On The Road
February 4, 2010
Power Smart tips from around the world
Posted by Jacquie Lambert
As a Community Outreach representative on the road with the Power the Games tour, I have had the opportunity to talk to people from all over the province, Canada and the world. The final stop of the Power the Games tour is in downtown Vancouver at the Power Smart Village, which is the unofficial sustainability hub of the 2010 Winter Games.
The village will have many interactive features including a sustainable dance floor that generates electricity as people dance, an energy-efficient home of the future, as well as the Power the Games Conservation Lab and activities. I have had amazing conversations with people, and I am continuously amazed when I hear the answer to my question, “What do you do to save like a champion?” People from far and wide are practicing green initiatives and there were many ideas that inspired me.
New spin on the washing machine
At the Vancouver Home and Interior Design show, I met a couple from the United Kingdom who introduced me to the concept of the spin dryer. The woman explained to me that she just loved her ENERGY STAR washer; however she was not very happy with the amount of energy her dryer was consuming. In London, where the couple had originated, most households have a spin dryer. The compact machine spins much quicker than a standard washing machine, which allows it to remove excess water from the load of laundry.
Shockingly, the couple found that when they used this contraption, it cut the time the clothes spent in the dryer by 50%. The dryer uses the most electricity in the house per usage, so cutting this time by half will make a significant difference to the amount of energy your household is consuming.
Outlets with power switches
At the Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival, I met a young man who had recently returned home after living in New Zealand for several years. Over there, they have an excellent way of reducing the amount of energy lost to the phantom load. Each electrical outlet comes equipped with a power switch, and you just turn them to the off position when they are not in use.
The electrical outlet essentially has a power bar built right in!
Motion sensors in France
Finally at Light the Lake in Coquitlam, I got into a lengthy conversation with a couple visiting from France. They were just in shock about how much more energy we use compared to their hometown of Bordeaux. In Bordeaux, lighting is usually motion censored, especially through hallways, and refrigeration is limited to only necessary items. Milk is sold in containers which do not require refrigeration until after they are opened.
They are also big on water conservation in France. Toilets come equipped with two different flushers – one for large quantities of water, and one for small – to ensure that water is not being wasted with every flush.
With the 2010 Winter Games coming to our province, not only is this a great opportunity to showcase British Columbia’s leadership in conservation and sustainability to the world, but a chance to discover new energy efficient practices used across the planet.
Jacquie Lambert is a Community Outreach representative based out of Surrey and will be at community events throughout the winter.
