The Greening of Awnings

Awnings are back. Better yet, they can save you energy.

GetWithGreen has a two article series on the benefits of awnings.

“Energy efficiency, extended outdoor living and the potential for lower electric bills are some of the most valuable reasons to purchase an awning for your home.”

“Dollar for dollar, the value of this investment is hard to match when considering home upgrades.”

Turn Off Fluorescent Lights

Many believe banks of fluorescent bulbs use too much energy while starting, so it's best to leave them on. But Scientific American posts an article that says the power boost during start up is very small and only increases power usage by a few seconds.

"The U.S. Department of Energy estimates, from a strict energy-conservation standpoint, it's almost always beneficial to shut off fluorescents when leaving the room—the start-up energy is offset by the power saved in even the briefest outages."

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says "a simple rule of thumb that balances both concerns is to shut off fluorescents if you’re planning to leave a room for more than five minutes".