Category — Energy Efficient

Solar panels are devices that convert light into electricity. Solar panels are dropping in price, but they still aren’t dirt cheap, so if you’re switching to solar it’s a great time to also carefully evaluate your electricity use. Call your utility company and get an “energy audit” and follow the recommendations. Most homeowners can cut their use of electricity or gas by anywhere from 5% to 30%. By cutting your power usage to an absolute minimum you can purchase only the solar panel capacity that is required for your home. PV (photovoltaic) solar panels are made from solar cells which are a semiconductor material.

Electricity

The process for creating electricity from sun light is rather complex, but all you need to know is that photons collide with electrons in the semiconductor material and essentially free them up to flow when hooked up to a battery. This flow of electrons is what makes an electrical current.

The average household uses 30kwh of electricity per day. Electrical utility companies are required by law to accommodate “net metering”. This means that you can sell your excess power back to the power company. Thus, if you are out at work on a sunny day, or go on a two-week skiing vacation and aren’t using any electricity, the power being created by the solar panels is going back into the grid to the utility company. In other words every kilowatt-hour of electricity produced by a solar energy system ends up being used to the advantage of the homeowner, either as power to run appliances when the homeowner is there or as a dollar-for-dollar credit provided by the utility company for power that is not being used.

Cost

The most important component of the PV solar panel system will probably be the amount of subsidy you are eligible for. Since some utility companies need to meet goals for the amount of renewable energy they furnish, there are some very attractive rebates offered at times. These can be large rebates indeed, up to 50% of the cost of a system or even higher. This can make a system that would support the average 30 kwh per day home cost roughly $20,000 rather than $40,000! In addition, there is a $2,000 tax credit offered by the federal government. However, this is not always the case. In our local area of Colorado there are several utility companies that service the region. One offers a 50% rebate as described above. Another offers a 66% rebate, and a third offers no rebate at all. So you need to check with your utility company to see what rebates, if any, apply to your location. You should also contact a solar panel contractor who can give you lots of information about system costs, and of course they will probably know the rebates offered in your local area. Typical PV solar panels cost about $4 per watt before installation. Installation is a major expense, however, and in the example cited above with a 50% rebate, final system costs will amount to about $6.50- $7.00 per watt installed.

Batteries

Batteries are required in stand-alone systems to provide energy during night hours. These can be very expensive, but if you have an isolated cabin, an RV, or some other need for power and don’t have access to the public power grid, a solar system with batteries is certainly a solution.

Conclusion

When you consider the costs of a full blown PV solar system which will cut your electric bill down to zero or close to it, you get one other benefit. The value of your property increases with such a system, and your property taxes will not increase because of this added value. In addition to the satisfaction of cutting down your carbon footprint significantly, your system will eventually pay for itself, and your property will be worth more as well. Keep these factors in mind when you calculate your pay-back period.

Walt Ballenberger is web master for http://www.solarpanelsblog.info/wordpress which has tons of information about solar panels of all sorts. Visit also a companion site http://www.solarlightsblog.com/solarlights to learn about solar lighting and associated products.

Looking for different forms of energy that can be implemented into your home? There are many new forms of alternate energy, including a homemade wind turbine. And you can build it yourself, thus creating free energy for your home.

By purchasing a wind turbine or solar array built by another company, you are spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars. But if you build your own homemade wind turbine, not only will you produce 1000 watts of power, you you will spend less than $100.

Homemade wind turbines are surfacing throughout the nation, even in places where wind gusts are as weak as 6 miles per hour. The wind power is naturally made and available every day, no matter what time of the day. And this energy can be used in many ways such as powering electronics, swimming pools, televisions and evening lights. The turbines can make a big presence in the area, as their height and size make them easy to spot. However, because they are big, it allows them to be more effective, as it can capture more of the gust as possible. There are options to make it smaller, but keep in mind that it probably will not be as effective.

Homemade wind turbines produce an abundance of energy. The wind power, when harnessed correctly, can provide unlimited energy for your home. There are plenty of different handbooks and guides available in libraries, bookstores and hardware stores. Here are a few things you want to be aware of when searching for the right instruction manual:

1. The book should be simple to understand.

2. The generator should have an output of at least 1,000 watts of power.

3. Find a guide that will lead you to parts that will eventually cost less than $100 total.

4. Try not having it too similar to other generators.

5. The products should be accessible to the public. Try to find the parts at local hardware stores. If not, ask your local public utility company for some advice.

6. The parts should be simple to put together for all members of the family. Keep in mind that you are building a machine that will reach heights of 20 feet and taller.

7. The homemade wind generator should be strong enough to withstand tough storms.

8. It must look good, because sometimes neighbors get upset about the looks.

Just keep in mind that the blades of the wind turbine can reach at least nine feet easily, and the base of the turbine can reach heights of 20 feet. While you can leave those dimensions as is, you can also find products that allow you to shorten the base and the blades while still producing copious amounts of energy.

By keeping these tips handy when going to create your homemade wind turbine, your chances of building a great windmill with strong power increase, and you will more than likely have a successful project completed. Take your time and do your homework. And most importantly, don’t take on this task without the proper manual to guide you. A homemade wind turbine takes time to build, and nothing beats having a good manual with detailed instructions and plans to help you along the way to ensure you build a money saving system. You want your system to power and work, so don’t let your work and sweat go to no avail. I know many people who didn’t seek the proper help, and ultimately lost their time and money; don’t let this happen to you.

Learn about how I easily made my own homebuilt wind power system and saved hundreds of dollars every year. Avoid spending thousands of dollars on wind turbine systems.

My homebuilt wind power system and guide can be found at MyHomeEnergy.org

You’re looking for Plans For Wind Generator since you’ve decided to build a wind generator of your own for your home. We’ve built 3 of them so far for ourselves and for friends and feel this is the fastest way to set up renewable energy for your home.

There’s just no reason to buy a new one that costs in the thousands of dollars when you can build your own for under $150, including the cost of the plans and you can build it in just a couple of days.

What do you need to get started?

· Detailed plans for wind generator
· Common household tools- cordless drill, wrenches, etc.
· A friend or family member to help you out
· A small working space in which to build

The very first step is to order a DC motor which is used as a power turbine, producing electricity when the blades turn.

The detailed plans show good sources of DC motors that can be shipped directly to your door.

While waiting for it to arrive you should start building the rest of your home wind power machine.

The plans for wind generator showed a great source of towers too- used TV towers that we have used very successfully. They are free for the asking as most people use satellite TV now and the unused towers are free.

You will also find a terrific source of free deep cycle batteries in the plans too. This is very important as the batteries are the real heart of any Renewable Energy system.

Making the blades is probably the most difficult part, but even this will only take you about a day to complete.

For smaller machines under 500 watts capacity you can use PVC pipe for blades.

Larger machines require larger blades and we recommend using wood for machines in the 1000 watt + class. The blades have to be 4 feet long each with a total blade diameter of 8 feet. This is all detailed nicely in the plans.

You can use any clear straight grained wood but cedar and spruce work best and are easily obtained.

When your DC motor arrive simply put together all of the parts.

The very first time you see that blade spinning producing all that free electricity for your home you will smile. You should learn how to build your own solar panels to diversify your system too, as when the sun shines you can produce even more power. It isn’t a very difficult project either.

Did you know that electricity rates are going to double in price some time next year?

Isn’t it time you got started with this project? Let’s get started.

Plans For Wind Generator is the best place to start to save money on your electricity bill for the future and right now, these projects are simple to complete and will provide lasting results for your family.

Finding plans for wind generator is not that difficult you will be glad you started on the road to using renewable energy for your home.

Ceiling fans can help alleviate both the heat and the climbing energy bill. By circulating the air ceiling fans move warm air toward the ceiling and into attic vents while creating a “wind-chill” effect, which adds to the cooling sensation.

Air conditioners are not known to be very energy efficient. Even the most advanced units use more power than other appliances in most homes. Annually air conditioners use almost 20% of the kilowatt-hours produced in the United States. In other words, air conditioners alone in the United States are responsible for the consumption of 207,0692,000 tons of coal, 23,074,000 barrels of oil, and over 137,924,800,000 cubic feet of natural gas (based on 2006 national statistics). That staggering figure translates directly to an increased energy bill and money out of your pocket.

Most ceiling fans use the same amount of power as a 75-100 watt light bulb. For such a small power usage a fan can make a home or office feel 8-10F degrees cooler. According to Florida Power and Light, ceiling fans throughout a home can reduce energy bills by up to 40%.

While serving an energy saving function, fans can also accentuate the style and decor in your home or office. Ceiling fan innovation and style have come a long way.

What to look for when buying a Ceiling Fan:

At first glance it may be hard to see why one fan costs $50 and another costs $600. Part if it may have to do with style and appearance, but beyond that the quality of the higher priced fans are generally superior. Quality fans pay attention to blade angle, use higher quality internal components and are better engineered. Cheaper fans will probably function reasonably well at first, but they can quickly begin to generate noise, and wobble. Wobbling in a fan further speeds up the wear and tear on a fan.

Higher quality fans also move more air than a low quality fan of the same size. Ideal blade angle for a traditional ceiling fan is 12-16 degrees. Most cheap fans have a blade angle of 10 degrees or less. On the same size fan this small difference can make a difference of the cheaper fan moving 40% less air. In other words, a cheap fan with 10 degree blades designed to cool a room effectively cools a room roughly half as large.

Fan Sizes and Location:

Traditional fans should be hung in the center of a room. Fan blades should be 7-8 feet from the floor for optimum air circulation. Low profile fans, for lower ceilings, and lengthening stems, for higher ceilings are generally available with fans to ensure they are mounted at their ideal height.

Below a chart shows the approximate size fans should be based on room size

Room Size————————-Fan Size

64 square-feet or smaller———32-inch or smaller

100 square-feet or smaller——–34-inch or 36-inch

144 square-feet or smaller——–38-inch to 42-inch

225 square-feet——————-44-inch to 46-inch

400 square-feet——————-48-inch to 54-inch

485 square-feet——————-56-inch

600 square-feet——————-58-inch to 60-inch

Nontraditional Fans:

Directional fans, as the name implies, are stationary fans designed to cool a specific location or area. Some directional fans swivel to cool a greater area. Generally directional fans have stronger motors and sharper blade angles to move air more aggressively, but otherwise follow the same general quality guidelines as the traditional fans. Directional fans can be great to further cool a room that already has a traditional fan or on it’s own.

Rotational Fans are a hybrid of Traditional and Directional fans. The fan is ceiling mounted like a traditional fan, but in place of fan blades a horizontal stem is attached to directional fans on either end. These directional fans rotate around the ceiling mount and are adjustable to different angles as desired. It has been claimed that rotational fans move the air most effectively, however the movement of air is the objective and which fan is the right fan is a matter of personal choice.

Lastly, an often-overlooked benefit to ceiling fans is they also help with heating. Most fans have a switch that will change the direction of the blade rotation from pulling air from below toward the ceiling (usually clockwise rotation) to moving the warm air from the ceiling toward the rest of the room (usually counterclockwise direction). Generally the fan will be set to a slower setting to accomplish this without any “wind chill” effect, but it is a proven and undeniable benefit.

Changing out one traditional incandescent bulb for a compact fluorescent bulb will save a home or business approximately $30 in power over the course of the bulb’s life. This savings does not take into account that you would need to replace the iridescent bulb TEN TIMES before the CFL bulb burns out.

If everyone in America changed out just one Incandescent light bulb for an compact fluorescent bulb it would annually save over $600 million in power costs, reduce greenhouse emissions by the equivalent of 800,000 vehicle emissions and would lessen the amount of power currently used enough to light 3 million additional homes without adding any additional power plants, or even turning on any additional generators.

The average incandescent bulb lasts for 750-1000 hours. CFL bulbs last 7500-10,000 hours with some lasting upward of 20,000.

CFL bulbs produce much less heat than incandescent bulbs. As a result they use 25% of the power of incandescent bulbs to output the same amount of light. This is because a lot of the power used by and incandescent bulb is used up in heat generation while creating light.

CFL wattage————Equivalent

8-10——————-40 watt

11-17——————60 watt

18-22——————75 watt

23-28——————100 watt

34-42——————150 watt

CFL manufacturers also now print on the packaging what the incandescent equivalent is since it is commonly understood what amount of light an incandescent bulb will put out at a given wattage and CFL wattage is much lower.

CFL technology has been in widespread use since the early 1990s. The early bulbs produced a whiter and “colder” light than incandescent bulbs and produced less light output. The bulbs also cost upwards of $5-7 each. In the long run a cost savings would have been realized over the purchase of 10 incandescent bulbs, but it was hard for anyone to pay that much up front for an inferior bulb that might last 10 times as long.

Today compact fluorescent bulbs can match and exceed the quality of incandescent bulbs in every way and only cost roughly the same to double the price. In and independent double-blind lab test using a light-meter and 4 lighting and interior design experts the CFL bulbs actually produced a better and more appealing light.

CFL bulbs have also come a long way in form. At first CFL bulbs were only available in a long tube or coiled. This made it impossible to connect a shade onto the bulb as many older light fixtures do. This has also changed and CFL bulbs come in as many shapes and forms as traditional bulbs including standard form, flood light, globe and candelabra.
Additionally most manufacturers are guaranteeing the CFL bulbs for at least 5 years. Home Depot is even accepting burned out CFL bulbs with no receipt to be exchanged for a good bulb since Home Depot receipts only have and expected 2-year lifespan.

Opponents of CFL lighting have cited that CFL bulbs contain mercury as one of the major downsides and an environmental concern. CFL light bulbs do contain mercury. Most of them have 5 milligrams or less, and amount equal to the size to the tip of a pen. 100 CFL bulbs contain the same amount of mercury as a standard mercury thermometer. Such a small amount of mercury is not considered a significant environmental concern; however the EPA still recommends that CFL bulbs be recycled. If they can not be recycled because there is no glass recycling program in the area, it is then recommended that they be disposed of in a landfill type disposal and never incinerated.

When you consider that 1 CFL bulb will last as long as 10 incandescent bulbs and each CFL bulb produces the same amount of recycling material or garbage as 1 traditional bulb 5 milligrams of mercury seems a small consequence.

CFL bulbs are such a positive upgrade from incandescent bulbs that in 2007 a bill was proposed in California to ban the sale of incandescent bulbs in the entire state. The bill was not passed, but just the fact it was proposed shows how positive the change is.

On the horizon is Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology, which requires less than 10% the amount of power as incandescent lighting and last even longer than CFL, however those bulbs cost more than $75 at the moment and are not readily interchangeable with incandescent bulbs like CFL bulbs are.

So you are considering either by necessity or for whatever reason becoming power self reliant with home made electrical power. Let us look at some things you need to do so that you have a chance of getting something that will work for you.

1. Perform an energy audit

What is an energy audit? Put in a nutshell it is determining how much power you use and what specific items are using it. What you want to determine is how many watt hours or kilowatt hours per day are you using. The power bill if you have one can help. Purchasing an energy monitor can help to get some real data.

2. Rationalise your power use

How can you reduce your power usage? I don’t mean changing habits or lifestyle but looking at the efficiency of the appliances. Power systems that utilise battery power for home store the power DC. Did you know that with many items, particularly lighting and refrigeration that the DC equivalent items, although initially more expensive are much leaner and efficient than the normal AC versions. DC powered items also don’t have the extra overhead of the inverter that the AC equivalents. Eliminating dummy loads by turning off or unplugging the TV, DVD and VCR at the wall socket when not in use will also save power. You should also scrutinise items including the washing machine as to its efficiency and consider replacing it. Spending money to reduce your power usage may seen silly but can save you lots when building a home made electrical power system, particularly if you build your own solar power system.

3. Eliminate heating uses of electricity

Unless your budget is huge it is unlikely you will be able to cook, have hot water and heat your home with a home made electrical power system. Consider other forms of heating and cooking. Obviously the main alternatives items are those fuelled by bottled gas, natural gas and wood. Unless you do this even just the battery power for home that you will require will be VERY expensive.

4. Decide how you are going to provide the power

Now you have a good idea on how much power you really need how are you going to give yourself that power? Are you going to store the power in batteries? I suggest you do. If so how are you going to charge the batteries? The main alternatives would be evergreen solar power and windmill home power. Other things you may consider depending on suitability is home steam power generation and home hydro power. Another technology emerging is thermo-electric power (electricity directly from heat). Make sure you research any special requirements of each type of diy power generator and the initial costs as well as any ongoing cost and maintenance.

5. Design the system

This is where you look at the details of sizes of the individual components of the power system. The individual components can be grouped into three types: power charge sources, power storage, power users. Usually the power user components location and size is already set (you worked this out in the previous steps). So working out the size and location of your battery system, your number and size of solar panels, your windmill home power generator and what ever else you are going to give a try. Note I said size AND location, for windmill home power generators and home solar generator panels, location is everything.

Being power self-reliant with home made electrical power is very rewarding. Whether you build your own solar power system, use windmill home power, have home steam power generation, install home hydro power or a combination of any these, you will be satisfied with knowing you are in control of your own power destiny and energy footprint. By following the steps above the process of becoming self-reliant for power can become a more planned, less painful process.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Day. Please feel free to pass this article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or newsletter. It’s a shareware article.