PCM DESIGN STUDIO
Home Renovations
Serving the DMV for 25 years
One Small Thing
GOOD FOR YOU AND OUR ENVIRONMENT
PCM wants to make a positive environmental difference in the remodeling and renovation work we do. We are a company that cares about our building practices and choice of materials, and we are committed to implementing home improvement features that lessen our impact on the environment. Though our efforts may seem small in the scheme of the world's fight against climate change, they cumulatively can make a difference.
Do you remember the Tale of the Starfish? You may be familiar with it, but if not, here's a short summary of one of the versions I remember:​
There is a bad storm, and thousands of starfish are washed ashore. A child walking along the beach picks one up and throws it back into the sea so that it might live. An older person sees this and considers it a futile act. But to the child, it is not. A life is saved, and the child points this out to the adult. Others watch the child and join in, and one by one the starfish are returned to the sea.
The following are links to mini-articles on different environmental topics that touch on what each of us might do right now, today. Look for the green boxes that describe ways PCM might be able to help you "do your thing".
One person can do
mighty things.
What can you do?
THIS WEEK'S IDEA:
Take Another Look At Your Water Heater​
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Water Heating Water heating is the second largest energy expense in your home.
It typically accounts for about 18% of your energy usage.
There are four primary ways to cut your water heating bills:
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use less hot water
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turn down the thermostat on your water heater
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insulate your water heater and pipes
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or buy a new, more efficient model
Reducing Water Heating Costs
You can take steps to use less hot water and improve the efficiency of your existing water heating system. Visit EnergySaver.gov for a DIY video and instructions for insulating your hot water tank.
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• If your hot water tank is warm to the touch, consider insulating it to save 7%–16% annually in water heating costs. Follow manufacturer recommendations.
• Consider insulating your hot water pipes. Doing so can reduce heat loss, allow you to lower the temperature setting, and save an additional 3%–4% per year on water heating. For an electric water heater, you also might consider insulating underneath the tank as well. This could save you another 4%-9% of water heating energy.
• Set your water heater temperature to 120ºF, a temperature considered safe for most of the population.
• Install heat traps on the hot and cold pipes at the water heater to prevent heat loss. Most new water heaters have built-in heat traps.
• Drain a quart of water from your water tank every 3 months to remove sediment that impedes heat transfer and lowers the efficiency of your heater. Follow the manufacturer’s directions.
• Consider installing a drain- water heat recovery system. Drain-water, or greywater, heat recovery systems capture the energy from waste hot water—such as showers and dishwashers—to preheat cold water entering the water heater or going to other water fixtures. Energy savings vary depending on individual household usage.
• Consider installing a residential circulation pump to save water.
• Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads. Fix leaky faucets. One drip per second wastes 1,661 gallons of water and can cost you up to $35 per year. Water Heating DIY Projects See the References section for links to DIY water heating project steps and instructional videos.
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The above information was taken from the US Dept of Energy – Energy Saver Guide Tips, PDF
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver-guide-tips-saving-money-and-energy-home
PCM can help you...
... Choose appropriate energy-efficient appliances and lighting fixtures, and install new windows, fans, and insulation for greater home energy conservation.
HERE are some basics
Just pick one for today. You can always do more later.
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Insulation
Reduce drafts and air leaks with caulk, insulation, and weather stripping. Cold air slipping in around doors and windows can cause higher heating bills. Use this simple trick: light a stick of incense and slowly move it around the seams of doors and windows. When the smoke blows around instead of rising in a straight line, you've got a draft. Many gaps can be eliminated by applying a little caulk.
Appliances
Make energy efficiency a primary consideration when choosing a new furnace, air conditioning unit, dishwasher, or refrigerator. Products bearing the ENERGY STAR label are recognized for having superior efficiency.
Lighting
Turn off lights you’re not using. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent for garage and storage areas and warm LED for family-friendly spaces.
Thermostat
Don’t set it too high or too low. Install a programmable model to turn off the heat/air conditioning when you’re not home.
Solar
Add solar panels to the roof of your home. This costs more than the above options, but many providers offer financing options that minimize upfront costs. DC has a Net Metering* policy: you could eliminate your electricity bill or even earn money by selling electricity back to the grid.
* Net metering: credits you for the extra electricity your system produces. This allows you to use those credits when your system doesn’t generate enough power.
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(Referenced from cotap.org & hsh.com websites)
Composting
What about those food scraps?
Just some of the not-so-fun FACTS
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Roughly one-third of the food intended for human consumption every year–around 1.3 billion tons and valued at USD$1 trillion–is wasted or lost. ...
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The water used to produce the waster food could be used by 9 billion people at around 200 liters per person per day.
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Food loss and waste account for about 4.4 gigatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
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Breaking it down by food group, losses, and waste per year are roughly 30% for cereals, 40-50% for root crops and fruit and vegetables, 20% for oil seed and meat and dairy, and 35% for fish. (earth.org)
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At the retail level, large quantities of food are wasted because of an emphasis on appearance–half of all produce is thrown away in the US because it is deemed too “ugly” to eat; this amounts to 60 million tons of fruits and vegetables.
What can you do?​
Save your food scraps!
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Maybe you're lucky enough to have a garden and a compost pile to go with it. If so, you're all set! But if you throw food scraps in the trash or down a disposal, they end up in landfills or a wastewater treatment plant and their potential to provide lots of great nutrients to soil is lost. Food scraps have the potential to create nutrient-rich soil AND you'll be diverting them from landfills. You'll need a kitchen compost bin, and Wirecutter has reviewed some of them here, and there are more expensive options where the collection compartment is built into the countertop, like this one from Blanco.
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Maybe you have a garden and compost pile already. If so, you're all set—if not...you can still do something.
(Referenced from the website earth.org.
Explore this site for more information on composting.)
PCM can help you...
... Want to build a compost bin outside? We can build it. Have a kitchen remodel in mind and want to integrate collection bins? We can assist!
give your dryer a vacation
Use the sun and wind instead!
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While making your laundry space more inviting, PCM would also suggest a possible change in the way you DRY your clothes, at least some of the time. Did you know, for instance, that using a dryer contributes 2,400 pounds of CO2 annually for the average US household? And as much as 20% of our utility bill can be for dryer use?
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In the US most of us are accustomed to using a dryer, but in many other parts of the world this is not a common thing, whether for reasons of cost, space, or need. So how do we dry our clothes without a dryer? And why are we mentioning it here, in the One Small Thing column?
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Because not using one offers many benefits in addition to CO2 reduction and cost savings:
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Natural odor eliminator (reducing the need for fabric softener and dryer sheets). The sun’s UV rays can help naturally disinfect and remove bacteria from fabrics.
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Gentler on clothing, making clothes last longer
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Whitens whites (which also means darker clothes might be best dried in indirect sunlight to avoid fading).
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And there are options:
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Moveable clothes racks
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Wall-mounted clothes racks
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Ceiling rack operating via a pulley system
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Permanent or retractable clotheslines outside
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Rotary umbrella clothes rack for outside
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Depending on your outdoor space, proximity to neighbors, zoning rules, and privacy concerns you may opt for one of the indoor options, but no matter your situation, you can see there is a solution for every location and type of home.
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(Referenced from the blog on the true.earth website)
PCM can help you...
... Create an appealing and efficient space to do laundry, making the chore less of one. Storage for supply bins and laundry itself, a counter for folding, possible seating area, machines that may be hidden or stacked, a pullout ironing board—the possibilities are many. Maybe you'd like to add a wall or ceiling-mounted built-in drying rack?