A11StormDrain

A11StormDrain

To-Do

Step 1:

• Try to find some relevant information (anywhere on the web) related to YOUR problem or topic.

• http://energy.gov/news2009/8381.htm
• http://en.openei.org/wiki/Main_Page

• Can you locate any relevant information about YOUR problem in OpenEI? Describe what you find there.
• What it would take for you to contribute information (which you may have found in step 1) to this site and what would motivate you to do so!

1. Describe the energy-related problem or topic your group selected.

Our energy-related problem is whether or not to purchase laundry detergent designed for cold-water use. This detergent dissolves easily in cold water, meaning clothes don't have to be washed in warm water. This saves energy because the water does not have to be heated every time a load of laundry is done.

There is a question over whether the price of this special detergent is greater than the price of regular detergent, and if so, whether the difference is small enough to not offset the savings from using cold water. There is also a question over whether the chemicals used to make the detergent dissolve easily in cold water are safe for the environment and one's health. These are questions we would like to answer.

2. Describe any Web resources you found about that problem or topic.

Most of the web resources were pages written by the detergent company Tide advertising their cold water detergent, and forums discussing the efficacy of cold water detergents.  It does seem as though Tide is marketing this product as a money saving device instead of an eco-friendly product, so it hasn't seemed to reach many sites on energy conservation or the environment.  One of the first sites that came up when I was searching for cold water detergent, for example, was thriftyfun.com, which is a site with tips and a forum for saving money (http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf20691936.tip.html).  The second hit was another forum for product reviews, and there was also the Tide site itself (http://www.tide.com/en-US/product/tide-coldwater.jspx).  I was surprised at the lack of resources about this topic, it seems like something other detergent companies should be exploring as well.

3. Describe any related OpenEI resources you found.

Could not find any OpenEI resources pertaining to coldwater detergents.

4. Discuss what it would take for you to contribute information (such as what you may have found in step 1) to the OpenEI site and what would motivate you to do so.

In general, to contribute to a site it would have to be fast and easy. The people that do laundry are, in general, average people who probably don't want to take the time to be an active user on a website about the detergent they use. Detergent is not something a lot of people would get excited about so there would have to be some perks to contributing. The best way would probably be a quick survey as to how well the detergent worked and if energy was saved. Something that would not take more than five minutes to complete. Then, once it is finished the user is given a printable coupon for a dollar off that same detergent. This gives the user a little bit more motivation to participate in an openei site. As a whole though, Detergent is not something that will really get people super interested and willing to participate.