Do you know that much of the electricity used in homes
is wasted because of faulty practices and our choice of gadgets?
Award-winning energy consultant and expert on water efficiency and green
business U. V. Krishna Mohan Rao says it’s possible to drastically
reduce our electricity consumption by adopting a few simple measures.
Rao’s family of six living in Viswa Syamalam, spread over 2,000 sq.ft.,
consumes only 100 units of electricity a month. His firm, U. V. Krishna
Mohan Rao Associates, charges customers a fee based on the energy
savings they achieve. Excerpts from an interview:
What are the common mistakes we make that lead to electricity wastage?
One of the common mistakes is turning off appliances using the remote,
which leads to significant loss of ‘stand-by’ power. 1-5 per cent of the
electricity consumed by the appliance when in use, continues to get
consumed by it even when it is turned off using the remote. Placing
warm/hot food in the refrigerator is another mistake. We should pump
water into the overhead tank during non-peak hours (6 to 10 p.m. in many
states), which ensures better efficiency as the quality of power
received then is better.
Do electrical appliances that are plugged in even after turning off the power source lead to power wastage?
No,
this does not cause any electricity drainage. It’s a myth that
appliances that are plugged in to the power source cause wastage.
How can we minimise electricity consumption when using air-conditioners?
Use
air-conditioners in combination with a ceiling/wall/pedestal fan and
set the AC temperature at 27 degrees. This will give you the same
cooling comfort as you would get when you set the temperature between 18
and 22 degrees. Opt for moderate cooling as air-conditioners are not
meant to chill the room and necessitate the use of blankets. Remove
redundant material/furniture from the room as electricity gets spent on
cooling it.
What lighting fixtures can we use that will help conserve energy?
The
entire home can be made to receive ample natural light throughout the
day by channelling in sunlight through large windows, light pipes, extra
windows at higher levels, etc. For the night, use LED lights that
consume just a fraction of electricity as compared to CFLs/fluorescent
tube lights. Painting walls in white or pastel shades enhances lighting
and minimises heat absorption from sunlight.
Does minimising electricity consumption necessarily involve high initial costs?
If
done during the construction stage, it may cost less. Redundant
investments on voltage stabilisers, unnecessary wiring, etc, can be
avoided. Retrofitting can be done at a later date, considering the
recurring operating expenditure.
What should we keep in mind while buying gadgets?
Use
only star-rated and super-efficient appliances. Ask about ‘stand-by’
power consumption details. Choose appliances that can run on wide
voltage variations (160 V to 240 V) without the need for external
stabilisers as stabilisers consume between 1 and 5 per cent of the
electricity they draw in. If you have to use a stabiliser, locate it
outside the air-conditioned room, as stabilisers generate heat. For hot
water, use solar-thermal heaters, not electric geysers. For daily
washing purposes, do not turn on the heater in the washing machine.
In the earlier article, we discussed how water used for
bathing and washing clothes can be treated by water-loving plants and
allowed to percolate into the soil to augment the shallow water table.
This concept can be used in individual houses. In apartment complexes, a
large volume of greywater is generated and can be recovered for
flushing, gardening and the excess water can be sent back into the soil.
For this, a bathtub-like cemented structure has to be built with a
sloping bottom with an outlet at the lowest point. A layer of blue metal
is laid at the bottom with a small layer of sand over it, followed by
another layer of garden soil. The Canna indica (Indian shot) is planted
on the soil and a small inspection tank is provided alongside. The blue
metal layer enables the treated water to freely flow out of the tank.
The sandy layer prevents the soil from clogging the blue metal, while
the soil layer cleans the water. The bottom can either be cemented or
covered with a double layer of empty cement bags.
To
utilise this water, we have to provide a three-compartment overhead tank
(OHT). Builders generally provide a two-compartment OHT, one to hold
potable water and the other to hold water for non-potable purposes.
However, the potable water accounts for only 10-15 per cent of our total
water usage and providing 50 per cent capacity for it is not necessary.
Instead, a three-compartment OHT can be built in the same space that
stores water for flushing, drinking and other purposes. By simply
closing the two valves interconnecting the three compartments, we will
be able to store three different qualities of water and use them for
specific purposes.
In such an OHT, the treated
greywater can be safely stored and used exclusively for flushing.
Alternately, by closing one of the two interconnecting valves, two kinds
of water can be stored and used appropriately. In such complexes,
advance planning for recycling can be done by providing additional
gullies for diversion of the greywater to the soil bed and connecting
them with the normal gully through elbows and pipe pieces without
applying any gum so that they can be disconnected whenever necessary and
the greywater can be allowed to go into the regular internal sewage
line.
This recycling method can be fully or
partially decentralised wherein some of the greywater is cleaned and
allowed to seep down to charge the shallow water table and the rest is
treated and used for flushing and gardening.
Chennai-ites do not realise that in most parts of the city, the soil is
suitable for traditional shallow dug wells. If such wells are provided,
people will be able to enjoy greater water security as shallow wells
generally yield good quality water, can be easily charged with terrace
rain water and the excess water, not needed for flushing, can be treated
and routed back to the soil.
This is the final of a three-part series on greywater recycling. For details, mail isragade@yahoo.com http://www.thehindu.com/features/homes-and-gardens/green-living/grey-to-gold/article6916432.ece
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