Rechargeable Batteries

Rechargeable batteries can be a green home's best friend. However, when they are not properly cared for, they can run out of charge quickly, frustrating the owner and quickly losing the convenience factor. Green is only a good idea when it works well, so we'd like to offer a few tips to prolong the life of your rechargeable batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries  have a higher energy density and lower self discharge rate than other types of rechargeable batteries. In other words, they hold more energy for a longer amount of time than other rechargeable batteries. Lithium-ion is the most common battery for cell phones, personal computers and apple laptop batteries.

To prolong the life of lithium-ion batteries, we have a few simple guidelines:

• The first guideline is to make sure the battery is fully charged the first time you use it. Wait for the battery indicator to reach full charge. 
• Let the battery run down before recharging it. Batteries need to be cycled a few times in order to be properly conditioned to run at capacity. 
• Use the battery. In other words, even if you're by an outlet, unplug the power source to allow your battery to run your device instead of keeping it in a constant state of charging, which will reduce the life cycle of the battery. 
• Do not expose your battery to extremes in temperature. High heat will cause the battery to drain faster, cold will not allow it to generate as much energy. 
• If you are not using your device for an extended period of time, remove the battery before storing it so the maintenance functions (such as date and time keeping) do not discharge the battery. 

When a rechargeable battery needs to be replaced, they must be disposed of properly, they cannot be thrown out with regular trash. Search Earth911 for proper disposal sites.

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Pass it Along Green

Our Daily Green recently received an upgraded programmable thermostat from our local utility company. It was part of a local state initiative toward energy savings and efficiency. We had an older programmable thermostat. There is nothing wrong with it and we would like to offer it to one of our readers for free. To qualify, simply add a comment to this page about a way you conserve energy in your home. In the spirit of reusing and wasting nothing, we would like to pass this thermostat along.

A programmable thermostat is one of the simplest investments you can make to regular your energy usage. It will automatically raise or lower your temperature based on the time of day. You can lower it at night, when you're at work, or hold it steady at a lower temperature when you're away.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

The average household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills - nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling. Homeowners can save about $180 a year by properly setting their programmable thermostats and maintaining those settings.

A few minutes of simple programming can give a homeowner peace of mind as well as savings in the bank. We are offering our Honeywell CT3200. It is a discontinued model, but it works perfectly fine. The owner's manual is available online: HERE.

Residential Energy Auditors

There is a saying, "The only thing you have to do in life is die and pay taxes". Our Daily Green would like to put an addendum on that saying, "And pay utility bills". Growing up, my father would frequently point out the unnecessary lights on in the house, tell us to shut the refrigerator, and turn off the television if nobody was in the room... he was our personal home energy audit. Since Papa Green cannot come and live with every one of our readers, there is a simpler solution available.

There are companies that will audit a home or business and determine the areas that they can save energy and therefore money. Their expertise will help the homeowner in a myriad of ways, from something as basic as finding good  insulation contractors  to considering  solar thermal system installation. The range of ways to save money by going green is tremendous and there are opportunities abound.

For example, a poorly insulated home can lose as much as 25% of its heating and cooling dollars through cracks, leaks and gaps throughout the home. Another area of tremendous energy usage is the hot water tank. There are now are solar water heaters available which generate enough power to heat water for free.

There are many options to reducing the home utility bills and a good energy audit will work with the homeowner to navigate the rebates, Energy Star contractors  and any additional tax savings available.

Our Daily Green has been compensated for this post. To learn more about sponsoring a post on this blog, please Click Here.