Unplug This Blog!

May 20, 2009

Is there too much wattage in your life at the cottage?

Posted by Nola Poirier

My only experience of the Ontario summer rite of passage was a few years back. I had moved from B.C. to Toronto for university, and my boyfriend and I, like thousands of other urbanites, were driving toward Ontario's cottage country on a long weekend.

It was hot, the air in the car sat thick around me, and the traffic crept along, only jostled to life by sporadic hoots of YEE-HAAH! as people anticipated arriving at their destinations. An uber-energetic voice, unaffected by the tiring haze of heat and exhaust, boomed from a nearby radio. It introduced the next song, challenged listeners with the weekend contest, and then let the station's summertime tagline flow from its honey tongue: "BRINGING YOU MORE WATTAGE FOR YOUR COTTAGE."

It's now five years later and I'm living back in B.C., where the lakes are smaller, the mountains are taller, and beer comes in twelve-packs, not two-fours. Despite these differences, that DJ's voice still booms in my mind, pointing out a summertime similarity that's got me wondering, just how much wattage do we use at the cottage?

I've been talking to people about their seasonal getaways lately, and I've noticed a disturbing trend. Summer seems to infect many people with "cabin fever" – a hot burning of excess energy use brought on by letting their power smart habits take a holiday as soon they hit the highway out of town.

Fortunately, cabin fever has some easy to spot symptoms – like old fridges, incandescent bulbs, and leaky faucets – as well as some simple cures that are already important parts of cabin culture: relaxation, good climate, cool water, and a few repairs and renovations.

Relax and be Power Smart

Another term for relaxation is conserving energy. Going to the cabin is all about conserving energy: lying in the hammock with a cool drink, sleeping in, cuddling by the fire. But unfortunately some of our summer holiday habits are pretty energy intensive.

Here are some tips to help lower the wattage, and other impacts, of your cottage.

• Recycle your old fridge, don't haul it to the cabin. Take advantage of BC Hydro's Fridge Buy-back Program and use the money you receive to fill your new energy efficient fridge with something frosty. If your fridge is 10 years old or older, it's definitely not energy efficient. And don't keep a second fridge around for extra drinks, keep them cool in the water, or a cooler. Second fridges are a big contributor to cabin fever.
• Use solar lights for your garden and deck areas. They charge up each day with the sun, and turn on automatically when dusk falls.
• If you need brighter lights outside for safe walking or security, put them on a timer or a motion sensor so they only come on when needed. Bright lights disorient birds and other animals, so use only as much light as you require and turn them off when not needed.
• Change your bulbs. CFLs are as important at the cabin as they are in your home.
• Hang laundryand wet towels outside to dry, or on a rack in the cabin. It will smell great and save loads of energy.
• Spend less time slaving over a hot stove. Using smaller appliances, like toaster ovens and crockpots, and eating more fresh food (like salad and fruit) will not only use less energy, it will keep you and your cabin cooler.
• When you're out there getting away from it all – get away from the computer and other electronics too. Spend time getting to know the night sky, your friends' stories, and a good book. If you can't forego the electronics completely, ensure you use power bars or smart stripsto reduce phantom energy loads.
• Keeping cool in the cabin doesn't have to mean using a fan. Close the blinds on south and west windows in the day to keep the heat out, open windows for a cross breeze, and minimize cooking, or cook outside.

Your fire, your car and climate change

We might have little control over the weather, but we need to do our part to minimize negative impacts on our climate.

• Minimize smoke from your fire by burning only dry wood. And never burn plastic, metal, or wet garbage in your fire. Smoke is an air pollutant that can cause respiratory problems for anyone downwind, and it contributes to climate change. You can also stagger your fire nights, so you aren't burning all the time. Instead, join with neighbours at their fire. And of course, be fire safe, always put out your fires completely.
• If you are driving to your destination, try to travel at non-peak traffic times. Joining the long slow line of traffic increases your air pollution and climate change contributions.
• Resist the urge to idle your car to run air conditioner. Open the windows, get out of the car, park in the shade, or let your body sweat a bit (it releases toxins).
• Remember that driving is never the only way to get to your destination. I'm part of a club where we try to take many of our trips self-propelled; biking, hiking and paddling to our destinations. This makes the getting there part of the fun, and eliminates most of the carbon impact of your holiday.

Be cool with water

Although it can seem like we get an endless supply of fresh water from the sky, once that water runs off into deep underground aquifers, or into the sea, it takes years – thousands of them – before it comes back to us again as clean, fresh water.

We need to keep our water clean, and cycle it around as much as we can before we release it back to the sea.

• Composting toilets are a great option for the summer cabin or a guesthouse in the backyard. They have become smaller in size and less expensive to buy. These toilets are pleasant to use, save water, decrease pollution into waterways, and create a rich humus for your plants (just don't put it directly on your food garden). Look online, or ask about them at your local plumbing or building supplies store. You might even like it so much, you'll install one in your house.
• Fix those leaky faucets. A dripping tap is not a rustic charm, it can waste as much as 55 litres of water a day! While you're at it, put aerators on your faucets to save more water. April showers don't just bring May flowers. If you catch it in rain barrels, you can feed spring's rain to your plants all summer – and they'll enjoy it much more than chlorinated tap water.
• As tempting as it is, don't take soap or shampoo to the lake or the swimming hole. Even natural, biodegradable soaps will alter the nutrient balance of the water, throwing the system out of balance. If you want to bathe outdoors, set up a simple shower where the water – and your natural soap – will run into the ground and be filtered through dirt and plants before it washes into a lake or the ocean. Even better, catch it in a barrel or pond and use it on your plants.
• Take care of the foreshore. If you are fortunate enough to have a place by the water, remember that pile of driftwood on the shore is protecting the shoreline from erosion it and creates habitat for all kinds of critters. Leave as much natural debris in place as possible.

Get more water-saving tips from my blog post on getting through summer without watering my 900 square foot food-growing garden.

Make smart repairs and renovations

Cabins last longer and are more comfortable to spend time in when they are in good shape. Spending a little time each visit on repair can make a big difference to energy efficiency, comfort, and the longevity of the construction.

• Seal any gaps or cracks. This kind of draftproofing isn't just for winter. Sealing gaps will keep the heat out – and sometimes insects and rot as well.
• Insulation is not just for winter either. Putting some insulation into the roof or attic of your cabin will help keep it cooler in summer. If you are lucky enough to have hot water, insulate your tank as well. (Note that if it's a gas-heated tank, this should be done by a professional).
• Putting overhangs above your south or west facing windows and doors will help keep out unwanted heat.
• Planting a drought tolerant deciduous tree or vine outside south or west windows will reduce the heat that comes in, and give you something to admire from the window. Choose varieties that feed birds – and/or that have fruit for you. A tree will often require no irrigation once established, as long as you locate it well and place soil-shading plants underneath it.
• If you are painting, use zero VOC (volatile organic compound) paints to minimize pollution and health risks. Never pour paint where it could flow into a water body. Dispose of unused paint at a designated depot.
• Take advantage of the sun's daily energy and install a solar panel or two. They've become more affordable and are available at many hardware stores.

One last thing, when you're packing to come back home, don't forget to bring your new Power Smart habits with you. Enjoy your holidays!

Nola Poirier is a freelance writer and key contributor to the bchydro.com Green Guides. She now works from a home on the Sunshine Coast.

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