(Oil price) Make Your Home Energy-Efficient Before Installing Your Own Wind/Solar Power System
No commentsBy Jaime Ratzlaff
So you’ve been looking into creating your own electricity for your home? That’s Great! There are renewable energy sources all around you that you can easily tap into. Whether you are considering this option to save money on your utility bill, or doing your part to reduce your individual use of non-renewable fossil fuels, you will ultimately accomplish both!
There are a few steps, however that you must follow to be certain your home is energy-efficient for the coming Winter. Otherwise, what’s the point?
- Seal Duct Work
The number one way to conserve energy is to seal all duct work. Go crawl up into your attic or crawl space and check for leaks at joints and intersections. Then seal ‘em up with foil-backed tape or silicon caulking. Be careful! Don’t go fallin’ through your ceiling…
- Check your Thermostat!
Duh! Of course keeping your home all nice and toasty would be wonderful, but what’s wrong with wearing a comfy sweatshirt or somethin’? Lower your thermostat to around 60 degrees or so when no one’s home, and keep it at 65-70 otherwise. Also turn it down when ya go to bed. Ah, I love sleeping under my thick down comforter in Winter. That’s some good sleepin’!
- Fireplace are nice, but…
Fireplace are nice and romantic, aren’t they? Yeah, having a fire lit, sippin’ on a glass of wine, enjoying a nice conversation, or reading a book is somethin’ we all enjoy, but impractical for home heating purposes. The open flume allows cold air in even while fire is goin’! Seal it up after the moment passes!
- Weather Stripping!
Be sure to check around all doors and windows for air coming in and escaping as well. Use weather stripping to seal it up. If your around your windows leaks pretty bad, you might want to use that canned foam insulation stuff, and/or put up plastic window weather sheeting.
- Other Entry/Exit Points to check
More places to check and seal up are around plumbing pipes going through the wall, electrical outlets, light fixtures, etc. Use the proper insulation product! Check your hardware store and just ask your friendly clerk!
- Lower Water Heater Temperature
Lower your water heater to around 120 degrees and you will dramatically reduce the amount of fuel needed to keep the water heated. I mean, do you really need scorching hot water? Also, insulate the water pipes coming out of the water heater a few feet at least.
- Unplug All That Stuff!!!
Turn off all things like televisions, computers, etc…when not in use, Obviously. But also unplug all kitchen appliances such as toaster, coffee maker, microwave, whatever. They drain energy all day long sittin’ there unused. Plug ‘em into a power strip. It makes it alot easier. Just flip a switch! Oh yeah, about those out-dated light bulbs: What’s wrong with you? Use the new, energy-saving types. They last longer and use less power. True, they cost a heck of a lot more, but last so much longer, it’s actually saving you money in the long run. Almost forgot to mention that!
I have put considerable effort into weather-proofing my home. But that was just a start, because then I built my own homemade solar panels and even a small wind turbine proudly sits in my backyard! I couldn’t believe how easy it was to build and install my system. But you must follow these steps to help make your home as energy-efficient as possible, before you even think about building your own solar or wind power plant! And welcome to the Renewable Energy Revolution!
Jaime is an average working joe who has awakened to the fact that our Earth is a living, breathing organism, and we all must stop behaving in such parasitic ways! I live in a suburb of Dallas. My home is energy-efficient, and even better - I create the Energy I use! See how Right Here!
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(Crude oil futures) What You Should Know About Photovoltaic Cells
No commentsBy Michael Hehn
The efficiency of photovoltaic cells is increasing with each passing day as their price slowly decrease and in addition, they have better designs now, engineered for the improved focusing of sunlight in a more concentrated manner. They are also becoming smaller in size and this is what’s making them cheaper to produce despite the fact that their efficiency is increasing. The cost to generate energy from the sun at the rate of one watt hour is around , which is quite low. Just 17 years ago, the price was double what it is today.
There’s no question about how environment-friendly solar powered electricity generation is. Solar energy is an alternative source of energy which does not release any harmful wastes into the environment and simply uses one of the most natural sources of energy as its main ingredient. Solar cells are today very popular fixtures on people’s home rooftops. They are not a difficult system to use for heating one’s home, creating hot water, or producing electricity. For producing hot water, the photovoltaic system works by allowing the water to pass through the cells, where it gets heated and then is supplied inside the home.
Today, photovoltaic cells have become efficient enough to accumulate heat from the sun even when the weather is cloudy or stormy. The company Uni-Solar is an example of this.Uni-Solar, a solar cell producing company, has developed a technology that can provide energy for the home even when the sky is cloudy.
The PV system is another system to produce solar power. By connecting the PV system to the closest electric grid if a particular home accumulates more energy than it requires, this energy is directed to the grid which works in a network which allows the grid to be less dependent on hydroelectricity for production of electricity. These PV systems are good solutions for you to save on costs while at the same time, they allow you to use an environment-friendly source of energy and allow the grid to work under less stressful conditions. Centralized solar collection panels are being devised in some areas so that they can provide cheap energy to whole town or suburban areas.
Several reputed corporations have indicated their deep interest into solar energy production on a large scale and this clearly shows how the world is accepting solar power as a sustainable source of energy. The popularity of the solar power plant reached its zenith when Google installed a 1.
Nations such as Japan, Germany, the United States, and Switzerland have been furthering the cause of solar energy production by providing government subsidies or by giving tax breaks to companies and individuals who agree to utilize solar power for generating their heat or electrical power. Since technology is rapidly advancing making it possible to invent new methods of harnessing the vast reserves of solar energy for our purposes, it is only inevitable that private investors will see the benefits of this nature-friendly technology and provide further impetuses to its growth.
Michael Hehn is a specialist in DIY energy programs. If you want more information about DIY energy programs, visit DIY energy programs.
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Popularity: 22% [?]
(What is peak oil) Make Your Home Energy-Efficient Before Installing Your Own Wind/Solar Power System
No commentsBy Jaime Ratzlaff
So you’ve been looking into creating your own electricity for your home? That’s Great! There are renewable energy sources all around you that you can easily tap into. Whether you are considering this option to save money on your utility bill, or doing your part to reduce your individual use of non-renewable fossil fuels, you will ultimately accomplish both!
There are a few steps, however that you must follow to be certain your home is energy-efficient for the coming Winter. Otherwise, what’s the point?
- Seal Duct Work
The number one way to conserve energy is to seal all duct work. Go crawl up into your attic or crawl space and check for leaks at joints and intersections. Then seal ‘em up with foil-backed tape or silicon caulking. Be careful! Don’t go fallin’ through your ceiling…
- Check your Thermostat!
Duh! Of course keeping your home all nice and toasty would be wonderful, but what’s wrong with wearing a comfy sweatshirt or somethin’? Lower your thermostat to around 60 degrees or so when no one’s home, and keep it at 65-70 otherwise. Also turn it down when ya go to bed. Ah, I love sleeping under my thick down comforter in Winter. That’s some good sleepin’!
- Fireplace are nice, but…
Fireplace are nice and romantic, aren’t they? Yeah, having a fire lit, sippin’ on a glass of wine, enjoying a nice conversation, or reading a book is somethin’ we all enjoy, but impractical for home heating purposes. The open flume allows cold air in even while fire is goin’! Seal it up after the moment passes!
- Weather Stripping!
Be sure to check around all doors and windows for air coming in and escaping as well. Use weather stripping to seal it up. If your around your windows leaks pretty bad, you might want to use that canned foam insulation stuff, and/or put up plastic window weather sheeting.
- Other Entry/Exit Points to check
More places to check and seal up are around plumbing pipes going through the wall, electrical outlets, light fixtures, etc. Use the proper insulation product! Check your hardware store and just ask your friendly clerk!
- Lower Water Heater Temperature
Lower your water heater to around 120 degrees and you will dramatically reduce the amount of fuel needed to keep the water heated. I mean, do you really need scorching hot water? Also, insulate the water pipes coming out of the water heater a few feet at least.
- Unplug All That Stuff!!!
Turn off all things like televisions, computers, etc…when not in use, Obviously. But also unplug all kitchen appliances such as toaster, coffee maker, microwave, whatever. They drain energy all day long sittin’ there unused. Plug ‘em into a power strip. It makes it alot easier. Just flip a switch! Oh yeah, about those out-dated light bulbs: What’s wrong with you? Use the new, energy-saving types. They last longer and use less power. True, they cost a heck of a lot more, but last so much longer, it’s actually saving you money in the long run. Almost forgot to mention that!
I have put considerable effort into weather-proofing my home. But that was just a start, because then I built my own homemade solar panels and even a small wind turbine proudly sits in my backyard! I couldn’t believe how easy it was to build and install my system. But you must follow these steps to help make your home as energy-efficient as possible, before you even think about building your own solar or wind power plant! And welcome to the Renewable Energy Revolution!
Jaime is an average working joe who has awakened to the fact that our Earth is a living, breathing organism, and we all must stop behaving in such parasitic ways! I live in a suburb of Dallas. My home is energy-efficient, and even better - I create the Energy I use! See how Right Here!
Your Online Journal About Energy!
Please bookmark and share this site so we can get our message out!
Popularity: 22% [?]