Crack It Open

Hello!

            I tried something different this week. I noticed that my roommate and I always have our air conditioning and heating unit running in the room, even when were not there. I decided, since the weather has been getting warmer to try something that sounds like common sense. I turned off the air-conditioning an opened a window! A simple change like this kept our room cool and both my roommate and myself satisfied. This natural air I felt cooled down the room faster than the air conditioning. The breezes that rolled in brought the smells of nature into our room and got rid of the smell of Febreeze and the smell of a room similar to a locker room. I found that earlier this year my dorm used the most energy than any other dorm on campus. I didn’t think about this simple fix until I wanted to see whether it was raining or not outside. I immediately opened the shade and opened the window as much as it could let me open it. I left the window open to allow air into the room for about thirteen hours. The room was cool and sufficiently aired out by this time. I decided to do research on how environmentally friendly my idea was for Elon. I could not find anything for a dormitory, but found that, “About 47 percent of the average household’s annual energy bills stem from heating and cooling”. This meant that forty-seven percent of my room and board went towards heating and cooling the room. I found that if the thermostat was programmable the heating or cooling system was, “…excellent for a family that spen[t] a good part of the day at work or school – will shave 10 percent off your bill”.. The programmable thermostat is said to, “…produce an annual savings of about $100”. So I may not be a programmable thermostat but I just helped Elon by helping them keep ten percent of the money in their pocket while being environmentally friendly. If one has windows that are accessible and open, this is an easy way to save money, use less energy, and help the environment all at the same time!

Thanks for viewing,

            -T

Works Cited

            "Green Tips for the Home: Quick Fixes." Mortgage Rates Credit Cards                         Refinance Home CD Rates by Bankrate.com. Web. 05 May 2011.                         <http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/energy-environment-                        2007/tips_environmental_home_a1.asp>.