O’Connor Insurance was an early participant in the Green Power Community Challenge. Each month we post our carbon offset results from our solar energy array on our headquarters in Creve Coeur.
We are proud to be doing our part to make Creve Coeur one of the leading communities nationwide in deriving our power from renewable resources.
This month, our carbon offset is 1,126 lbs. We have offset the equivalent of 13 trees.
Thanks to our solar vendor, Microgrid Solar, for the photo.
January’s Energy Tip: When To Turn Your CFL Lights Off (From the Department of Energy’s Website)
Because they are already very efficient, the cost effectiveness of turning CFLs off to conserve energy is a bit complicated. A general rule-of-thumb is this:
- If you will be out of a room for 15 minutes or less, leave it on.
- If you will be out of a room for more than 15 minutes, turn it off.
The operating life of CFLs is more affected by the number of times they are switched on and off. You can generally extend the life of a CFL bulb more by switching it on and off less frequently than if you simply use it less.
It is a popularly held belief that CFLs use a lot of energy to get started and it is better not to turn them off for short periods. The amount of energy varies between manufacturers and models, however, ENERGY STAR© rated bulbs are required to endure rapid cycling for five-minute intervals to ensure that they can hold up to frequent switching.
