Saving electricity ( and money ) - please share your thoughts and ideas :)

[Vandenberg]

LEDs can last this side of forever.
I have a yellow LED Bug floodlight that is going on 7 years of constant use, alternatively, I would of had to replace those old incadescent type bulbs several times by now.
A wall mounted room light switch is a great invention, as are LEDs.
With solar rechargable led path lighting, if you spend a bit more you'll probably get a larger storage capacity which = the light will stay brighter longer, but (the cheapo batteries) will fail to function far sooner than an official damn that's bright LED lightbulb in a light socket would.
Dollar-ish store type solar path lights are toys compared to the more costly ones.

I would get a small affordable @ least 100 watt solar panel/battery/ inverter setup and run your fans and lights with it. You can set in your window and just forget the panel and draw off the battery inverter setup in the evening with your stored battery energy (and extension cords).

I just learned a new word here, Gilet, which is light sleeveless padded jacket aka as a vest in my neighborhood.
I do wish I had one of those thermally heated gilets under my coat back when I lived where 40below was just another day in the winter as a child.

Vandenberg

 

[Cuddles]

But they don't cost a lot. A few weeks ago i got these osrams in a big supermarket here for just 1€. Maybe not the best in efficiency but for 1€ more than ok and bright enough for nearly every room. Also suitable for a micro-grow.

View attachment 18761424

I checked and it turns out I already bought these a few years ago : (but as they look just like the old ones and I still have one or two, I´m not sure which are which...)

 

[Three Berries]

Get some of that reflective bubble wrap and wrap the water heater. It makes a tremendous difference even if you already have a wrap on it. Though It should be the first added layer.

 

[VenerableHippie]

sounds like a daft question

Solar in your situation not enough energy for growing.

CVH's post and diagram above is what you need ... IF you have enough hours of sunlight through your window to recharge. This will decide your limit, and the amount of recharge will reduce from summer to winter as daily sunlight hours reduce. Don't invest a lot to begin with until you find this out. A setup might sound fine in theory but the reality is often different

("Daft"? Thought you said you weren't in England. God save the Queen ... er ... King.)

 

[Three Berries]

Get a solar panel to soak up the light at the bottom of the plants that's going to waste.

 

[Ca++]

Your heating probably over-shadows all other power use together. Though being in a flat, you may be surrounded by other warm flats, except one outside wall. Also, flat's in Europe tend to be rented. Which ties your hands regarding upgrades.

Find drafts around windows, and plug them. Moving from double to triple glazing with window film makes a difference you can feel. If you have a loft, check the insulation. I took on a house with a warped loft hatch and about 50mm of fiberglass, that just let all the heat out.

If you game on a HD TV, then set the machine as HD not 4K. The 4K is 4X the work, and games machines are power hungry.
An energystar 50" TV is about 65w. However a rubbish 32" could use more. Get an efficient TV that's not pointlessly large.
These are small numbers though. An old 100w bulb needs finding, if you have one. Though most will of blown by now.
Looking at heat, a single fan heater on low power is generally 1000w. How much that warms the room is very much related to insulation. It could heat the flat, or fail to heat a single room. It's all about heat loss, this energy saving game. Everything else is the finishing touches.

Like someone said before, the cost of a solar lighting system (sold for the garden shed) is higher than any saving. Then there are production and shipping costs. All in, you might get more energy from it, by setting it on fire.

There are usually savings estimates online, based on lowering the heating thermostat. If you wear an extra layer, you might find 3c cooler is fine. Which done 8 hours a day, could save 10% annually. Heating is our big power consumer, and the bigger the difference between indoor and outdoor temps, the higher the losses.

Twice already I have put my heating on for a quick boost, then hours later wondered why I'm hot. I must fit thermostatic radiator valves to stop room overshoots. This is something, that like insulation, you could demand from a landlord. In the UK there are often subsidies.

 

[Three Berries]

They have timers for electric water heaters. Not much need to do laundry in hot water anymore with the detergents they have now. Though I make my own. That's a big money saver. And no leaky faucets. I added 8" of fiberglass last winter in the attic. The AC barely ran this year. Yet to turn on the heat though, just have the pilot running now. Probably will soon as it's going down into the upper 30Fs for a couple nights for lows.

Home made laundry soap

per gallon hot water

1/4 cup each
Dishwasher powder
TriSodium Phoshate powder
Borax
Washing Soda

Mix with hot water leaving room for a 1/4 cup Dawn dish soap. Add last due to sudsing.

 

[St. Phatty]

Get a solar panel to soak up the light at the bottom of the plants that's going to waste.

You're better off putting in some mirrors & reflecting that light back onto the bottom of the plants.

Unless you have unlimited number of solar panels, & can afford to sort of waste one in a low-input location.

They need strong sunlight to make electricity.

 

[Three Berries]

You're better off putting in some mirrors & reflecting that light back onto the bottom of the plants.

Unless you have unlimited number of solar panels, & can afford to sort of waste one in a low-input location.

They need strong sunlight to make electricity.

I've used old spare collectors off of yard lights to charge the typical 5v Li batteries. You could charge your phone off of one set on the bottom of the tent.

Saving money and ROI is always up to the one doing it.