9 Steps to Saving Fuel, Saving Money and Saving the Environment

Hypermiling refers to a collection of driving techniques aimed at improving your car’s fuel efficiency by reducing the demands placed on the engine. Since it’s possible to improve fuel economy by 37% just by changing the way you drive hypermiling is gaining interest in light of high fuel costs. While some hypermiling methods are controversial and potentially dangerous, this article will focus on safer techniques that can still save you gas and money.

1. Drive as if you don’t have brakes. Stopping and starting kills gas mileage. Increase the amount of distance between you and other vehicles, don’t race to red lights or traffic obstructions. Coast as much as possible. On newer cars (Manual Transmission) if the car is in gear and your foot is off the accelerator, the injectors shut off completely, creating FREE mileage at the cost of some minor engine braking. Engaging the clutch and/or putting the car in neutral causes the car to idle, using up gas as opposed to using none. Coast as often as possible, because if you’re smart enough with your coasting, your acceleration won’t even cause a hiccup in your cruising mpg.

This may be frustrating and difficult, however, if other drivers keep cutting in front of you. You should keep your foot ready to use the brake so that if you do need to stop suddenly you can react quickly. If using this technique at night, make sure you have clean headlights and that they are working properly. Obviously, you still need to obey all traffic laws and common sense. For example, you wouldn’t roll through stop signs; the increased risk of a car accident and/or traffic ticket is not worth a few extra cents saved in fuel costs.

2. Be gentle with the accelerator. When you slam down on the gas pedal, it pushes more fuel into the engine, making it run faster (and lowering the fuel economy and increasing your output of pollutants). Push the pedal down slowly, and lift it up as soon as you know you’re going to need to stop (when you see a red light, a stop sign, or brake lights from the car ahead of you) so that you can coast the rest of the way. You should never need to push down the pedal by more than an inch (2.5cm). Some cars are even being designed with pedals that “push back” when you’re accelerating too aggressively!

If you have a choice between various routes, go for the one with the least number of stops; country roads are good because you don’t have to stop (and go) as much and you don’t have to accelerate/brake to get on/off (like with the highway).

If you’re driving on sloped roads, it’s useful to think about where you should come to a full stop because that’ll affect how hard you need to accelerate:

• Fuel efficient vehicles actually generate better gas mileage when a “brisk” acceleration method is used. Acceleration makes for terrible mileage, so get the acceleration out of the way so that you can cruise (excellent mileage!) Slow acceleration will yield less mileage on efficient cars.
• Avoiding stopping on an incline heading upwards. Starting from a dead stop on a hill is the worst scenario in terms of fuel economy. Stop at the top of the hill, or stop before you climb the hill (if it’s safe).
• When coming down a hill and faced with a red light at the bottom (where it levels out), try to stop well before the light so that you can use the remaining downhill slope to your advantage when you need to move again.

3. Avoid idling. Turning off the engine when you stop for more than one minute can improve fuel efficiency by 19%. In cold weather, letting your car idle to warm up reduces fuel economy and creates additional pollution; all you need to do is drive gently for 5-10 minutes and if you’re following the previous two steps, you’re going to be driving gently all the way anyway.

If you have multiple stops in one trip, plan it so that you go to your furthest destination first and make the rest of your stops on your way back. By taking your longest drive at the beginning, you give the car enough time to warm up for the remainder of the trip; if you took the short trips first, your car would take longer to warm up (because of the brevity of each trip). Since engines do not operate efficiently until they are warm, taking your longest drive first increases fuel efficiency.

4. Go slower up hills, and faster downhill. Going uphill slower allows you to use your momentum to help keep your car from using extra gas to get up the hill. If you plan for a hill by going faster you’ll get further up the hill before you need to use extra gas. While going downhill you can go faster using less gas, as such don’t lay off the pedal completely, use it until you’re going a little faster than normal. If you combine the two in areas with small hills you’ll see much higher mileage.

5. Minimize the engine load. Generally, it’s better for your fuel economy if you maintain a steady speed, which is why using cruise control and driving at or below the speed limit is an important part of hypermiling. If you’re driving on a hill or any kind of varied terrain, however, you need to consider how much work the engine is doing. Sometimes, a steady speed means unsteady strain on your engine, which lowers fuel economy. Let’s say you’re approaching a hill. When you go up the hill, you should slow down, or else your engine will have to do extra work to maintain your previous speed. Practice with caution as you may annoy other drivers.

6. Park for easy departure. Instead of searching for the perfect spot close to an entrance (which will involve stop and go driving, especially with pedestrians involved and other drivers pulling in or out of their spots) pull into a spot that’s further away from the entrance. Look for the parking spot with the highest elevation and park face-out so that when you start the car and the engine is cold (at the lowest efficiency) you can use gravity in your favor without having to spin your car around.

7. Check tire pressure regularly. If the tires are incorrectly inflated, then there will be excess drag, or not enough surface contact with the road. The car therefore suffers a drop in efficiency.

8. Reduce the junk in the trunk. The more weight you’re carrying, the more the engine and drive-train have to work. Removing all of that unused junk in the trunk increases efficiency.

9. In a hybrid, Pulse and Glide. If you own a hybrid car, you can increase your mileage by learning to pulse and glide. Pulse and glide is a technique that can dramatically increase your mileage, but is best when you are on a road where there are few other people around.

• “Pulse” or accelerate up to a speed that is the higher end of a range of speeds that are appropriate. Do this using one of the sweet spots for mileage/power ratio on your car. For the prius these spots are ~15mpg and 25mpg, and correspond to times at which the gas engine is powering the car and charging the battery.
• “Glide” between acceleration, but use the accelerator to provide electric assist. This requires knowing how hard to push and in which circumstances, but is very easy to see on the consumption screen. Get used to the maximum electric assist you can use and you’ll go further between pulses, further increasing your mileage.

Source: wikihow

Many haven’t heard of the term ‘hypermiling’ but have probably practiced some of the tips mentioned above.  This shows that you don’t necessarily need a green car to drive green.  As a student, I remember trying all sorts of fuel saving tips out of necessity- who wants to spend money on fuel when there are so many other better things to spend it on?  Even if saving money is not the primary incentive, reducing fossil fuel usage reduces your carbon emissions and lessens your environmental impact. The same can be said for water- when you save water, you generally save money too.  Water Rhapsody has a solution to all your water conservation requirements.  See the water systems featured on our product demo and contact us for a FREE quote!  We also supply and install JoJo water tanks (we are authorized JoJo dealers in South Africa).

You might not know it, but there’s an invisible thief which may be stealing your energy and boosting your energy bills.

As long as they’re plugged in, all electronic devices – anything with a clock, timer, adaptor, memory or remote control – continue to draw power even when they’re not in use. Since most homes today have multiple electronic devices, the energy loss from phantom loads, also referred to as ‘vampire loads’ or ‘standby power’, can be significant.

Electronics which remain on standby mode, where capacitors are filled with energy and ready to turn on the TV, etc, can use almost as much energy as being fully on.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 75 percent of the electricity that powers home electronics is consumed while these devices are turned off! Most home electronics use ‘standby power’ even when they’re switched off.

Here are five easy but effective ways to reduce your phantom load:

1. Use ‘smart strips’ or power bars

Plug all your related electronics, like your TV and DVD player, satellite TV box, computer, modem and printer, into a single power bar, then switch them all off at once from the power bar when you’re not using them. A newer type of power strip called the smart strip can make this even easier. Use one with your computer or TV, and it turns off all the peripheral devices automatically. When you turn on your computer or TV, the peripherals will all turn on.

Another option, if you do not have a power bar, is to simply unplug any electronic device which is not in use.

2. Identify the prime sources of phantom loads

Some electronic devices, especially those which have remote control and digital displays, use more energy when switched off than others. Inexpensive home power meters, such as the Kill-a-Watt, will identify which electronic devices are the biggest energy drains when switched off.

Another method for finding phantom loads is turning off all lights at night and looking for any small LED lights which are glowing in the house. Also, any device that requires resetting after a blackout or power surge is a likely cause of phantom load.

3. Unplug charged electronic devices

Unplug your cell phone, camera and any other chargers as soon as the battery is fully charged. Unplug any remote charging stations, such as those used for recharging batteries used in digital cameras and small electronics.

4. Use ‘sleep’ mode instead of a screensaver

Contrary to popular belief, the screensaver on your computer does not save energy. If you’re leaving your work station for more than a few minutes, enable the “power-save” or “sleep” mode on your computer.

5. Buy electronics and appliances with the Energy Star label

If you’re in the market for a new TV or other electronic device, look for one with the Energy Star label. They use up to 50% less energy than less-efficient models, while providing the same performance.

By eliminating phantom loads in the home and office, you can save up to 10% on your energy bills. And the process of identifying phantom loads increases awareness of overall energy-efficiency in the home.

Source: Eartheasy

Saving energy, much like saving water, can be really easy (see an earlier post on how to save water).  The great thing about saving energy and water is that not only do you reduce your environmental impact, you save money too!  The first step to saving energy and water is simply a change in habits and a small amount of  effort and awareness.  Further savings can be made by purchasing energy saving products and water saving systems.  Water Rhapsody offers high quality water systems that include greywater recycling systems and rainwater harvesting systems (store rain water in water tanks).  All our systems are designed to operate automatically with a minimum of user input.  This means you’ll be able to save water without even thinking about it!  See our product demo for a simplified explanation of each of our water systems.

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What is greywater ?

Any washwater that has been used in the home, except water from toilets, is called greywater . Dish, shower, sink, and laundry water comprise 50-80% of residential “waste” water. This may be reused for other purposes, especially landscape irrigation.

(This is the definition common in Europe and Australia. Some jurisdictions in the US exclude kitchen sink water and diaper wash water from their definition of greywater. These are most accurately defined as “dark greywater “)

Grey water is good for plants

Why Does Greywater Matter?

Viewed narrowly, greywater systems don’t look that important. A low flow showerhead can save water with less effort. A septic system can treat greywater almost as well.
But when you look at the whole picture—how everything connects—the keystone importance of greywater is revealed.

• Ecological systems design is about context, and integration between systems. The entirety of integrated, ecological design can be reduced to one sentence: do what’s appropriate for the context.
• Ecological systems—rainwater harvesting, runoff management, passive solar, composting toilets, edible landscaping—all of these are more context sensitive than their counterparts in conventional practice; that’s most of what makes them more ecological.
• Greywater systems are more context sensitive than any other manmade ecological system, and more connected to more other systems.
• Get the greywater just right, and you’ve got the whole package right—and that matters.

Many people and organizations instinctively recognize that greywater is the ideal test case for the transition to a new way of regulating and building that is appropriate to a post-peak resource, mature civilization.

The US Green Building Council, the City of Santa Barbara, CA, Oregon ReCode, and SLO Green Build are among those organizations which independently chose greywater standards as the technology with which to launch their programs of regulatory reform.

Is greywater reuse safe?

Yes. There are eight million greywater systems in the US with 22 million users. In 60 years, there has been one billion system user-years of exposure, yet there has not been one documented case of greywater transmitted illness.

(In contrast, 400 Americans get hit by lightning each year).

The benefits of greywater recycling

* Lower fresh water use

Greywater can replace fresh water in many instances, saving money and increasing the effective water supply in regions where irrigation is needed. Residential water use is almost evenly split between indoor and outdoor. All except toilet water could be recycled outdoors, achieving the same result with significantly less water diverted from nature.

* Less strain on septic tank or treatment plant

Greywater use greatly extends the useful life and capacity of septic systems. For municipal treatment systems, decreased wastewater flow means higher treatment effectiveness and lower costs.

* Highly effective purification

Greywater is purified to a spectacularly high degree in the upper, most biologically active region of the soil. This protects the quality of natural surface and ground waters.

* Site unsuitable for a septic tank

For sites with slow soil percolation or other problems, a greywater system can be a partial or complete substitute for a very costly, over-engineered system.

* Less energy and chemical use

Less energy and chemicals are used due to the reduced amount of both freshwater and wastewater that needs pumping and treatment. For those providing their own water or electricity, the advantage of a reduced burden on the infrastructure is felt directly. Also, treating your wastewater in the soil under your own fruit trees definitely encourages you to dump fewer toxic chemicals down the drain.

* Groundwater recharge

Greywater application in excess of plant needs recharges groundwater.

* Plant growth

Greywater enables a landscape to flourish where water may not otherwise be available to support much plant growth.

* Reclamation of otherwise wasted nutrients

Loss of nutrients through wastewater disposal in rivers or oceans is a subtle, but highly significant form of erosion. Reclaiming nutrients in greywater helps to maintain the fertility of the land.

* Increased awareness of and sensitivity to natural cycles

Greywater use yields the satisfaction of taking responsibility for the wise husbandry of an important resource.

Source: Greywater.net

Grey water recycling is an obvious solution to saving more water and reducing our impact on the environment.  It is not only for people who can afford to install gray water systems; the simple act of saving bathwater and using a bucket to water your plants will make a difference.  Recycling grey water saves you money too.  Water Rhapsody conservation systems are designed to remove the inconvenience often associated with trying to save water.  Once installed, our systems seamlessly integrate with your existing plumbing.  No further action is required- whether it be rainwater harvesting (rain water stored in water tanks) or grey water recycling, the systems operate automatically, saving you time and money.  Our systems offer many other benefits.

Related post: Why Use Grey Water for Irrigation?

The materials common to many types of natural building are clay and sand. When mixed with water and, usually, straw or other fibre, the mixture is known as cob or adobe.  Other materials commonly used in natural building are: earth, wood, cordwood, timber frame, straw and rock. A wide variety of reused or recycled materials are common in natural building, including salvaged chunks of used concrete, tyres, discarded bottles and other recycled glass.

Major types of currently-popular natural building materials

Straw-bale

straw bale house- early stage construction

Straw-bale building is a practical and perhaps under utilized construction method.  Straw is a viable building alternative, plentiful and inexpensive. Straw-bale buildings boast super insulated walls, simple construction, low costs, and the conversion of an agricultural byproduct into a valued building material. Properly constructed and maintained, the straw-bale walls, stucco exterior and plaster interior remain water proof, fire resistant, and pest free.

Adobe

adobe house

One of the oldest building methods, adobe is simply clay and sand mixed with water. Sometimes chopped straw or other fibers are added for strength and a small amount of cement or asphalt emulsion for better weatherproofing. The mixture is then poured into molds and dried; usually adobe is shaped into bricks that can be stacked to form walls. Adobe colored with clay and polished with natural oil makes an attractive and resilient floor.  To protect the walls and reduce maintenance, adobe buildings usually have large overhanging eaves and sizeable foundations.  Adobe is not a good insulator; however insulation can be added preferably on the outside.

Cob

cob house

The term cob is used to describe a building system based on a mixture of clay, sand and straw. The construction uses no forms, bricks or wooden framework; it is built from the ground up. Cob is one of the easiest and least expensive building techniques available, though it is typically very labor-intensive. Cob’s other great advantage is versatility; It can easily be shaped into any form.

Cob-like mixes are also used as plaster or filler in several methods of natural building, such as adobe, earth bags, timber frames, cordwood, and straw bales.

Cordwood

cordwood house

Cordwood construction uses short length pieces of debarked tree, laid up crosswise, with masonry or cob mixtures to build a wall. The cordwood, thus, becomes infill for the walls, usually between posts in a timber frame structure. Cordwood masonry construction provides a relatively high thermal mass, which makes the building easy to heat and cool.

Earth bag

earth bag house in construction

This building method utilizes stacked polypropylene or natural-fibre (burlap) bags filled with earth. Although earth is a poor insulator, its growing popularity relates to its use of an abundant and readily available material (earth) and is potentially an inexpensive building technique.

Source (text): Sustainable Projects

Swazi beehive hut

The above natural building materials are a few of many more available.  These materials are the ones that humans have used for millennia.  Sustainable building is gaining popularity around the world; sometimes out of necessity and other times due to a desire to reduce impact on the environment.  There are still many rural areas in Africa where traditional homes are built with reeds, poles, mud and thatch.  If you drive through rural areas in the Mpumalanga Lowveld, look out for the few remaining Swazi huts made from mud, wood and thatch and the grass beehive huts.  Many of the old, eco-friendly buildings in African tribal areas have been replaced with high-cost, Western-style houses. When new and old building knowledge is combined, perfectly comfortable, functional houses can be built with natural materials.  Sustainable living comprises of many facets.  Water Rhapsody conservation systems are eco-friendly and help to reduce human environmental impact by reducing water consumption.

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