Water Heater Buying Guide

Photo By Photograph by Jeff Morgan / Alamy

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 12 percent of the average home utility bill—and carbon footprint—comes from heating water. Only heating and cooling the home itself are more energy-intensive.

Shoppers in the market for an efficient water heater can start by looking for an Energy Star label, bestowed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate energy-efficient products. Other choices depend on your home, pocketbook, and level of eco-commitment.

Some fuels heat water more efficiently than others. Natural gas, burned in the basement, typically has a greener signature than electricity that’s derived from burning coal at a distant power plant.

“But for most people, the fuel that heats and cools their house is going to heat the water,” says Maria Vargas of the EPA. “It’s unlikely in our experience that people are going to switch fuels.”

Fortunately, consumers can make green water heater choices no matter how they get their energy. (See the “Environmental Impact” section for a rundown of green water heater options, from natural gas to the sun.)

Energy Star-Qualified High-Efficiency Gas Storage: These super-efficient storage-tank water heaters cost a bit more than conventional versions but can pay for themselves in less than three years. And from day one they’ll start repaying the planet by using far less energy. The EPA suggests that by replacing all the standard gas storage heaters sold this year with qualified high-efficiency versions, one billion pounds of CO₂ could be kept out of Earth’s atmosphere. That would be like creating 132,000 acres of new forest.

Gas Condensing: To take green gains to an entirely different level, consider a gas condensing water heater. These systems are new to many in the U.S., as they didn’t begin appearing on the market in significant numbers until 2010.

Gas condensing water heaters also feature a large storage tank. But rather than venting hot exhaust gases up the chimney after heating your water once, they capture those gases and put them back to work to reheat water again—cutting total energy use by some 30 percent.

The EPA estimates that if just 5 percent of the new gas water heaters sold each year were of this type, the greenhouse gas emissions saved would be the equivalent of pulling nearly 7,000 cars off U.S. highways.

Electric Heat Pump: The electric heat pump is a cutting-edge water heater technology that can cut your energy use and emissions in half. While these units can be pricey, they can pay for themselves in energy savings in just 3 or 4 years, depending on your water use.

A typical electric water heater, says Lane Burt of the Natural Resources Defense Council, “just runs electricity through a wire, which gets hot and heats up your water. But the heat pump takes heat out of the air and puts it into your water.”

The system works like a refrigerator in reverse, using a liquid refrigerant that helps pull heat from the air and run it through a coil to heat the tank.

The EPA estimates that if every family that purchased an electric water heater this year had chosen a heat pump instead, a staggering 19.6 billion pounds of C02 could have been saved. That’s like taking 1.6 million cars off the road.

Look for:

• Size: If you’re buying a storage-tank water heater (see the “Environmental Impact” section for green tankless options) remember—one size doesn’t fit all. You’ll need a tank big enough to meet your family’s hot water needs, but buying one that’s too large means you’ll burn a lot of energy by continually warming water that you won’t use.

  See this DOE chart for help estimating what size system is the right fit for your home.

• Rebates: Uncle Sam wants you to go green. Environmentally friendly systems may be more expensive, but if you buy now, you can take advantage of government incentives. You may qualify for a tax credit worth 30 percent of a water heater’s price up to $1,500. Solar water heaters pack even more savings power.

  Start searching at http://www.energysavers.gov for federal incentives and at http://www.dsireusa.org/ for a list of state incentives.

  The EPA also maintains a list of special incentives that may be available, like rebates or breaks on sales tax.

By Tanya Snyder

for National Geographic's Green Guide

Source: National Geographic's

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Energy Meter Green Guide

Energy meters and smart home devices help homeowners take control of their energy use with a simple concept—knowledge is power.

A wide and ever-evolving range of these products can deliver real-time data on any home’s energy use. Users get information in instant, easy-to-understand reports that summarize the total amount of electricity your home is using at any given moment—and what it might cost you on next month’s bill.

Studies show that once consumers get a clear look at the energy they waste, and learn where and when savings can be made, they’re usually inspired to trim energy use, and costs, by up to 15 percent.

When shopping for a meter, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Plug and play: Devices like smart plugs are a quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive way to get started. Just grab one and plug it into any outlet, then plug energy-hogging appliances into the device.

  These plugs deliver real-time reports on the energy use of any appliances being powered by that source. They’re a great way to find out just how thirsty your biggest energy users are—and to manage them efficiently. Wifi-controlled smart plugs also offer the ability to turn these appliances on or off from any PC or smart phone. You’ll be able to turn your home air conditioner on while you’re at work, powering it up just before returning home.

• Home energy monitors: Home energy monitors take this concept a step further to create a footprint of your home’s total electricity use, delivered in real-time reports that show just how much juice you’re consuming and what it’s costing you.

  This information is a valuable tool when giving your house, and lifestyle, a green makeover. When you turn on a light, turn off a DVD player, or plug in a cell phone charger, you’ll immediately see the difference—and the expense. Discover just how often your water heater runs and what it costs each time—then set the water heater thermostat five degrees Fahrenheit lower and watch the costs drop.

  A suite of software programs allow you to slice and dice energy monitor data in many different ways.

• Clean water: A rain barrel topped with a fine-mesh screen will keep out insects and debris.

• Smarter homes: On technology’s cutting-edge, an array of home monitoring and control systems, often bundled with other applications like home security or entertainment, allow homeowners to monitor and control some of their home’s biggest energy hogs from anywhere in the world with handheld devices or smart phones.

  These systems install control devices to guide thermostats, lights, HVAC, and other home appliances and systems so that owners can more easily carve out a green lifestyle—with enormous energy savings.

• Keep up with the technology: Buyers should be aware that smart-home and energy-meter technologies are evolving at a staggering pace.

• Commitment: Those hoping to shrink their home energy costs should be realistic about what they need—which is based not only on budget but on how actively involved they plan to be in the process. Whole-home systems come with big price tags and, while they typically offer potentially greater savings, they may not be the best choice for those who aren’t dedicated to using them to their fullest.

• For the long haul: One environmental category in which these devices may fall short is longevity. The dizzying pace of technological advancement may make you think twice about an investment in a system today that may seem antiquated in just a few years.

By Brian Handwerk

Source: National Geographic's Green Guide

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Fertilizer Buying Guide

Photograph by Oldproof/Shutterstock

An organic lawn or garden starts with healthy soil. Natural fertilizers promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, earthworms, and fungi that build soil structure and foster healthy plants.

The best fertilizer for your lawn and garden is homemade compost, made from food scraps, lawn clippings, and fall leaves. If you still need store-bought products, here are a few tips:

• Compost and Soil Improvements: Commercially made compost has high levels of naturally occurring phosphorous and nitrogen that is released gradually and is absorbed more easily by plants. Other soil improvers, such as worm castings, Epsom salts and decomposed organic matter called humates, add nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Watch out for commercial fertilizers, even those labeled "organic," that contain harmful ingredients, such as animal byproducts or sewage sludge. Animal byproducts, such as bone meal or fish meal, may have come from industrial farming operations, and sewage sludge, could be contaminated with diseases or heavy metals.

• "NOFA Approved" and "OMRI Listed": The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA), an accredited certifying agency for the USDA National Organic Program, approve products that have been composted according to USDA Organic standards. The only synthetic materials that can be added to NOFA approved compost are those allowed in organic crop production.

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