Energy-saving devices work -- if you use them correctly

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-06/msu-edw060816.php

Public Release: 8-Jun-2016
Energy-saving devices work -- if you use them correctly
Michigan State University

A well-insulated home with a high-efficiency air conditioner and programmable thermostat are only as effective as the person using it.

A new study led by Michigan State University and published in the current issue of Procedia Engineering shows that people living in green dwellings who don't maximize their technology can lose half of the energy savings available to them.

"Technological advances in building and equipment account for only 43 percent of energy consumption," said Dong Zhao, assistant professor in MSU's School of Planning, Design and Construction. "That means that you could buy the greenest house on the market, yet your personal habits could waste more than 50 percent of your energy savings."

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