40 tips on going green

The future of the planet we live on is in danger. The temperatures are rising, skin problems are on the rise, we find it more difficult to breathe, natural disasters occur ever more frequently, etc. The environment is changing because of us – and it is making us change as well. The time is now, and the place is right here, be it at home, at work, during leisure time. There are no more excuses; anyone can help preserve the Earth, its natural wonders, its resources. Here is some green advice for everyone who cares about tomorrow:

Empty refrigerators head the list of power consumers

1.

 Optimum temperature in a fridge is approximately 4 °C; power consumption increases more than proportionally when a lower temperature is maintained.
2. Standard temperature for freezing is –18 °C. A lower temperature setting will increase power consumption. Setting the temperature only 1 °C lower then required will increase power consumption by up to 5 percent.
3. Installing the refrigerator of freezer next to a kitchen range, radiator, oven, dishwasher, or in direct sunlight, is not advisable.
4. Only dried and cooled food should be placed in the refrigerator and freezer. Warm food in the refrigerator will cause ice build-up which increases power consumption.
5. Ice deposits in the freezer considerably reduce the efficiency of cooling and increase power consumption. This means that even a class A freezer will operate with the efficiency of a class B or class C appliance if it is not properly defrosted. However, in a Gorenje refrigerator with No Frost system, ice does not build up at all.
6. Poor sealing of refrigerator door allows energy leaks. Tightness of the seal may be tested by inserting a piece of paper between the door and the refrigerator casing. If the paper is difficult to pull out, the seal is satisfactory. To maintain a good condition of the seal, clean it regularly with a wet cloth.
7. Gorenje refrigerators feature doors that can think by themselves; thus, they emit an audible signal to warn you when they have been opened too long. Some models will close automatically if the door is open by an angle lesser than 20 degrees.
8. If a refrigerator is out of use for a longer period of time, e.g. during the holidays, it is recommended to switch it off, or to activate the holiday program function offered by some modern refrigerators.

Induction is the most power efficient

9. If you are using an electricity powered cooking appliance, switch off the hob a few minutes before the end of cooking, as the hob as accumulate enough heat to complete the cooking. When the water boils, reduce the hob or gas burner level to a point when water is still moderately boiling.
10. Cover your pots and pans with lids with a good seal. This way, energy consumption can be reduced up to three-fold. The size of the pan should correspond to the quantity of food. Use pans with a flat bottom and high thermal conductivity.
11. Select the cooking zone that will best fit the diameter of the pan. If a small pan is placed on a large zone, the part closer to the circumference of the zone remain unused, causing waste of energy. Smart induction hobs will recognize the pan diameter automatically and only heat the contents of the pan while the remaining part of the cooking hob remains cool.
12. Switch off the electric oven approximately 10 minutes before the end of cooking, as it will contain enough hot air to finish the dish
13. If your oven is fitted with a fan, use it as often as possible, as it enables preparing your food at temperatures 20 to 40 °C lower than usual. If possible, cook several dishes simultaneously; this is surely enabled by the three-level cooking option.
14. Do not open the oven doors unless necessary; opening doors reduce the temperature in the oven and increase power consumption.
15. Lesser dimensions of compact ovens allow them to heat to the desired temperature much sooner. Therefore, they are highly convenient for preparing smaller meals, as they consume less power for the same amount of pleasure.
16. To reheat the food, use a microwave oven that does not require preheating. The food is cooked sooner: cooking time may be up to 70 percent shorter than in a conventional oven.

Energy-efficient programs for washing the dishes and laundry

17. Use a dishwasher. Comparison between manual and machine dishwashing shows that manual dishwashing may require as much as four times the amount of water used by a modern dishwasher.
18. Switch on the dishwasher during the reduced rate periods. Some models offer delayed start function.
19. In a washing machine, up to 90 percent of power is used to heat the water. Use energy-efficient programs to save: e.g., for normally soiled white cotton laundry, use a special program at 60 °C. A washing cycle at 60 °C may take up to 50 percent less power than when temperature is set to 90 °C.
20. Do not overdo with the detergent as this will impede the operation of your washing machine and cause increased power consumption. Gorenje washing machines feature a special green saving system that prevents waste of detergent during water intake. It enables up to 20 percent lesser detergent consumption and, as a result, protects the environment more efficiently.
21. Start the washing cycle only when the drum is full! Otherwise, select the half-load program. Up to 25 percent of power can be saved.
22. Leave out the pre-wash phase. This will reduce power consumption by at least 10 percent.
23. A dryer uses less energy if the laundry is thoroughly spun. Therefore, a washing machine should enable spinning with at least 1,000 revolutions per minute. Spinning at 1,600 instead of 1,000 revolutions can save up to 30 percent of power subsequently consumed by the dryer.

The warmth of your home - without wasting any energy

24. Use the water heater at its economy setting, meaning that the water is heated to a temperature between 55 and 60 °C. We normally use water at 40 °C; therefore, water from the heater is mixed with cold water. One full heater of hot water supplies almost twice its capacity of warm water.
25. Heat from the environment is free. A heat pump is a refrigerator operating in the opposite direction. It is ecologically the most sound, as well as the most inexpensive method of heating sanitary water and home. Two thirds of all energy required to power the compressor can be obtained at no cost from the environment.
26. The sun is the cheapest source of light and heat; therefore, let it into your apartment. During the day, keep the curtains and the shades open. In the cool days of early spring and late fall, the sun may help raise the temperature in the apartment by several degrees.
27. During the summer, a contemporary air conditioner cools the air and operates like a refrigerator with a cooling system; a refrigerant is flowing through this system, extracting the heat from the room and transferring it outdoors. However, in the cold days, the same appliance may be used for heating; in this case, we are dealing with a heat pump. Particularly in spring and autumn, air conditioner is the cheapest method of heating.
28. When cooling rooms, thermal insulation is even more important than with heating, particularly if the adjacent rooms are not cooled.
29. Central air conditioning appliances installed in larger buildings may save up to 50 percent of energy, as well as provide constantly humid and clean air, as these appliances are fitted with filters that not only dry the air, but also remove odors, cigarette smoke, pollen, mites, some bacteria, and electrostatic charge.

From convenctional light bulbs to energy saving lamps

30.  A conventional light bulb only transforms five percent of energy consumed into light. An energy saving lamp uses up to four times less energy for the same amount of light. An energy saving lamp with nominal power of 11 watts, is therefore equivalent to the conventional 60-watt light bulb. Energy saving lamp also emits less heat, leading to lower carbon footprint. These lamps are not only easier on the environment, but also on your wallet, as they last ten times as long as conventional "bulbs.
31. There is potential for additional savings in selecting lamps with translucent shades, use of less powerful lamps, use of reflector lamps that attain higher luminance at lower lamp power, and – last but not least –in turning off the lights when they are not needed.
32. Use motion sensors that automatically turn off the light when no motion is detected in the room.
33. Install smaller lamps at workplaces, which will only illuminate the work surface, and not the entire room.
34.  Make use of the daylight, but be careful not to overdo with the window size, as oversized glass surfaces enable the transfer of summer heat and winter chill into the interior.

" Stand-by" is out

35. Turn the appliances off, instead of switching them to stand-by mode. If all users switched off the appliances, e.g. consumer electronics, instead of leaving them in the standby mode, this would considerably decrease the carbon dioxide pollution and save a lot of power – which would also appear as credit to users' budgets.
36. Turn off the computer after pausing from work for a longer period of time; when taking shorter breaks, turn off the monitor; this alone will save up to 50 percent of power.

Close that tap - it's worth it!

37. A lot can be saved by installing a quality water tap. A tap that only allows one drop of water to leak each second, causes waste of water equivalent to 16 bath tubs per month.
38. Closing the tap while washing your teeth can save several liters of water per day.
39. Use a toilet cistern with water saving flushing mechanism; this can save up to 12 liters of water per day.

Plant a tree

40. One tree in its lifetime absorbs a ton of carbon dioxide; in addition to that, it will contribute a pleasant shade in the hot months to come. Intensive forestation in major cities could significantly improve the quality of air. Start in your hometown and plant your first tree today, for cleaner air and a natural sunshade tomorrow.