Project Get Off the Grid: Phase II
As those who have read previous posts about Project Get Off the Grid already know, I’ve been attempting to make small changes that will reduce my energy use around the house, then analyze the impact of the particular changes by comparing my current Duke Energy bills with those from the year before. During Phase I of the project, I developed the habit of turning off lights whenever they didn’t need to be on, using natural light whenever possible, and unplugging all my portable devices if they were fully charged in order to eliminate “phantom” energy use. When Charlotte weather got unseasonably warm for a week or so, I even turned off my thermostat. When the results arrived, it turned out I actually managed to use almost 20% less energy than I did the previous year.
One thing that really surprised me during this process was how insignificant the differences in temperature in my house were when I had the thermostat off, even at night when it dipped into the low 30s outside. When my thermostat is on, the temperature of my house is maintained at 73 degrees, but when I turned my thermostat off, I never saw the temperature dip below a still comfortable 70 degrees. Curious, I decided what I would be doing in Phase II of Project Get Off the Grid: In addition to continuing the behaviors I developed in Phase I, I am leaving my thermostat off, completely, for the entire billing period.
Thus far, despite temperatures ranging from the 20s to the high 70s in Charlotte during the past few weeks, the temperature of my house has not broken a range of 67 to 75 degrees. When it does get cool, I put on a sweatshirt. When it gets warm, I take it off. I am a genius.
The relatively steady temperature in my house is probably a result of all types of variables that won’t necessarily exist universally, so turning off thermostats may not be practical for everyone. First of all, my house is actually a condo unit in an eight-story building, so it’s insulated on three sides by other units and only one side is exposed to the outdoors. Also, the exposed side faces south with tons of big windows, so I get the benefit of the sun’s warmth (and natural light) for the majority of the day. Lastly, I’ve already got insulating double-paned windows, so I don’t lose warm/cool air to the outdoors as quickly as I would with traditional windows. My house seems to be pretty good at regulating its own temperature during the winter, but I’ll be curious to see if it turns into a miserable hell sauna during hot summer days.
Updates to come…
