since cars tend to be more practical, but if you’re in the market for a motorcycle, consider all your options.  In this age of technology, that now includes electric motorcycles.  Here are a few advantages to consider:

1. Things you’ll never do again:  Fill up with gas, replace the clutch, change an engine oil filter, change engine oil, replace spark plugs, change a fuel filter, replace the timing belt…and much more.  Imagine the savings on these things alone besides the benefits to the environment.
2. Charge at home: No more waiting in line to fill up at the gas station.  You can now charge your bike when you are home spending time with the family or even while taking a short nap.  A popular brand, Zero Motorcycles, depending on the model, will use approximately 650W-1300W while charging.
3. Savings: Though tanks on standard motorcycles aren’t huge, gas is one less thing you have to pay for.  For some, a motorcycle is a secondary vehicle they enjoy riding on the weekend or for special trips and now they can enjoy it even more knowing their fun hobby won’t break the bank.
4. Tax Credit:  Covering 10% of the purchase price, up to $2,500, the E-motorcycle Federal Tax Credit, also known as the 2-3 wheeled plug-in tax credit, was approved earlier this year by President Obama.  The credit applies to street-legal motorcycles with 2.5 kilowatt-hour (or larger) battery packs that can go over 45 mph.
5. Other Benefits:  These include special access to parking, traffic lanes and riding areas and free charging stations so you don’t have to worry about just charging at home.

Just as with purchasing an electric car, there are things to consider such as driving range, upfront cost, maintenance, etc.  And because it is one more “gadget” that will be using electricity in your home, make sure you’re locked into a low electricity rate so you’re not overpaying every month.

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Image courtesy of Zero Motorcycles

About Glacial Energy: Glacial Energy is one of the fastest growing national retail energy suppliers selling electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in deregulated markets across the country. Glacial Energy has the resources and market knowledge to provide customized quotes for your business or cost-saving opportunities for your home. Learn more about Glacial Energy by visiting: www.GlacialEnergy.com.

Be an Energy Efficient….Parent?!

As a parent, the first thing you probably think about when it comes to energy is how much it takes to chase your little ones around…and how little you’re left with at the end of the day.  But with all the new gadgets available today to make your life easier (and to entertain the kiddos), it raises the question of just how energy efficient are they?  Here are a few tips to help you save energy and cut costs on your utility bill.

Turn off the swing: Every parent knows about the swing trick.  There’s something about the rocking back and forth motion that easily lulls a child to sleep and gives you some much needed rest as well.  But do you leave the swing on after your child has fallen asleep?  Next time, consider turning it off.  Some parents have found that their children sleep better and longer when they did.

LED Night light: Being a parent, you know about sleepless nights tending to your child.  Avoid turning on lights in the entire room and instead, strategically place night lights leading into your child’s room.  LED night lights are inexpensive, consume less power, and last much longer than non-LED night lights.

Unplug: You’ve heard of “vampire electronics” and they apply to your kids’ toys as well.  When not in use, it’s best to unplug any electronic toys.

Use Timers: Do you use products with sounds or lights with your baby?  Buy ones with timers so that you don’t have to worry about getting up to turn them off later.

Get old-fashioned toys: You can use old-fashioned toys which do not require any electricity or batteries and your child will be just as happy playing with them. An old fashioned rattle can be just as entertaining to a child as the toy with the loudest sounds and the flashiest lights.

As parents, we want what’s best for our children since they are our future.  Being energy efficient isn’t just about saving some money on your energy bill.  It’s about taking care of the planet for future generations.  We can all do our part starting today.

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About Glacial Energy: Glacial Energy is one of the fastest growing national retail energy suppliers selling electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in deregulated markets across the country. Glacial Energy has the resources and market knowledge to provide customized quotes for your business or cost-saving opportunities for your home. Learn more about Glacial Energy by visiting: www.GlacialEnergy.com.

Did You Know….?

One of the best ways that you and your family can begin to conserve energy and save on your monthly electric bill is by looking at the current appliances and products in your home.  If you have products that are old – over ten years or so – then they are not likely to be energy efficient, and that means that whenever you use them, you are essentially tossing money out the window. It might be high time that you start to replace some of those old appliances and devices that you have in your home.

A great place to start is looking for the blue ENERGY STAR label that guarantees the products to be energy efficient.  It’s possible to find the labels on just about all of the appliances and products that you use the most.  You can even find ENERGY STAR qualified replacements for some of the items that you have around the workplace.

Products for the Home

ENERGY STAR certified products are available for just about everything that you might have around the house. You can find clothes washers, dishwashers, freezers and refrigerators, dehumidifiers, purifiers, computers, televisions, phones, and much more. Even the lighting and the ceiling fans that you have in the house could have an ENERGY STAR replacement.

With the right energy efficient products, you could start saving money on your monthly energy bills.  We know that replacing everything with ENERGY STAR certified products at once is not economically feasible for most people.  What you might want to do is to start with some of the larger products that tend to use the most energy, such as your refrigerator. You can then slowly replace other items in the home.

Products for the Workplace

Businesses can benefit quite a bit from ENERGY STAR products as well.  Again, computers and even refrigerators and commercial cooking and cleaning products are available.  The lighting, the plumbing, and other products can be a good way to save money as well.  Once again, some businesses may find it easier to replace items one at a time rather than replacing everything at once. This is especially true of small businesses.

You will find that new products are always in development and going through the ENERGY STAR rating process.  Each year, many new items are hitting the market with better levels of energy efficiency.  You should be able to find just about anything that you need, and if you can’t find it yet, you probably will very soon!

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Image courtesy of ENERGY STAR

About Glacial Energy: Glacial Energy is one of the fastest growing national retail energy suppliers selling electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in deregulated markets across the country. Glacial Energy has the resources and market knowledge to provide customized quotes for your business or cost-saving opportunities for your home. Learn more about Glacial Energy by visiting: www.GlacialEnergy.com.

Don’t Forget About Your Air Filter

If you’ve scoured the internet for energy saving tips, you may have come across this one: change your air filter regularly.  Every air conditioning company emphasizes that air filters need to be changed once a month.  This is especially mandatory in the summer months when you use your air conditioner the most.

Benefits Your Home

A dirty air filter is the number one reason for heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system failure. A dirty filter restricts the air flow into your HVAC systems’ air handler which strains the air handler fan motor and could, over time, burn out the motor and cause your system to overheat and ultimately fail.  Dirty air filters can also cause your air conditioning ducts to get dirty which can turn into costly cleaning expenses.  A new filter is inexpensive and can save you money over time.

Benefits Your Family

The purpose of an air filter is to capture things like dust, allergens, mold, and even pet dander.  When it gets dirty from collecting these types of things and you forget to change your filter regularly, the air quality in your home takes a hit.  Poor air quality can aggravate allergies or even bring on an asthma attack. This means that changing your air filter has health benefits as well.

Benefits Your Wallet 

Did you know that a dirty air filter can increase your energy costs by 35%?  This happens because dirty air filters make your unit work harder and run longer to maintain the proper temperature.  A clean air filter prolongs the life of the unit by keeping harmful particles from the blower motor and coil.  Replacing a blower motor can cost you $200 or more to replace!

Life gets busy and it’s easy to forget about all the little maintenance projects that come with your home or business.  If it helps, set yourself a reminder on your phone or through your e-mail so you can avoid any issues that come with a clogged air filter.  The benefits really add up!

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About Glacial Energy: Glacial Energy is one of the fastest growing national retail energy suppliers selling electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in deregulated markets across the country. Glacial Energy has the resources and market knowledge to provide customized quotes for your business or cost-saving opportunities for your home. Learn more about Glacial Energy by visiting: www.GlacialEnergy.com.

Do Renters Use More Energy?

Why would anyone buy inefficient appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, and dryers?  There are several possible answers to this question but today, we’re exploring one of them: They are not buying these appliances for themselves.  Landlords rent out their property to a tenant and, in most cases; the tenant is responsible for the energy bill.  Having inefficient appliances is just one factor that could be affecting a tenant’s rising energy costs.

According to research done by the University of California, Berkeley, an owner-occupied dwelling is far more likely to have ENERGY STAR rated appliances than a rental unit is.  In their study, they discovered that 45 percent of owner-occupied dwellings have a washing machine that is ENERGY STAR rated versus only 17 percent of tenant-occupied dwellings.  What’s the big deal about ENERGY STAR rated appliances?  Well, they use approximately 10-30 percent less energy, which can result in energy bill savings.

The results of this research would seem to argue that the Energy Department should ban appliances that are the least efficient instead of awarding their seal of approval to those that are the most efficient.  Since that won’t be happening any time soon, it’s in the best interest of the tenant to do their research before deciding on a place to rent.  Maybe a “must have” on the tenant’s checklist should be that the unit has ENERGY STAR rated appliances.  When deciding on where to live, it’s about so much more than location, location, location these days.

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About Glacial Energy: Glacial Energy is one of the fastest growing national retail energy suppliers selling electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in deregulated markets across the country. Glacial Energy has the resources and market knowledge to provide customized quotes for your business or cost-saving opportunities for your home. Learn more about Glacial Energy by visiting: www.GlacialEnergy.com.