Aerodynamic Drag Force: Laminar Flow & Turbulent Flow

One of the most important aerodynamic effects on energy consumption required to keep a body moving through a fluid is the aerodynamic drag force. The drag must be overcome by the thrust of a propulsion mechanism, which in turn is consuming energy. Everything else being equal, the higher the drag, the more energy is consumed. Therefore, for energy efficiency, bodies moving through a fluid should be low drag bodies. To understand how to obtain low drag, we have to first understand the nature of drag, and what really causes it. (more…)

Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation: Safety Precautions To Insulate Home

Formaldehyde is an essential chemical substance made use of widely by manufacturers’ of building and construction materials and household/residence products. It’s also a by-product of coal combustion as well as specific other organic and natural processes. Formaldehyde is available in substantially large levels of concentrations either inside or outside. Formaldehyde vapors tend to be odorless unless of course in higher concentrations. (more…)

Insulation Regulations: Know Your Local Regulation Before Installing Insulation

There are many efforts to make building more comfortable and to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from buildings. For many years we tried to increase wall thickness of the wall insulation and roof insulation and adding the bottom insulation.

This seems logical, but I recently attended a seminar in where a speaker tried to make a comparison of as opposed to two major areas of new construction. These building were build year apart and built insulation levels in the store later far exceeded the first branch. Although the shops were of similar size, has a similar level of glass and skylights, the shop recently built, although it improved R-values (please refer to insulation R-Value chart), 43% costs warmer than the last. (more…)

Energy Labels And Standards - Minimum Energy Performance Standards

Energy Labels
Energy labeling is a policy tool that informs consumers about the energy performance of appliances and thereby encourages them to purchase appliances that provide the services they need with less energy consumption. In providing information to consumers about equipment energy consumption and operating costs that would otherwise be invisible or unavailable, energy labeling enables consumers to make more balanced and rational purchasing decisions. Energy labels can also help consumers to identify the most efficient products on the market. In effect, energy labeling attempts to provide a market ‘‘pull’’ for more energy-efficient products while simultaneously presenting information that might discourage the purchase of less efficient products. (more…)

When To Use Energy Labels or MEPS (Minimum Energy Performance Standards)

Energy Labels
It is important to remember that labeling and MEPS programs aim to influence the selection of products by consumers at the point of sale by making higher efficiency units more attractive (through labeling) or by making less efficient ones unavailable (through MEPS). Labeling or MEPS cannot be expected to have any significant ongoing influence on consumers’ use of products once they have been purchased and installed. (more…)

Energy Endorsement Labels: Dial Label, Bar Label, Linear Label

Energy Labels
Endorsement labels indicate that the products carrying the labels belong to the ‘‘most energy-efficient’’ class of products or meet a predetermined standard or eligibility criteria. These labels generally consist of a logo or mark that indicates the products have met the standard and generally contains little or no comparative energy efficiency information (although this may be available through lists of endorsed products). These labels merely inform consumers that the products meet the required standard. Criteria for some schemes are updated on a regular basis; therefore, these labels may carry the year of qualification. Endorsement labeling programs are mostly of a voluntary nature. (more…)

Information Programs To Increase & Improve Fuel Economy

A variety of information programs exist in the major automobile markets to assist potential purchasers of new cars in comparing fuel economy characteristics (and other attributes) among competing vehicles. However, there is no evidence that the existence of such systems plays a significant role in consumer choice of vehicles. For example, in 1995, the light duty fleets in the two European countries with fuel economy labeling systems (Sweden and the United Kingdom) were the least efficient in Europe (according to International Energy Agency data). (more…)

Cost-Benefit Analysis Applied to Energy

Cost–benefit analysis (CBA), also known as benefit–cost analysis, is rooted in applied welfare economics. It is a way of organizing and analyzing data as an aid to thinking. It provides a set of procedures for comparing benefits and costs and is traditionally associated with government intervention and with the evaluation of government action and government projects. The underlying rationale for CBA is rational choice; that is, a rational agent will weigh the costs and benefits of any proposed activity and will only undertake the activity if the benefits exceed the costs. (more…)

How to Waste Energy in Daily Live – Top Ten List

Global warming, CO2 emissions, deforestation and loss of biodiversity on the planet are just side effects of our carbon footprint. Like hundreds of organizations to develop initiatives to reduce the effects of human energy consumption, others have simply chosen to ignore the movement. If you want to help Mother Earth, there are ten top list ways to waste of energy that you can avoid: (more…)

Measuring Energy Performance for Residential and Commercial Buildings

Interest in rating the real-life energy performance of buildings has increased in recent years, and the real life efficiency performance rating of buildings is important for any sustainable energy future. (more…)

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