Energy Efficiency

As November kicks off, Minnesota is already preparing for a cold winter. This season’s natural gas costs are estimated to go up between 30% and 50%, but there are little things you can do in your own home to cut down on energy costs. Along with saving yourself money this winter, by cutting down on energy use you can help Minnesota cut down on carbon emissions.

Half of Minnesota’s carbon dioxide emissions come from residential use. That is, from transportation, natural gas and electricity. Minnesota has also set a goal of reducing our energy use 80% by 2050, which means we have to drastically change our current lifestyles to meet this goal. When residents take individual action, they can make a real difference because there is already a significant impact that comes from residential energy use. Here is the breakdown of how Minnesotan households use energy:

Heating/AC 55%, Lights, electronics 20%, Appliances 15%, Water heating 10%.

Most electricity is generated from coal or natural gas, and the heat from burning those fuels is largely lost. 66% of the energy created for electricity is lost, and as much as 10% of that is lost in transmission of the electricity.

An easy way for you to take action and make a difference is to make little changes in your household, like using compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s), installing a programmable thermostat, getting a home energy audit, and incorporating small behavior changes like shutting off lights, taking shorter showers, and turning down your furnace. If every American home replaced just one light bulbs with a government approved Energy Star qualified bulb, enough energy would be saved to light more than 3 million homes for a year, prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to emissions of more than 800,000 vehicles, and save more than $600 million in annual energy costs (energystar.gov).

A great place for information is the Minnesota Energy Challenge, which helps you evaluate your energy use and gives tips for the future. The average Minnesotan creates over 51,000 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution a year while paying over $6,200 a year for energy. By helping yourselves save money, you are helping to be a steward of your environment and a responsible citizen.

For tips on winter weatherization projects, ways to save money on energy costs this winter and resources for energy efficiency project monies, come to District 1’s Energy Efficiency Tips meeting on November 11^th at the Conway Rec Center at 7 pm. The Conway Rec Center is located at 2090 Conway St, St Paul, MN. Representation from Xcel Energy, the Neighborhood Energy Connection and the Energy Cents Coalition will be present to help you make the smooth transition into the winter months. Join your neighbors in learning about the things you can do this winter to save money and save energy. If everyone does just a little bit, we can make a big difference.

For more information or to take the Minnesota Energy Challenge, visit the credited websites below.

http://www.mncee.org/

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home.index

Special thanks to Neely Crane-Smith at the Center for Energy and Environment.

Keely Gerhold

District 1 Community Council Intern