Cooperative Living July 2015 - 28
WI$E ENERGY U$E by James Dulley, Contributing Columnist
STAY
COMFORTABLE
WITH LESS A/C
Q.
My family is
trying to use
less air conditioning
this summer to
save electricity. Do you
have any good tips for
us so that we are not
terribly uncomfortable
in our home? - Ron H.
A.
There are quite a few free,
low-cost improvements and
simple lifestyle changes you
can make to reduce the
amount of air conditioning needed.
However, it's important to keep in mind
that initially your family will likely be a
bit less comfortable but should become
accustomed to the changes quickly.
The simplest method to run the air
conditioner less is to set your thermostat
a few degrees higher. The savings
should be from 1 to 3 percent for each
degree you raise it. This lessens the
amount of outdoor heat that transfers
into your home, which your air conditioner
has to remove.
There is a limit to how high you can
This ceiling paddle fan
creates a comfortable breeze.
It also includes heating
elements and a thermostat
for winter heating.
26
raise your thermostat without becoming
too uncomfortable ― and instigating a
rebellion by your family. Other methods
to minimize air conditioning are to
reduce the amount of heat that leaks
into your home, reduce the amount of
heat generated inside your house, control
humidity levels, increase indoor air
movement and use natural ventilation
when possible.
Avoid sitting near a sun-exposed wall
or window during sunny afternoons.
Wall insulation is effective for blocking
conductive heat gain, but not for radiant
heat. When the outside wall gets hot in
the sun, particularly a brick or masonry
wall, the radiant heat comes right
through the wall to your skin. It can
make you feel a couple degrees warmer
than the actual room air temperature.
Window and door awnings can be helpful
in blocking direct sunlight.
Cooperative Living/July 2015
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES DULLEY
Cooperative Living July 2015
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living July 2015
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 1
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 2
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 3
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 4
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 5
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 6
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 7
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 8
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 9
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 10
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 11
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 12
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 13
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 14
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 15
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 16
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 17
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 18
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 19
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 20
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 21
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 22
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 23
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 24
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 25
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 26
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 27
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 28
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 29
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 30
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 31
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 32
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 33
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 34
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 35
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 36
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 37
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 38
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 39
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 40
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 41
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 42
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 43
Cooperative Living July 2015 - 44
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-september-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cooperative-living-july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CL-May2024/cooperativelivingmay2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/CooperativeLiving-June2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cooperativelivingmay2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-january-february2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-november-december2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-october2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-september2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-august2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-july2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-june2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-may2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-april2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-march2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-january-february2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-november-december2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-october2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-september2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-august2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-july2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-june2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-may2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-april2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-march2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-january-february2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-november-december2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-october2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-september2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-august2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-july2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-june2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-may2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-march-april2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-february2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-january2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-november-december2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-october2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-september2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-august2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-july2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-june2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-may2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-march-april2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-february2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-january2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-november-december2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-october2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-september2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-august2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-july2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-june2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-may2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-march-april2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-february2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-january2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-november-december2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-october2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-september2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-august2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-july2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-june2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-may2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-march-april2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-february2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-january2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-november-december2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-october2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-september2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-august2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-july2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-june2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-may2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-march-april2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-february2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-january2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-november-december2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-october2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-september2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-august2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-july2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-june2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-may2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-march-april2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-february2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-january2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-november-december2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-october2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-september2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-august2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-july2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-june2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-may2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-march-april2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-february2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-january2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-november-december2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-october2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-september2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-august2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-july2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-june2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-may2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-march-april2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-february2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/vmdaec/CooperativeLiving/cl-january2014
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com