Daily Handy Tips

Posts Tagged ‘energy’

DIY Solar Power has now become a reality, all across the internet guides are springing up promoting solar panel kits and the benefits you can reap from making your own solar panels, but the question needs to be raised, can you really build your own solar panels?

To answer this question I thought it would be a good idea to share my own personal experiences in building my own DIY solar power system.

The thing that aroused my interest in solar energy solutions was looking for ways to lessen the carbon footprints our energy consumption was leaving on the environment as well as reduce the amount of expenditure on out energy bills.

Whilst solar energy is an excellent energy source, it’s clean, cheap and renewable, it is prohibitively expensive, expect to pay thousands to have an off the shelf system installed. A quote for our house came in at a staggering $9000 USD!, this was simply a cost we couldn’t afford and just didn’t make sense. It would take years to get back the expenditure in the money saved by cutting out electricity bills. I did however find an alternative which is very cheap.

I ended up purchasing a how to build solar panels guide for just under $50 and set about following the instructions laid out within. Day one had me taking a trip to my hardware store and purchasing specified materials, this cost me around $200, day two had me hard at work putting together the panels, on day 3 I placed the panels in a good position, wired them to some batteries and there you have it in 3 days I was up and running with my first panel made up of homemade solar cells.

You may think it sounds difficult building you own homemade solar cells but take it from me, If I can do it, you can. The one thing that is crucial is making sure you get a good guide to follow. The whole process is a blast, a real fun and easy project to get the whole family involved in.

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There are 2 financial benefits to switching to solar energy. Lower bills will mean a long-term saving. In the second place, as your panels generate electricity, any excess energy is fed into the grid (if you remain linked to it), and is paid for by the electric company. With installation costs still being very high, the typical residential solar power system takes around 18 months to have paid for itself - although making your own solar panels is a much cheaper option.

Solar energy is a “green” and renewable energy and doesn’t release harmful carbon dioxide, which means it’s a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Over the course of a year, a typical home solar power system could save around 2650 lb of CO2. According to Tony Juniper (director of Friends of the Earth), the next industrial revolution will be founded on these clean green technologies.

Any excess electricity you generate using your solar panels, if you’re attached to the grid, will be paid for by the utility company. Accounting for a solar energy system’s electricity production and enabling utilities to purchase excess energy from homeowners, net metering is allowed in 30 states. Of these, the most commonly used is a single, reversible meter. On-site power demand is prioritized as the solar power system produces electricity. After that, instead of feeding into a battery storage system, extra kilowatts are fed into the grid, and thereby turn the electric meter backwards. The utility company then credits the homeowner at the end of each metering period.

The Earth’s surface receives an average of 164 watts of solar power per square meter. If we could cover only 1% of the Sahara desert with solar panels, the resulting electricity could supply the entire globe. There is so much more solar power available than this planet will ever need - and that’s what makes it so incredible. Having said this, it’s not possible to power a TV or a computer using light or heat as it arrives from the sun. This is where solar panels come in - their purpose is to convert solar power into a form of energy we can use - such as electricity.

Solar cells, when combined, are called solar panels. Because just one solar cell is not able to provide enough power on its own, solar cells are attached together in panels so that they create more electricity together. Solar panels (also called Photo Voltaic modules) are produced in a variety of types and sizes, the most commonly used produce a maximum of 50 Watts and are comprised of silicon solar cells. Solar panels can also be interconnected in order to generate more energy.

It may not surprise some people that we in America use more energy than any other nation. Over 25% of worldwide power usage is consumed by America, despite accounting for merely 5% of the global population. Israel’s 100mw solar power plant has been created to supply power to over 200,000 individuals; with plans to build a 500mw plant in the future. The world’s largest solar electricity system can be discoverd in Bavaria, while around 50% of solar panels manufactured worldwide are used in Japan. These figures show the potential of solar power, and how far America has to go to reach that potential.

Many more people are creating their own solar panels now than ever before. Since installation of a solar system for the average American home can cost between $7,000 and $40,000 the popularity of DIY solar panels is rising. And the process is simpler and less complicated than you may think. Using the right instruction guide, DIY panels are safe and highly effective. Going the DIY route means you don’t need to have thousands of dollars available for the initial investment, and you still get to benefit from the on-going utility bill savings.

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Have you ever wanted to have renewable energy at home to help save money, but thought you couldn’t afford it?

If so, you are not alone. There are millions of Americans out there right now who want Solar, Wind Power, or other forms of green energy but just do not have the cash on hand.

There is a plethora of information online about how to do these things yourself, but what if you have questions? Are you going to be left to the unresponsive site owner that sold you the DIY e-book to respond? Not likely to happen!

So what should a Green Energy Social Network provide its users? Here is a small list:

1.) Provide Fast and Simple Access to other users- this is pretty basic, but how easy is it to access other users on sites like Care2.org or Treehugger.com? It isn’t easy.

2.) Provide GOOD Information that can save your users lots of money every year- again, this seems basic but most “green social networks” only give idiotic political opinions or the greenest vacation hot spots.

3.) Give Users simple ways to respond so they can help each other with their DIY Energy projects!

That’s all there is! Of course, couple that with a fancy site and some great living info and you are all set! I get disgusted with these “green social networks” that act as if they are some great gift to the world, when the people who run and write for those networks are the very one’s destroying our society. Seriously, are bamboo floors or “sustainable furniture” going to put any money back in your pocket? Not at all.

There is a solution. There is a social network, a Green Energy Network called GreenFuelSpot.com. They specialize in DIY Alternative Energy, all the way from DIY wind energy to Hydrogen fuel cells, HHO and solar power. All designed to be easily made at home, to save you money and fuel.

This green social network does not destroy society’s fabric, but instead embraces job creation, and assists in reducing American dependence on foreign oil by showing people how to make fuel at home. At GreenFuelSpot.com, you can learn all of these things, and then get help with any issues that may come about, all for free!

Click here to Join GreenFuelSpot.com with Our Fast and Easy Sign up!

Oftentimes, we link renovation with our present budgets, or on a larger scale, on the current economic state. However there may be some renovations for your home that you should not put off. In fact a lot of home renovations when addressed early can actually help you save in the long run. Renovate your home not only for aesthetics purposes but also to make your home eco-friendly. Here are some home renovation ideas:

1. Add a little extra padding for your attic. This will aid reduce energy expenditure and thus be more efficient in the long run. Right insulation can reduce heating and cooling bills by 10%.

2. Renovate your windows by upgrading old single-pane windows with Energy Star qualified windows. These window types can spare you an amount of money when it comes to energy bills. Energy Star qualified windows normally more than a couple panes of glass, warm edge spacers between the window panes and better framing materials

3. Water heater is another of most home’s major energy expenditure. Not only that, it accounts a large chunk of the household’s monthly energy bill. It’s time to renovate your heater if your existing one is more than 10 years old. Why? If your water heater is old, it is most probably running at a less effective rate, with an efficiency level of 50 per cent or lower. However, you can still spare some money by insulating the water heater with a water heater jacket. You can purchase water heater jackets at most hardware stores or by lowering the temperature setting on the water heater.

There are many benefits in making energy saving renovations to your abode. These renovations can reduce your energy use and therefore save you money in the long run. Energy-saving renovations can improve your indoor air quality, and your overall comfort level.

Find experienced and competent Renovation Singapore to perform your Renovation from our site!

One thing to understand about Americans is we vacation less and tend to often speak only one language. While this differentiates us from the rest of the world, Americans are still concerned about the way the rest of the world sees us. Anyone traveling overseas is stereotyped as an “ugly American,” but even more so in today’s world due to our over consumption of the world’s energy. In fact, according to recent studies, the United States is about 4% of the world’s population, but consumes nearly 25% of the world’s energy.

The rest of the world right now is forming a plan to reduce their overall CO2 levels by 20% before reaching the year 2020. This is a huge claim, and it means all the countries who are a part of the European Union are taking a monumental step. It also means they’ll be utilizing solar and wind energy a lot more than before. In fact, to this point today, countries such as Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and others have invested billions to make this happen.

Do you know what the Americans did? Uhm, absolutely nothing. Instead our politicians spent countless hours arguing over whether this is a viable problem. Without an agreement it means there is no new legislation, and without legislation we are left looking like the bad guy in the world’s eyes. The truth is our politicians are missing the point. Even if climate change wasn’t a real issue, we are still consuming a quarter of the world’s energy. This is really embarrassing, and the only way to control it is by utilizing all the alternatives that are right in front of us everyday.

So in order to change our country and help the world, it’s up to us to make the change ourselves. We have to work together and show all of our politicians that this is the answer. Granted, it’s not going to be an easy task, but it starts with you. When you realize the benefits and see the difference, your word of mouth will spread to others, and eventually we can all consume less energy, save money on bills, and help the environment.

Solar Power - Solar electricity panels are the first thing that makes sense since our electricity prices have raised in recent memory. The best part about solar power isn’t that it’s clean, sustainable and free, but it’s very inexpensive to install. Most of the individuals who have been using solar panels already, understand that all of their electricity needs can be met for the most part. We understand solar power doesn’t produce electricity without the sun, but they do store power. A lot of this individuals use wind turbines as well.

Wind Turbines - While most people believe wind turbines are only for big farmland, the truth is they are nothing more than small windmills to produce electricity. They are often used in combination with solar electricity and are efficient at producing their own. This is just one of the many reasons why the Europeans have invested heavily in them. Then of course they are also inexpensive. If you want to install one for your home it’s only a few hundred dollars. Plus, they’re as close to maintenance free option as you can get.

Hybrid Cars - Even though hybrid cars are more expensive then your average vehicle, you will soon realize the benefits of saving on gas. It’s nice to know you can save up to $1500 a year just because you purchased a better and more efficient energy car. If you look at the big picture you will save $15,000 over a decade.

Fluorescent Lights - This may sound crazy, but simply placing your regular lights with fluorescent versions can definitely be more energy efficient. While you may not see a huge decline in your electricity costs upfront, over time you will realize the difference. These can last up to 10,000 hours, which is 10 times more than your average bulb. Best of all they can be recycled when they’ve been completely used.

Energy Efficient Windows - Did you know most of the heat you lose during the winter is due to poorly built windows? If you’re trying to lower your heating bill, then this is probably one of the best investments you can make.

In the end it’s all about knowing what’s out there. If each one of us can utilize just one of these options, the rest of the world will stop thinking we’re just ugly Americans. Oh, and we’ll help the environment tremendously.