Careful planning cuts costs of outdoor energy use
June 22, 2008
We enjoy our yard this time of year, which is beautifully landscaped. However, I’m concerned about wasting energy and water. Do you have any tips for us?
When it comes to reducing energy use we typically focus on what to do inside the home. There are some things, however, to consider outside too — especially in summer.
If you have a water feature, such as a bubbler, pond or waterfall, which are popular in the Northwest, you could be using a surprising amount of energy — especially if the electric pump runs 24 hours a day. The size of the water feature typically determines the size of the pump, which can range from one-third horsepower up to one-and-a-half horsepower. A one-horsepower pump uses about 1,000 watts of electricity when running.
Bryan Cassagnere of United Pipe & Supply in Vancouver estimates energy costs can run between $20 and $200 a month, depending on the size of the pump on the water feature.
“Submersible pumps are less energy efficient than those above the water,” he said. “When designing the feature you might consider a mag drive or an inline centrifugal out-of-pond pump to save energy. A mag drive pump is about 40 percent more energy efficient, but costs 30 (percent) to 50 percent more.”
Steve Pash of Frontier Landscaping in Vancouver installed a timer on his water feature so it turns off at night and when he’s gone. You wouldn’t want to turn off a pump in a pond that holds fish, however.
Outdoor lighting is another opportunity to cut energy use.
“Low-voltage lighting can save a lot of power over traditional lighting,” Pash said. “The same thing goes for lighting using a photocell that comes on at dusk. Install a timer to shut it off a few hours later.”
If you have an outdoor kitchen, consider installing motion detectors on the lighting, Pash said. Lights will only come on when someone enters the space. At minimum, install compact fluorescent light bulbs in place of incandescent bulbs. These use 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. They shouldn’t be used, however, with motion sensor lighting.
Swimming pools and spas offer another opportunity to reduce energy use. When it’s time to replace standard pool pumps, choose high-efficiency pumps or multispeed pumps to save energy. Install a pool or spa cover to minimize heat loss at night and prevent water evaporation.
Cutting your water use in summer may not directly affect your electricity use, but it will reduce your water bill and impact your local water system.
The utility typically pumps about 8 million gallons of water a day, but by August that amount will spike to about 30 million gallons a day, said Doug Quinn, Clark’s director of water services.
“That is a direct result of lawn irrigation,” he said. “The amount of energy to pump and deliver that volume of water is an expense to our water customers, so if people can manage their outside irrigation more effectively, it can make a noticeable impact on our system and their bill.”
Cassagnere suggests installing a weather-based irrigation control on your sprinkler system. It tracks the weather on a daily basis and determines when the irrigation runs versus an automatic timer. He estimates the controls can save 40 percent to 60 percent on irrigation costs.
Quinn offers some other suggestions, such as watering when there is no wind in the evening or early morning when it is cooler. Do not overwater and avoid spraying driveways and patios. During extreme hot weather, do some extra watering of specific plants instead of increasing your overall irrigation time. Use drip irrigation or direct sprays rather than dousing the entire yard to reach plants.
“A lot of saving water is common sense if we just become more conscious about its use in the first place,” he said.
