Articles of Interest

4 Reasons to Recycle Old Refrigerators and Freezers
Save energy, money, get a rebate, and protect the environment. Read more about the details.

Celebrate Earth Day
Earth Day is a good time to remind yourself how your attitudes and actions throughout the year will benefit people, your community, and the planet. You can take care of the earth by saving energy, cleaning up your environment, and supporting energy conservation programs. SVP and the City of Santa Clara offer you several ways to participate in Earth Day this year.

Going on Vacation?
Save money and energy even while you're on vacation. Here are some tips.

Change a Light, Change the World
When you participate in the ENERGY STAR^® Change a Light, Change the World program, you're not only helping to save the environment—you're also improving the quality of lighting and appliances in your home. See also Eight Ways to Save with Lighting, Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Fact Sheet, A Guide to Energy-efficient Illumination, and CFL Disposal.

Installing and Using a Whole House Fan
A whole house fan is a simple and inexpensive method of cooling a house. The fan draws cool outdoor air inside through open windows and exhausts hot room air through the attic to the outside. The result is excellent ventilation, lower indoor temperatures, and improved evaporative cooling. Read more about the benefits, cooling strategies, and how to install.

Keeping Cool
You don't have to spend the summer in the pool to stay cool. We encourage you to prepare for the hot summer months by increasing the energy efficiency of your home's cooling system. Here's how.

Keeping Cool This Summer is a Breeze with Ceiling Fans
Roughly two-thirds of all American households now have ceiling fans. Used in conjunction with air conditioning, ceiling fans combine old and new technology to maintain a comfortable termperature while keeping utility bills low. Read more about ceiling fans and how to choose the right one.

Fall into Savings
Keep your home comfortable and save money too. This series of articles includes:

Controlling the winter winds that blow through your house. Includes:

• Weather-stripping doors
• Weather-stripping windows
• Caulking window and door frames
• Installing ceiling fans
• More ways to eliminate drafts

Energy-efficient Fireplaces
You just can't beat the warmth and ambiance of a fireplace in the wintertime. But ironically, regular fireplaces can actually cool down your home and contribute to higher electricity bills. That's because they draw warm, conditioned air up through the chimney, while pulling cold outside air back into the home. Read more about how they work and energy-efficient improvements you can make.

Holiday Lights
Standard incandescent lights use $134 in holiday lighting costs over a five year period. Find out how you can save energy with LED Lights and fiber optic artificial Christmas trees.

Out with the Warm, In with the Cool Weather
To assure a warm and affordable winter whether you heat with natural gas or electricity, try these cool weather energy conservation tips from Silicon Valley Power.

Power On
Witness a history and future of community partnership.