UPGRADE THE MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY YOU BUY
by Bruce Ackerman
Here is one of those actions we can all take that both makes a significant impact and saves money and improves your life!
What is the most expensive energy you can buy, per kilowatt-hour? Nuclear? Gas? Gasoline?
It might be something we haven’t thought much about: disposable batteries! Throw-away batteries are the costliest energy we use.
These are the AA and AAA size batteries used in flashlights, cameras, and a host of other items around the house. For the tiny amount of energy in these batteries, they use a bunch of valuable metals, and need to be disposed of as toxic waste (which we can do at Town Hall where there’s a drop-off in the lobby)
Like many things climate, technology is on our side with rechargeable batteries, and there is now a fantastic alternative to the throw-aways! That is a technology called Eneloop, which is a huge improvement over the earlier rechargeable batteries you might have tried in years past.
What is the most expensive energy you can buy, per kilowatt-hour? Nuclear? Gas? Gasoline?
It might be something we haven’t thought much about: disposable batteries! Throw-away batteries are the costliest energy we use.
These are the AA and AAA size batteries used in flashlights, cameras, and a host of other items around the house. For the tiny amount of energy in these batteries, they use a bunch of valuable metals, and need to be disposed of as toxic waste (which we can do at Town Hall where there’s a drop-off in the lobby)
Like many things climate, technology is on our side with rechargeable batteries, and there is now a fantastic alternative to the throw-aways! That is a technology called Eneloop, which is a huge improvement over the earlier rechargeable batteries you might have tried in years past.
The fourth-generation Eneloop rechargeable batteries.
As the package shows, one advantage of the Eneloop technology is that they are pre-charged when you buy them. That’s possible because they do not lose their charge over time, which was a problem with the earlier Nickel-Metal Hydride or the even earlier Nickel-Cadmium rechargeables. So if you put these batteries in a camera or flashlight, you won’t find that months later when you try to use the device the batteries have drained away their charge. This is a huge improvement.
The capacity (the amount of energy stored) in these batteries is totally comparable to the throw-aways.
In my experience they work in every device, just like throw-aways.
Back in the day when Nickel-Cadmium rechargeable batteries were the thing, those had a terribly annoying “memory effect”, and that is long gone – recharge them whenever you want, either when they’re empty or just to top them off, without worrying. And, now in their fourth generation, the Eneloops have now solved yet another issue with the earlier rechargeables, by being rated for use in cold temperatures, so they’re suitable for outdoor devices like irrigation timers or a weather station.
You’ll need a charger, and you’ll be much happier with a good quality one that avoids overcharging the batteries and is easy to use. Eneloops can be purchased with a charger included, that charges up to four batteries at a time, in any combination of the sizes AA and AAA. Or check out a really fine charger, the Powerex MH-C9000, which offers full control of charging rates as well as being able to analyze a battery, do a Break-in or Refresh, and displays detailed information on your batteries’ actual capacity. It even monitors the battery temperature to take the best care of your batteries.
The capacity (the amount of energy stored) in these batteries is totally comparable to the throw-aways.
In my experience they work in every device, just like throw-aways.
Back in the day when Nickel-Cadmium rechargeable batteries were the thing, those had a terribly annoying “memory effect”, and that is long gone – recharge them whenever you want, either when they’re empty or just to top them off, without worrying. And, now in their fourth generation, the Eneloops have now solved yet another issue with the earlier rechargeables, by being rated for use in cold temperatures, so they’re suitable for outdoor devices like irrigation timers or a weather station.
You’ll need a charger, and you’ll be much happier with a good quality one that avoids overcharging the batteries and is easy to use. Eneloops can be purchased with a charger included, that charges up to four batteries at a time, in any combination of the sizes AA and AAA. Or check out a really fine charger, the Powerex MH-C9000, which offers full control of charging rates as well as being able to analyze a battery, do a Break-in or Refresh, and displays detailed information on your batteries’ actual capacity. It even monitors the battery temperature to take the best care of your batteries.
The charger with a board I drilled to make a nice organizer for my batteries. Also shown, the Pro version of the Eneloops, which have a slightly higher capacity but not quite as many charge cycles (the standard version is best for most applications).
Photographers now use rechargeable batteries for their demanding requirements, so rechargeables have truly arrived as a complete, no-regrets replacement for the throw-aways. It's estimated that Americans dispose of three-billion batteries every year. But rechargeable batteries can be reused thousands of times, and have the same or better performance.
Here’s an easy action to take: switch over to rechargeables for all your devices. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We are all in this together and look forward to hearing from you!
Here’s an easy action to take: switch over to rechargeables for all your devices. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We are all in this together and look forward to hearing from you!