As energy costs continue to rise an easy way to cut back on monthly expenses is to save on your power bill.  It is actually quite easy to save at least 30% every month without affecting your normal routine.

Reduce your energy use

Here are several suggestions to get you well on your way to saving money and living well all while giving Mother Earth a break!

• Figure out how much energy you are currently using. TVA and NES have partnered to offer a “do-it-yourself” home energy audit.  Go online and fill out the audit and you’ll receive a free Energy Conservation Kit in the mail. From there, you can set goals to reduce your energy use. Its kind of like putting your house on a diet!

• Replace all the conventional lighting in your home with compact fluorescent (CF) bulbs. They cost more initially but use 65-75% less electricity than an incandescent bulb and last 8-15 times longer. Remember to properly recycle CF bulbs, as well as any other fluorescent bulb, as they contain trace amounts of mercury.
• Invest in a programmable thermostat or turn the AC off when you leave the house. Keep your thermostat set to no less than 78 degrees in the summer and no more than 72 degrees in the winter. If you are too hot, use a small fan near you instead of cooling the whole house. In the winter, use a small space heater to warm the immediate area to your liking… and wear a sweater!
• Set your water heater to 120 degrees. This temperature is sufficient for household needs, is recommended for safety against scalding and will ensure your heater a longer lifespan.
• Unplug all electronic devices that are not in use. Cell phone chargers draw electricity even when your phone is no longer plugged into it. Don’t pay for this waste of energy! Any item that has a remote is pulling a little bit of electricity even if it is not “on”. These devices are ready to be “on” with a touch of a button, thus constant electrical usage is needed to provide this convenience. Keep electronics you use daily plugged into one power strip; other electronics that you use less frequently can go on a separate power strip that is turned off after use. Evading this “phantom load” will save you a bit everyday!

According to the Metro Nashville Art Commission web site, public art is:

• is created through a process that gathers input from the public
• considers the social and physical context of the site
• is located on Metro public property
• is likely to be funded with public dollars but may be funded by public and/or private dollars

I ran across this article and immediately thought, “Green Public Art!”  It seems to me to be a perfect combination of functionality and creativity.

http://www.good.is/post/look-sunflowers-an-electric-garden/

I hope Nashville can begin to use some of these concepts as we look to future projects.  Particularly with upcoming projects related to NES and TVA’s partnership with Nissan to create electrical charging stations for Nissan’s new planned electric car, a part of the State’s new Solar Initiative.