Walt Decherd Blog

Petroleum Conservation

Walt Decherd Petroleum Conservation By Shekhoo Raja

Endless desert if lies ahead and a blazingly hot sun, glares atop one’s head, then a man lost amidst the dunes should and really must value each drop contained in his bottle. For if the last drop ends before the desert does, the man will be in serious trouble.

However irrelevant the above paragraph may seem, its accurately relevant to the scenario that our world faces today. Replace the water with petroleum, the bottle with our oil wells, the man with the global economy and the desert with its sole dependence on petroleum as source of energy and voila, we will have the seriousness of the situation perfectly laid out. Wells of oil and gas are ceaselessly churning out greater amounts of petroleum from under the ground every year. WAIT!

Greater amounts every year? But why?

That’s a simple question with an even simpler answer. The amount of petroleum being sucked out of earth is getting bigger because we are demanding for it. Its getting bigger because, I buy my son a bike to ride to school on, because my wife needs a car to go to the neighborhood grocery store and because I need a 3000 cc SUV to go to my office which happens to be 3 km from my home. And also because I won’t turn off my SUV’s engine at crossings as I am rich enough to find it ‘uncool’.

And so as ‘I’, who can easily afford to buy fuel have taken it for granted and am using it in the most inefficient manner, am demanding for more of it. This ‘I’ isn’t just me or us. ‘I’ stands for every person around the globe who has got used to living with fuel and burning it to get energy. But its high time that ‘I’ must realize that the water in my bottle will not last long enough, if its not valued with the seriousness that it deserves. And ‘I’ who has learnt to live with fuel must learn to live with its conservation too.

But this doesn’t mean that we stop using petroleum products all together. Our economy is dependent on it so much, that it is impossible to do that. And thus comes to light the importance of ways of using this fuel ‘Efficiently’. This word efficiently means that we do the maximum amount of work, using the least amount of energy. Leading organization around the world have put their best brains to the task of bring efficiency into all phases of their work. Manufacturers of automobiles, computers, kitchen appliances, industrial equipments and every other product that uses fuel or power, are looking at making their products more energy efficient. And so as citizens of the world, even we must contribute.

So, apart from I selling my SUV to buy a 600 cc fuel efficient car, my wife walking to the grocery store and my son using the public transport, there are several other ways by which we can conserve petroleum. We should make our selves aware of them and make them a way of life.

A study sponsored by PCRA itself shows that vehicles at halt on traffic lights, waste as much as Rs.994 crore worth or petroleum products every year. Even if your vehicle is poorly maintained, you are contributing to the loss of fuel worth in excess of Rs. 5000 crore all over the country, including both commercial and non-commercial users. Approximately 75% of the total LPG used in the country is used for domestic purposes. Studies suggest that if we use LPG at our homes with care, we can save upto 8-10%. For instance, cooking in utensils with lid closed, using gas on simmer mode for cooking(which uses only 3/4th amount of gas as compared to high mode) etc. In addition to LPG, other fuels like kerosene are also used at home, for which standard equipments should be used. Use of below-standard equipments, results in high consumption.

And why only petroleum, even electricity which is supplied at our homes is generated from fuels like gas, diesel and coal. A study in UK suggests that if every house uses 3 CFLs, it saves enough electricity to power streetlights of their country for 1 year. Apart from CFLs, air-conditioners, microwave-ovens, heaters, geysers etc should be purchased, keeping their power ratings in mind. TV consumes 25% of its power required, when on stand by and so do many other appliances, which should be switched off when not in use. A unit of electricity saved is roughly equal to 3 units of electricity produced. Moreover, 1 unit of electricity produced, leads to 943 gm of carbon emission.

Industries are major users of petroleum, using approximately 40% of the total commercial energy used in the country. Thus conservation initiatives by the industries, aided and enforced by the government save energy on a large scale. Especially small and medium scale industries, which use out dated machinery, have high energy consumption as compared to their production. Commercial buildings like Malls and offices, use around 33 billion units of energy per annum. Proper power management and use of higher efficiency equipments can save up to 5% of this energy.

But this is only one side of the story. As I said earlier, we are lost in a desert, the desert being our sole dependence on petroleum as a source of energy. So it is impertinent to find a way out.

Community Energy Conservation – Find Ways to Help Conserve Energy in Your Community

Walt Decherd Help To Conserve Energy By Wendy Pan

Community energy conservation efforts can go a long way with short changes to make a big difference. Community leaders can truly lead the way, by hosting public events that encourage residents to follow energy conservation practices. Local ordinances can be formed or rewritten to encourage conservation of local public resources, and provide avenues for residents to participate in resource conservation, recycling, and reuse of materials.

Local communities are working together to provide recycling centers for public use. They can revise building codes to promote environmentally sustainable technology so that new buildings and remodels are made into healthy buildings. Efforts can be made to avoid excess duplication, by not allowing strip malls on every corner that cover land and add to urban sprawl, through zoning laws that are more environmentally friendly than builder friendly.

As population spreads, so does the impact of pollution and the potential for permanent damage. Local communities can work together to protect the environment and indigenous species from this overload and damage. Mass transit systems can be improved and brought out to their remote communities. Car pooling parking lots can be zoned into land management and car pooling encouraged. Zoning can be planned for maximum use in minimum areas to preserve the landscape, and parks are wonderful additions for local residents. Renewable and recyclable building materials can be encouraged. How land is developed, and built up, has major impact upon local resources and natural habitats. Careful planning can help offset the impact and promote conservation efforts.

By providing local resources, local farm markets, and local recreation sites, overall energy consumption is reduced, and local businesses profit. Even utilities can be managed locally, with some communities being built with a target of zero energy cost, using solar and wind power systems for the entire area. Lighting in buildings and on streets can be refitted to be efficient, solar powered, and otherwise conservative of energy resources. In high population areas, parks help relive the urban heat island problem, as well as be available for local recreation and open spaces.

Community energy conservation needs to increase awareness of the eco-system, and promote new advances in conservation techniques and materials, so they get used. Small changes by all can lead to big results for conservation of natural resources like water, electric and natural gas. Businesses can encourage employees to follow conservative practices at work as well as at home, like turning off unneeded lighting, and powering down machinery and computers when not working with them.

Towns and cities can actively solicit land donations for park spaces. They can hold public events and competitions, conservation events, and work with local remodeling businesses to provide public access to new conservation ideas and projects for residential conservation. Community energy conservation programs can be implemented and publicized to help with residential and low-income improvements with the aim of reducing energy bills.

Energy Conservation Tips – Essentials of a Homemade Solar Panel

Walt Decherd About Solar Energy Sources By Dan Kudo

One important energy conservation tip is use of homemade solar panels to generate a clean, renewable, ecologically-friendly alternative energy source power household appliances. If you are interested in reducing dependence on fossil fuels while reducing your electricity costs this article can get you started on the path to a “greener” home.

Why solar panels? With the ever-present threat of Global Warming looming over our heads, clean and renewable energy is an appealing alternative to electricity generated from fossil fuels. Solar energy can reduce the monthly cost of electricity. It is a technology amenable to DIY projects.

Solar panels harness the power of sunlight to generate electricity through the use of photovoltaic (PV) cells. If money is no object, a contractor can be hired to obtain and install a solar system for you. For those of us in the “other” category, there are other less expensive options. These include purchasing solar panel kits, refurbishing used solar panels, and the ultimate DIY of making panels from component parts. Solar panels can create a more self-sufficient household, which meets all or a large portion of household electrical energy needs. The ideal scenario would have the electricity generated exceed the household needs permitting electricity to be sold back to the Grid.

Although the there are other component required for more complex systems, the basic elements of a homemade solar panel system include:
-Solar panel(s)
-Charge controller
-Battery
-Inverter

Solar panel – The fundamental and essential component of a solar energy system is the solar panel or panels, consisting of a series of PV cells, which are combined to generate an electrical current usable in real time. In the solar panel, PV cells are linked together to generate an electrical current which is the sum of the currents produced by each cell. The serious DIY can obtain PV cells, attach them to a plywood board, wire them together, and cover them with glass for protection. Buying a kit can provide the “less handy” of us with an option which is still less than hiring a contractor but much less cumbersome since the part all contained in the kit.

Charge controller or regulator – This unit controls the charging of the battery so as to prevent overcharging. It also tracks the battery discharge status during the evening. By doing this, the charge regulator maximizes the life of each battery, thereby maximizing the efficiency of your solar energy system.

Battery – The electricity not immediately used is stored by a battery or series of batteries. Deep-cycle or marine batteries are preferable to automobile batteries because they are capable of storing all or virtually all of the electricity generated by the solar panels, thus minimizing waste.

Inverter – Virtually all of our electrical appliances utilize AC or Alternating Current, whereas the electricity generated and stored in our solar powered system is DC or Direct Current. Therefore, the Inverter is the key to converting DC current into AC, creating electricity to power everything from your lights to the refrigerator.

If a solar panel system is designed with the intent of generating enough electricity to “sell back” to the Grid, then the components will include the AC Breaker Panel, and a Kilowatt-per-Hour Indicator. The KW per Hour indicator, for example, is necessary to track how much current is provided to and from the grid to determine the charge or credit that appears on your monthly electric bill.

Energy Conservation – Some Simple Tips for a Comfortable, Affordable Winter

Walt Decherd Energy Conservation For Winters By Hans Dekker

The cold winter days and ice-storms are just around the corner. And we use about 50% of our energy to either heat or cool ourselves. Here are some simple tips to help you save some energy. Call it easy money or a donation to the environment. Either way, if you apply these tips both your pocket book and the environment will profit.

The cost of electricity and other energy is rising all the time. Fortunately, there are many things that can be done to cut down on your energy consumption. Saving energy is good for your pocketbook and also good for the environment.

Heating and cooling are the biggest energy costs in most households. If the house is poorly insulated, a lot of that warm and cool air will escape to the outside.

Heat rises, so most of the heat escapes through poorly insulated attics and ceilings. Similarly, cool air falls, so an uninsulated floor can waste a lot of energy. Poorly fitting doors and windows are also energy wasters.

Your best line of defense in keeping in warm and cool air is to insulate the walls, ceilings, and floors. This can be a major undertaking in an older house but many governments offer subsidies for this kind of renovation. And remember, the savings that you realize from insulating your house will increase with every hike in energy prices.

Of course, houses are not the only places where we waste energy. Cars and trucks are the number one consumers of gasoline and oil. Anything we can do to decrease our consumption of these fossil fuels will help.

For saving energy for transportation try joining a car pool to get to work or use public transportation. Many cities have special express lanes reserved for buses and cars with more than 3 passengers. Getting to work this way could be faster and more relaxing.

We often use our cars unnecessarily. Admit it, have you ever driven to the corner store when you could just have easily walked? Leave the car at home, walk or use a bicycle instead. It’s healthier and you will save money.