Posts Tagged ‘Renewable Energy’

A Fast Introduction Into Air Source Heat Pumps

Thursday, December 27th, 2012

Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) prove to be both cost and energy efficient to a homeowner. ASHP are used for both heating and cooling a home, as well as heating the water tank. On average, these pumps are able to produce up to three times more heated energy than the electrical energy needed to operate. Here are a few points to consider when looking into an ASHP for your home.

All outside air with a temperature above absolute zero contains heat. ASHP works by pushing it from the outside air into a distribution system in order to provide warmth to the space or water heater. This same type of process can also be used to cool a home. These pumps come in two different types of systems, split and packaged.

A split system contains three main components for operating, the indoor exchanger coil, the outdoor exchanger coil, and a compressor. The outdoor coil is responsible for getting the heat and the indoor coil then transfers it into a distribution system. The compressor fan is what is used to power the move of the warm air throughout the system. The efficiency of this system is dependent on temperatures above forty degrees Fahrenheit.

Packaged systems typically have all three components placed outside the home. In this system, the heated air is brought to the inside of the home through duct work. One option exclusive to the packaged system is a ductless room heat pump. These are typically installed either through a window or a small hole in the wall. They are a great option to increase heating and cooling efficiency in small spaces like apartments.

ASHP can be used for both heating and cooling a home. This provides an advantage to homeowners in costs for maintenance and energy use. These pumps have a twenty year plus life span and typically have low maintenance. They are also very cost efficient to a home owner compared to other sources, like an electric heater. ASHP can give off up to four times more warmth than an electric heater.

A disadvantage of the ASHP system is the reliance on outdoor temperature for efficiency. Temperatures below forty degrees Fahrenheit decreases the efficiency of the system drastically. This can be a problem for homes who normally live in warmer climates, but may experience a colder than normal winter. Some other problems reported are with leaky ducts, low airflow, or incorrect refrigerant charge. All of these things can be avoided by having regular tune ups of your system.

ASHP technology is working to improve systems and provide optimal performance for homeowners. A recent development created to give homeowners more choices is the reverse cycle chiller. It gives a choice in heating and air conditioning distribution systems, such as radiant floor systems. Another advance that is well on its way to completion is the cold climate heat pump. This pump features two cylinders on a two speed compressor, creating a system that should operate at optimal efficiency despite cold temperatures.

Air Source Heat Pumps are a low cost, energy efficient solution for a homeowner’s heating and cooling needs. If you reside in a warmer climate, this pump system could benefit both your value in your home and your wallet. And if your home is in a cooler climate, an ASHP should still be considered as a supplemental system. The low cost and savings could be worth the switch for you.

Eco Green Innovations are a renewable energy company and suppliers of air source heat pumps operating in Yorkshire and surrounding areas

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.

Answers About Solar Power

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

Home solar systems are no longer rocket science. Putting solar on the roof of a house is as easy as hiring a contractor. Those cells either heat water or convert light to electricity (photovoltaic). If it generates electricity the juice is either used, stored in batteries, or fed back into the power grid for storage. Unfortunately, instead of embracing the big pictures, most people feel they need to understand the details of the picture before they can make the move to solar.

At first glance, that makes sense. After all, this in new technology. Well, actually, the first photovoltaic cell was created in the late 1800s. So, it isn’t new. Although, it would be fair to say that it has only become efficient enough in the last thirty years to be a viable option.

In truth, there are a number of technologies out there with wide acceptance regardless of a lack of understanding of the exact mechanisms involved. How many people have cell phones who wouldn’t know how to build one? Case in point, a majority of people could no more build an electric generator than a solar panel.

Putting those aside, the real issues remain. Consumers are mainly concerned with issues of cost and benefit. Also, They Want To Know How The experience of have solar will be different.

The typical home system costs between eighteen and forty thousand dollars. Although numerous local, state and federal programs offer tax incentives for going green with solar power. There are also a number of companies that offer creative financing for systems.

This does add to the number of things in the house that can break. Roof maintenance is certainly more difficult with all that solar equipment in the way. In cold climates, solar panels heating water can freeze, which necessitates the use of anti-freeze. Also, having a single solar panel go out can drop the production of the entire system by more than a quarter, so that needs to be monitored. If the system has a battery backup, those batteries need periodic checking for fluid level. Fortunately, most solar systems come with a twenty five year warranty.

The benefit of the system is free power, for photovoltaic, or free hot water. The value of that is directly related to the cost of electricity from the local utility grid. Since most utility company pricing is vulnerable to oil price considerations, it is unlikely, with diminishing fossil fuel reserves, that those prices will go any direction but up. Taking the projected power output of the system and multiplying that by the current cost from the grid and projecting a reasonable rate increase percentage, gives a good idea how quickly the system pays for itself. Then, after that, it’s free electricity.

Home solar require a large initial dollar investment. The few added maintenance tasks are less involved than maintaining a hot tub. The system will usually pay for itself around seven to ten years, and it is guaranteed to last at least twenty five. After that, who knows what mankind will be using for power.

For more info on Solar Energy, check out my Solar Power blog.

The Bright Side To The Energy Crunch

Sunday, June 24th, 2012

It’s shocking the amount of money it costs to fill a automobile’s tank these days. Elevated fuel expense is having an effect on just about every facet of life. Food costs and various physical product prices are inflated as a direct consequence of increases in transportation and shipping. For those who drive, most Americans, disposable salary is decreased. It is hard to identify a silver lining in all of that.

However, there’s one positive side-effect. Quite similar to the oil crunch in the 1980s, the substantial cost of fuel has turned the Public’s eyes back toward renewable power and sustainable energy. In plain speak, the discomfort of fuel pricing has exceeded the complacency. There is now a greater interest in fossil fuel alternatives.

Alternative energy is most often defined as the capability to generate energy in the present without compromising that ability of our children and grandchildren to produce power. It generally describes using natural sources of energy which replenish themselves. Unlike oil, that is certain to finally be consumed entirely, other sources, like sunlight, wind, rain, and tides will last for as long as our world will.

Solar panel technology involves harnessing sunlight to either yield electrical power or heat water. The effectiveness of solar technology can vary depending on climatic conditions and location. Nonetheless, the issue can be overcome by feeding the national electric utility grid from locations with suited characteristics. For individual property owners, a key downside of solar is definitely the initial, installation costs that can be quite high, although the long-term savings and tax breaks can fully offset the initial expenditure during the lifetime of the solar energy system.

Considering the recent introduction of electrical passenger cars and automobiles with gas backup generators, solar powered energy now offers the actual possibility to replace virtually all gasoline use in non-commercial motor vehicles. The current generation of these passenger cars will run 80 to 100 miles per charge. The normal American drives under forty miles every day with work commuting.

Employing wind turbines to produce electrical energy is really a further development of a 1000 year old technology that uses windmills to pump water. It has different but similar topographical limitations to solar panels. Having said that, windmill farms in mountain traverses can create power for the nation’s power grid much like desert solar farms.

As far as water goes, technologies have evolved quite a bit since the hydro-electric dam. Which is still a highly viable technology that’s been around for quite some time. Presently, studies are under way to use the tidal motion in the ocean in order to create electricity with a buoy system.

The clear theme here is that alternative energy technology has been in use for a long time. Nevertheless, only the current pain of high gas costs have inspired consumers to turn from the significantly more convenient non-renewable fuels. Almost all growth includes some pain.

Check out our Solar Energy Pros and Cons report, or our Blog.