Monday, February 25, 2008
My Partners in Crime...
I have the opportunity to work with many great people all over the state and the country, but when I tell you that the Louisiana Member Services group is the best group I'm not kidding you. They remind me of an old Pi Sig saying..."Work hard, play harder!" They are truely marketing people. They are also the group of people I get to spend my birthday with every year...they always make my birthday special and we always party like rock stars. I love these people! These are pictures of us working the Police Jury Convention last Friday.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Up on the Roof
February Article:
Roofs are perhaps one of the most important components of an energy-efficient building. Unfortunately, compared to items like doors, windows, and lighting, roofs are generally much less durable and much less energy efficient.
Over the lifetime of a building, a roof needs to be replaced an average of four times. More than 75 percent of the roofing work in the United States involves reroofing, and roofing materials are the second-largest contributor to solid waste in the United States.
Energy-efficient roof technologies are fairly straightforward. Manufacturers have developed lighter-colored shingles and tiles, usually containing a coating of titanium dioxide, since they absorb less heat than a typical asphalt shingle and can last twice as long. Since lighter surfaces are easily discolored by fungus, a fungicide coating normally gets added. Many of the new roof coatings are even self-cleaning to retain reflectivity properties and reduce air conditioning requirements.
Lighter-colored roofs are slightly more expensive. However, the small cost difference–$25 for a 1,000-square-foot roof–will easily pay for itself in one summer.
Roof overhangs are another way to trim summer cooling bills. For many homes and businesses in warmer climates, overhangs reduce solar heat gain and interior temperatures. They can also be designed to let direct sunlight into a living space during winter, but keep things shaded in summer.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy www.eere.energy.gov
Roofs are perhaps one of the most important components of an energy-efficient building. Unfortunately, compared to items like doors, windows, and lighting, roofs are generally much less durable and much less energy efficient.
Over the lifetime of a building, a roof needs to be replaced an average of four times. More than 75 percent of the roofing work in the United States involves reroofing, and roofing materials are the second-largest contributor to solid waste in the United States.
Energy-efficient roof technologies are fairly straightforward. Manufacturers have developed lighter-colored shingles and tiles, usually containing a coating of titanium dioxide, since they absorb less heat than a typical asphalt shingle and can last twice as long. Since lighter surfaces are easily discolored by fungus, a fungicide coating normally gets added. Many of the new roof coatings are even self-cleaning to retain reflectivity properties and reduce air conditioning requirements.
Lighter-colored roofs are slightly more expensive. However, the small cost difference–$25 for a 1,000-square-foot roof–will easily pay for itself in one summer.
Roof overhangs are another way to trim summer cooling bills. For many homes and businesses in warmer climates, overhangs reduce solar heat gain and interior temperatures. They can also be designed to let direct sunlight into a living space during winter, but keep things shaded in summer.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy www.eere.energy.gov
Have You Broken Your New Year’s Resolution Already?
January Article:
If so, it is not too late to make a new one. According to a recent survey, 49 percent of all Americans will make a green New Year's resolution for 2008. Pointe Coupee Electric Membership Corporation is offering tips to help homeowners keep their green resolutions. Making a green resolution is easy since it can yield tremendous benefits, such as reducing energy consumption, saving money and helping the environment. However, like any New Year's resolution, keeping that commitment to energy efficiency can be a little harder, so I wanted to offer these quick and easy tips to help homeowners.
To help you get going, I am challenging you to start the "seven days of saving challenge" -- quick and easy tips consumers can adopt each day to make their home more energy-efficient and reduce their carbon footprint:
Change your light bulbs: Year-around, lighting can account for as much as 25 percent of a home's electrical use. Simply replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights that use up to 75 percent less energy. Imagine if every American home replaced their five most frequently used light fixtures or bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified models. The estimated savings would amount to nearly $8 billion dollars a year -- greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars!
Upgrade to ENERGYSTAR appliances: ENERGYSTAR labeled products can cut your energy bills by up to 30 percent when you're ready to replace your heating and cooling systems -- as well as appliances, lighting, windows, office equipment, and home electronics. Consider investing in new appliances if your budget allows since you should see immediate energy savings. Use the dishwasher more: One load of dishes cleaned in a dishwasher requires 37 percent less water than washing dishes by hand. However, if you fill the wash and rinse basins instead of letting the water run, you'll use half as much water as a dishwasher.
Unplug the charger on your cell phone: When portable devices such as a Blackberry(TM), cell phone, or iPod(TM) are finished charging, disconnect the device and unplug the charger. Even if the device isn't connected, energy continues to seep out through the charger itself.
Purchase a Rug in the season's newest color -- Green. A rug is not only a decorator's must have, but it also helps insulate your floors and cut down on the noise too.
Let the sunshine in. Open the drapes or blinds on sunny days and bask in the 'free' heat. Keep those south-facing windows squeaky clean to let the light through. Remember to close the drapes or blinds when the sun sets.
Renewable energy does not only include solar panels and windmills on your home. Start thinking about what is right for you and your family.
Take the pledge to change even one incandescent light bulb in your house to a CFL bulb. You are guaranteed to achieve savings in energy consumption, and reduce your energy costs.
Source: http://www.directenergy.com/ or energystar.gov.
If so, it is not too late to make a new one. According to a recent survey, 49 percent of all Americans will make a green New Year's resolution for 2008. Pointe Coupee Electric Membership Corporation is offering tips to help homeowners keep their green resolutions. Making a green resolution is easy since it can yield tremendous benefits, such as reducing energy consumption, saving money and helping the environment. However, like any New Year's resolution, keeping that commitment to energy efficiency can be a little harder, so I wanted to offer these quick and easy tips to help homeowners.
To help you get going, I am challenging you to start the "seven days of saving challenge" -- quick and easy tips consumers can adopt each day to make their home more energy-efficient and reduce their carbon footprint:
Change your light bulbs: Year-around, lighting can account for as much as 25 percent of a home's electrical use. Simply replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights that use up to 75 percent less energy. Imagine if every American home replaced their five most frequently used light fixtures or bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified models. The estimated savings would amount to nearly $8 billion dollars a year -- greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars!
Upgrade to ENERGYSTAR appliances: ENERGYSTAR labeled products can cut your energy bills by up to 30 percent when you're ready to replace your heating and cooling systems -- as well as appliances, lighting, windows, office equipment, and home electronics. Consider investing in new appliances if your budget allows since you should see immediate energy savings. Use the dishwasher more: One load of dishes cleaned in a dishwasher requires 37 percent less water than washing dishes by hand. However, if you fill the wash and rinse basins instead of letting the water run, you'll use half as much water as a dishwasher.
Unplug the charger on your cell phone: When portable devices such as a Blackberry(TM), cell phone, or iPod(TM) are finished charging, disconnect the device and unplug the charger. Even if the device isn't connected, energy continues to seep out through the charger itself.
Purchase a Rug in the season's newest color -- Green. A rug is not only a decorator's must have, but it also helps insulate your floors and cut down on the noise too.
Let the sunshine in. Open the drapes or blinds on sunny days and bask in the 'free' heat. Keep those south-facing windows squeaky clean to let the light through. Remember to close the drapes or blinds when the sun sets.
Renewable energy does not only include solar panels and windmills on your home. Start thinking about what is right for you and your family.
Take the pledge to change even one incandescent light bulb in your house to a CFL bulb. You are guaranteed to achieve savings in energy consumption, and reduce your energy costs.
Source: http://www.directenergy.com/ or energystar.gov.
I can save you some money...
Most of you know that I publish a monthly column in the local news paper on energy efficiency. I have been doing these columns for 3 years or since I started working at Pointe Coupee Electric. You can find every single column I have written on our website at www.pcemc.org. However, I have decided to start publishing them on my blog as well. Hope you enjoy them and get some money saving tips from them.
So what's the hold up?
I know I promised Mardi Gras pics. Plus there have been other photos that I wanted to post, but unfortunately I had to send my brand new computer back to the manufacture. So I'm using my office computer right now. I bought myself a laptop for Christmas. About 2 weeks after I purchased it I was typing when the B key flew off. I took the computer to Best Buy thinking the Geek Squad could fix it no problem. Well the told me they couldn't and I would have to ship it back to the manufacture. So I decided I was not going to bother with that until we were caught up at work because we had our Annual Meeting to prep for the entire month of January then we went straight into our Youth Tour judging. So last week was my first chance to get caught up and I decided to take care of my computer issues. Hopefully I will have it back by next week. So now you know why there has been a hold up on postings. Not that I am the most efficient when it comes to posting anyway! lol
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day!
Just a little note to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day! I refuse to rank my Valentine gifts because that will only get me in trouble and I have to say everyone did really well! I love my gifts. Many thanks to those of you who sent me a valentine...you're the best. But my godchild wrote on his card "You're the best Nannie a guy could have!" Awh!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)