energy savings Archives

How is Your Local Grocery Store Saving Energy?

Posted on August 9, 2016 at 8:17 pm.

Companies everywhere are taking the initiative to “go green” and adopt better practices to save energy and benefit the environment – even your local grocery chain. Check out these chains and their plans to be more conscious about conserving energy and preserving natural habitats.

Publix

Publix Food and Pharmacy has devised a plan to focus on energy conservation, reduce waste, recycle, and conserve water. Beginning at the root with the chain’s associates, Publix is encouraging all employees to create environmentally responsible habits both at work and at home.

Publix has saved over one billion kilowatt hours, which is equal to 760,000 tons of greenhouse gas through lighting and refrigeration improvements. Companywide, Publix has reduced electricity usage by 9.6 percent. The chain is also working with Florida Solar Energy Center to introduce photovoltaic systems into retail operations.

Kroger

In an attempt to make more environmentally safe decisions, Kroger has committed to minimizing waste at all of its locations.

Many of its newer stores are developed with multiple energy-efficient features. They’ve implemented LED lighting, variable speed drives, anti-sweat heat control, and distributed refrigeration systems. They have also taken on the “zero waste” initiative through recycling, donating to food banks, and reducing packaging. Kroger also saved 16 million gallons of water in 2015 with water conservation techniques such as recirculation.

Harris Teeter

Harris Teeter prides itself on “balancing business practices with its environmental responsibilities”. The chain also encourages its suppliers to explore the benefits and eventually incorporate “green” practices as well.

As a part of the GreenChill program, they have implemented the use of environmentally friendly refrigerators. Not only does this conserve energy, but it saves the chain money as well. Harris Teeter’s produce bags are 100 percent biodegradable and the paper grocery bags are produced from 100 percent recycled paper as a part of their paper reduction and anti-waste plan.

Walmart

Walmart, one of the largest grocery/retail stores in America, has committed to multiple programs that promote preserving the environment.

With the Zero-Waste-to-Landfill program, 81 percent of the materials are being diverted from landfills. Walmart has also committed to finding cleaner and more affordable energy for all of its locations. Not only has the company itself taken on more responsibilities to “go green”, but they have also helped their suppliers make more environmentally conscious decisions so that customers can trust in the brands they sell.

While these are only a handful of the grocery stores making efforts to “go green”, many stores across the country and around the world have begun programs to become more environmentally friendly. Take a look around your local grocery store: what have they done to conserve energy and reduce waste? Think of ways you can become a part of their program and take the pledge to become environmentally responsible and “go green” as well!

Save Energy and Enjoy the Tiny House Lifestyle

Posted on October 30, 2015 at 2:41 pm.

Written by David Smith

There’s a whole “tiny house” movement in the U.S. that’s appealing for a number of reasons. Tiny homes offer a minimal lifestyle that is often more environmentally friendly than average homes. They also give homeowners greater financial and physical flexibility, allowing them to live the life they choose. Learn more below about tiny home benefits and their energy-saving potential.

Energy Savings

One of the most compelling advantages of a tiny home is that it significantly lowers your carbon footprint. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, homes contribute to 6% of America’s greenhouse gas emissions through fuel consumption and electricity. Since most tiny houses are only 400 square feet at their largest — as opposed to the average American’s house of about 2,300 square feet — they obviously have less space to heat and cool.

The American Institute of Architects found that tiny homes use only 7% of the fuel and electricity average-sized houses utilize.

A Stepping Stone to Financial Freedom

While conserving energy is top of mind these days as a way to protect our natural environment and stop global warming, there are other very real benefits to downsizing. According to a 2021 report, 20% of American homeowners’ annual spending goes toward housing payments, property taxes, and other home expenses. Another recent report revealed that 125 million Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

The tiny house movement says that you don’t need to live your life saddled with a mortgage payment. Instead, you can use that money to travel or enjoy other adventures.

Taking Your Home Cross-Country

Speaking of traveling, that’s another benefit of a tiny house — you can literally put it on wheels and take it with you. With all your belongings in one building that can easily hitch to a truck, you can change your lifestyle to finally make your sightseeing dreams come true. Whether you want to spend summer on the Great Lakes and winter in sunny L.A. or want the option to take a tour of your favorite national parks, a tiny home lets you travel more often.

Choosing Experiences Over Stuff

A cornerstone of the tiny house movement is the idea that when you clear the clutter from your life, you can focus on what makes you happy. Financial freedom means you have more time to do what you want, and when in a tiny house, it goes without saying that you’ll spend a whole lot less time doing chores. You’ll have to decide which items are worth storing in your limited space, but it can be freeing to declutter and minimize your home.

Higher Quality of Life

Many of the changes that come with a tiny home contribute to feelings of freedom, like donating unused items, buying less and living a more travel-friendly life. Flexibility is one of the most significant tiny home benefits. Many people feel like a tiny home lets them live the life they want. To learn more, check out this video where tiny house owners talk about what living in a tiny house means to them.

How to Make Your Tiny Home Energy-Efficient

One of the greatest benefits of a tiny home is its energy savings. The ability to consume less power and produce less waste makes these homes popular. Many owners of tiny houses choose solar panels, composting toilets and other options for sustainable living. Reducing energy costs is a significant part of creating a greener lifestyle. Here are a few more energy-saving tips for tiny homes:

Install a programmable thermostat: Electric heating and cooling are popular for tiny houses. You can reduce wasted energy and save money by programming your thermostat to adjust automatically at certain times.
Insulate sufficiently: Poor insulation can cost a homeowner $200 to $400 a year. Cracks in windows, drafts and outdated heating and cooling systems create an uncomfortable home and a larger energy bill. Insulating can save a significant amount of money over time.
Use LED bulbs: Compared to incandescent lights, LED bulbs have a longer life span and use around 75% less energy. You can save money by switching to more efficient LED bulbs.
Upgrade to Energy Star appliances: Energy Star appliances are an investment in your tiny home’s long-term energy efficiency. In 2019 alone, Americans saved $39 billion in energy costs by using Energy Star products.
Apply window film: Sun streaming into your windows can increase energy costs by heating your home’s interior and causing your AC to work harder. Purchasing window film for tiny homes is a simple solution, as it can reflect and absorb up to 86% of the sun’s heat.

Purchase Madico^®, Inc. Window Film for Tiny Homes

When looking into tiny home energy savings, consider Madico window film to reduce glare and decrease your energy costs. Our window film can block up to 99% of UV light from sun rays entering your windows. In a tiny house, a small change like applying window film can add up to big savings.

If you are interested in increasing your home’s comfort using window film, contact us today or find a window film dealer who will help you find the right film for your tiny home.

4 Trends in Energy Efficiency

Posted on June 12, 2015 at 12:43 pm.

Written by David Smith

When it comes to energy efficiency, there are numerous terms that are constantly being thrown around. You might have heard a term before but your’e not quite sure what it means exactly, and sometimes you’re left scratching your head in confusion. Here are four popular energy efficient trends explained.

Going Green

The phrase “Going green,” often associated with environmentalism, dates back to the publication of The Maine Woods by Henry David Thoreau written in the 19th century. The phrase has been gaining popularity in recent years and has become a movement to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle that helps protect the environment and its resources. The end result is not only benefiting the environment, but also benefiting your wallet.

Triple Bottom Line

The Triple Bottom Line (3BL) is essentially the highest form of “going green” for businesses. It factors in three components to a company’s bottom line (net income) – people, planet, and profit – hence Triple Bottom Line. This concept suggests that a company conducting fair business and practicing energy efficiency will experience additional economic value to the total net income. Below is an explanation of each element:

People: focusing on doing honest and favorable business for both employees and customers
Planet: practicing sustainability, limiting resource consumption, and reducing negative environmental and community impact
Profit: instilling people and planet into a company strategy will lead to an economic value adding to your total profits

Renewable Energy

Most of you have heard the term “renewable energy,” but it is gaining serious recognition as more companies, states, and even nations, are trying to further their efforts of becoming more energy efficient. Denmark is currently on a mission to get the entire country to be energy efficient by 2050. The Danes plan on accomplishing this by primarily using renewable power and ending the burning of fossil fuels indefinitely. Already off to a great start, Denmark expects to have 50% of its energy supply coming from renewable power in 2020!

Home Appliances Implementing Technology

Technology is constantly evolving and has been a huge enabler of promoting energy efficiency. You can now reduce your electric bill with updated household appliances that lower energy consumption. Programmable thermostats reduce your energy use and can even be linked to an app on your smartphone. There are also apps that help you calculate your electricity usage. As technology advances, more companies are communicating digitally, increasing the ease of transitioning to a more energy-efficient lifestyle.