Posts Tagged ‘green energy’

Harness The Power Of Green In Your Home

Saturday, December 15th, 2012

Caring for the Earth is the responsibility of every single one of us. There are many different types of green energy available, we just have to make use of them. What are ways that you can be more green on a day-to-day basis? Read on and learn more.

Think about getting solar powered lamps for outdoor lighting. They are not only affordable, but they do not have to be hooked up to any power source, needing only good access to sunlight. This will save a lot of energy. It means that there is no need to run wires outside to hook up lights.

Find an experienced, knowledgeable professional to help you. Before you decide to spend your money on an alternative energy system, do your homework and learn as much as you can about it, and determine if you will actually be saving money with it. Avoid shady salesmen who will use unscrupulous tactics to sell systems they can’t prove are efficient.

One easy way to go green is to use an on-demand water heater. Traditional water heaters heat water all day long, even when hot water is not needed; this wastes energy. The water heaters that heat on-demand only heat water that is immediatly needed and save a lot on energy costs.

Take the initiative to bump the thermostat by five degrees during the summer. Doing so will save around 20% on your utility bill. To aid in cooling off your home, try running fans instead of the air conditioner to lower your costs.

Research solar panels to see if an active or passive set-up is right for your needs. Active power is stored for use at a later time, passive does not require expensive cells to store the power. To use active power it requires mechanical systems, solar panels and cells. Passive is just used via the sun for storing the thermal energy in the walls of your home to heat it.

You can conserve energy by shading your windows from sunlight. Another suggestion for window treatments is installing curtains or blinds. Utilizing both of these methods will decrease you need for an air conditioner unit, since your home will not be as warm. You will save money and energy at the same time.

In summer, set the air conditioner at least five degrees warmer. This can provide a 20 percent savings on the costs of cooling your home. You can make your home cooler by turning on the fans instead of the air conditioner.

Check out all the different resources your community has available for energy. Compare costs, and keep in mind that new legislation exists which will sometimes reward you for using renewable energy sources. It might be good to switch to natural gas or well water, as an example.

Save electricity expenses by taking your laptop battery out and using A/C current when you are stationary. Even when the battery is full, it uses power, and removing it while the laptop remains plugged in will save you energy and also lengthen the life of the battery as well.

Consider carpooling for different occasions to save on fuel costs. If you have children, organize a carpooling system with your neighbors and trade off driving days among all the participating parents. If you live close to family or friends, carpool for grocery shopping or other errands to save gas.

The venerable habit of turning of unnecessary lights when leaving a room is still very effective. It’s surprising how much energy is conserved after turning the lights off. You also will be saving money when it comes to your power bill.

During the summer months, think about using the heat from the sun to dry your clothes instead of utilizing a dryer. In addition to the energy savings, you clothes will smell incredible. They will smell better than anything coming out of a dryer. This will save you a ton on your utility bills, leaving you extra money to turn your air conditioning on instead.

There is no need for going green to be difficult. There are different ways to reduce your energy consumption, save money and find alternative sources of energy. Use everything you just read to help you. Choosing green energies will have positive results on your home and on the environment.

Do you need more advanced tips on how to build a solar power system for your home? You can find all the information you need here – Solar Electric Panels, Solar Power for Homes.

Simple tips and Techniques to make Green Energy work for you

Sunday, December 2nd, 2012

Like others, you probably do not give the environment much thought as you use certain items in your home. It may be hard to believe, but even using small appliances has a large cumulative impact on the environment. There are some simple ways to use green energy that will help your home and the environment. The following tips will give you an idea of how to use green energy.

Use solar energy to provide hot water cheaply. Check into investing in a water system that is solar-powered. There are both direct and indirect circulation options to choose from. If frozen pipes are common in your area, an indirect water heater will be your best option.

There are active and passive options for solar energy systems. When it comes to active power, the energy is stored for later use, while passive doesn’t need expensive cells in order to store power. Active power uses solar panels, cells and mechanical systems. Passive solar power uses the heat of the sun to hold thermal energy within your home.

Switch to water heating systems that use solar power to heat hot tubs, pools and indoor water. This is also a very efficient way to heat water and keep it at the proper temperature. By doing certain upgrades to your home, you can often earn extra incentives and even cut backs on your energy bill.

Save electricity expenses by taking your laptop battery out and using A/C current when you are stationary. If the battery is fully charged, it leaks energy. Removing it when you plug your computer into the wall can save a bit of energy and lengthen the battery’s lifespan, as well.

Be sure to learn more about passive and active solar power. When it comes to active power, the energy is stored for later use, while passive doesn’t need expensive cells in order to store power. Active power is about using solar panels, cells and other installations. Passive solar power, on the other hand, just draws heat from the sun and stores it in your walls for heating purposes.

Use the oven light while cooking to save energy. By using the light to check your food instead of opening the door, you can conserve energy because you aren’t allowing heat to escape.

Make your home greener by prioritizing the responsible usage of lighting. During times of the year when the days are longer, keep light usage to certain times of the day. Dimmer switches, timers and sensors that are used to reduce light and automatically turn off lights once you leave a room are important changes to incorporate in your home to reduce energy.

Frequently check the condition of the seal on your refrigerator and freezer doors. A broken seal can cause your refrigerator to run unnecessarily, wasting energy and hurting your pocketbook at the same time. You can determine if you need to replace your seal by inserting one sheet of paper in the door jam. If it slides out too easily, your seal is not up to par.

Monitor how many watts you’re using. Choose an energy monitor like the Kill-A-Watt or the Watt Minder to help you determine which devices and appliances consume the most energy. When you plug an electrical appliance into the monitor, it displays how much energy it requires each hour, month, or year. With that information, you will be able to calculate how much that appliance costs to operate.

Set the thermostat five degrees warmer in the summer to save energy. This could cut your energy bill by almost 20%. Running fans will use less electricity than the air conditioning, for example.

Switch your boiler to save more energy. Previously, boilers were no made to be energy efficient; however, now they are. They have two advantages: reducing your energy bill by a large amount, and producing a lesser amount of CO2, which is much more healthy.

If you cannot get a renewable energy source, like solar energy, to provide power to your entire home, try seeing if you can get it installed to power some of your home. For instance, you may purchase enough panels to heat your home’s water.

Now that you have read this article, what are you thinking? Do you think that green energy is a good thing for you? Remember the tips in the article so you can see an improvement in your life. Implement the tips today and see how well green energy works for you.

If you are searching for more particular information about Build Your Own Solar Panel, I highly recommend you visit the Benefits of Solar Power Blog.

A Look At Green Energy Solar Powered Homes

Sunday, November 11th, 2012

Most of us don’t have the budget for a large-scale solar installation, and these systems are generally not very cost effective yet. If you live in an apartment, then you are definitely out of luck; not only are you unable to add solar panels outside of your apartment, but you also have no control over many of the appliances inside the apartment, which means that management can fill your apartment with energy hogging appliances and there is little you can do to stop them. There is hope for those wishing they could go a little greener, however. There are many devices entering the market that have self-contained solar power units, many of which will also charge using inside lights or streetlamps.

The smallest unit of solar electricity generation is a solar cell. These are small wafers of silicon and generate about as much power as a flashlight battery. While not very useful on their own they can easily be joined together to generate more power. To put this into numerical terms, each solar cell produces one to two watts (W) of electricity. If you are reading this on a laptop, it will consume around 100 watts, so you need to wire 50 to 100 cells together just to run one item. Of course, the sun isn’t always shining, so you will need even more cells to charge a battery that can power your laptop when it’s nighttime or on cloudy days.

Place power usage meters in all of the outlets in your home. While this may seem a little much, these meters will tell you how much each item in your home is drawing in terms of power. This will make you more aware of ghost electronic items that draw a lot of energy even when they are not on. This will make you more aware as how to save energy each month. This is a wonderful way to increase your energy savings and help you get the most out of the energy that you generate through your new solar panels.

Can I buy solar panels anywhere? – Most electronics stores and garden or home improvement stores or will stock solar powered goods at the very least; find the right store and they will sell everything you need. If you don’t know what you’re doing with electronics it is highly advisable that you seek professional guidance, and a quick search on the Internet or a flick through your phone book will find several distributors and fitters of PV tiles and grid tie systems.

Get your property inspected by an expert. Solar panels will work well in a sunny area; you might have to cut down some trees to improve the exposure of your roof or yard. Find the best location possible for your solar panels and assess your energy needs carefully. There are a few things you can do to reduce your energy consumption, such as switching to sustainable light bulbs, using skylight tubes to get natural sunlight and making a conscious effort to turn off the lights and appliances you do not use.

Systems that generate energy from the sun can create a tranquil home environment, due to their silent and efficient operation. They also do not create harmful emissions that damage the environment, leaving you with a feeling of contribution to the larger scheme of things.

Make sure you check out the new technologies available to you. The solar energy industry is fairly new as far as the current market trend. Therefore, you need to make sure you consistently look for new options as you continue to learn more about solar energy and plan your house accordingly.

Many people are switching over to solar energy as a means to save money and give back to the environment. Solar energy is clean renewable energy and can be a great alternative to traditional means of getting the energy you need to power your home. Hopefully this article has given you a better idea of some of the positive as well as negative aspects of making the switch to solar energy.

If you want to install solar panels yourself, you have to be fully equipped with all the information you need. So before you start planning your DIY Solar Power System Project, Click Here for more detailed tips about Solar Power Benefits and Disadvantages.

Solar Energy For Homes – Using Solar Panels

Friday, October 12th, 2012

You don’t have to be an environmentalist to understand the value of clean renewable energy from the sun. Solar energy is a form of energy that pays for itself time and again. This is something you cannot say about fossil and other earth based fuels. Even though setting up a solar energy system represents an out of pocket expense initially, when you use solar energy, your fuel bills will decrease, and you may even be able to sell some energy back to the power grid. Read on to learn more about the many benefits of solar energy.

On the positive side, solar energy is 100% free once you make the initial investment. And, at least for another few billion years, the sun isn’t going anywhere. It’s far more likely that the human species will be wiped out long before the sun burns out. So as long as it’s here, it’s providing free power for all.

Another common use of solar heating is in pool heaters. This setup works the same as the solar water heater only instead of water for home use, filtered pool water is run through the system. When coupled with a pool cover these systems will generally double the amount of time the pool is usable in a year. If you need access to your pool year-round, however, you will probably still need a gas or electric heater as the lower temperatures couples with weaker sunlight means the solar system will have a hard time keeping up. These systems will even pay for themselves in as little as two years.

Many governmental building have incorporated enormous solar panels to support the use of solar energy. Consider an outing with your children where they spot buildings that use solar energy. Even if you can’t afford to adapt your house to solar energy you can familiarize your children with solar panels and their many benefits.

Another factor that you need to consider is if your energy savings amount is realistic. Yes, your electric bill will be cheaper, but is it going to be as cheap as you hoped? The amount of money you will save will depend on many things. How big is your house? How big are the solar panels? How many solar panels are you planning on installing? Factor in the savings and make sure your expectations are realistic.

Considering that you’ve seen some of the most remarkable solar energy facts and now have an understanding regarding what solar energy can possibly do for the environment, you’d probably want to know just exactly what solar energy is. To put it simply, solar energy is the heat and light energy emitted from the sun. The sun constantly generates vast quantities of energy into our solar system. Approximately 30% of the sun’s energy that reaches the earth is immediately deflected by the atmosphere, and another 20% is absorbed into the atmosphere. However, around 50% of the energy actually reaches the earth’s surface, where it fuels photosynthesis in plants, maintains both hot tropical and warm temperate climates, maintains the temperature of the ocean, and generally speaking keeps our planet alive. All of this is accomplished without creating any pollution or destruction of natural resources.

You have to know what kind of wattage you’re going to be using in your home. Look at your past energy consumption, and also think about how you’re wanting to transition. You are going to be thinking about and finding ways to reduce energy consumption within your home, so make sure you keep your eyes and ears open to this wonderful learning experience.

As you can see, pv solar panels have many advantages, but they are a long term investment, so it is important that you carefully consider your purchase decision, especially if you are planning on moving house within the next 5 years. Perhaps your money could be better spent on various other green home improvement options instead.

If you are searching for more particular information about Solar Power Costs and Benefits, I highly recommend you visit the Installing Solar Panels on Your House Blog.

About Solar Energy Panels

Saturday, October 6th, 2012

With the concerns many have about what pollution has done to our environment, you are probably looking for ways to leave as little of an impact as possible. If you can not afford to use solar panels to provide energy for your entire home there are still things that you can do. Continue reading this article to learn about inexpensive ways to put the sun’s rays to use.

Once the system is installed and running, it should last for a long, long time. The cells used are very durable, as well as most of the other materials used. Solar systems will usually have a longer life than the actual shingles you have on your roof. So once they’re up and running, you won’t have to worry.

Find out about tax incentives to help you pay for your solar panels. This takes a lot of research. There are federal incentives for solar energy, and individual states have also gotten into the act to varying degrees. Even some local cities have incentives available for those who choose to power their homes with solar energy. Find out what you are eligible for, so you can get as much help as you can.

Lastly, this decision is about you and your family. Now that you have this information, talk with your family about the benefits and downfalls of switching to solar energy. Make sure that you have more than enough funds to start and complete the project, as the installation of a solar energy unit can be costly.

This is something you will have to check individually. Some people cannot even grow a certain type of bush or pave their driveway due to the laws and different ordinances where they live. So before you make the financial investment of purchasing solar panels, you need to make sure that your association will allow it to be installed.

Now it’s time to fully draft up that plan. Take everything you’ve learned into consideration, and draft up a plan the way you see yourself solarizing your home. Your plan will have changes from time to time, and you must be open to changes. New things surface all the time, and you will be consistently researching.

With any type of construction some areas require certain licenses and permits. You will need to find out if there are any special requirements for the area you live in. Without following the rules in your area, you could get into quite a bit of trouble (even if you did not know about the rule).

Once you know the basics and have continued your research of the solar energy industry, you are going to find the rest of the process will go fairly smoothly. The sooner you install, the more money you’re immediately going to start saving. Come out from under the power company, and use clean energy. Protect your wallet and the environment. Remember these helpful tips as you carry out your solar energy plan for your home.

If you are searching for more particular information about Homemade Solar Power System, I highly recommend you visit the Energy Produced By Solar Panels Blog.