This week’s episode is about how a small community can work together to make more sustainable decisions in terms of how they use energy. The monks, teachers and students at Glenstal Abbey have carried out extensive research on their own practices and then designed a plan to reduce their energy use and make smarter energy choices. They discovered that laundry accounted for 17 percent of their energy use and took decisions around that to reduce their energy use. They encouraged students to take shorter showers and/or fewer showers. They also installed solar panels and looked at the possibility of using wind energy. A wind turbine would have produced all the energy they needed but unfortunately, the existence of a protected species of bat put an end to those plans proving that decisions around sustainability are not always straightforward.
If you’re looking to cut your energy use, you can find more advice here:
https://www.seai.ie/home-energy/energy-saving-tips/
or here:
https://switcher.ie/gas-electricity/guides/energy-saving-tips/
And for ways to cut down on the energy your laundry uses :
Here are some things you can do to save in the laundry room:
- Wash with cold water. …
- Wash full loads. …
- Dry right-sized loads for your machine. …
- Air dry when you can. …
- Switch loads while the dryer is warm. …
- Use dryer balls. …
- Clean the lint filter on the dryer. …
- Use the high-speed or extended spin cycle in the washer.
