🚀 go-pugleaf

Here is a simple, cost-free method most households can use to reduce their
CO2 emissions, literally by tonnes.

Step 1. Replace any incandescent light bulbs in your home, that are left on
for several hours a night, with compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs).

Step 2. Use the money you save on electricity to purchase accredited green
energy.

That's it. These simple steps alone can reduce the amount of greenhouse gas
emitted to power your household by tonnes of CO2 annually, without it
costing you a cent. [#1]

In the example below, just 4 bulbs were replaced but annual household CO2
emissions were cut by more than 2 tonnes.


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Example:

Step 1.

Four incandescent 60 Watt light bulbs, that are on for an average of 5 hours
a night each, consume
4 x 60 x 5 x 365.25 Watt hours per year = 438300 Wh = 438.3 kWh,
which at 15.455c/kWh costs $67.74.

The equivalent compact fluorescents use only 11W each, so the corresponding
figures are
4 x 11 x 5 x 365.25 Watt hours per year = 80355 Wh = 80.355 kWh,
which at 15.455c/kWh costs $12.42.

So, by changing four lightbulbs, $55.32 a year was saved on electricity.[#2]


Step 2.

This amount was more than sufficient to purchase $50 worth (1655 kWh) of
green energy offsets, meaning that 1655 kWh of electricity was generated
from green renewable sources, instead of from coal [#3]. Adding this to the
357.9 kWh saved by the 4 CFLs, "dirty " electricity consumption was cut by
over 2012 kWh per year.

Coal-fired power stations emit at least 1kg of CO2 per kWh produced, meaning
CO2 emissions were reduced by at least 2012 kg. That's more than 2 tonnes.


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Some coal-fired power stations emit well over 1kg of CO2 per kWh produced,
and electricity tariffs are often higher than those above. For example,
Victorians paying 17.171c/kWh  for power generated from brown coal would
save $61.46 a year in the scenario above, and reduce CO2 emissions by 1.3kg
for every kWh unused or switched to green energy.

Australia's residential electricity prices are lower than those in most
developed economies [#4], with some countries (Japan, Italy etc.) charging
more than twice as much. The potential for emissions reductions in most
countries could be consequently even higher than in the example above.


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#1:  Since a CFL lasts about 6 times as long as an incandescent bulb, at
current prices the extra upfront cost of the CFLs can be ignored. It will be
recovered over their lifetime, even if you place no value on the time saved
by changing bulbs less often.

In the example shown, the extra upfront cost of the 4 CFLs was less than
$13, and the total cost well under 6 times that of regular bulbs. ($15.98
for two 2-packs of CFLs vs $2.99 for a 4-pack of 60W incandescents (all
Philips)).

Some people can actually get CFLs for free under carbon trading schemes.

#2:  Based on the SEQ electricity price, which is relatively inexpensive.
NSW is the only state in Australia with a cheaper average price, and
Australia's residential electricity prices are lower than those in most
developed economies [#4].

Obviously, the more expensive the power, the more
you save.

#3:  http://www.originenergy.com.au/1991/Environmental-solutions

#4:  http://www.bcse.org.au/docs/MMA%20Exec%20Rep.pdf