In this environment-conscious society, very few things can frustrate an energy-saving individual than to find he is not contributing much to the effort. Not because he is not trying, but more because he cannot quantify his contribution. Beyond following the recommendations of experts and those knowledgeable in such matters, the individual may not know what other ways he can share in the laborious task. Today, however, there are software and calculators available online that can help monitor how much energy is saved by using certain appliances as compared to others.
Energy costs calculators, for example, can show you the consumption data for the various utilities so you can determine where you are wasting energy. By using the generated data as bases for formulating conservation measures, the values achieved may be quantified so that their effectiveness may be determined. As an online software, however, it needs to be downloaded and the relevant data entered to make it work. But it can generate a record of consumption amounts and costs, with the data and information juxtaposed for quicker comparison. Supports in terms of email addresses for queries and concerns are also included in the program packages.
Wattage counters, meanwhile, record the actual electricity usage of specific appliances, again for the specific purpose of determining where you can save energy most. It is a rather simplified version of the energy cost calculator and thus much easier to understand for the layman. Most are in spreadsheet form for faster reading.
Power meters, on the other hand, are 24/7 monitors of actual power consumption in real time. They can tell you how much power you are using at any point of time day or night. To do that they require a wireless gadget that must be connected to your power main.
Some software for energy calculation are in the form of toolbars which can give instant access to important information sources and enable the user to make quick computations. There are different versions of the toolbar home energy savings, for example, that are appropriate for the major internet search engines. This toolbar is specific for monitoring the weather to determine how efficient the solar panels are functioning at any given moment in the day.
Other toolbars enable the user to program the computer itself to go on standby mode, for example, when certain programs are running to save on energy. Records may also be made available so that energy savings might be quantified in dollars. It is a software that can actually encourage energy saving by counting the savings in dollars. Other versions can compute the energy savings for servers, CRT against LCD monitors, notebooks and laptops.
Energy saving software and online calculators are commendable methods to encourage energy saving in the home and offices, by quantifying the actual savings and converting them to everyone’s bottom line: dollars and cents. They are often simple to use and best of all, many are free for downloading. Simply put, they are worthwhile to use and should be adopted by everyone concerned about energy saving.
John Perry is a home energy expert. For more great information on energy saving software, visit http://www.homeenergysos.com.
Author: John J Perry
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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