[Greenbuilding] Low powered (wattage) water heaters availablethrough Hydro Quebec

Reuben Deumling 9watts at gmail.com
Thu Dec 29 17:59:41 CST 2011


here are a few more nuggets from Hydro Quebec:

In addition to contributing to reduced power demand by using a
three-element water heater, you can also adopt more energy efficient water
heating practices that will lower your electricity bill.

*Here are a few examples:*

   - Keep your water heater’s temperature at 60°C (140°F).
   - Insulate hot-water pipes.
   - Take shorter showers and use a reduced-flow showerhead.
   - Use your clothes washer efficiently; for example, by doing your
   laundry in cold water.
   - Use your dishwasher efficiently—by running it only when it is full,
   for instance.

My adaptation with a bit more attention to ranking by importance and
creativity:

   - Do your laundry in cold water. Consider doing less laundry especially
   if you now do more than one load per week.
   - Take shorter showers and use a reduced-flow showerhead and a soap
   valve/shower button.
   - Wash your dishes by hand. That way you can choose how little (hot)
   water to use.
   - Keep your water heater’s temperature at 49°C (120°F).
   - Insulate hot-water pipes.

Most of their recommendations (above) are decades old, and it would be
worth investigating whether repeating them endlessly is having any effect
today? Why not up the ante a bit, vary the phrasing, challenge the audience
to think a bit more creatively about this problem. What could they possibly
lose?
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