Make Your Own Solar Panels And Go Green For Earth
April 26, 2009 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Where did solar go?
Solar power for the home was a big seller during the energy crisis of the 70’s. Many houses found tri-pods of solar panels on their roofs gathering what power they could. These units were found mostly in environmentally sensitive Arizona, but soon they were found across the World. Unfortunately, the solar power cell of the 70’s just wasn’t all that cost-effective and cost quite a bit to put in and maintain. As fossil fuel returned to the marketplace there was diminutive need for solar cells in a time of flagrant consumption. But the idea of solar energy was a good one and many trailblazers understood that it was a good idea that had yet to find its time. Solar panels never went away; they just slid back into the laboratory to await solar panel 2.0.
Solar is back and ready
Today’s solar panel is not your father’s solar panel. Depending upon which type of energy you care to generate, electricity or hot water, today’s solar panel has come a very long way in the form of photovoltaic’s and will go further still. These cells, when combined into panel form, turn the suns rays (so-to-speak) right into power ready for use. They have also become exceedingly efficient, more environmentally sound and less expensive. Today’s solar panel will sit almost anywhere and is quickly finding itself being turned into a panel the thickness of a nano particle. Solar power technology is running at extremely fast pace and driving costs down to an affordable level.
Who’s using the panels?
As mentioned, it takes a change in the purse strings to see a marked change in a consumer’s behavior. With a technology and paradigm shift on the order of solar panels it requires a solid leap forward in panel efficiency, costs of panels , associated elements and an increase in existing costs of fuel. When these factors reach critical mass solar panels start to show up, not at the consumer level, but at the corporate and industrial level. This is simply because business moves its money where the costs-over time-are less. This is just good business. Solar panels are now, as in this past two years, become more cost effective for industry to use then to not use them over time.
Why solar panels now?
Solar panels are now being used primarily because fuel costs are just too high to ignore in favor of a new technology that is worth checking out. Companies have available empty roof space and the choice of trying something on a larger scale to see if it works versus continuing to pay higher fuel bills and environmental costs. The whole concept is extremely self serving. There is no environmental consideration involved. If the company doesn’t use solar panels they have to pay fuel costs and air clean-up expenses along with variable fuel charges. They try out the solar panels and see if they work now. If they do, the company can; commit to a full solar panel program with even more efficient solar panels, significantly reduce fuel costs and almost eliminate air cleaning needs along the way. There is little environmental about it. It’s just good business. After industry gets rolling, solar panel costs will drop like a stone and the consumer will jump on board because…it’s just good business.
Today your can make solar panels yourself and save hundreds of dollars. By simple following directions and purchasing materials at your local hardware store you can be doing your part to go green and save our planet one person at a time
Tips To Go Green For Earth And Save Money
April 25, 2009 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
We all learned about the renewable and non-renewable sources of energy in school. However, we never paid much attention to the rapid consumption of the non-renewable sources of energy until recently. The world is faced with severe energy crisis now and none of us remain unaffected anymore. Should we leave everything to the governments, or can we do something to save power? The answer is simple: we can save the earth one person at a time.
Let us look at how you can save power at home.
Computer: More often than not, we do not switch off our monitors even after we have shut down our computers. Keep the monitor and the computer switched off when you are not using them. Start practicing this even when at work. You will help save some more power for the world.
Light bulbs: You must have seen compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs being advertised all the time. You must have even used them at times. As a power-saving measure, start using the CFL light bulbs as much as you can. If you are thinking they are more expensive than the regular bulbs, the benefits of the CFL bulbs will prove much more cost-effective in the long turn by the amount of power they will save.
Air Conditioner: Set the temperature at the minimum or maximum best you are comfortable with, depending on the season. Try not to set it at too high or too low temperatures. Setting the air conditioner at reasonable temperatures helps save a lot of energy.
Washing Machines: Do you use your washing machine as often as you want? Do you use your washing machine even when there are not enough clothes to wash? Minimize the number of washes by washing full load of clothes every time.
Television: Take off the power plug of your television set when not using it. This may not sound a big deal but this tiny step will help save power.
Refrigerator: Bring hot food to room temperatures before putting it into the refrigerator. You can also save power by taking cold or frozen food out of the refrigerator much before the mealtime, thereby saving power in heating it.
Car: For an air-conditioner equipped car, pull up the windows of your car before switching on the air-conditioner.
Solar-Wind: Today it is possiable to build your own solar panels and wind power generator to create your own energy, saving hundreds of dollars every month while reducing your carbon footprint.
These are just a few things we can do to Go Green.
How Solar Thermal Works In Your Home
April 24, 2009 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Given energy concerns these days, most homes are now designed to take advantage of passive solar heating concepts. Solar thermal is a big part of this process.
How Thermal Mass Works In Your Home
Getting a little free heating can go a long way on your utility bill, particularly over the life of a structure. Passive solar heating is the methodology used to achieve this goal. It is a process wherein a home is built or upgraded in such a way as to catch and contain as much of the sunlight in the form of heat as possible. To effectively use solar for heating, thermal mass is a subject you need to understand.
Thermal mass simply refers to any material that absorbs and stores heat. In this case, we are obviously talking about material that stores the heat inherent in sunlight and disperses it at a later time once the sunlight is no longer hitting it. You may not realize it, but your home already has thermal mass producing heat. Any material exposed to the sun, furniture, floors and such, acts as thermal mass. Unfortunately, it is usually on a pretty small scale.
Often called intentional thermal mass, a passive solar home will have strategically placed materials that are very efficient at absorbing and radiating heat. While this may sound complex, it really is not. The materials include items such as bricks, tile and masonry. Adobe and clay materials also function well in certain situations.
In a passive solar home, you need the thermal mass in the interior of the home. Strategically placing tile and brick in areas below windows that receive significant sun during the day will often do the trick. Depending on your heating needs, the amount of thermal mass you use will vary. In colder climates, it should be used in bulk while homes in Arizona need only nominal amounts.
One common misunderstanding regarding thermal materials refers to their color. Logically, it would seem to make sense that the materials need to be dark since dark colors absorb more heat. This is not particularly true in passive solar. It is the material, not the color, that makes the difference. Bricks can be just about any light color, but not white. This may sound insignificant, but it can be a major benefit if you want to avoid a dark, gloomy interior in your home.
If you are trying to harness the power of the sun for heating purposes, you need to get a good grasp of the thermal products you will use. This should give you a head start.
Want To Go Green To Save The Environment But Not Sure How To Start?
April 19, 2009 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Do you feel like you are being constantly bombarded with negative information about the environment? Does it seem everywhere you turn you are expected to go green to save the planet? Many people feel the same way and have know idea where to begin or think that to save the environment they need to buy a new hybrid car or spend thousands of dollars on solar panels for their house.
The good news is that you don’t need to thousands of dollars to help save the environment. With just a few minor changes in your life you can be on your way to going green and helping reduce global warming.
Here are a few ideas to get started,
Mirrors, placed strategically in a room can be used to make use of natural lighting more efficiently, and reduce energy use as well. When placed near indoor plants, mirrors act like a second window creating better growing conditions while giving the illusion of increased space and greenery to the ambiance of a room.
When loading the clothes dryer, fluff the wet and tangled laundry before tossing into the machine. This allows for immediate and more efficient use of dryer energy. Very hot settings (which can actually shrink clothing) can thus be avoided.
Typically, the heated air from a clothes dryer is pumped outside and wasted. Consider purchasing a dryer vent converter – available at most hardware stores. These are little boxes that divert the heated air from the dryer into the house during the cold and dry winter months – making better use of your energy dollar while saving a little on heating costs. Be warned that this air is moist, and this may not be appropriate in all situations. Homes with dry static air or wood heat would benefit from the moisture, but buildings that already have a moisture problem (evident by mould and mildew or sweating and frosted windows) will only have their issues compounded by doing this.
These are just a few ideas to demonstrate how easy it is to go green while saving some money. Imagine how many other small things you can do around the home or office. Once the ideas have begun to flow, they will cause a ripple effect cascading into other aspects of your life. Then, hopefully, we can begin to save our planet one person at a time.
The Facts About Windmills-One Solution To Global Warming
April 17, 2009 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Wind is one of the cleanest, if not cleanest, renewable energy sources available to us. What most people don’t know is it is also the fastest growing energy sector.
Wind is an indirect version of solar power. Different surfaces on the Earth react differently to being hit by sunlight, particular in regards to heat. As sunlight heats up surfaces, they warm up at different rates. The surround air also warms up at different rates, fertilizing the wind process. Temperatures over a body of water like a lake will always be cooler than temperatures over rocky ground. Hot air rises and cool air rushes into fill such voids. As this process occurs, the rushing air manifests as wind and an incredibly cheap and clean energy source.
The fact that wind is a naturally occurring event makes it a great energy source. Consider the following:
1. Wind is a renewable energy source because it will exist as long as sunlight beats down on us.
2. Wind has been used by man as an energy source ever since we’ve sailed boats.
3. The first windmills were used to turn wheels to grind grain in Iran.
4. American colonist used windmills to move water, grind grain and cut wood.
5. Wind energy harnessed by windmills was a dominant source of energy in rural America in the 1920s.
6. In modern times, California is the biggest user of wind power and produces twice as much electricity as any other state.
7. Modern windmills actually come in two forms, vertical and horizontal models.
8. Horizontal windmills are the stereotypical version that comes to your mind when the word is mentioned.
9. Vertical mills look like upside down egg beaters, but are hypnotic when they spin.
10. Unlike traditional utilities, most energy produced by wind is done by private businesses and sold to utilities through an electric grid hookup.
11. Wind power in the U.S. generates a whopping 17 billion kilowatts per year, more than enough to provide all electrical needs for the city of Chicago.
12. More than 30 states have wind farms generating and supplying electricity to utility companies.
13. California, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wyoming are the dominant forces in producing energy from wind.
14. The biggest energy producer from wind is Germany, which is also dominant in solar power production.
For many, these wind findings will be a surprise. The sole fact that there is enough power produced by wind energy to handle a city the size of Chicago is pretty impressive. As we look to solutions to global warming wind power is becoming a viable option.
Tips To Go Green And Make A Difference
April 5, 2009 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
If you want to go green there are many things you and your family can do to help protect the environment and make a difference on our planet. If you make a plan and stick to it you will feel the accomplishment you are making and this will reflect upon your entire family.
You should always start with basic recycling. This is a very simple change that will boast immediate results. You can recycle paper, plastic, and aluminum. You can make a designated area for each type of recycling material and if they are clearly marked, everyone in the family will easily be able to participate.
If your city does not offer recycling, many schools will benefit if you drop off your recyclables at their location. This benefits the school and the environment and both are very important.
Solar or wind power is a great alternative to traditional power and can also save you a ton of money. Solar power can be expensive to install, but should be considered an investment as it helps the environment and the payoffs will be seen in the long run. Solar or wind power can also make a homeowner feel liberated and independent.
When you decide to go green there are many small steps you can take to help climate change. You do not have to go out and do everything at once, just take it one step at a time and you will be contributing to a change that will be felt for generations to come.
