South Korea Ditches Suits to Curb Cooling Demand

Did you ever think how clothing plays an important role in deciding the temperatures air conditioners are set to. Wearing lighter clothes in summer and more layers in winter can help reduce a lot of energy. If president of a country is serious about it and is following it only shows the magnitude of energy it can save and awareness about energy use it can generate.

SEOUL, South Korea—South Korean businessmen, who traditionally dress in uniform dark blue suits, are being urged to not wear their jackets and ties as summer looms in a bid to save electricity amid tight supplies. "We need all the people to join to curb excessive cooling demand, which accounts for 21% of summer peak demand," the country's economy ministry said in a statement. The statement also ordered 478 large buildings to keep their temperatures at 26°C (79°F) or higher. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, a former business executive who normally always wears a dark blue suit, is expected to lead by example, as he did last winter when he urged Koreans to save on heating by wearing thermal underwear. South Korea experienced nationwide power cuts last September.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/16/us-energy-korea-idUSBRE84F07S20120516

Empire state building saves 20% more energy after retrofits

Improving the 6500 windows of the empire state building is expected to save 4.4 million USD in operating costs in the next 3 years. It is such a wonderful example of how retrofitting old buildings can reduce the energy usage of the building. In a similar context even at small homes a big deal of difference can be observed with minor changes like turning to CFL's, using shades, insulating the windows, installing sensors etc. Retrofits can save a lot of energy and the returns are usually fast. In my opinion it is usually more efficient to retrofit a building than to break it down and build a new one.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/08/empire-state-building-makeover-upgrade_n_1497918.html

Carmaker Using Vehicle Batteries to Power Homes

A very interesting article that Nissan is introducing an initiative called "Leaf-to-Home," which will use electricity stored in its Leaf electric vehicle batteries to be distributed to residential homes and appliances. It is intended to be a two-way charging system, meaning that the Leaf can be charged as usual, but the Leaf can eventually return the favor by supplying electricity from its battery when there's a local power outage. The automaker estimates that the batteries will still have 80% of their original charge capacity after the EV has reached the end of its lifespan.

More information : http://electronicsbus.com/electric-vehicle-home-backup-battery-charger/