Even after a year of being housebound, many of us find ourselves in a remote-work situation, so home is where we're going to spend far more time than we once did. It doesn't take long for our thoughts to switch to the extra power we're going to use by being at home so much more. To help keep electricity costs down, you have a broad choice of "smart" and "wireless" devices to help control your energy usage around the house. Smart energy technology can help you use less power and use it more wisely.
A smart meter or energy monitor can give you a bird's-eye view of your ongoing energy usage. It installs directly into your home's electrical system at the main panel and, through an app, it gives you a reading of electrical flow, along with a host of statistics about your home energy usage. Some models can actually identify individual appliances and monitor their power consumption.
This can be invaluable in identifying non-critical electricity usage so you can make decisions about which items to disconnect from the power grid. Do you really need that wine fridge to be on all day and night? Linked to a smart lighting system, they can even tell you how much power a particular lamp is using.
Since heating and air conditioning are notorious for consuming the lion's share of your home energy budget, a wise investment would be to install a smart thermostat. By programming it with your at-home and away patterns, it can control the temperature in your house and make sure you're not spending energy dollars when you're not even at home or awake.
Some versions allow you to control your system remotely through an app, while even more exotic models are being developed that figure out your home patterns all by themselves. Using presence detection, linking to your smart phone GPS readings to determine if you're on your way back, receiving local weather data and even factoring in your utility's peak-period rates, they can control your home's environment with maximum monetary savings in mind.
Just how much you can save varies greatly, but estimates begin at about 10% reduction in your energy bill. A manually programmable thermostat can give you roughly equivalent results if you want to key in your own times and temperatures, and reduce the feeling of being monitored by technology.
When it's light outside, open your blinds and you don't need to turn on your home lighting. When it's hot outside, close your blinds so your air conditioner won't have to work as hard. Well, now you can automate that process with a system that can be controlled from your phone via an app with voice command, or you can let it can take over complete control of opening and closing the blinds around your dwelling.
Did you have a dad who was always saying: turn the lights off when you leave the room! He was right. Lights that remain on when nobody is even there can seriously eat into your energy budget. There are plenty of automation solutions available -- smart switches, smart bulbs and even room sensors that can turn individual lamps or entire room lighting on and off as genuinely needed. They can be controlled via an app on your phone or they can function autonomously to keep your power consumption in line, day and night.
Have you ever seen someone's lawn sprinkler system hard at work while it's actually raining? Your sprinkler system can now control itself and avoid such wastage. Smart sprinklers can set up watering patterns and adjust those schedules if it rains or if someone walks outside where they might get wet. By monitoring water pressure, they can also detect leaks or broken sprinkler heads, sending you a notification on your app.
Though not dangerous to your wellbeing, energy vampires can be a scary thing. Take a walk around your home and count the devices that activate by remote control or by touching a button. In order to respond to your command, they need a constant stream of power to keep their sensors active. It's a tiny amount of energy they consume, but multiply that by the number of them around your house and the hours of the day when they are not actually being used, and the drain they represent becomes clear. If you determine which of those you absolutely need to keep in a ready state, you can disconnect all the others and only plug them back in as needed.
Also, any device that uses a "brick"-style power supply is still drawing energy as long as it is plugged in. Device chargers are notorious for that, since you probably only need to recharge your gadgets one or two times per day. If you keep them on a power strip that has an "off" switch, you can stop that energy flow when they're not needed. And of course there are smart plugs that can do that for you.
If you have any questions about how to energy waste-proof your home, we're here for you at Atlantic Energy. Our professionals will be happy to perform an energy audit at your home or business, and advise you on the best way to manage your power consumption. For any questions about energy use, contact us anytime at www.atlanticenergyco.com.
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There are so many reasons you should want to reduce your energy footprint. If combating climate change, reducing pollution and preserving the planet for future generations aren't convincing arguments ... how about saving you money? Wasting anything is money sent down the drain, and spending more on energy than you need to is no different.
Energy Efficiency, in a nutshell, is doing more with less. Taking a close look at your energy use and the efficiency of your home and appliances can save you a lot in the long run. Here are some steps you can take today that will make you glad you did, in the years ahead.
Keeping your home warm in winter and cool in summer account for a large portion of your energy use. There's little you can do to improve the efficiency of that process if heat is either escaping or intruding through walls, roof or poorly-fitting windows and doors. But you can fix all that.
Check the insulation in your attic or crawl space. How much is there? Is it evenly applied? Is there room to add some more? Are your walls properly insulated? One quick test is to put your hand on the wall in various places during a particularly cold or hot day. If the wall feels cool or warm to your touch, there may not be sufficient insulation there. When pursuing energy efficiency in your home or business, insulation can be your best friend.
The first thing to look for when inspecting your windows is: do they fit properly? Again, a low-tech approach of feeling for drafts coming in is a good way to start. New energy-efficient windows are usually multi-glazed (with more than one pane of glass between you and the outside) and can involve new, innovative materials or reflective coatings that help keep the outside temperature outside.
Smart or programmable thermostats are designed to control the heating and air conditioning in your home in specific zones at particular times of the day. If you are out of the house or sleeping at more or less the same time every day, the smart thermostat can reduce your use of energy during those hours, and change back to the active levels of energy use just before you return or get up for the day. They're easy to program so that your living habits are reflected in the control patterns and they can save you money at times when you're not around or active. The latest versions are wifi-enabled, so you can change settings on the fly, from virtually anywhere. And some can learn your coming and going habits all by themselves.
Patented in 1880, the incandescent light bulb wastes 90% of its energy as unwanted heat. You'll still find plenty of them in use, along with the fluorescent bulbs that followed. The most energy-efficient lamp we have today is the light emitting diode, or LED light bulb, which is more energy-efficient and longer-lasting than its predecessors. There's an LED bulb available for just about every application you might require.
Take a walk around your home, looking for any energy vampires that might be drawing minute amounts of energy day and night, without you noticing. Along with major power wasters like heating and air-conditioning, which you can deal with using smart thermostats, there are other items that are consuming power even when not in actual use. Tweak the settings on your computers and other electronics to make sure they shut down when not in use for more than several minutes.
The transformer "bricks" that convert house power for use by small electronic devices are consuming power as long as they're plugged in. Once your phone is recharged, unplug the charger. Some people have multi-outlet power bars sitting on a counter with several transformer bricks plugged in all day and night. Make sure the power bar has an "off" switch, and remember to use it.
You can lower your energy costs by a large amount simply by investing in appliances and devices that sport the Energy Star logo. They are the latest generation of appliances and they have been designed to use less energy to do the same job as their predecessors. You can find Energy Star-rated washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, water heaters, televisions, and other entertainment equipment -- even ceiling fans.
Explore heat pumps or solar panels to make an even greater impact on the environmental issue. While these appliances may cost a bit more at the outset, they can save large amounts of energy -- and money -- over the years to offset the expense. Be sure to ask the experts at Atlantic Energy about rebates and other discounts that can help pave the way to energy efficiency in your home.
An answer to the old question: "Can I really make a difference?" is found in the fact that energy use in America has remained roughly the same since 2000, while the economy has grown by approximately 30 percent. This also reflects the time frame during which energy efficient measures have become commonplace.
Saving energy also depends on smart habits, like turning off unneeded lights, efficient loading and settings on washing and drying appliances for both dishes and laundry, and looking out for phantom power drains. According to estimates from the US Department of Energy, the average American household can save about 25% on utility bills by taking some simple steps to improve their energy efficiency.
Still confused about energy-saving techniques? Have the professionals from Atlantic Energy perform an energy audit at your home or business. For any questions about alternative energy options, contact us anytime at www.atlanticenergyco.com.
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Thanksgiving is a day known for food, travel, and family get togethers. At those family gatherings, so many of us are often looking for good topics to bring up to keep the conversation flowing. We want to avoid politics, maybe you don’t care about the football game on TV, and you may realize you actually have all that much in common with that distant cousin.
Fear not, because the world of energy always serves up some delicious and fascinating tidbits that you can use to fill in any awkward silences or to quickly change the subject. If you seek to be trivia master or just engage your fellow Turkey Day diners with some fun facts, consider the following ways you can break down Thanksgiving by the energy numbers:
While every Thanksgiving dinner is unique, and that’s one of the beauties of it, some keen energy enthusiasts at the Marine Corps did the math on the average Thanksgiving dinner. Assuming you use electricity to cook the dinner rather than gas, a dinner composed of a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie should require the use of about 14 kilowatthours (kWh) of electricity. Notably over half of that power consumption goes to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey!
To conceptualize that, if you instead opted to microwave frozen burritos with that power you’d be able to warm up almost 300 of them. Or if you were going to instead watch a Christmas movie marathon, that 14 kWh would be enough to keep the TV powered for 42 hours straight.
Cooking your turkey in the oven connected to the grid is too simple, so the fun folks at Wired decided to investigate how many batteries would be needed to cook a turkey. They went through the complex science of batteries and found you could take your turkey cooking off grid using just 151 D-cell batteries. You may not have those on hand when it comes to an unexpected outage, but it’s good to have backups!
Most people tend to travel to be with their families during the holidays, which can take them just a few miles down the road or from one coast to the next. On average, Americans travel about 770 miles to be with family for Thanksgiving. To translate to the energy facts, it depends on the method used to make the trip:
So for minimizing emissions, consider packing as many people into your vehicle (or plane!) as possible.
Power companies keep a close eye not just on how much energy the entire grid uses, but also what the highest level of demand is on any given day. Knowing this peak demand time allows for them to plan to have maximum generating resources going at the right time to ensure supply meets demand. Typically, this period of peak demand will be somewhat early in the morning, around 7 AM as people are getting up and getting ready for the day, and a lesser peak again in the early evening once they return home from work and school and start using home appliances. However, on Thanksgiving our behaviors greatly change and so the expected patterns change with them.
Study of energy use on Thanksgiving compared with other November weekdays highlight that peak demand shifts from 7-7:30 AM to about 11-11:30 AM, 4 hours later, as that is when people are doing the bulk of their cooking and meal preparations in the kitchen. Grid operators are prudent to not treat Thanksgiving as just any other Thursday when planning accordingly.
These figures are fun to think about and show some of the different ways in which those in the energy sector need to think about meeting power demand during holidays, and indeed throughout the year. But if you really want to impart some energy-based wisdom to your friends and families this holiday season, consider sharing with them any of these actionable energy-saving tips:
When it comes to powering our homes, there are many things that we, as humans, take for granted — such as the ability to turn on lights, use heating and air conditioning, cook meals, run the dishwasher, do laundry. All the comforts of modern life are here to stay, and they certainly make life much easier.
But in the past several years, the conversation has shifted to discuss alternative sources of energy. While traditional electricity is created by burning fossil fuels (such as coal and petroleum), natural gas has been slowly but surely moving towards center stage. But what are the benefits? Is it just as efficient? How can you figure out which one would work best for you?
Just as coal and petroleum are found beneath the Earth's surface, natural gas is sourced from deep under rock formations under the soil. Its main component is methane, and it is formed the same way fossil fuels are formed — through the decomposition of plants and animals who roamed the planet hundreds and millions of years ago. The heat that emanates from the Earth's core turned these decomposing organisms into coal and oil, while a portion of them turned into natural gas.
Both sources of energy are obtained by drilling through layers of rock to reach these deposits. Once they are reached, they are extracted to the surface by pouring high-pressure water, sand, or other chemicals through wells. It is then taken to processing plants to remove certain contaminants and to add odor. This is done so that leaks can be detected if there's a leak in gas pipelines.
Most states receive energy from local suppliers that the government regulates via the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the existing energy market. Their purpose is to ensure the welfare of consumers by promoting a safe and reliable energy distribution at relatively reasonable prices.
Under FERC, states can decide whether they want to offer their residents regulated or deregulated energy. The reasoning behind these options is that consumers should be the ones who ultimately decide where their power comes from. This comes with the benefit of opening the market to additional competitors.
The argument regarding whether it's better to have a deregulated energy market is lengthy. Its opponents believe that the government should regulate essential services and that private companies cannot ensure energy supplies to more rural areas. As for those who support it, lower energy costs and additional innovation are good enough reasons to provide consumers with options.
There are several benefits to switching to natural gas to power your home or business. These include:
This depends on your supplier. However, since deregulated states offer more options to consumers, service providers have an incentive to provide competitive prices.
Many jurisdictions already have a gas pipeline in place. In fact, the United States has the most extensive natural gas infrastructure in the world. This is because the industry is becoming more widely popular, which has increased market demand.
While natural gas is still a fossil fuel, it emits lower levels of carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, and carbon dioxide. Therefore, it burns cleaner than carbon and petroleum. And while it's not as green as solar or wind energy, it's widely available, making it more cost-effective for families on a budget.
Granted, there are also negative aspects you should consider when researching the best available energy options for your needs. Specifically, the cons of natural gas include:
Although natural gas is more environmentally friendly than burning oil, the extraction process is still damaging to the environment, especially since the gas is mainly composed of methane, a greenhouse gas.
Gas leaks are dangerous, both at the home level and from the pipeline level. If it's at home, the added odor generally alerts homeowners and the danger can be averted. But when it occurs from the pipeline infrastructure, it can build up until it becomes explosive. And in the meantime, it can kill animals and vegetation.
Now, let's take a look at the positive aspects of powering your home or business with traditional electricity:
You already have it. You know it's efficient. And you can generate both heating and cooling using the same equipment. And even if you switch to natural gas or any other source of alternative energy, you will still need electricity to power your air conditioning system.
Transporting and delivering electric power doesn't come with the risk of doing the same with natural gas. And even when providers generate electricity through cleaner sources — such as solar, wind, or hydroelectric — the service still gets delivered through the same infrastructure.
As for the negatives, it's what you would usually expect when discussing a home or business' carbon footprint:
Burning fossil fuels will always be detrimental to the environment. Specifically, coal is one of the most polluting sources — which can be disheartening, considering that it's one of the most commonly used energy sources in the country.
Powering a building with electricity is generally more expensive than using other sources of energy. And if you don't have energy-efficient heat pumps, you could be spending twice as much as you would with a high-efficiency one.
As you can see, either source has its benefits and disadvantages. Which one would work best for you depends on your energy needs, budget, and geographical location.
At Atlantic Energy, we are committed to providing reliable, energy-efficient solutions for households across America. We offer natural gas and electric services to both residential and commercial clients. In fact, we provide natural gas services to ten states:
New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Washington, DC.
Contact us to learn more about how we can help you reduce energy costs and make your life at home or business a lot easier.
Have you ever done a home energy assessment? If you haven’t — or if it’s been a while — it’s possible that your household is wasting significant amounts of energy. It also provides valuable insights, such as which areas of your home require more power, whether it’s time to add more insulation, and/or whether your windows need to be sealed to prevent leakages.
Whether you decide to hire a professional or perform it yourself, it could result in a more comfortable home environment and lower energy bills. But what if you have a smart home? Does that mean that you’re automatically optimizing your energy usage? While being more mindful of wasteful habits and installing smart technology are definitely helpful, it’s good to be aware of energy-saving tips, even for smart homes.
The term smart home refers to a household where technology is used to maximize energy usage and the family’s comfort, including:
Smart homes also can have tech devices for entertainment purposes, such as playing music or watching movies with surround sound on command. They can also include AI technology for convenience, such as using IoT to remind them of errands to run later (“Alexa, remind me to take my vitamins at 8:00 AM every morning.”)
Smart devices are called smart for a reason. Your home is more comfortable, and you save energy. But there are also things you can keep in mind to maximize efficiency. Specifically:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) worked together to develop energy efficiency requirements for household appliances. This was done to help consumers save money and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When appliances are built following these specifications, they are labeled with the Energy Star logo.
Energy Star also offers helpful online tools for homeowners to improve energy efficiency, such as the Home Advisor and HVAC Installation platforms.
Adjusting your thermostat setting by a couple of degrees for several hours a day can result in significant savings in your heating and cooling bills. A smart thermostat allows you to preset times when the temperature should be adjusted in your home — lowering it when most of your family is going to bed or slightly increasing it if the house is going to be empty for hours at a time. This is one of the most significant energy-consumption actions you could implement in your home since climate control is typically a household’s largest energy expenditure.
Smart bulbs can not only help you save energy, but they can also set the mood for any room in your house. Want to dim the lights or change the colors because you want to have a romantic dinner, meditate, or just because you like purple lights? Smart LED bulbs can be installed on any lamp or light fixture and controlled directly from an app. And if you use Energy Star bulbs, your energy consumption can be reduced by a whopping 75%. An added bonus is that LED lights also last 25 times longer than traditional light bulbs.
Have you ever left home only to wonder halfway through your commute whether you turned off the iron? Smart plugs eliminate that anxiety by allowing you to check and control from your smartphone. In fact, you don’t even have to be away from home. Maybe you just laid down to rest for a bit—no need to get up to check anything.
Smart plugs can be installed on any wall socket and save you energy consumption by allowing you to turn off devices from wherever you are. As an added benefit, you can also plug in items you’d like to turn on remotely, such as your coffee maker while you’re getting out of bed or the dryer while you’re in another room of the house.
A smart home system is a hub where you control all of these separate elements. Instead of picking and choosing one or the other, integrate all of them for maximum energy consumption. You can even save more money if you purchase items in a bundle. Not only would you get several smart devices at the same time for a reduced price after a specific period of time, but you could also qualify to receive cash back on your energy supply.
At Atlantic Energy, we are committed to providing reliable, energy-efficient solutions for households across America. We offer a wide array of smart products for residential and commercial clients, such as plugs, Bluetooth and WiFi-enabled LED bulbs, and bundles.
Contact us to learn more about how we can help you reduce energy costs and make your life at home or business a lot easier.
In today’s ever-evolving world, keeping the environment clean and safe is becoming more and more of a priority. While we continue to rely on nonrenewable and fossil fuels, green technology is becoming more important to energize our homes and keep the environment safe at the same time. For Energy Awareness Month, we wanted to highlight some of the ways we can use technology in our homes to better reduce our carbon footprint and limit our energy consumption to help the planet for years to come.
Lights are one of the most important pieces of technology in our homes. Lighting accounts for 8% of our total energy consumption, so finding more energy-efficient bulbs such as LEDs instead of standard bulbs can drastically reduce the amount of energy we use. Not only that, but they will also last longer and give off no heat or UV emissions. Using an automated lighting system can help keep your lights on a schedule, change the brightness, and even adjust them to different colors to fit whatever mood you are in.
Over time, using less energy for refrigeration can have a major impact on climate change and is one of the biggest draws on electricity in our homes. Smart fridges can learn your door-opening habits and start the cooling process only when it is necessary. They also use an internal process called “demand response” to communicate with local utilities so that energy is optimized during off-peak hours to reduce the amount of energy being used. Smart fridges can pay for themselves in nearly 10 – 15 years, so making sure you find ways to keep them protected and up to speed for the long run is essential. To maximize efficiency, it’s important to keep the coils clean and fill the empty space in your freezer with jugs of water. Regular maintenance, along with additional safeguards like home warranty, can ensure the longevity of your appliances and make the most of your investment.
Similar to the smart fridge, a smart thermostat can learn your household’s patterns and adjust its heating and cooling accordingly. It will only use energy when you are in the home and can be controlled remotely, making it easier to keep track of when you want to start the heating or cooling process. You can save nearly 10% on your overall yearly heating and cooling bill by simply turning your thermostat down 7 – 10 degrees. So, having remote access to set a schedule can not only reduce your energy consumption but also save you money. Most smart thermostats can give you a distinct report about when you’re using the most energy, allowing you to change your patterns and optimize your home so you aren’t wasting any power.
A simple way to start reducing your energy consumption is looking to switch out your old power strips with new smart power strips. These strips can detect when one of your devices is in standby mode and will cut the power in that outlet. Each outlet has a dedicated signal that can either measure the amount of energy being used or sense when there is no activity coming from the plugged-in device and will adjust the power levels coming from that specific outlet. This, over time, will decrease the energy being used from one strip and help you save money. To get the most out of these Smart Strips, strategically place them around your home in areas that have high energy consumption, such as a home office or living room. The more devices you have in one given area, the greater the benefits will be.
As smart homes become ever more popular, so do smart windows. These windows are simple to operate and work similarly to a light switch. With the press of a button, you can tint your windows and block out the majority of solar energy, keeping your home at a consistent temperature. Without the solar energy coming through, your home won’t have to constantly adjust the temperature, wasting a major amount of energy in the process. The windows themselves are very energy efficient, drawing very little electricity when in use so you won’t have to worry about turning them off or on throughout the day.
The environment is changing every day, but so is the technology that we have available to us. With the right home innovations, you can drastically reduce your carbon footprint and help the environment become healthier over time. Reach out to us here at Atlantic Energy for more information regarding how our Smart Home Bundle can help you achieve an eco-conscious home.
Since first bursting into the public consciousness several years ago, the concept of cryptocurrency has continuously perplexed many people outside the industry, while others felt confident that they were close to understanding the technology only to have it slip through their grips. All the while, cryptocurrency opportunities were creating windfalls of economic opportunities for investors and stakeholders, regardless of how well they actually understood it! But during these early times, the hot trend of cryptocurrency seemed to some like something of a buzzword, with corporations getting into the game while journalists breathlessly detailed the teenagers who had unwittingly become Bitcoin millionaires.
Now, though, the cryptocurrency sector has a few years under its belt and proponents have moved further along the hype cycle to reach tangible and productive projects. However, those increasingly common projects have found the need to continually address a persistent issue: the massive energy demand of the cryptocurrency landscape.
The backbone of cryptocurrency, which can be read about via great explainers like this one, is using computers to constantly run while solving complex equations. This computing power and required data servers have a notable electricity footprint, highlighting how there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Because of that, stakeholders in the cryptocurrency must really evaluate the energy demand, the associated climate implications, and identify how the emerging technology and the power sector can work and plan harmoniously towards the future.
To start, what exactly are the energy requirements of cryptocurrency? According to Harvard Business Review, the poster child in cryptocurrency—Bitcoin—currently consumes 110 Terawatthours of energy each year, representing 0.55% of global electricity production. To put that figure in perspective, the New York Times broke it down this way:
These numbers are mind-blowing, but they make sense when realizing that each bitcoin transaction has an energy footprint of over 1,800 kilowatt hours (kWh) compared with 100,000 Visa transactions that use just shy of 150 kWh in total.
Despite these massive energy generation needs, the impact isn’t quite as negative for the climate as it could be, as shown by a report that tabulated Bitcoin’s energy consumption to come 73% from carbon-neutral sources, largely via hydropower in cryptocurrency mines in Asia and Europe that are co-located with existing dams. An alternative assessment found that figure to be closer to 39% carbon neutral, showing that the anonymized nature of cryptocurrency makes direct study challenging to nail down exactly. But either way, cryptocurrency operations do seem to be largely renewable, especially when compared with more carbon-intensive economic activities that pull from the typical grid.
Whether the energy footprint of these cryptocurrency operations is 39% carbon-neutral or 73% carbon-neutral, the sector still leaves a large chunk of immense energy consumption that is not carbon neutral, which is only getting more concerning as the total market grows. For further context on the climate impact, consider the following figures:
These numbers are all increasing with each passing year, as cryptocurrency values increasing are only driving more activity. As noted by Charles Hoskinson, co-founder of Ethereum, the blockchain network for one of the most valuable cryptocurrencies on the market:
“The more successful bitcoin gets, the higher the price goes; the higher the price goes, the more competition for bitcoin; and thus the more energy is expended to mine.”
However, the truth is that the innovators driving cryptocurrency also tend to be forward-thinking in how they acquire their energy. The reason that these cryptocurrency operations can be creative and proactive in how they fulfill their energy needs is that they don’t have to have their power needs fulfilled directly from the grid. Following in the footsteps of the massive data centers that allow tech giants like Amazon and Google to hum, cryptocurrency operations have realized the benefits they have by not being geographically bound. Instead, these facilities are placed where the land and the energy are cheapest. This trend means rural, remote locations where land is plentiful make more sense for cryptocurrencies than urban centers or Silicon Valley. Further, when those operations are built, they then tend to be powered by contracting directly with renewable energy projects (existing or new) nearby. By contracting with renewable farms directly, these companies can get the best electricity rates, remain insulated from market price surges, minimize their carbon footprints, and even minimize the amount of energy lost from transmission (a key benefit of this type of distributed energy generation asset).
These types of cryptocurrency and renewable project partnerships have been forged repeatedly. For example, the North Dakota Public Service Commission just recently approved a direct agreement between a blockchain company and a clean power provider, while recently the president of El Salvador has looked to bring a new renewable energy generation source into the game with its local geothermal resources.
In addition to these renewable energy resources, another carbon-neutral power source has started to see pairing opportunities for cryptocurrency, and that’s nuclear power. Nuclear plants are expensive to build and come wrapped in immense amounts of red tape that increase timelines and risk, but two areas are getting attention in the nuclear sector for cryptocurrency are leveraging existing nuclear power plants and the coming technology of small modular reactors (SMRs).
SMRs are a type of mini-nuclear reactor, with that smaller size making them a dispatchable, buildable source of power that can be constructed in a factory and shipped to where it’s needed, such as a remote cryptocurrency facility’s location. This ability reduces the capital expenditures requires, minimizes red tape, and allows one large energy user to meet their own needs with clean energy rather than rely upon the grid. Utilizing SMRs for energy needs is another area where cryptocurrency is following the lead of data centers in this regard, as recently Amazon and other tech giants have contracted with SMR providers to discuss a future where this would power operations. So similarly, SMRs are going to be valuable for cryptocurrency moving forward.
Then on the theme of utilizing existing power plants, the advantages are actually just as notable for the energy sector itself as they are for the cryptocurrency players.
For existing nuclear power plants, keeping them cost-competitive with new power generation and distributed energy generation has been challenging because the ramping up and down to match demand can be costly. While Illinois recently passed legislation to help aid these existing nuclear plants, not every state is trending that way and so offloading extra generation to cryptocurrency needs has gotten a lot of attention. For example, the mayor of Miami has been publicly recruiting cryptocurrency companies to come and take power from the region’s Turkey Point nuclear plant
Similarly, the Midwest utility Ameren recently found that mining cryptocurrency would be an effective way for it to offload excess generation when customer demand drops. Utilizing that excess power for cryptocurrency represents a much preferable solution than the status quo of ramping down production, which is inefficient and costly. With this new strategy, they can instead keep production humming and make productive use of the energy. Further, this process makes the utility money, which reduces costs to customers in the end. While this Ameren program is still in pilot, it is garnering a lot of excitement and could represent the future path many utilities will take.
In the end, the energy sector is evolving more than it ever has before. Modern technologies, smart capabilities, and more are key to the future of energy. These are the trends that Atlantic Energy is keeping at the forefront for you. Whether it be providing smart home products or identifying early-stage clean energy for your home or business, we see the trends that are coming and keep you informed and ensure you benefit from them.
Don't you hate it when it's the middle of the night, and you're a few pages away from finishing your latest murder-mystery novel when a blown light bulb suddenly ruins your chance of finding out who done it? If your bedside table lamp uses a regular light, you might want to know if you can replace it with a different type of light.
When you head on over to your favorite home improvement store the next day, don't reach for the first light bulb you see. Now is the perfect opportunity to make the switch from a standard incandescent bulb to an energy-efficient LED bulb.
Continue on to read our light comparison guide and discover the top differences between LED lights and standard bulbs.
A study by the University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems took a look at how replacing regular lights with LED lights helped cut residential energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers said, "lamps with higher usage rates should be upgraded first and more frequently to achieve the highest possible cost, energy, and emission savings."
The top reasons to consider making the switch from regular lighting to LED lighting include:
Due to their energy inefficiency, certain incandescent and halogen light bulbs are starting to be phased out or even attempted to be banned in certain states. LED lights continue to get cheaper every year and, when you factor in their long lifespan, the cost is comparable to regular bulbs.
Have you ever wondered if an LED light bulb is the same as a regular light bulb? Amazingly, Energy Star mentions how "LED lighting products produce light up to 90% more efficiently" when compared to standard household incandescent light bulbs.
The four main types of light bulbs used in residential homes include:
Incandescent light bulbs are the standard light bulbs used in most people's homes. They are easily recognizable with their white, or sometimes clear, glass bulb surrounding a tungsten lighting filament. Regular light bulbs have been around since the mid-1800s and work by heating the filament with electricity until it begins to glow brightly.
Incandescent bulbs aren't very efficient, produce a lot of heat, and burn out relatively quickly. The average lifespan of regular incandescent light bulbs is only about 1,000 hours.
Halogen light bulbs are nothing more than an enhanced version of an incandescent bulb. Like regular lights, halogens start with a clear glass bulb enclosing a tungsten lighting filament. However, the tungsten filament from a halogen bulb is also surrounded by a transparent housing filled with an inert gas like iodine or bromine.
When you turn on a halogen light fixture, the gas ignites the filament producing a hotter yet brighter light than a standard bulb. The average lifespan of halogen bulbs is about 2,000 hours.
Compact fluorescent lamps come in many shapes and sizes, including the ubiquitous spiral tube seen at many home improvement centers. They are kind of like a miniature overhead fluorescent lighting tube housed in a compact lighting fixture. CFL light tubes contain argon gas and a trace amount of mercury. When an electric current travels through the tube, ultraviolet light is generated, causing the interior fluorescent coating to phosphor or light up.
CFL bulbs come in different base types, including a screw-in base that lets you use them in any standard lighting fixture that fits a regular incandescent or halogen bulb. The average lifespan of a CFL bulb is about 12,000 hours, and they use much less electricity - about one-fifth to one-third less than regular incandescent bulbs.
When you turn on an LED light, electricity passes through a small microchip, AKA the light-emitting diode, causing it to glow brightly. A few reasons for the growing popularity of LED lights are that they are cooler to the touch, use much less energy, and last up to 25 times longer than standard light bulbs.
People used to worry that replacing their entire household with LED bulbs was expensive. But you should never compare the cost of an inefficient regular bulb with an energy-efficient LED bulb. With the average lifespan of an LED bulb being around 25,000 hours, this means your bulbs will last much, MUCH longer compared to standard lighting options.
This is a win-win lighting situation for your home, your wallet, and the environment.
If you're replacing all your lighting fixtures with LED bulbs, you're probably wondering how to dispose of your old bulbs. Of course, you don't want to simply throw them in the trash, as broken bits of glass are certainly a safety hazard.
Many recycling facilities won't accept light bulbs placed in recycling bins, but you can dispose of incandescent, halogen bulbs in your regular trash can. It's a good idea to wrap the bulbs with paper towels or place them in a ziplock bag or small cardboard box before disposing them. That way, the sharp pieces of glass are safely contained if any of the bulbs break.
Since CFLs contain a trace amount of toxic mercury, this makes disposal a more difficult proposition. You may have to take your CFL bulbs to a facility that accepts household hazardous waste or contact your local home improvement store to ask if they have a CFL drop-off site near you.
We think you'll agree that, after reading our light comparison guide, there really is no reason to continue using inefficient incandescent lightbulbs around your home. From lowering energy costs to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, LED bulbs are the lighting of the future.
Power the Smart Way with Atlantic Energy - reach out to us today and discover how we can help make your home smarter. When you choose us as your residential energy provider, you will receive our Smart Home Bundle, including ten energy-efficient LED bulbs and 3 Smart Wi-Fi enabled LED bulbs.
With so much understandable focus on transitioning energy generation from fossil fuels to clean energy, stakeholders must not overlook some of the lowest hanging fruit in the energy realm: energy efficiency. Well-planned energy efficiency programs and technologies represent one of the most critical and natural win-wins out there. Energy efficiency allows for conserving of energy without sacrificing output, meaning buildings and customers cut costs, power providers minimize how much demand they need to reach, and fewer greenhouse gases are spilled into the atmosphere.
When looking at the buildings sector, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) accounts for a whopping 40% of energy use. Because of that fact, finding ways to minimize heating and cooling needs can have a greater effect on utility bills and environmental impact than some of the more commonly discussed options like turning off lights or buying more efficient appliances.
For building owners and facility managers seeking out their unique opportunities to get efficient in the heating and cooling department, they should simply tilt their heads to look up to the rooftop. While rooftops are commonly thought of in the energy world as the avenue for solar panels for those trying to be green, not all buildings are suitable for solar energy. A building could be in a region with poor solar irradiance, it could have a roof that doesn’t face the sun during prime solar hours, it could find itself in the shadow of taller buildings, or it could simply be too costly to install solar panels. However, all buildings can benefit from potential efficiency solutions instead, and these efficiency solutions have looked different in the past from today, and looking forward there are emerging technologies that provide new reasons for excitement.
Looking at the past, present, and future, rooftops can be a tool for energy efficiency:
Early ways to get air conditioning to commercial buildings typically included multiple units on different floors or in different rooms. These systems would send the cool air where it was needed in the summer months, and full HVAC units would do the same with warm air during the winter. This equipment revolutionized the buildings sector, but they did so by adding the greatest amount of aggregate energy demand ever experienced for a single technological advancement (at least until electric vehicles reach their tipping point).
To feed this addiction to building heating and cooling in a way that didn’t require increasingly great demand loads, high-efficiency rooftop air conditioning units were developed. Putting these units on the rooftop in batch form allowed for greater size units that could thus increase the total equipment efficiency, and modern advances since the turn of the 21st century allowed for improvements on the level of 40 to 50% in just the past decade.
Improving building heating and cooling efficiency with larger but more efficient equipment is a helpful, but not very elegant solution. By attacking the sector with a brute force solution, it costs building owners a lot of money to buy into these solutions. Higher efficiency rooftop HVAC units also risk falling under Jevon’s Paradox where building occupants who know they have more efficient equipment may feel license to use the heating/cooling functions more liberally and actually increase total energy demand. Lastly, advancements in the efficiency of these units have slowed in recent years, as the low-hanging fruit of this efficiency solution of yesterday have been picked and resulted in a stall out of further progress.
On rooftops of today, however, some more nuanced and clever solutions have started to take hold in the form of how rooftops are designed. On one side, green rooftops have become a common trend in commercial buildings today. A green roof, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is “a vegetative layer grown on a rooftop,” meaning the roof is literally green with plant life like small trees, shrubs, grass, or other plants. The goal of a green roof is to reduce the amount of heat that gets transferred into a building over the course of sun-drenched days. This goal is accomplished as the plant life can provide literal shade, acting as insulators to prevent temperature exchange between the building and air, and generally ensure reduce the need to tap into HVAC systems to regulate a building’s temperature. Upon installation of a green roof, a building can experience 15-25% energy savings on summer energy costs by reducing heat transfer from building exterior to interior by up to 72%. At the same time, green rooftops can be more attractive, engaging for occupants, and even reduce the risk of urban heat islands that increase the more the climate changes.
In a similar vein, cool roofs (sometimes known as white roofs) are a similar solution that comes with buildings designing their rooftops to be painted white. Because dark rooftops, which have architecturally been the norm, trap heat on them and transfer that heat into the building, HVAC systems must work overtime to regulate the temperature during sunny days in the hot months. By simply painting rooftops white, though, rooftops will reflect up to 90% of sunlight (compared with 4% of black asphalt). Reflecting that sunlight, and thus heat, away from the building has a similar impact as green roofs, eliminating how hard air conditioning units need to work to keep the temperature inside a building comfortable, and this goal is accomplished simply at the cost of the white coat of paint. Studies who look at the energy use of a building before and after that coat of paint find energy savings of 8% all the way up to 40%, making the investment pretty obvious.
Technology is always advancing, and given that the building stock accounts for 40% of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, retrofitting existing buildings and constructing new buildings with the best energy efficiency technologies is of paramount importance.
A few specific rooftop efficiency trends to keep an eye on in the coming years include:
And scientists and engineers are sure to identify further opportunities all the time, so keep an eye on this space! As they say, the cheapest unit of energy out there is the energy that’s not used, so keep looking for ways to optimize efficiency first and foremost. If you don’t know where to start with efficiency, you can turn to your power provider as they’ll likely have programs to help you embrace efficiency (having your energy use managed and limited helps the utility just as much as the customer). For example, Atlantic Energy works to educate our customers on the best ways they can save energy, including the use of our smart device packages with smart LED lights and smart plugs. Get started today by enrolling with us.
Media outlet headlines and social media posts galore last week came out with a force for the following announcement: the Biden Administration is talking about nearly half of U.S. electricity coming from solar power by 2050. Clean energy advocates, climate warriors, and regular consumers alike raised their eyebrows at such a bold pronouncement. And as too often happens in today’s environment of soundbite news and Tweet-length hot takes, the debate raged on before many people bothered to dig into the headline and what was behind it.
Whether you find yourself excited and optimistic about increasing the energy supply coming from the sun or if you turn a skeptical eye towards such bold claims, informing your opinion based on the facts behind the story needs to be a top priority. So, let’s pump the breaks on the instinct towards sensationalism and make sure we know what the story is being discussed.
When headlines across the web proclaimed the Biden administration was talking nearly half of U.S. electricity supplies coming from solar energy by mid-century, the impetus was the release of the Solar Futures Study from the U.S. Department of Energy. The crux of the headlines that you may have read came from the central thesis that America can feasibly (in terms of technology and economics) get 45% (so not quite half) of its power supply from solar energy alone by 2050.
Despite the world of progress, the solar industry has made from failing to be even a blip on the radar as recently as 2010, this amount of solar penetration would still represent a mobilization the world has never seen before: solar in the United States today represents less than 3% of total generation. According to the Energy Information Administration, the business-as-usual forecasts predict that solar would only reach 20% of all power generation by 2050.
Given these facts, the conclusions from the DOE Solar Futures Study represent more than doubling that market share. So, how does this study end up reaching that conclusion?
The Solar Futures Study was produced by the Solar Energy Technologies Office in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, both under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Energy. Even if you’re no energy wonk yourself, the DOE Solar Futures Study (or at least the executive summary) is worth a read. The notable assumptions and conclusions behind that noteworthy 45% solar by 2050 figure include the following:
The key point to note in all the above, and what your friends on Facebook may have overlooked before resharing or commenting, was that this was a study about what was possible or feasible. This study did not amount to a mandate, nor even a forecast of what was expected to happen under a business-as-usual scenario. The headlines that suggested this study amounted to Biden requiring or predicting nearly half of energy would come from solar are not telling the full story. The outcomes of this study certainly paint the types of aspirations the administration holds, but these goals will not be met without aggressive action behind them.
That said, the way the U.S. energy policy tends to work is that this study could very well be the first step towards those necessary actions: put out the science, receive feedback (both positive and negative), and use that dialogue that as an outline of what might be possible to mandate or fund in the future. This study could then be the reference point for future orders or legislation. Given that possibility, the conclusions of this study are still important for energy stakeholders to read, react, and consider. As noted, the study highlighted what was needed policy-wise to change before such a solar future to come into fruition, as lofty declarations beget ambitious goals perhaps beget aggressive success. But what the realities will be in terms of action and results both remain to be seen.
Clean energy is becoming more important to stakeholders across the grid, not just because governments are mandating or incentivizing it, but because power providers are recognizing that doing so is the lower cost option in the long run. This clean energy transition is also the best way for the energy sector to prevent the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
Customers in the electricity supply chain are among the biggest drivers of clean energy demand, including solar, which is why the availability of deregulated markets that allow customers to choose power providers more deeply committed to a solar future is important. For example, if you are in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Washington DC, Atlantic Energy is one of the options you may have as an alternative energy provider. Contact us today to learn if you’re eligible and find out what great programs, prices, and clean energy services we can offer you thanks to the system of energy choice!
The perennial favorite for barbecue grills, propane is also a versatile and convenient fuel with a wide range of applications. Many Americans are turning to propane to serve as the primary energy source in their homes. There are many reasons for switching from electricity, heating oil and natural gas. Let's drill down on the benefits of using propane as your prime household fuel.
According to the 1990 Clean Air Act, propane is safe, efficient and ecologically friendly. While it is a petroleum byproduct, it burns much cleaner than other fossil fuels. Propane contains less carbon than gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, kerosene or ethanol, thus producing significantly lower greenhouse gas levels than other options.
Propane packs a considerable punch, containing a lot more potential energy than most other burning fuels. A little can go a long way. Although propane is one of the ingredients found in natural gas, pure propane burns slower and hotter than natural gas. Propane can heat a water tank in a third of the time that an electric heat source could take.
Propane is also safer for the environment, as it's not toxic and won't contaminate groundwater. If it leaks or gets spilled, it simply dissipates into the air. Since there is a lot of energy concentrated into a small amount of propane, you don't need to burn as much of it as other hydrocarbon-based fuels, therefore less greenhouse gas gets emitted. Some propane furnaces on the market can operate at very high efficiency.
It's usually extracted in liquid form, referred to as LPG, liquefied petroleum gas. In its liquid state, it is much easier to store and transport than gas. This makes it the perfect off-grid fuel source, and it takes on hero status when some kind of traumatic event shuts down the entire public power supply. Propane-fuelled generators are reliable and operate quietly.
Users can purchase propane by the truckload, for providing the power to heat and run a house, or in small cylinders to fuel a grill or to keep on standby in an area that is subject to severe seasonal weather events like floods or hurricanes.
If you're considering converting to propane for heating your home and powering your appliances, first check the prices in your area. While there are myriad benefits to using propane as a primary energy source for your home, it is not the cheapest option on the market. The good news is that prices fluctuate with the cost of other petroleum products.
You will need a tank of considerable size in which to store your propane. On average, a 500-gallon tank will need to be refilled a couple of times per year. Inquire about discount suppliers, and keep in mind that renting a tank usually means you are locked into a single supplier for your propane deliveries. To maintain your ability to shop around for better propane prices, you will want to own your tank.
Before you take the plunge and convert to propane, make sure you are an informed consumer.
Storing your propane supply outdoors is a must. Propane is heavier than natural gas and not as quick to dissipate into the air. While accidents are rare, most of them are due to leakage, often from improperly maintained equipment. In its gaseous state, propane can fill an enclosed space without warning and either ignite from a stray spark or replace the available air, making it difficult to breathe.
If properly combusted, propane emits little carbon monoxide. However, if you have an older furnace that is not thoroughly burning the propane, carbon monoxide could build up to dangerous levels.
Using propane safely is quite simple:
Regardless of which energy source you use, it's always a good idea to have the professionals from Atlantic Energy come in and perform a home energy audit. Optimize your energy efficiency and talk to us about alternative energy options. Contact us anytime at www.atlanticenergyco.com and ask us about propane conversion or any other energy questions you might have.
We have the power to help you.
On August 29, Hurricane Ida came and went through the U.S. Gulf Coast rather quickly, but unfortunately, the impacts felt will be long-lasting. Major weather events like this one are becoming more common and more severe, which many scientists attribute directly to climate change. Even if individual storms like Hurricane Ida cannot be identified as directly an outcome of the changing climate, the messages it sends to the energy sector remains chillingly clear:
As the U.S. Gulf Coast region continues to pick up the pieces from yet another devastating hurricane, a few early observations related to these messages have become clear and deserve attention and consideration.
Taking stock of the damage from Hurricane Ida is critical towards understanding just how impactful the storm was on energy systems in the region. All 8 transmission lines that feed power into New Orleans, Louisiana’s most populous city, were knocked out. This damage included the upending of a 400-foot tower, a challenge that alone adds much complexity and delay before Entergy (the regional power provider) can restore power.
As of Tuesday morning, those outages remained for more than 1 million customers in Louisiana and Mississippi. Troublingly, these outages don’t amount to simple fixes. Rather, 10 parishes across the state have seen their electric grids “completely collapsed and damaged, smashed out.” As a result, the utility companies note that areas of the grid most directly hit could take three weeks for restoration.
The power sector isn’t the only energy source impacted, either. The oil and gas industry that makes up such a prevalent part of the Gulf Coast Region has also come to a stop in the wake of Hurricane Ida. All told, the capacity for refining crude oil into usable products knocked out in Louisiana and Mississippi make up 13% of the nation’s total capacity. As a result, prices of gasoline and other oil products will see notable spikes as an impact of these shut-ins.
The fallout in the U.S. Gulf Coast is hardly the first time that a major storm has left such a wake of damage to the grid in its pathway:
Further, these events are not one-off incidents that can easily or readily be ignored. They represent a pattern of storms and weather events with increasing frequency and intensity. Whether specific entities want to debate the climate change impact causing them or not, the reality of the storms cannot be ignored. That’s why grid modernization is becoming such a touchpoint. Grid modernization considerations to prepare the grid include the following:
In the end, tackling grid reliability and stability in the face of extreme weather is a collaborative requirement across energy providers. From the climate perspective, the negative impacts hit everyone so it’s incumbent on all actors to assume their role. No utility or energy company operates in a silo. The rush to decarbonize the grid and stop contributing to climate change is the responsibility of each utility, and the faster that happens collectively, the less the climate will change.
Further, sharing and collaborating on technologies that work to decarbonize, increase resilience, and more is important in the utility sector. No power providers will come up with all the solutions on their own, but the more that lessons are shared and technology is collaborated upon, the quicker the industry will get to solutions.
Lastly, and most importantly, a storm like this can evoke the famous Mr. Rogers quote:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
In the wake of this major storm, as happens any time there is a mass outage, you’ll see dozens of utilities sending hundreds, sometimes thousands, of utility workers to the impacted region to help them restore power lines and bring energy back to their customers. These programs are known as mutual aid, with utilities sending their resources and workers, knowing fully well that other utilities will do the same when the roles are reversed. Like firefighters, they aren’t running from the issues but they are running to it, and that’s truly special about the power industry. In response to Hurricane Idea, more than 25,000 workers from 32 states and the District of Columbia have all made their way to help their utility peers, which is always an inspiring sight.
Energy is critical for daily life. Reliable power is no luxury: it keeps food safe, medicines preserved, life-saving equipment running, and more. So, outages aren’t just an inconvenience and reliability isn’t just nice to have, but they are essential to a safe, healthy, and modern life. That’s why these storms and their wide impacts can be such a wake-up call. But from that wake-up call, let’s remember what’s important, what our priorities as energy consumers and stakeholders should be, and keep that spirit of collaboration moving forward.
The COVID-19 pandemic created a lot of devastation, uncertainty, and long-lingering impacts from which modern society, leaders, and markets will be looking back on for years to come. While these impacts will be the dominating memory, and rightfully so, the situation that required people to drastically adjust their ways of lives create countless ‘natural experiments’ of sorts, and the energy sector at large was a key area in which this occurred.
Some of the dominating trends observed included pollution reductions while populations quarantined at home, utilities putting a moratorium on shutting off power for those who couldn’t pay their bills, and delayed construction for many new generation projects that were in the pipeline. However, among the most interesting impacts to look back on in 2020 during the height of COVID-19 were the impacts to energy consumption.
Typically, power use elevates in the morning as people wake up and start to get ready for the day: showering, cooking breakfast, etc. By mid-morning when people are at work, school or other places of mass congregation, total energy demand drops because energy can be more efficiently used during these times (e.g., heating one office building with 100 people in it is more efficient than heating 100 individual homes). In the early evening, as families return home, they tend to use the most energy to turn on their lights, operate their appliances, cook dinner, wash clothes, etc.
Utility leaders never had reason to question this pattern. However, with people working and schooling virtually from home experts saw overall that electricity demand during COVID-19 weekdays more closely resembled “Sunday levels.” That is, the average household didn’t see as extreme a ramp up during the morning nor as high differences between mid-day and early evening. Instead, energy use was more evenly distributed throughout the day as virtual work and school technologies were used all afternoon, households weren’t turning off air conditioners during the day because the house wasn’t empty, and the general day-to-day energy use patterns changed with the daily habit change. The overall trend was still observed to a degree, but the drastic differences between times of day were dampened.
These changed observed trends aren’t inherently a positive or negative, but rather they are trends that must be considered in the context of the whole system. How does a changing demand profile impact the relative costs of different energy sources? How can and should utilities change their infrastructure buildout plans? How might this shift the decision-making process of customers considering investing in rooftop solar?
According to EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook, the United States is likely not to return to the 2019 level of energy consumption until 2029. This drop in energy consumption is not a specific success of any energy efficiency measures or integration of on-site generation that reduces the demand on the grid, but rather a reflection of the economic impact felt by the pandemic reducing overall output.
Stepping back, the pipeline of new energy generation projects has been planned and financed assuming a previously predictable growing power demand across the sector, largely to be filled with clean energy projects. The integration of these projects would reduce the overall carbon intensity of the grid and put the nation on the right path to meet climate targets. With less demand growth than anticipated, not to mention renewable financers getting hit hard, the result could be a longer time period before clean energy replaces fossil fuels.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the dire situation of energy poor homes across the country became all too evident. Certain regions of the country seeing their low-income households forced to pay up to 14% of their income on utility bills alone. When the economic crisis unleashed by COVID-19 hit and many of these people lost their jobs, that energy burden became even more challenging. Utilities largely stopped collecting payments from these homes and ceased power shutoff threats, but into 2021 those homes are now looking at having to pay back those unpaid bills and see the threat of going without power once again.
In these situations, the long-term impact of COVID-19 may have a couple of widespread impacts. First, these homes are going to need even more to find ways to reduce their power bills. While they were certainly conscious of this need before, the reality of the COVID-19 economic fall out has made public policy and non-profits more so prioritize this crisis, whether through bill pay assistance, no-cost efficiency upgrades, or other programs.
An additional pathway many of these homes may seek out is taking their power bill into their own hands. In jurisdictions where energy markets are open, customers can shop around to different power providers to find out which companies will offer them:
Atlantic Energy is one such provider that can work to highlight what will work best for your needs and unique situation. We’re here to give you the reins in controlling your power bill. And we can do so by providing more efficient smart products that help you consume less energy, control household energy use, and even provide some fun extra smart tools (not just in your home, but also for your business). Check out what we can do for you by enrolling here.
For those looking to the future of the energy sector, one which will hopefully be cleaner, smarter, and more customer-focused, its image is becoming clearer by looking back on the trends of the last year.
Saving energy is great for the environment and even better for your bank! There are immediate things you can do to save energy at home without using technology or learning how to use it less. Smart home technology is the perfect way to save your time and effort worrying about how to save, when you can just turn your appliances on and off with the click of a button.
LED lights are way better to use than incandescent lights because they use about 25% of the wattage incandescent lights use. Think about how much you can save knowing you save 75% less electricity with the same high performing electricity you can get using incandescent lights.
Turning on and off your lights and electronics when they are not in use is extremely important. You save on what’s called vampire power that sucks up your energy on standby all night long when you leave them on. With Atlantic Energy’s smart home app, you can do this from anywhere in the world at any time of day.
Whether you connect your smart plugs, your lights, your appliances, your entertainment systems, you have complete and total control over your energy when they are not in use.
Closing your shades can cool your home from the sun, allowing you to not turn your A/C up. With smart home technology, you can do temperature control in your home and even customize them in different rooms. You also can control the climate on timers for when it gets too hot in your home. The easiest way to keep your A/C off, be environmentally friendly and save money is to keep your shades closed from the outside so that the heat doesn’t get in.
Around the holiday season, or even just for fun, many people put up decorative lights and leave them on for long periods of time. This kind of lighting sucks up energy when it’s not in use. Put the lights on a timer, so they aren’t on all night sucking up “vampire energy.” A timer also helps you not forget to turn them on and off when you want to and they can just do it on their own.
Programming your thermostat and being able to schedule it will help you save energy and costs on your electricity bill because it can run on it’s own and can save you up to 10% on your bill by programming it to eco-friendly temperatures. You can program different temperatures for different rooms using smart home technology right through our Atlantic Energy app!
Plugging something into a smart plug, like a lamp, can give you remote control and voice control access to using them. With voice control, you can use it for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. When using a smart plug, you can turn off devices right from the Atlantic Energy App. Smart plugs can also help you with security. If you plug in your smart camera, you will be able to use and watch what is going on at your home or business on the app.
Atlantic Energy’s mission is to have green products in your home that are eco-friendly and, in turn, save you money as well. We want to help you save energy as quickly as possible, and using smart home technology is the best way. Not only can you control your devices and your lighting, but also your appliances. There are things (as mentioned) that you can do right now to save you energy, and you can add that extra boost of complete control with our Atlantic Energy App. We have a skilled team of employees that are happy to explain any of our products to you or even just give you any information on how they work.
We can help your home or even your business, and we want to get you started. Contact us anytime between Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM-8:00 PM and see how you can advance your space with eco-friendly products.
There’s no denying it anymore, the smart home market is emerging as a hot and growing sector that doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Even better for the energy-savvy consumer, these smart products are able to help you manage your home energy use and increase overall energy efficiency in ways that were never before possible.
From smart lights to smart thermostats to voice assistants and more, the smart home market is a force with which to be reckoned. If you’ve held off on jumping about the smart home bandwagon until now, it may seem intimidating to get started and know what to consider as you make your first purchases.
To help you get started, here are some key aspects to keep in mind when choosing the right smart home products for your newly (congrats!) smart home:
The first important aspect of smart home products to consider is that not all products in a given category are not created alike. Significant variance exists in what features are offered, and so it’s important to consider what you are hoping to do with the smart home product and make sure the product you are buying fits into that.
For smart lights, for example, some products offer color-changing abilities which can be deemed a desired feature while others only offer white light. Similarly, some smart lights offer the ability to dim them (which is a great way to save energy) while others only function as on or off. If these differences are important to how you envision using your smart home, make sure to clearly read the description of features on your smart light.
More generally, the features and way you interact with your smart products can vary from product to product. Some smart products will have a dedicated app that lets you control them, while others require integration with a dedicated smart home panel, a web portal, or something else. Consider how you want to interact with the product and read up on what each product offers.
More advanced features are also only offered by the most state-of-the-art products. Some products have built-in geofencing, for example, that can see when your phone gets within a certain distance and completes an operation based on that (unlocking the door or turning on the foyer lights, for example). With how quickly the smart home field is advancing, it’s important to look at the latest and greatest and determine if those features are ones of which you want to take advantage.
Beyond just knowing what neat or useful features you want in your smart home product, an absolutely essential area of consideration is the compatibility. There are various different smart product ecosystems and communication protocols that might be used, and they don’t always play nicely together.
For example, smart home products from Apple will only worth with other Apple products, as they’ve created a closed ecosystem. On the other hand, the SmartThings smart home protocol from Samsung is built on a more open ecosystem that allows anyone to put out products or programs that operate with compatible products.
When you’re first starting off with your smart home, it’s important to recognize the potential for two products to not be compatible with each other and plan around that. You may want to identify what the most important part of your smart home is (maybe lights? Or maybe the security system) and build the rest of it using the appropriate ecosystem for that product. Luckily, manufacturers of these products make it easy to understand what a given device is and isn’t compatible with, and the packing will often include a note that this product ‘Works With’ which given ecosystems.
To make it even easier, many smart home manufacturers have also started to create product bundles to get you started that all work seamlessly together. You can get a foot in the smart home with these starter packages, and then they also offer add-on packages and again can leave the customer confident they are getting products that work together well.
For example, customers who start with the Atlantic Energy Smart Home Bundle, a series of products (including smart lights, smart cameras, and smart plugs) that are offered to customers for free just for being loyal customers, all the products are designed to work together seamlessly in the same home and controlled with the same app.
Voice assistants in just a few short years became the most widely sold smart home product on the market, thanks to the likes of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Luckily, there are many useful ways to integrate the rest of your smart home in with these voice assistants, even in convenient and easy ways to save energy.
For customers who already have a voice assistant and want to start adding other products into the mix, it’s important for them to make sure that those products work with their preferred voice assistant since compatibility again isn’t universal. The makers of the smart home devices again try to make this easy on you by putting notes on the box or online advertising regarding which voice assistants are compatible with their products, so be on the lookout for that. The Atlantic Energy Smart Home Bundle, mentioned before, is easy to set up and control with Amazon Alexa, providing ease of function and smart home integration.
Lastly, all of the various functions and features possible with smart home products, of course, come with a range of prices. The most basic smart products will be cheaper, and the state-of-the-art products will cost you more for the added abilities. For this reason, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution and each home must weigh their budget and what they are looking for out of the products.
Going back to the Atlantic Energy Smart Home Bundle, what could be a better price point than free. Just for continuing to purchase your home’s energy from Atlantic Energy, you’ll continue to get smart home products to add to your home over the course of two years.
Atlantic Energy recognizes the need for a superior in house customer service center.
Viewed as innovators in the stagnant energy industry, Atlantic Energy continues to elevate themselves away from what's been tolerated as far as customer service in this field.
There are mainly pain points that typically exist for a customer when choosing an energy provider and most revolve around customer service. Instead of turning a blind eye and accepting the industry standard, Atlantic Energy doubled down on customer service to ensure customers needs are met.
While still considered a young company, Atlantic Energy has experienced serious growth in the past 4 years. When Co-CEO Patrick Linden was asked about this he claimed, “Our specialty is customer retention. We have double the retention rate in the energy industry. When customers sign up with Atlantic, they become a customer for life”.
Atlantic Energy has changed the way homes and businesses consume energy. Join us and help reduce the negative impact current energy production continue to have on the environment.
Did you know that you can choose your home’s energy supplier?
Have you ever considered what kind of energy you use at home?
The energy business has failed to innovate and still relies on fossil fuels likes petroleum, natural gas and coal to create energy. The dependency of these unsustainable dirty sources continue to have major negative impacts on our environment.
Atlantic Energy offers customers access to multiple renewable energy rate plans. Let us help you understand which plan will be best for your home or business. In addition to the clean energy, we also provide our customers with energy efficient solutions! Find out more here about our smart products!
And the best part...
If you choose a green energy programs, you will be helping the environment with a green home.
Find out here which deregulated states Atlantic Energy offers renewable energy plans and once enrolled, you can begin receiving exclusive offers.
New York
Atlantic Energy Third Party Supplier License Number: 6481AT.
Contact Information:
Telephone: (800) 917-9133, M-F 9:00a.m.- 5:00p.m. EST
Fax: (516) 922-2055
Email: Info@Atlanticenergyco.com
Customer may write to Atlantic Energy at: One Shore Ave., PO BOX 1 Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Atlantic Energy Third Party Supplier License Number: GE16121140 (Gas) EE16121139L (Electric)
Contact Information:
Telephone: (800) 917-9133, M-F 9:00a.m.- 5:00p.m. EST (contact center hours subject to change).
Email: Info@Atlanticenergyco.com
Customer may write to Atlantic Energy at: One Shore Ave., PO BOX 1 Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Connecticut
Contact Information:
Telephone: (800) 917-9133, M-F 9:00a.m.- 5:00p.m. EST (contact center hours subject to change).
Fax: (516) 922-2055
Email: Info@Atlanticenergyco.com
Customer may write to Atlantic Energy at: One Shore Ave., PO BOX 1 Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Washington, D.C.
Atlantic Energy Third Party Supplier License Number: GA 2016-06 (Gas) EA 2016-17 (Electric)
Contact Information:
Telephone: (800) 917-9133, M-F 9:00a.m.- 5:00p.m. EST (contact center hours subject to change).
Fax: (516) 922-2055
Email: Info@Atlanticenergyco.com
Customer may write to Atlantic Energy at: One Shore Ave., PO BOX 1 Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Massachusetts
Atlantic Energy Third Party Supplier License Number: CS-162 (Electric)
Contact Information:
Telephone:(800) 917-9133, M-F 9:00a.m.- 5:00p.m. EST (contact center hours subject to change).
Fax: (516) 922-2055
Email: Info@Atlanticenergyco.com
Customer may write to Atlantic Energy at: One Shore Ave., PO BOX 1 Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Atlantic Energy Third Party Supplier License Number: IR-3604 (Gas) IR-3605 (Electric)
Contact Information:
Telephone:(800) 917-9133, M-F 9:00a.m.- 5:00p.m. EST (contact center hours subject to change).
Fax: (516) 922-2055
Email: Info@Atlanticenergyco.com
Customer may write to Atlantic Energy at: One Shore Ave., PO BOX 1 Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Ohio
Atlantic Energy is licensed by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to offer and supply electricity generation services in Ohio.
Our license number for electricity supply is 16-1567—EL-CRS.
Contact Information:
Telephone: (800) 917-9133, M-F 9:00a.m.- 5:00p.m. EST (contact center hours subject to change).
Fax: (516) 922-2055
Email: Info@Atlanticenergyco.com
Customer may write to Atlantic Energy at: One Shore Ave., PO BOX 1 Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Pennsylvania
Atlantic Energy Third Party Supplier License Number: A-2016-2542024(Gas) A-2016-2542085 (Electric)
Contact Information:
Telephone: (800) 917-9133, M-F 9:00a.m.- 5:00p.m. EST (contact center hours subject to change).
Fax: (516) 922-2055
Email: Info@Atlanticenergyco.com
Customer may write to Atlantic Energy at: One Shore Ave., PO BOX 1 Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Take control of the energy that runs through your home and business!
Contact one of our sales specialists today and learn how to receive green energy from Atlantic Energy.
Join the renewable energy movement and help change the way energy is produced for a better today and better future!
Atlantic Energy continues to exceed customer expectations. This time, they’re smart business bundle product suite goes beyond what other energy company have offered.
Atlantic Energy made its name in the energy industry with its innovative and unique LED light bulb program. This offer was geared towards businesses and brought true value added offers to the energy industry. With almost a decade of servicing local businesses across the Northeast, Atlantic Energy continues to evolve with its latest smart business bundle offer.
Upon a business becoming an Atlantic Energy customer, they will be delighted to enter our suite of services that are offer. These range from our customer service center, in-house technology department, or the centralized logistical warehouses which keep inventory local, in an effort to always meet customers product needs.
One of the first points of education the Atlantic Energy sales team helps local businesses understand are the differences between a fixed and varying rate. For some businesses, our fixed rate is very advantageous simply due to the design of a set monthly fee associated with their energy use. Atlantic Energy has found many businesses are unaware of fixed rates and being able to forecast s set cost for their business has been extremely helpful. For other businesses a varying rate seems to be more beneficial as they are comfortable with their rates increasing or decreasing due to market conditions. After a consultation, business owners are able to make decisions based on the needs of their business. Regardless of the businesses choice, they are supported on a daily basis by Atlantic Energy’s power desk whose sole purpose is to read the analytics and data collection to purchase energy at the most aggressive pricing possible.
Now, if that was all Atlantic Energy offered, they would simply blend in with the rest of the energy industry. With their continued efforts to innovate within this stagnant industry, after rate selection Atlantic Energy is just beginning the services they offer for businesses.
Below lays out the delivery windows for the smart product Atlantic Energy is currently offering for businesses that become customers.
Immediately- LED Light Bulb for entire business
After 90 days- 1 Wi-Fi Smart Camera
After 12 months- 6 Color Changing Mood Lights
After 12 months- 6 Energy Efficient Smart Plugs
Option- Price Protection Guarantee for fixed rate customers (state dependent)
This product assortment was specifically designed to accommodate the needs of a every day business.
Providing LED lighting immediately increases a businesses energy efficiency. Also, replacing all of the old lightbulbs with brand new bright LED lighting beautifies any store.
Wi-Fi enabled cameras allow business owners, management, or whom ever is given access visibility to anywhere within the business walls. These cameras become an added level of security to always ensure employees and patrons have a safe place to visit.
Wi-Fi enabled smart plugs make every day common tasks even easier! These progressive plugs bring The power from any common wall outlet right into the palm of your hands. Never again worry if you have left something plugged in and running, simply through our Atlantic Energy app you will always have access to avoid dangerous situations.
Having built it’s core business within the walls of local businesses, Atlantic Energy knew the next step they needed to take in order to continue evolving within the energy industry. This offer has been met with raving reviews by local businesses across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut. After joining the movement set by Atlantic Energy, all businesses receive LED lightbulbs which immediately make them energy efficient. Then the additional smart product truly shows a understanding of todays customer and what their needs are.
With plans to continue expanding to all deregulated markets, Atlantic Energy is positioned for success!
While there are many ways to make your business more energy efficient, the Atlantic Energy LED Lighting Program may be the simplest and most impactful way yet! Join our 29,000 customers who have teamed up with Atlantic Energy’s movement to become more energy efficient.
Atlantic Energy has distributed over 550,000 LED light bulbs throughout New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Delaware, Massachusetts and Connecticut. From this LED Light Bulb program, Atlantic Energy has eliminated 167 million kWhs from the environment which is equivalent to:
26,613 passenger vehicles driven for one year
OR
18,628 homes electricity use for one year
OR
5,080,704 propane tanks used for home BBQ’s
Customers have loved being part of a movement that has already had such an enormous positive effect on our environment. This type of impact is exactly what Atlantic Energy Co-CEO Patrick Linden had in mind.
“Our LED Lighting Program is the core of our business and customers love receiving our LED light bulbs for many reasons” said Linden. “On top of becoming more energy efficient, it gives businesses a facelift and beautify their entire store. Many businesses don’t install brand new LED light bulbs because there expensive. With the Atlantic Energy’s LED lighting program, we have made it simple to become energy efficient”.
This program is designed for restaurants, offices, warehouses, pharmacies, laundromats or any other business looking for energy efficient solutions. And to become an Atlantic Energy customer takes just 4 simple steps:
It is that simple to become energy efficient and join this massive movement that is already happening. By implementing this program, Atlantic Energy has made great strides at improving the environment.
Finding energy efficient solutions can be difficult without impacting your day to day business. One of the great benefits of this program is it allows businesses to operate the exact same way as they always have. Only change is there store looks better and is more energy efficient. A true win, win!
This program was not created overnight and evolved over time which lead to a proprietary workflow that has yet to be matched in the energy industry. Some of the area’s that separate Atlantic Energy from other energy providers are in house:
Customer Service
Sales
Technology
Logistics
Marketing
Finance
Product Sourcing
“By bringing these departments in house, we have control over quality” said Atlantic Energy Co-CEO James Uglow. “We have truly innovated the energy industry. Our customer retention is double the industry standard because we are offering what customers want. We saw an opportunity for a 100% value added energy company. And that is exactly what we have become”.
Atlantic Energy has had such a large and positive impact within a stagnant industry. By pioneering real value added offerings for customers, they have shed light on an area of opportunity within the energy industry. “In addition to the LED lighting program, we have identified other areas of opportunity and have began implementing them. Currently we offer homeowners and businesses smart home bundles as well. Following the success of our LED program, our smart product bundles has been very popular” said Linden.
To find out which offers you may qualify for, call Atlantic Energy’s customer service center. They will be able to provide you with any information you are interested in. (800)-917-9133
Join the movement.
Atlantic Energy hosted the 5th annual private Yacht cruise for their entire staff Saturday, July 14th in New York City. This event was attended by over 285 Atlantic Energy employees from New York, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, Maryland, Ohio and Delaware. Co-CEO James Uglow said, “Our staff works so hard and I am thrilled to spend this evening celebrating their success.”
Employees boarded a 120 foot private Yacht at 6:00PM on Saturday evening. They were greeted by the deck crew and led to the sun deck for cocktails and the red carpet photo shoot. Staff gathered together for team pictures with the beautiful NYC backdrop. The Yacht departed at 6:15PM and made its way up the east river towards the Manhattan Bridge.
Throughout the evening, over 25 of Atlantic Energy’s sales reps were acknowledged for various awards such as rising star, most consistent, hardest working, most improved and much more.
“I'm always intrigued to speak with our award winners and ask them why they feel they’re having such success” James Uglow stated. “In different ways, I’m always told it has to do with Atlantic Energy’s training and the system’s in place. Over 20 years ago I began developing the training guide myself. While it has evolved to meet today's sales environment, the core values have stayed the same. I am proud to hear that the sales team recognises the training as the key for their success.”
Atlantic Energy uses this proprietary training tool to ensure quality control throughout the sales departments. James Uglow knows that the growth of Atlantic Energy depends on the development of the staff.
“At first, individuals come to Atlantic Energy looking for a sales job. It takes a couple weeks for them to learn all the systems in place, which are designed for them to be successful. We have integrated technology into the core functions of our business. This is what has allowed us to grow so rapidly, and still have visibility of all sales reps across the 8 states we operate in”.
By 9:00PM the Yacht floated by the Statue of Liberty as employees began to capture the breathtaking views. This event marks the 5th annual private Yacht cruise and Atlantic Energy is looking forward to following up next year with another great event.
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