Top 5 Green Gadgets To Save You Energy and Money
By Mike Chino (from Inhabitat) on January 27, 2010
One of the biggest myths of sustainable design is that you have to spend lots of green in order to go green. Fortunately, there's a plethora of great gadgets out there that stand to cut down your bills while reducing the amount of electricity you consume. From active solar solutions and energy monitoring systems to ultra-efficient appliances, read on for our top 5 green gadgets that save energy and money.
1. LED Lighting
Over the past year energy efficient lighting has proven to be one of the most exciting fields in green consumer tech, and we've seen some remarkable advancements in LED technology that stand to save significant amounts of energy while cutting down on your electricity bill. LED lights also last much longer than incandescents and even compact fluorescents - new bulbs by Pharox and Panasonic have life-spans rated for 19-25 years. Although these next-generation bulbs tend to cost a bit more, you can count on technological advances and economies of scale making them cheaper and more plentiful in the years to come.
2. Household Energy Monitors
Studies show that if households are able to measure and track energy use, then residents tend to automatically take steps to cut down on electricity use and increase energy bill savings. Of course, our favorite energy monitor for the always-connected web 2.0 set is the Tweet-A-Watt, a household power meter that automatically tweets your home's energy use. The system is sure to spark a bit of friendly competition among neighboring households, and there's nothing like a little public accountability to jump-start home energy savings.
3. Portable Solar Chargers
Gadget geeks on the go know that keeping charged can be a challenge with today's energy-draining smart phones and mp3 players. Fortunately we've seen a slew of great portable solar chargers that enable you to skip the grid altogether and charge anywhere the sun is shining. The K3 Wind and Solar Charger, the Suntrica Solar-Powered Badge, and the Solio Charger are three of our favorites, and for the fashion-forward set there are even several solar-powered satchels and backpacks out there - our top marks go to Voltaic and Noon Solar.
4. Fuel-Saving Car Systems
Anyone who's ever driven a Prius knows how fun and addictive it can be to save fuel by easing off the gas and watching your milage go up. For those who don't have a heads-up display handy, Kiwi makes a great fuel-saving system that plugs right into your car's on-board diagnostic port to gather driving data, analyze it, and offer steps to increase your mileage. The device is compatible with all vehicles made after 1996 and can increase your fuel economy by up to 20%.
5. Energy-Star Rated Appliances
TVs, refrigerators, microwaves, and other household appliances make up for a huge amount of your monthly electricity bill, so by selecting more efficient electronics you'll be saving both energy and money. An easy way to do this is to keep an eye out for the Energy Star label when purchasing new appliances - the certification mandates strict energy efficiency standards and covers practically every area of household technology. Last year alone Energy Star appliances avoided 29 million cars worth of greenhouse gas emissions while saving Americans $19 billion on their utility bills.
Let us know about your favorite green gadgets!
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By Mike Chino of Inhabitat, an online magazine devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and design towards a smarter and more sustainable future. Written by a young tech-savvy team designers and design journalists, Inhabitat delivers fresh content daily, showcasing emerging work from the cutting-edge of the global design community.
1. LED Lighting
Over the past year energy efficient lighting has proven to be one of the most exciting fields in green consumer tech, and we've seen some remarkable advancements in LED technology that stand to save significant amounts of energy while cutting down on your electricity bill. LED lights also last much longer than incandescents and even compact fluorescents - new bulbs by Pharox and Panasonic have life-spans rated for 19-25 years. Although these next-generation bulbs tend to cost a bit more, you can count on technological advances and economies of scale making them cheaper and more plentiful in the years to come.
2. Household Energy MonitorsStudies show that if households are able to measure and track energy use, then residents tend to automatically take steps to cut down on electricity use and increase energy bill savings. Of course, our favorite energy monitor for the always-connected web 2.0 set is the Tweet-A-Watt, a household power meter that automatically tweets your home's energy use. The system is sure to spark a bit of friendly competition among neighboring households, and there's nothing like a little public accountability to jump-start home energy savings.
3. Portable Solar ChargersGadget geeks on the go know that keeping charged can be a challenge with today's energy-draining smart phones and mp3 players. Fortunately we've seen a slew of great portable solar chargers that enable you to skip the grid altogether and charge anywhere the sun is shining. The K3 Wind and Solar Charger, the Suntrica Solar-Powered Badge, and the Solio Charger are three of our favorites, and for the fashion-forward set there are even several solar-powered satchels and backpacks out there - our top marks go to Voltaic and Noon Solar.
4. Fuel-Saving Car SystemsAnyone who's ever driven a Prius knows how fun and addictive it can be to save fuel by easing off the gas and watching your milage go up. For those who don't have a heads-up display handy, Kiwi makes a great fuel-saving system that plugs right into your car's on-board diagnostic port to gather driving data, analyze it, and offer steps to increase your mileage. The device is compatible with all vehicles made after 1996 and can increase your fuel economy by up to 20%.
5. Energy-Star Rated AppliancesTVs, refrigerators, microwaves, and other household appliances make up for a huge amount of your monthly electricity bill, so by selecting more efficient electronics you'll be saving both energy and money. An easy way to do this is to keep an eye out for the Energy Star label when purchasing new appliances - the certification mandates strict energy efficiency standards and covers practically every area of household technology. Last year alone Energy Star appliances avoided 29 million cars worth of greenhouse gas emissions while saving Americans $19 billion on their utility bills.
Let us know about your favorite green gadgets!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Mike Chino of Inhabitat, an online magazine devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and design towards a smarter and more sustainable future. Written by a young tech-savvy team designers and design journalists, Inhabitat delivers fresh content daily, showcasing emerging work from the cutting-edge of the global design community.
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