Build Your Own Solar Panels – Embrace Green DIY Energy

Everyone would like to save money on their energy, and there are many ways that you can do this. Practicality means that you are not able to turn every light off in the house if not being used, especially those with young children and people who are scared of the dark, but there are other ways in which you can bring your energy bills down or get rid of them completely and that is by knowing how to build solar panels

It seems we are fast running out of energy resources such as coal and gas, which is why so many people are looking into using energy that is renewable, as an alternative to the latter which is nuclear energy. The sun can provide us with heat, warmth and electricity when you have the right equipment installed on the highest point of your house.

May of the businesses that supply our energy now use wind power to help boost up the amounts they need, although the money they save is not passed onto us in our bills, we are paying the same if not more to receive what they are getting for free. The only way we can beat such overheads is by building our own solar panels so that we too can benefit.

You do not need any kind of training, or technical knowledge in order to do this, which makes it something that is available to everyone who has someone who is able bodied in the house, it is so easy in fact that you could even rope the kids in to help.

The kits that are available contain everything you need in order to get your house as energy efficient as possible, plus saving you money in the process. You don\’t need training to fit them as you will find that the information you need is included also.

You have a choice when choosing the solar panel kits, both kinds have many benefits. The first kind will turn the suns energy into heat, which means that you are able to have hot water when ever you need it without having high energy bills. If you think of all the appliances in your house that require hot water, such as the bath and washing machine, imagine the savings you could make.

The other solar power panels that I speak of are able to convert the light the sun provides us into energy which means that we can also save on electricity. Anything in your house that needs an electric supply can tap into this renewable source which allows everyone to make a significant saving. It is not all about money though, although this is a big plus side to building your own solar panels, it will also mean that you are taking part in reducing your carbon footprint on the earth that the next generation will lie in, and of course generations after that. It is best to take that positive step as soon as possible as once the fossil fuels are all gone the costs of such kits will rise tremendously.

You can build your solar panels this weekend! Find the step-by-step video guides at the Green DIY Energy Review. Slash your energy bills by 80% with the Green DIY Energy guide.

Learn How to Build Your Solar Panels

Global warming, melting glaciers and the thinning Arctic ice are just a few of the environmental disasters caused by the depletion of ozone layer, direct result of the fossil fuel emissions. The damage is irreversible and yet we have not found the green renewable energy sources. While the world continues to use the fossil fuel, we can be a responsible energy consumer and make solar panel energy that does not produce harmful greenhouse gases.

Building your solar panels is easy if you understand the process of developing one. The Internet is resourceful and has wealth of information on how to design your solar panels. But not every one has the technical knowledge to understand the diagrams and schematics. You need the guidance of the expert to walk you through the process.

You can purchase guides to show you exactly how and will not cost all that much. You will save a bundle on building your own. Look for a guide that has video as well as printed instructions. Kids have used some of these guides to build solar panels for science class. They are not that hard to follow.

Another choice to building your panels is to lease them. Just like any lease-to-buy contract when you miss payments they come for your source of energy! You save on the energy cost but pay a higher price to have the panels.

Purchasing the guide and building your own panels sure is the better choice. It comes with the guarantee to help you complete the project and discusses all methods of eliminating problems that you might face.

You can also buy pre-made panels but they are quite pricey. The cost usually varies from $600-$1500 per panel and if you buy in bulk, you will get a discount. You still need to pay for the installation and hook-up. Though you save in energy bills, it would be a really long time before it could match the cost of the panels.

The guide offers you the step-by-step instructions to help you understand the schematics and diagrams. It is also economical and you can build your panel for less than $27. The educational video is very informative and it is like having an expert in your own living room. Let the experts guide you build the solar panels for your own economic advantage and the sake of our planet.

You can build your solar panels this weekend! Find the step-by-step video guides at the Green DIY Energy Review. Slash your energy bills by 80% with the Green DIY Energy guide.

Cultivating Eco Conscious Kids Made Accessible With These Suggestions

Getting little ones to understand the large amount of environmental issues that they will face can be quite a daunting assignment. With the amount of information that kids are inundated with in today’s culture, getting them to concentrate on water or energy conservation devoid of either boring them silly, or startling them to the death can be quite a test for environmentally minded parents. Nevertheless, instilling in them a zeal for defending their environment could be one of the largest contributions you have the capacity to make to them. in the future, they will continue to bring in either the benefits or the consequences of the choices they make a long time after you are departed. Happily, there are some very good web-based assets available to parents to help add to your child’s environmental awareness. Although many people do not know they exist, these resources are free to employ and will furnish you a great beginning point on the way to bringing up eco conscious children.

The United States E.P.A. operates a website intended to help to increase awareness of environmental concerns amongst school aged kids called The Environmental Kids Club. (http://www.epa.gov/kids/index.htm) This site provides games, activities which back ecological themes along with recommended club projects that provide you and your offspring suggestions for hands on activities to further support green living principles. There is even a printable membership certificate suitable for framing so that kids will really sense they are a piece of the club. There is in addition info on the site regarding the Presidents Environmental Youth Award, a program that recognizes kids across America for projects which show their dedication to the planet.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s agency of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has teamed up with Disney to create a wonderful interactive site where children can study about energy preservation and sustainable energy alternatives while interacting with their favorite Disney characters. The site (http://www.eere.energy.gov/kids/index.htm) does a fantastic job of changing a tough subject into something that children can relate to easily. There are several interactive games, and printable checklists that will help kids bring what they find out on the site, and utilize it at both home and at school. There is likewise a section for parents and teachers that consists of over 350 lesson plans and activities that are divided into age appropriate sections.

These instances are merely a few of the resources accessible for free to help young people inhabit a healthier, eco-friendly standard of living. Have a go at taking advantage of one or more of these assets to show your offspring that going green can be both educational and pleasurable. They will thank you for it!

Here’s a effective going green pointer:

Why buy light truck tires from TreadWright, Inc? We try hard to help safeguard our precious resources as well as save you money. With a lot of “green” products, the cost is often greater than buying a similar “non-green” product.

When buying recycled tires from TreadWright, Inc, you get the peace of mind of knowing you are truly going green and saving up to 70% of the oil and materials needed to make a new tire. Additionally, you can also save 50% or more over the cost of a similar new tire. TreadWright, Inc. sells various sizes of retread tires, including 265 70r17.

Comfort And Warm House

Have you already purchased wood pellets?
The international community has already approached to that point when it’s quite possible to make disappointing conclusions about the future of our planet and the fate of the human civilization. In fact I’m not likely to frighten you. But anyway you should know the truth. So I’d like to offer your just bare facts.

Fossil resources or in other words energy resources are exhaustible and exposed to the evident depletion. I tell you seriously that the volume of pre – extraction and processing of some of them may considerably decrease in the coming decades.

In addition to this I can inform you that the extensive use of hydrocarbons for energy and related emissions have already begun to lead to a radical change of climate on the planet. I’m afraid that this may lead to numerous natural disasters and a complete deterioration of our general living conditions. The international scientific community has recognized that a decisive role in climate change belongs to gases containing hydrocarbons. It is believed that with the reductions in emissions of CO2 and some other substances we’ll be able to divert the risk of global warming.

There’s another product of human activity which appears to be a serious threat to our environment. I mean different kinds of waste materials. However, they can often be usable as an effective renewable and clean energy source, allowing us to save minerals. These three facts form the basis of all activities have already started up the process of energy conservation, finding and developing alternative renewable and environmentally friendly energy sources. One of the most promising directions of this work is certainly bioenergy. It includes all the ways of industrial receipt of the energy from the biomass of different species such as wood, agricultural crops and other wastes.

From biomass one can produce solid, liquid and gaseous biofuels. Each of these biofuels has its advantages, disadvantages and area of application. It goes without saying that the production of solid biofuels is considered to be the easiest way because it requires relatively small investments and can be organized in both large and small scales. Solid biofuels represent an alternative to traditional fuels for heating and electrical energy. Certainly you know that I mean coal, gas and different petroleum products.

By the way I can offer you one promising solid biofuel for your individual consumption. It’s advisable for you to try wood pellets for your home heating. I’m sure that you’ll like this solid biofuel for its high performance and eco friendly effect. It’s completely safe to use. Hurry up to start using this environmentally friendly technology right now. As for me I’ve been using wood pellets for more than two years. And I can’t complain about their performance.

In the list of many energy saving alternatives, we highly recommend you to read more about wood pellets.

This is a short list of advantages of using wood pellets. They are not sophisticated; they do not need huge investments into expensive equipment; they are ecological in the heart of it. Please invest 5 minutes of your time into reading more about wood pellets – it is really important now.

Biomass Energy Is The Best Gift Of Nature

The biomass paradise.
The international community has already come to somewhat disappointing conclusions about the future of our planet and the fate of human civilization. Let’s race through them together right now. I think that you aren’t going to refuse of some mental work right now.

So I can’t help telling you that fossil fuels are exhaustible. Moreover, the volume of pre-extraction and processing of some of them is going to come to its end in the coming decades.
Extensive use of hydrocarbons for energy and other related emissions have already begun changing the climate on the planet. And certainly it’s accompanied with numerous this natural disasters, making our living harder every year.

The international scientific community has recognized that a decisive role in change of the climate belongs to various poisonous emissions mainly including hydrocarbons. It is believed that with the reduction in emissions of CO2 and some other substances it will allow us to reduce the rate of global warming and even possibly stop it.

Different kinds of waste materials can be considered to be just products of human activity. They are supposed to threaten our environment. However, they can often be effective mainly due to their renewable status. They can be a real and clean energy source, allowing us to save many minerals.

These facts form the basis of all activities related to energy conservation. Thank to this we can have an excellent opportunity to start finding and developing alternative renewable and environmentally friendly energy sources. One of the most promising directions of this work is certainly bio energy. It includes all the ways of industrial receipt of energy from the biomass of different species such as wood, crops, household waste and other waste.
Biomass can include solid, liquid and gaseous biofuels. Each of biofuels has its advantages, disadvantages and application. Production of solid biofuels is considered to be the easiest way because it requires a relatively small investment and can be organized relatively easily. Solid biofuels are supposed to be an alternative to traditional fuels for deriving heat and electricity such as coal, natural gas, petroleum products.

The most technologically advanced solid biofuels are certainly pellets. Such kind of biomass is good to reduce the cost of transportation and storage. This fuel has significantly improved efficiency of its combustion. So there’s no wonder that currently the whole world is likely to shift to this environmentally friendly technology. So like the whole world you can also shift to this extremely important technology. Just by a wood pellet stove and start enjoying this. Moreover among other kinds of biomass energy wood pellets are the most spread I think. Further more purchasing it won’t be painful for your budget. Just enter the new environmentally friendly space of the nearer future.

It is truly fantastic how talented humans are when the time comes to be more self sufficient about energy. The energy crisis that is promised to ahead pushed many people to inventing new ways of taking care of energy issues. One of them – wood pellets which are really effective and ecologically genuine.

Discover more about how convenient the switch on wood pellets can be, and how it can help you. For the
insight and inspiration about wood pellets, please visit this site.

Using The Sun’s Energy In A Stirling New Way

During the process of researching an article about green products on photovoltaic cell systems (solar panels), I came across another way to convert the sun’s light into electricity. So let’s take a look at another type of solar energy system.

The Stirling engine goes back to the early 1800’s, when steam was the order of the day. Steam was used to power factories, trains, and many types of work that required lots of horsepower. However, with steam came the danger of a boiler blowing up when something went wrong. Robert Stirling saw a different approach. His invention still used fire to heat the hot chamber but instead of steam, he used the heat to move pistons.

The Stirling engine has many different designs, some more efficient than others. Some designs use the two cylinder Alpha design, some the Beta single cylinder design and some the Gamma design (a variation of the beta for use in multiple cylinder applications). The beta Sterling design has a single chamber with two pistons and uses a highly efficient regenerator gas as the thermal conductor.

To operate the Stirling engine only an external heat source is required, which could be anything from solar heat to the heat produced by decaying plants. In one model, the heat from a human hand powers a small version of the Stirling engine!

The basic operation of this thermal engine is really quite simple. The engine has two chambers, one hot and one cold. When an external heat source is applied the hot air expands moving a piston and flows to the cold chamber. A flywheel is attached to maintain movement.

The Stirling engine is ideal for use in a solar power generating system. With one of the hottest heat sources available (sunlight), the hot chamber will continue to operate without external fuels as long as there is daylight. This makes it ideal for use as a peaker type power plant when the demands for electricity are at there highest.

With better-designed engines and new types of material, a movable (tracking) parabolic mirror, and a single Stirling engine you can produce 25 kilowatts of electricity.

In a future article about green products I will list the different solar technologies and how they compare to the competition.

Michael

Michael Edwards writes great stuff about our world. Get more of it at green living

The Fight Against Global Warming

We also see the factory is designed to catch the public soon. These problems range from simple, as published in the humanization of the quality of paper products in the foreground as the humanizing quality of life and the state of our planet. Global warming is the most common questions asked by our politicians, and have a discussion in this area, all decisions are missing a lot of progress is to sit only a source of frustration to the beautiful people of the world.

Too often, political interference, even from the annoying to significantly increase the opponent to rebut the condition of prisoners.
This leads to other problems and exacerbates the puzzle. Any calculation of the evaluation must be from a violent feud with members of the entertainment, generous and luxurious cars that consume a liter of petrol and smog levels caused divided into the atmosphere.
Nobody wants to take the most important, because these cards? Conservatives plan to pay their bills.

What is the prospect of extra-bright horizon is the development of instruments to try to destroy the planet to keep the extension. These techniques range from authentic and fresh, the ideals that the maintenance of power. Vehicle continuously in the layer also contributes to better the world in production of hybrid vehicles, which added more easily to reduce the background of a reduced amount of rumors, oil products and other toxic chemicals and emissions. All that remains is a social content sharing in the West and widespread problems that we impose conditions of such exchanges.

Full refund taxpayers an average of energy conservation, such as financial statements. Many electronics companies begin the conservation of power can be obtained, but the ingredients are out of the market share of household consumption and the group did not agree that the insurance bill one month in exchange for promotion. This seems a little unusual this time is that the manufacturers of tariff change with generous breaks and incentives, new, more environmentally friendly, but millions of households are not.

It seems a step towards global warming is correct only developed a program for the little things that households can be produced easily rewarded. This will save thousands or millions of watts of energy every year. This may be produced, the huge amount of energy required, allowing the clean energy company with a large area must be calculated to replace an individual hardly manufacturing sectors to be imposed from the top and finished using.

While leading a superb performance of urban smog, regeneration and reduce energy consumption, so that node can not burn once the territory of the procedure. There are also small things greatly, to be taken to reduce the destruction of the ozone layer is a time and a reduced amount for the destruction of humanity, our beautiful capital of our planet. This is not the burden of government, and that therefore the population. We can all be changed, but the collective of humanity, the construction of a difference in our world, which takes a lot.
bed bath and beyond bedbathandbeyond king bed furniture

One Of The Most Overlooked Areas When Going Green.

Often overlooked in today’s marketplace when using green products, is how to reduce your carbon footprint. Maybe a story about the use of CFL (Compact Florescent Lamp) bulbs will help illustrate the point. I was having breakfast at a local restaurant when my father (who was visiting from out of town) observed that only forks and knives were used in the place setting. It seems that customers no longer need spoons.

When my server came over and asked what I wanted to eat, I asked about the spoons. I was informed that the chain’s “corporate” office had informed all the restaurants that the busboy, when putting down place setting, was not allowed to put a spoon on the setting. Now I must say this does look pretty odd, mostly since I grew up with a spoon included with the setting. I checked with someone who still teaches etiquette classes, and yep, it is still required.

I asked if she knew why this change had occurred and why no green products like CFL bulbs. I was told that in order to conserve energy that spoons were only given to customers that would use them. It appears they believe that it costs a lot to clean an unused spoon. So the possibility of cleaning an unused spoon was removed. And yet how odd, no investment in green products that could save money such as CFL bulbs.

I must, say this is a little short sighted on the company’s part. Most of us go to a restaurant to eat. We assume a comfortable, warm, satisfying environment, not to have to stress out trying to get the server’s attention so we can get the long lost forgotten spoon. OK, a little melodrama, but the point is why should I have to ask for something that has always been there? This cost saving if there is any would be in pennies per year while using CFL bulbs would be in dollars.

While pondering this, I happened to look up. Having written a few articles on energy savings, I noticed that they were still using incandescent bulbs. From where I sat I could count more than fifty bulbs burning energy as I waited for my order, and no green products like CFL bulbs in sight. Everywhere I looked and in every room that a customer had access, there were no green products in use. If they were trying to save money, you would think some green products like energy saving CFL bulbs would be used.

Each of the incandescent light bulbs was about 75 watts. Based on their opening and closing times they are open 138 hours a week for customers and another 10 or so for cleanup and maintenance.

Now it does not take a mathematician to do a little basic math. Let’s compare a chain using incandescent bulb vs. the same chain using CFL bulbs. If we take the 50 incandescent bulbs and multiply it by the bulb’s wattage, it would equal the watts consumed per hour or 50*75= 3,750. Now we know the store is open 138 hours a week, so multiplying this by the watts per hour, we would get 517,500 watts consumed per week. Finally multiply this by the weeks in a year, and we get 517,500*52 = 26,910,000 or 27 megawatts without green products.

From the Internet I was able to learn that they have 88 stores in their chain. So if we assume this is an average store we can multiply the 27 megawatts times the 88 stores and we see that this chain is using around 2368 megawatts per year just on lighting.

What if we used one of the new green products, the CFL bulb, instead of the incandescent bulb how much could we save? Let’s take a look. We know that a comparable CFL would be in the 18 watt range based on the Energy Star tables. If we replace the 75 watts in the above equation with 18 watts CFL we would get; 50*18*138*52*88 = 568 megawatts consumed per year. This would save the chain about 2368-568 = 1,800 megawatt hours per year. I would say this would be a pretty good investment in green products, don’t you?

Want to reduce you carbon footprint or just plain save money checkout Green technology

Are Little Vampires Eating Your Electricity

We have added many new green products to reduce energy in our homes. But have we forgotten about many of the small energy consumers in our home that are wasting energy every day? I am talking about those small little black power supplied plugged in all around our home.

Have you noticed that whenever you buy some new green product, toy, radio, or printer it comes with one of those little square power supplies? I must have 7-10 sitting in a box that I have collect over the years and I have no idea what they belong to anymore even some that are from green products. The external power supply is a great device and has helped reduce the sizes of electronics, but it is also a power consumer. Whenever the power supply is plugged in, it consumes power. It does not matter if something is attached or not, it still consumes power.

Another area to look at is audio/video equipment, TVs, video games, converter boxes, computer equipment or the latest green products. This equipment comes with a standby or power down mode of operation.

This unseen energy consumption occurs every night in small and large business alike, probably more so because we assume that when we leave work someone will turn the lights out.

So when you go home tonight under every desk is likely to be a power supply consuming power all night. If we look at a normal office space we will most likely find 3-5 of these little power supplies plugged in right now. If you multiple the number of supplies in your office space by the number of offices (counting every cubical) in the business you will have a large number of power supplies using electricity ever night.

They can’t use that much energy!

Most utilities will state that close to 15% of your electric bill is those little power supplies and standby electronic equipment. That will amount to $65-$95 dollars wasted per year.

With the reduction in size of electronics we have reduced the amount of electricity required to run these green products. This is where a device called a step-down transformer is required. A step-down transformer is nothing more than long loops of copper wire connect to the power plug. The wire used in the transformer is often several hundred feet long. Whenever the unit is plugged into the wall it will feel warm to the touch, indicating it is drawing power.

This consumption of electricity is directly related to the ON/OFF button on your remote control. In order to sense when you press the button the TV/Audio/Video equipment must be supplied power to run the sense components, even the new green products that are on the market still need some power.

So how do we prevent all this power consummation?

A simple method is to connect all your TV/audio/video equipment and small power supplies to a power strip with an on/off switch.

Power strips were designed with a mechanical switch to disconnect the appliance from the power source (the wall plug). Do this and no power is transferred or used until the switch is turned on. Walla, no power consumption.

I agree, it does seem inconvenient or it did until I saw the change in my electric bill. All from using a power strip.

Is it worth the investment or should I just buy more green products?

Before installing any new green products or the power strips my power meter was rotating around 1-2 rotations per minute.

I bought power strips for the entertainment system, computer system and recharging area (phones, batteries, etc).

With the power strips turned off I checked the meter again. Wow, it had dropped to 1 rotation every 2 minutes, what an improvement and without having to invest in additional green products.

With everything there is an initial cost. Mine was around $20 dollars for these new green products, look around for the strips on sales. Maybe you can get them cheaper, try it you may find you save some money and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.

Michael

Tired of Giving Away Money to the Electric Company?

This article is the first in a list of practical things you can do to save money on your monthly electric bill. Get some new green products, and maybe use the extra money to pay for a little vacation.

Throw out all the incandescent bulbs

A Compact Fluorescent Lamp (or CFL) is a small circular fluorescent light bulb used to replace incandescent bulbs. They typically take the same amount of space as an old incandescent bulb, and screw right into the same socket.

A CFL does not generate light the way an incandescent bulbs does. Incandescent light bulbs have worked essentially the same way since Thomas Edison invented them. When electricity is connected to both sides of a carbon filament, it gets hot and produces light. In CFLs (as with the older fluorescent tubes), a closed glass tube is coated with a fluorescent coating that glows when a current is applied to the argon and mercury vapor inside.

You have heard this before, but unless you are only going to turn on that incandescent bulb a couple of times a year, you are wasting money (no matter how cheap the bulb is). Green products help you save money. One of the new Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) saves around 75% over an equivalent incandescent bulb. In one year, that could add up to a $30 savings – per bulb!

CFLs have been out several years now. Along with the bulb style, you can now choose the shade of white light you like. This can really enhance the mood of a room, home office or family room. The CFL colors vary from a warm yellow to daylight blue. If you prefer the look (color) of incandescent bulbs, choose a warm light.

Be aware that the daylight or bluer light often appears harsh and can have a negative effect on light sensitive people. You will notice they squint or avoid sitting/standing near this color light. If so just change it out for one of the warmer colors.

Look on the package for a number that ends in K. This stands for Kelvin or the “temperature” of the bulb. A Kelvin rating of 2700K-3000K is a warm/yellow bulb. A Cool White bulb has a rating of 3500K-4100K. A rating of 5000K-6500K is a Daylight blue bulb.

To replace a 40 watt incandescent bulb, use a 9-13 watt CFL bulb; for a 60 watt incandescent bulb use a 13-15 watt; for a 75 watt incandescent bulb use an 18-25 watt CFL; and for a 100 watt incandescent bulb, use a 23-30 watt CFL.

Nevertheless, do not forget to recycle all CFLs. California law for example forbids the disposal of any lamps containing mercury in the regular solid waste trash. Even though a CFL is one of the most convenient green products, it does contain about five milligrams of mercury – one-fifth of the amount of mercury in an average watch battery.

When recycling your old CFL green products, places like ACE Hardware, Orchard (OSH), Home Depot and IKEA will accept and properly dispose of the old CFL bulb.

An even newer and more efficient green product for lighting is LED (light emitting diode) bulbs. They are up to 90% more efficient than a standard incandescent bulb. You will see them used more and more in decorative lighting systems. I am told that the electricity needed to light a single incandescent used a few years ago for lawn lighting could power 15 LED units.

Next time will look at some more green products that can further reduce your carbon footprint and save you still more money.

Michael

Converting The Sun’s Heat Into Electricity

In the process of doing research for an article I did on solar green products, I came across the Stirling air engine. The engine was once called a hot air engine because it requires no internal diesel or fuel to run. Let’s take a deeper look at this unique engine that requires no fuel and has recently been adapted for use on solar collector dishes.

The Stirling engine goes back to the early 1800’s, when steam was the order of the day. Steam was used to power factories, trains, and many types of work that required lots of horsepower. However, with steam came the danger of a boiler blowing up when something went wrong. Robert Stirling saw a different approach. His invention still used fire to heat the hot chamber but instead of steam, he used the heat to move pistons.

The Stirling engine has many different designs, some more efficient than others. Some designs use the two cylinder Alpha design, some the Beta single cylinder design and some the Gamma design (a variation of the beta for use in multiple cylinder applications). The beta Sterling design has a single chamber with two pistons and uses a highly efficient regenerator gas as the thermal conductor.

To operate the Stirling engine only an external heat source is required, which could be anything from solar heat to the heat produced by decaying plants. In one model, the heat from a human hand powers a small version of the Stirling engine!

The basic operation of this thermal engine is really quite simple. The engine has two chambers, one hot and one cold. When an external heat source is applied the hot air expands moving a piston and flows to the cold chamber. A flywheel is attached to maintain movement.

The system is ideal when a concentrated heat source is applied, in this case sunlight. The sunlight is collected with parabolic mirrors and focused on to the surface of the hot chamber, causing the chamber to be heated and the engine to start. This temperatures can be very high. You know this from, when as a child, you took a magnifying glass and focused it on a piece of paper. When done correctly the paper would get dark and then a flame would appear.

The engine and support equipment is contained in a package small enough to be suspended from the end of a metal arm, much like the design of satellite TV systems but on a much larger scale. Some systems are producing 25K watts of power and have been installed and operational for a couple of years.

In a future article about green products I will list the different solar technologies and how they compare to the competition.

Michael

Green Products Has Located an Incredible Low Cost High Output Solar Design

You would not believe what we at Green Products found (and no they are not UFOs). Can you imagine a field planted with silver balloons as far as the eye can see, or a hillside covered with silver balls? It’s not Christo’s latest pop-art install, but rather, a solar farm. This is what Cool Earth out of Livermore, California envisions in the very near future. The solar collection concept is not new, but the concentrator is different from anything seen before on any renewable energy product.

One of the areas of concern with the current flat-panel solar design is cost. Flat-panel designs require metal cases, rigid mounting hardware, heavy glass and large amounts of cell material. The cost per watt for solar panels is generally 5 to 7 times greater than conventional power plants. This is no longer true with the solar balloon system.

One side of the balloon is made from reflective silver Mylar plastic. The other half is transparent to allow in sunlight. The silver material is parabolic-shaped to concentrate the sunlight on to a single point to achieve maximum light concentration. This is why high performance solar cells are used.

The orb’s design will concentrate the sunlight 300 to 400 times better than traditional roof mounted solar panels. By design, this reduces the cost of each balloon and greatly increases electrical output per cubic inch of solar cell material. This means that the cost of the electricity produced will be on par with current natural gas power plants.

The basic structure of each orb is simple. It has a lightweight circular metal frame with an arm that holds the solar cells near the top of the clear side of the orb. Even though the balloon is eight feet in diameter, the frame is the only rigid component of the basic design. It connects to a point where external hardware is attached for mounting.

Like all solar designs, the system will not be used as a base power plant because the energy collected during the day cannot be economically stored for nighttime operations. On the other hand, the system will be an ideal “peaker” power plant to be used during the hot summer months when energy demands are high.

Some of the more interesting aspects of this solar power station are how simple the design is and how multiples are pulled together to produce a solar power plant. Check it out.

Michael

Green Products Has Found a Low Cost Balloon Shaped Solar Design That Is Highly Efficient

Can you imagine getting electrical power from balloons? This is what Cool Earth of Livermore, California, has designed the next generation of solar collectors to look like. The basic concept hasn’t changed; convert sunlight into electric power using solar cells; but the packaging has changed, and this is where the solar balloons are unique.

The cost to install and maintain the current flat-panel solar cell design is prohibiting its large scale adoption. The glass cover is easily damaged by windstorms, hailstorms or vandalism. When this happens, it leaves the solar array exposed to the elements where they can be damaged. The unique balloon design by Cool Earth eliminates many of these shortcomings.

The system’s design is centered on the concept of an air-filled Mylar balloon like a children’s birthday balloon. One half of the balloon is a highly reflective mirror-like surface and the other half is transparent. The solar cell is located at the center of the clear side allowing sunlight to pass by, be collected and focused back onto the solar cell.

With the new design comes and the ability to increase sunlight concentration and reduce expensive solar cell material by 300 to 400 times. This cost reduction will bring the price down to a mere one dollar per watt. To give that some context: a typical flat-panel PV(photovoltaic) system on a residential rooftop is about seven to eight dollars per watt.

The basic structure of each orb is simple. It has a lightweight circular metal frame with an arm that holds the solar cells near the top of the clear side of the orb. Even though the balloon is eight feet in diameter, the frame is the only rigid component of the basic design. It connects to a point where external hardware is attached for mounting.

This system is ideal for any of the western states where sunlight is most abundant and is not obscured by long term cloud formations during an average year. During the summer months this type of system could be used as a “peaker” (that is, a peak-use power source) to prevent rolling power outages.

Another of the aspects we find most interesting at Green Products is how the balloons are linked together with wire, wood and sheet metal. We are also impressed at the lack of limitations that are imposed when the systems are installed and how they eliminate the destructive heat that destroys most solar cells. Soon this system will be installed and go online. Check it out.

Michael

Home Energy Evaluation Survey

On the Lookout for Home Capabilities

Over the years, people have experienced the need for more efficient homes. This is opposed to the belief that as long as a house has walls and a roof, then it is better than nothing.

It is not only the homeowners and buyers that are putting emphasis on energy efficiency in building houses. Different states are also becoming aware of the need for energy efficiency and conservation. Many of these states have already implemented energy saving systems for homeowners to follow and abide.

It is now common to see inspectors checking out how energy effective one’s house is. It is also not surprising that the state has passed on regulations to be banned as energy efficient and not-so-energy-efficient based from the standards that they have set.

And if that is not enough, once you find your home categorized as not energy efficient, you can expect lower mortgage rate and even lower chances of selling the property to buyers out there. You will find this a difficult endeavor when you want your house to be sold or is being asked by clients about what your home is capable of.

This is why those who are just in the process of building their “dream homes” are taking time to consider the standards that the state and the market is dictating. Already, great considerations has been seen in how many houses are designed, its location and the furniture and appliance that should be put into them.

It is said that setting out standards regarding energy conservation has seen many builders comply with the necessary requirements given them. There was a time when even the smallest of details are always being ignored to be able to follow the original layout and plan that owners want their houses to have.

It can be noted that this can bring about problem later on when owners would like to mortgage their homes for loans that they want. They would often find themselves being loaned smaller amounts once it has been known that some aspect of their houses are not really complying with some of the needed standards.

And with homebuyers now very much aware of the kind of house they want, it would take a lot of preparation and fixing over to cater to what your client would want. In the end, it would boil down to additional expenses charge on your part.

The advent of home energy inspections and surveys, owners now have the capability of settling any abnormalities that their houses have. These abnormalities are attributed to how energy is being used. Inspectors are able to see this through the appliances that owners have in their own and in the designed location of doors and windows.

Saving and the efficient use of energy has already been embraced by those that are just in the process of having their homes built. With these factors in mind, people want to have their house plans checked out first before deciding if they want to have them built like it is.

There are a lot of people more than willing to share some of their expertise in making energy efficient homes. The standards to follow will all depend on which part of the state one is staying. There are some states with much higher standards compared to some. It is always advisable to know what these things are so as to eliminate any problems that might hinder you from enjoying some of the privileges that the states are offering.

Some of the more conscious individuals who want to put emphasis on energy conservation have even put up organizations that comply with the requirements that should be followed in home building. These people are proud owners of houses that are energy efficient and are happily showing the world how they have made it possible. Some of these people are even quoted in media as examples of individuals who took the concept by heart and should be followed by others.

A lot more people can learn from the examples that these organizations have set. Since the design of your house is one of the most important decisions you can ever make, it is important that you know that there are certain rules to follow in making them.

You can really benefit from what homes should be capable of today. Remember that states are only after the benefits that you can have by having houses that conserve energy. You may not understand its importance now but you will later on, when you have someone inquiring you about these things.

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Facts About The Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO)

Traditional energy sources are continuing to diminish. This is the reason why energy prices continue to increase.

We all know that the main energy source of energy for the United States is oil. As you may have gathered from the news, oil is not really getting any cheaper. In fact, the increasing prices of oil have caused the economies of different nations to suffer.

Because of this, the government often gives incentives to those who would find a means to reduce energy costs. Some of the programs include tax breaks for companies using alternative energy and cash grants for people who try to discover ways on improving alternative energy.

One notable program is the Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO). This program is designed to encourage people to use energy efficient home designs. This way, the government hopes to promote energy conservation and overall, lower the energy costs.

The Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO), actually offers cash prizes to people who build energy efficient houses or make some improvements to their residences in order to make them more energy efficient.

As you may gleam from the name, the Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO) is open to any homeowner in the state of Louisiana.

How does one qualify for the Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO)?

a) New home – in order to be qualified for the Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO), a new home must be built according to 5-star standards. This means that the new house has to be built at least 30 percent above the Model energy code of 1995.

The application for the Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO) should be filed prior to the actual construction of the house.

b) Existing homes – existing homes must have improvements made upon them in order to qualify for the Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO). The improvements made upon the home should equal to 30 percent energy efficiency. Also, the application for the Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO) should be filed before the improvements are implemented.

How much is the cash prize given?

The cash prize for the Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO) is, of course, proportional to the amount of energy saved. The cash is equal to 20% of the energy efficiency premium up to an amount of 2000 dollars.

How do I get rated?

Well, there are a lot of certified energy raters who will be willing to rate the current energy efficiency level of your house and will also be able to rate the energy efficiency level of any new buildings or improvements you are planning.

What does a home energy rating tell me?

Well, a home energy rating can compare the energy efficiency of your home and lets you compare your potential energy use to that of other homes. It can help calculate your future energy bills and helps you modify the design of your house in order for you to consume your home energy more efficiently.

A home energy rating can also provide you information which may be useful in getting an energy efficiency mortgage. This is a type of loan which provides you money in order to make energy efficiency related improvements on your home. When you calculate the financial value of the improvements, you will see that the mortgage payments are significantly lower than what you’ll have to pay in energy bills without the improvements.

The Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO) is actually a pretty good incentive when you think about it. In fact, other place may only provide tax breaks when you have an energy efficient home. The amount of savings that a person can have should be enough to encourage anyone to make their homes more energy efficient. However, the Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO) also offers cash, which means that you will be getting double the reward just by trying to cut back on your energy expenses.

Of course, programs like these would be useless if people continue to live their lives as destructively as they do today. In order for people to be motivated, they need to understand how much wasting energy is affecting our world. They also need to know that energy production today may still be costing us more than we should be willing to pay.

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Home Energy Rating System

hat You Should Know About Home Energy Rating System

Energy conservation is one of the considerations that homeowners are taking into account when they are buying furnishings for their homes. From heating systems to washers, owners would like everything to be energy efficient.

This is the reason why there are a lot of products out in the market these days that have with them seals that show how energy effective and efficient these things are. Buyers who are conscious of what they want for their homes always look for this seal. And why not? If it means that they could save on electricity bills, then they would gladly go for it.

But the issue here is not only about the furniture that runs on electricity. The main issue is really about the energy that houses are consuming. There was a time when people cannot control their consumption because they have no means of measuring or estimating energy. The result? Soaring electric bills consumption that could have been prevented if owners only know how to.

With the technology of today, this problem has been eliminated. There is now home energy rating systems that people can have. This is the answer that everyone is waiting for to counter his or her energy efficiency and high bill problems.

If you compare this system to something that you can relate with easily, it would be like that of the meter you have in your car that calculates how many mileage you have used the car for.

In place of the meter, there would be a person visiting your place. That person will conduct an inspection of your place and will survey how much energy you are using by looking at everything from appliances to window positioning and airflow.

It can be noted that the inspector is not just any person. This is someone that has extreme knowledge about houses and energy use. Once he had thoroughly inspected your home, that will be the time when he can point out suggestions or proposals to make your home more energy efficient.

Since electricity is one of the highest paying in all the bills that is acquired in every home, it is normal that owners would rather opt to have inspectors checking out their homes rather than pay the bills that seem to be escalating month after month.

Persons that are considered expert in this system can even point out the furniture that you can and you cannot do without. They would be glad to help you sort out what you have in your home and suggest new things that might help you lower your bills.

This is not all. The data that are gathered from homes are then put into a file that the energy department of the location have. Once all the information has been compiled, the house will be given a rating based on the specified standards of what they consider energy efficient and what is not. Now, why would that be important to the homeowner?

Simple. The rating on how energy efficient and how energy inefficient a house is will reflect on the mortgage that the owners are paying. Mortgages are important to be considered by homeowners because those are also expenses that they need to pay continuously. Owners do not want to be buried deep into mortgages just because their homes are not considered an efficient one.

Another problem that could arise is when homeowners decide to sell their property. It seems that every buyer is now aware or has been taught well about choosing homes that are energy efficient. This is one of the queries they ask real estate brokers and agents. They need to be assured that the property that they are about to buy will be worth it as far as electricity bills go.

Not so many people are aware of the fact that energy efficiency is a factor that affects the market value of their home. If only they have known, they would have probably went out of their way having that needed inspection and making the most of what inspectors have to say.

So the next time you have that home energy rating given, you might want to give it some thought and take note of the suggestions that the department will be giving you. It will only be for your own good and the good of the persons that you will be giving or selling your property to. And to think that you could have paid less or have gotten a higher selling price if you have known the aforementioned facts.

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How To Make Your Home Energy Efficient

How to Make your Home Energy Efficient

Most individuals have innate drive on conserving energy. Turning the lights of when they are not in use is the most common example of conserving energy. And this practice is fervently done by many. It is like an unwritten rule that every one abides. Truly, energy conservation can spell so many advantages on consumers.
Energy conservation is a practice of reducing the amount of energy used while yielding a similar end use. This is an advantageous practice that results to personal security, financial gain, national security, human comfort and environmental care.

If you are a consumer, you are likely to develop plans to save energy. The primary reason is for you to reduce energy expenses and promote environmental value. Industrial as well as commercial energy consumers want to maximize their profit. Hence, they resort to different tactics that will likewise push their end to utmost advantage without sacrificing the efficiency of the business.

On a bigger scale, energy conservation is a factor of energy policy. Based on supply and demand, there will arise a need to increase the supply of energy when there are many consumers who use the same. Moreover, when there is a big percentage of consumers, the energy will be distributed among them. Supply of energy will be lessened if the demand for it soars. This is where energy conservation becomes a big deal.

Moreover, it is necessary to practice energy conservation when the same can be done. Further, it is also advisable to encourage energy conservation among consumers so as not to exhaust energy supply. In the present time, the government is finding ways to find a cheaper and more environmentally responsive energy source that can be utilized as a viable alternative to the present energy sources.

The residential sector, which include private residences, apartments, dormitories, single-family homes and the like, also need to practice energy conservation/ n fact, one of the most efficient places to start energy conservation is right at your very home.

The amount of energy used by homes across the globe varies according to its location. On the average, approximately one-half of the energy used by the residential sector in the United States is expended on space conditioning.

According to statistics, home energy consumption averages 44 percent on space conditioning, 13 percent on water heating, 12 percent on lighting, 8 percent on refrigeration, 6 percent on home electronics, 5 percent on laundry appliances, 4 percent on kitchen appliances, and 8 percent on other uses.

Imagine the savings that you will get when you practice home energy conservation at all times. Perhaps, you may not realize it now. Nonetheless, in the long run and when you get to compute your usual energy bills to the energy bill you have when you strictly follow home energy conservation, you will regret the fact that you just have recently practiced it. Your frustration will just pile up if you compute the saving that you are entitled to get in the previous decades when you have done the same conservation thing. You could have bought your dream car by now. Or maybe, you could have owned a luxurious resort.

Moreover, don’t let your sad plight linger for the longest time. Put an end to your agony. In addition, put an end to your energy wasteful lifestyle. The best way to do o is to make a home energy checklist for action.

Here are some of the things that you can incorporate in your checklist:

1. Insulate your home

2. Change leaky windows

3. Seal leaks that you know of and search for some possible leaks.

4. Assess your heating and cooling system regularly.

5. Have your heating and cooling systems tuned up in the fall and spring.

6. Replace inefficient and old appliances.

7. Install a clock thermostat.

8. Plan an energy audit for your home.

9. Separate your utility bills and target greater energy conservation on the biggest bill.

10. Purchase a water-heater blanket, faucet aerators, low-flow showerheads, and compact fluorescents, as needed.

11. Start using energy-saving settings on clothes dryers, washing machines, dishwashers, and refrigerators.

12. Clean or change air-conditioner, furnace, and heat-pump filters.

With this home energy saving checklist, your home will be energy efficient. Aside from that you will also get immense savings.

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How to Pay For a New Alternative Energy System for Your Home or Business

One of the most frequent questions I hear at Green Products is, “How do we pay for the new green technology?” It may not be as hard as you think! Let’s break it down into some of the incentives offered to you.

The first place to look for incentives is the manufacture. They are a business, and they are influenced by the economic downturn just like everyone else. They need to turn inventory to stay in business and that is why some are offering price reductions and rebates on green products.

Second, what effect has the American Recovery and Re-investment Act of 2009 had on renewable energy? One area of focus covered by the new law is renewable energy and the development of new technologies and green products. It improves the 2008 tax credit already in place and removes “cost caps”.

It works this way: After you install the system, the IRS will allow you to deduct 30% of the total cost of product and installation costs from your next tax bill with no stated limit. This also means you can install multiple units or a combination of energy products. For example, a solar array and a windmill to supply energy to your home or business.

One of the great things about all this is the money that you will save for years after your initial investment is recapture using green products. For example, solar energy is passive and requires little maintenance unless you use a battery store (then all you have to do is schedule the replacement of batteries every five years).

Finally – does your state provide additional incentives? Many states have an energy buy-back policy in place. The utility pays you for any electricity that is produced in excess of what you used. That is cash in your pocket.

We all win by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, reducing emissions, reducing your carbon footprint and a reducing your environmental impact. A final upside is you help keep contractors working, businesses producing green products and reduce the loss of jobs.

Michael

5 Clear Benefits Of Installing A Solar Attic Fan

Are you currently using an electric attic fan or some sort of electric ventilation system at home? Then have you ever thought of installing a solar attic fan? When most people think of solar products, they immediately think “expensive!”, but when we investigated getting a solar powered attic fan and compared it to conventional ventilation systems, it was obvious which way we were going to go.

After reading these 5 clear benefits of a solar attic fan, you’ll understand why we made the switch:

1 – Uncomplicated and Inexpensive:

A solar attic fan has its own power source – the sun – so no wiring is needed. This means you require no electricity permits or qualified electricians to install the fan. All you need to do is follow the accompanying step-by-step instructions. And at most it will take you 2 hours to get it working.

2 – Power is Freely available:

Since a solar powered attic fan’s power source is the sun, it operates on free energy. The only cost you will incur is that of the fan itself. Otherwise it is free to operate.

What’s more is your solar fan will attract both state and Federal renewable energy subsidies, which will make it even more affordable to operate.

3 – Operates all day:

You do not need to control when the fan works to reduce power consumption. This is because it uses the sun’s free energy all day long. This helps in keeping the air in your home temperate and fresh, and you do not have to wait until it is scorching hot for the fan to start working.

4 – Extends life of the roof:

A solar powered attic fan is capable of working even in winter when the sun is weak. This helps keep warm air out of the attic and prevents costly damage from ice damming in your gutters and eaves.

What’s more is a solar powered attic fan prevents warm, moist air from collecting in the attic in winter. This moist air (from showering and cooking) usually leads to mold and mildew, which can cause your roof frame to rot.

5 – Aids In Preventing Global Warming:

Your current ventilation system requires electric power to work. This power comes from coal, oil, gas, and nuclear power stations which release harmful green house gases into the atmosphere.

But a solar powered attic fan requires none of this conventional power. So it reduces your dependence on fossil fuels and promotes greener living.

Last thoughts:

So many people rant on and on about global warming, but hardly any of them actually do something about it. Now that you understand how affordable, clean and simple it is to use a solar attic fan at home, you can play a part in living a greener life.

A DIY installed solar attic fan starts at around $400 (excl. tax and incentives), which is a small price to pay for free ventilation and lower electricity bills.

3 Ways Hydro-power Is Produced

Hydro-power has been used for a variety of functions over the years. It was used in flour mills, where water-wheels turn a shaft, that ground the flour, and even in irrigation system thousands of years ago. These days, it has a more prominent role as a renewable source of energy.

There are three methods to producing hydro-power: hydro-electric energy, tidal energy. and through ocean waves.

Hydroelectric Power:

This form of hydro power accounts for over 90% of all renewable energy generated. Power is generated in large dams, where water is forced through large turbines.

The benefit to this type of hydro-power is the dam serves two purposes – to store water and to produce power. In fact, the water has so much stored energy, that it is capable of generating thousands of megawatts of power to light up an entire city.

The disadvantage is the devastating effect dams can have on plants, animals and even humans. When dams are built they flood large tracts of land that were once occupied by various species and communities of people. Furthermore, the water-borne animals, such as fish can also be affected. An example would be salmon that are blocked from swimming upstream to spawn by the newly erected dam.

Using The Tides:

Using the tides is the second most common form of hydro-power. Here, electricity is generated by using the low and high tides.

France and Russia have successfully used tidal power since 1966. One system is used in large bays and estuaries where water from the high tide is dammed up and diverted through turbines at low tide.

Because it works with the tides, the system is very predicable. However this is also its pitfall, since it only works every 6 hours when the tides changes.

The latest tidal power system operates where large windmill-type turbines are placed in shallow water, and spin slowly as the tide comes in and goes out.

The advantage of this system is that it is an adaptation of an already technologically advanced wind turbine – so all the refinement has been done. Furthermore, the dense water is far more efficient than wind at spinning these turbines. Thus even slow-moving water is just as effective as a strong wind.

The problem is these turbines can only be built in shallow sea floors, where marine life can be damaged and other enterprises, such as oyster farming, is affected.

Wave Power:

Harnessing the power of the waves is the newest type of hydro-power. The system works where surface waves, are used to displace air, which is then compressed and release through turbines, that then spins to make electricity. Two type currently exist – the first is built along the shore-line, where waves constantly break, and the second is built on floating devices in the deep oceans.

What makes this technology so appealing is it potential to harness over two thousand megawatts of power that the ocean’s waves contain.

But, like any renewable energy system, there are environmental implications. These systems can damage the various corals and other ocean species along our coastlines. And the hydraulic fluid used could cause major water pollution if it ever leaked out into the sea.

Last words:

Over the years we have come up with advanced methods of using water to produce power. Though there are a variety of benefits to using this kind of renewable energy, there are still a number of social and environmental concerns.

What You Never Knew About Solar Oven Designs

For several decades various solar oven designs have typically been used in third world regions where electricity or other fuel sources are hard to find. Solar cookers have been used effectively in sunny African countries like Sudan to not only cook food, but also for water purification and pasteurization.

But just because first world countries have enough energy supplies, it does not excuse us from using solar cooking at home and helping to conserve that energy. What’s great about solar cooking is that it uses the power of the sun to cook food – though it may take 4 times longer than a conventional oven.

A number of interesting solar oven designs have been made over the years, but they typically take one of three forms: parabolic design, panel design, or box design.

Parabolic Shape:

A parabolic solar cooker, as the name implies, is made from any reflective material in a parabolic (bowl like) shape that focuses sunlight to a single point. It is the most effective at cooking food quickly and efficiently, however, it tends to be more expensive and hard to make by hand. Furthermore, its fixed shape makes it less portable and raises some safety concerns.

Panel Shape:

Similar to the parabolic design, the panel design focuses sunlight to a single point. However, it is less rounded and made up of a number of small, flat, reflective panels.

Although not as effective as a parabolic cooker, it is safer, easier to make, and can be folded up for portability. Panel cookers come in a number of innovative designs, the simplest being made from a fold-able, reflective windshield shade.

Box Shape:

Very different to the other two designs, the box cooker works by trapping the sun’s heat, instead of simply focusing it on a central point. It is designed in such a way that it let’s light in, but stops that heat from escaping. As more sunlight comes in, the hotter it gets.

This results in the entire area of the box to get hot and be able to cook larger portions of food at a time. This design is by far the simplest to put together – all you need is a black cardboard box with one side covered in tin foil and a sheet of clear perspex or glass on top to hold in the heat.

What I like most about solar oven designs is that they can be put together with simple materials found at home in the course of an afternoon. It’s a fun project to do with your kids, and the shapes you come up with are really limited to your imagination. And do not just think your solar cooker is only good for boiling water or steaming vegetables. People have successfully roasted meat in them and even baked bread. Another pro is that your solar cooker will be outside when used, so it will not cause your whole kitchen to heat up and put strain on your indoor cooling system – another way it helps you to conserve energy.

To think that – according to the Residential Energy Consumption Survey – almost 75% of Americans prepare at least one hot meal at home per day, 33% prepare two or more, a large amount of electricity can be saved if more of us try solar oven design at home.

So why not solar cooking out for yourself. You really have nothing to lose. If you are not willing to spend money on a professionally made design, why not build one at home with the kids – the internet provides a whole host of free blueprints and instructions, so try it out and have fun saving power.

Types Of Renewable Energy Explored

As the planet’s non-renewable energy sources start to run dry, everyone needs to do their part in making more use of abundant renewable energy instead.

To date there are four main types of renewable energy that we can produce: wind power, solar power, hydro power, and geothermic power.

Wind Energy:

Wind turbines have been around for millennia, further back than the birth of Christ. Over the years they have been used to pump water, drag boats and grind flour. But at the turn of the industrial revolution, wind turbines were made to produce electricity.

Although many people envision windmills as those ornate ones in Holland or the small wind-pumps on farms, they have been developed tremendously in the past decade. Now wind turbines are able to generate thousands of megawatts of power, and when used on a small scale at home, wind power can substitute conventional energy sources, helping households to get off the grid.

Solar Power:

Sunlight is the most abundant form of energy we have available, so there is no excuse for us not using more of it. But thanks to extensive research and development, we can make use of the sun in various ways – solar heating and passive solar design, solar electric power, and solar cooking and solar drying.

Solar water heating, solar electricity, and passive solar design are some the simplest and cost-effective ways to reduce your conventional energy use. They do not need much maintenance, and are really environmentally friendly. With solar cooking, no gas or electricity is needed, just some good sunshine. making it very popular for campers and travelers alike. Also, the food is cooked at a muhc lowere temperature, which helps to stop vital nutrients from being lost.

Water Power:

Like the ancient windmills, the power of the water was once used to grind flour or to power machines for irrigation.

Today hydro power is used in dams to produce electricity for households and businesses. Hydro-electric power is generate on a large scale where dammed up water is channeled through turbines, which spins a dynamo as it gushes through. The best example of hydro-electric power would be the Hoover Dam, which was built to provide electricity to Las Vegas. In fact hydro-electric power is efficient is popular nowadays that it accounts for over 90% of the worlds renewable energy.

Many environmentalists and socialists are against hydro-electric dams, since they affect the natural forna and flora and can cause the forced removal of entire cities.

Geothermal Energy:

Geothermal power is typically produced in areas with ongoing volcanic activity, where magma is relatively close to the surface. One such area is Iceland, where a large proportion of its power is produced from volcanic geysers.

Where this lava comes into contact with water, it super heats it and causes large volumes of steam to burst to the surface through geysers. The pressure from this steam is diverted and passed through turbines to generate electricity. Once the steam has passed through it is sometimes cooled, turned back into water, which is then pumped back into the geyser to make more steam. This makes it everlasting cycle…

Well, this concludes our brief overview of the 4 main types of renewable energy. You can find out more in-depth information on each type by reading our other articles or browsing our website in the link below.

How To Solar Power Your Home In 4 Ways

For ages sunlight has been utilized by man. From being used in ancient temples for natural lighting to being converted to electricity for today’s power hungry nations, the power of the sun has a number of uses.

And nowadays the sun’s rays can be used at home as a renewable energy source.

So far people have discovered how to solar power their homes in 4 ways:

Solar Cooking:

Solar cooking is the cleanest and cheapest way to prepare food. Although it is widely used in third world African countries, where fuel and electricity is not readily available, there is no reason we cannot use it during summer at home.

A solar cooker is made from a series of reflective panels in a parabolic shape that focus the sunlight on a box or pot, in which the food is cooked. It usually caters for up to five people, and can make a variety of boiled, roasted and baked dishes.

The disadvantage of using a solar cooker is that it can up to four times longer than a conventional oven to cook your food. But if you think that the food it cooks is healthier, cheaper (since no power is used) and it is portable, that extra time should not be such a big issue.

Solar Water Heater:

With a solar water heater, the advancement in technology has enabled any households and business to completely replace their traditional electric or gas geysers and hot-water cylinders.

How it works is water passes through solar panels that convert the sun’s energy into heat, that is then used to heat the water. This water is then stored in a cylinder for use in the home. With the larger solar water heater, the water can get extremely hot and has to combined with cold water to cool it down.

Natural Heating and Lighting:

To think that Americans consume up to 50% of their energy to heat, ventilate and air-condition their homes, a large amount of money and energy could be saved by using passive solar design at home.

With passive solar living, a household is design to effectively use the sun’s rays for natural heating and lighting. This would include being built on a sun-facing slope, with the length of the house facing the sun and having a number of large Low-E windows. And as a result staying naturally warmer in the colder months.

For natural lighting, the effective placement of large windows and mirrors in your home can help reflect and distribute sunshine throughout the house, and lower you dependence on traditional light bulbs.

If your house tends to get very hot in summer and rather cold in winter, one solution would be to plant a deciduous tree that provides shade in summer, but loses it’s leaves in winter.

A solar chimney can be installed for ventilation, where the air in the chimney is heated by the sun and rises, causing fresh, cool air to rush in through the home and up the chimney.

Electric Solar Energy:

Also known as photovoltaic power, many homes are starting to make their own power at home with solar electric panels. These panels are made up of small silicon cells and need to be directly aimed at the sun to be most effective.

How the system works is as sun hits the panels, the solar cells absorb the light and convert it to electricity, which is then stored in special batteries. For you to be able to use solar power in your home, it first needs to be converted from direct current into alternating current with the help of an inverter.

What’s great about this form of solar power is that it is relatively affordable, clean, and easy to implement at home. Furthermore, many diy fanatics have discovered how to build their own solar power systems for a fraction of what it would cost to get a commercial system installed.

With these four ways on how to solar power your home, there is no need for you to rely on the utility companies or the government for heating and lighting at home. Right now it is very possible for us to use solar power at home. It is just a matter of everyone having the determination, energy consciousness and environmental awareness to take action and harness the sun’s free, natural power.

Free Energy Options Guide: Is It all that?

Summary

Free Energy Options claims to provide step-by-step, easy to follow instructions to making your own wind or solar power at home. Our experience says otherwise – our solar panels are not even half finished, and we are still waiting for a reply from customer support.

The Positives:

1: Money-back guarantee

We were never quite able to finish the solar panel, and customer support was useless, so we requested our money back. It is a good thing that ClickBank handled all transactions, so we were able to get our money back without any hassle, even 60 days after the purchase!

The Negatives:

1: Not for beginners

Free Energy Options is definitely not a guide for beginners. The solar power plans were lacking crucial details – so much so that was almost impossible to build a working system with the plans. The wind plans were complete, but assumed the reader had some technical know-how.

2: No customer support

When we were battling to complete our solar panel system, we tried to get assistance from customer support. But 3 weeks later, we have had no response. It seems the owner, Alan Hopkins, decided to take an early retirement, and forget about helping out his customers.

Conclusion

Alan Hopkins’ Free Energy Options eBook promised to be a step-by-step, easy to follow guide, even for a technical beginner. But it was not. The instructions were so poor we requested a refund. In our opinion, Alan Hopkins does not really exist, even though his picture happens to be on the product.

We would only recommend this guide for people that like a challenge. However, rather save yourself the headache and get a guide like Earth4Energy or Home Made Energy – for about the same price – that actually delivers what it promises.

Is Homemade Energy A Scam?

Homemade Energy is guide that supposedly teaches you how to make your own solar and wind power. Written by Bill Ford – a scientist, researcher, inventor and energy consultant – the guide claims that even someone with limited technical know-how can build the systems. But does it really work? And how does it compare to Earth4Energy?

What we liked about it:

1 – We had fun:

Since the instructions for the wind turbine were so well laid out, everything went smoothly, and we really enjoyed putting the windmill together. The end result looks so professional as well!

2 – Cheapest option

The Homemade Energy Guide was the most affordable guide out on the market. Yes, it was a measly $2 cheaper than it’s rival, Earth4Energy, but us homeowners love to save every penny we can.

3 – Even a housewife could follow the plans:

It was very apparent to us that Bill Ford wanted to produce a guide that anyone could follow, since it was so easy to understand. Thought we did have a small problem with the diagrams, we still ended up with a working wind turbine.

What we did not like about it:

1 – Lacks features

At only around 43 pages long, this guide lacks that extra information and detail. Perhaps you could argue that it is to the point, however, when compared to Earth4Energy, we would rather spend that extra $2 to get that additional info.

2 – Becoming a little outdated:

We’re not sure about other users, but we occasionally struggled to follow the solar power plans easily. The diagrams did not quite flow with the instructions and we had to contact support numerous times for assistance when building the solar panels. Although they were very helpful, they never decided to pass on that knowledge to everyone by updating their guide with the additional solar panel information. Bill Ford offers free lifetime updates, but what good is that if he never revises his guide?

Verdict:

Home Made Energy is a guide for beginners that are willing to learn as they go along. The instructions and advice are sound, which is crucial any diy guide. However, Bill needs to keep up with his rival, Earth4Energy, and add more value to the guide, such as providing videos and maintenance instructions, which we – as customers – so desperately need.

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