energy savings Archive

Mobile Home Energy Plan

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article
Published: February 25, 2011Posted in: GeneralTags: , ,

If perhaps you’re living in a mobile home temporarily or permanently, you surely would like to cut down your electric usage the same as others who would like to decrease their own.

Listed here are several ways in making your mobile home energy-efficient:

·    Improving the rooftop paintjob

In the humid and hot months of June, July, August, and September, mobile homes tend to get hot. The reason being mobile homes are not built with much ventilation. On regular homes, large attics  separate the outside from the inside keep houses cool. Vents on these attics further contribute to reduction of heat penetration to the house. The space separating the roof of a mobile home and the ceiling just isn’t sufficient to maintain the inside cool. As a result, air conditioning systems works harder during hot summer months. Thus, consuming much more power. To lessen the heat penetration to the home, cool roof coating can be done.

Do this when it is not raining given that cool roof coating is water-based.

Repainting the roof of your mobile home to deflect the heat that can probably penetrate to the inside.

·    Providing better roofing insulation

Many people, even a mobile home contractor would suggest that you couldn’t do anything whatsoever to boost the efficiency of your mobile home. To inform you honestly, they are completely wrong. You can access the roof cavity from the edge of the roof that is connected with the wall or  directly through the rooftop. Doing this will save you approximately 15% of your total cooling system consumption.

You can do this yourself or find someone who knows how to make this happen.

·    Maintaining a good air conditioner

Air conditioning consumes the biggest portion of your electric bill. This is why you’ll want to make certain you get the most from it.  So  look at your air conditioner system on a regular basis. You can start with the air duct. Make sure that the air duct is sealed. Any kind of small leak would certainly let the outside air to get in, thus making the air conditioning to work harder.

Your mobile home’s air-duct is usually located beneath the trailer. You might want to skirt your mobile home to the ground or a few inches from the ground to protect the duct during wintertime and summer. Skirting would likely provide additional defense against your pets to destroy the duct.

·    Air sealing your mobile home

The ultimate way to keep the hot or cold air outside from entering would be to seal every space or gap  of your mobile home. Windows, doors, along with other openings may be sealed by weather strip protection, a rubber sealant that keeps that interior air-tight.

Doing this will allow the cooler  air from coming out of the mobile home.

·    The mobile home location

Sitting your mobile home under the shade tree  would allow you to save on air conditioning. Since shade draws away heat before it reaches the roof of your mobile home, your air conditioning won’t be forced to cool the inside. of your home.

·    Ensuring the water heating unit

The water heater takes 14% of the total energy consumption. This is the second largest energy consumer next to the air conditioning system. In case your water heater is located outside the structure, it surely takes additional energy load because the heat is lost because of the outside air. You cannot cover it needless to say for safety purposes. Instead, you can use insulation jacket. This can keep the heat inside the tank. For most mobile homes another option that will save you a large portion of your electric bill is to go with a tankless water heater. Popular in Europe for decades these small units provide on demand hot water for all your needs. You should also check your state and federal tax credits to see if you qualify.

The thermostat determines the energy consumption of the water heater. If you have less water requirement, 120 degrees Fahrenheit is plenty enough. For larger water consumption, 140 degrees Fahrenheit is generally required.

·    Window Treatment

Proper selection of shutters, shades, and curtains is important to maintain the heat inside or away from the mobile home depending on the season.. But, you really need to make use of them effectively. Shut them at night time to keep the cool air from the outside away and open it during the day when you are not using air conditioning. Use thick shutters, shades, or drapes during winter  to keep cold air from coming in.  

Take into account all of these to make certain you maximize the use of electrical power in your house. Subsequently, you will save cash on utility bills.

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Saving Energy is Easier With New Energy Saving Products

By
Sandi Feris
Published: December 28, 2010Posted in: GeneralTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Now no one likes the idea of power that they are paying for simply going to waste in their home or business but the fact is that its pretty much unavoidable. Just the same what you may not realize is that there are areas in your home where power that you pay for is essentially leaking out. Areas where its being wasted for no good reason at all.

I’ll take your television set as a prime example because are you aware that it may be consuming a full 75% of the power it uses when it’s in fact turned off? You read that right because when you click the remote to turn it off, it remains in “standby mode”. It’s still gulping power, believe it or not!! So then what’s the solution?

So then how can you stop this needless waste? The answer is surprisingly cheap, and incredibly simple. They’re called standby savers and they function just like a normal TV remote with one difference and that is that standby savers shut off the power “at its source”. So the power is cut completely to the TV or home appliance, cutting off the waste.

The second item on the list of new energy saving wonder devices, is called the energy monitor, and how its functions is just too simple. What it does, is measure electricity usage at your power box and then transmit that information back inside your home to a small portable unit with a display screen on it. It simply allows you to see how much power you are using.

So then how do they save you money? Well would you believe the folks who buy and use these $75 devices report a savings of some 25% on average their first month? You see, once you are able to accurately track the amount, and value of your power usage, you can then account for it far more accurately. It’s just that simple.

Have you ever stopped to consider that you are paying to keep forty gallons of water piping hot 365 days a year with your standard water heater. Just think how much energy that takes up but the fact is that you do need hot water and there is just no getting around that fact. Even so is there some way that you can ease this constant financial burden?

You need to buy and use a water heater blanket and not a cheap one either. Buy a nice thick one and if that isn’t enough then buy two, and really wrap the thing up nice, and cozy. Or; better yet, you may want to look into installing a state of the art “tankless” water heater that heats the water as it’s being used.

Energy saving light bulbs have been available for decades now and it’s certainly no secret that they they pay for themselves in savings. So then why are so many people still not using them? For one thing, most folks simply fail to realize how many light bulbs they have in their homes, and secondly they also don’t realize how cheap they are to buy now.

Learn more about home energy saving tips. Stop by Sandi Feris’s site where you can find out all about tankless water heater and what it can do for you.

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What Makes A Good Quality Solar Panel?

By
Roger Vanderlely
Published: November 13, 2010Posted in: Solar PanelsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There is an enormous range of prices of new solar panels on the market. Some can cost up to a thousand dollars apiece, while other types can be as little as a tenth of this price. Why is there such a range in prices, and are the more expensive units worth the additional cost?

If you look at the literature accompanying the different cost panels you’ll notice that the type of panel matches the cost. The most expensive type is made of what is called monocrystalline silicon. Next most expensive are the polycrystalline panels. Both these types are blue. Then come the cheaper modules. These are called thin film solar panels and are usually black. They are made from either amorphous silicon or are CIGS panels. For the purpose of clarity I will only discuss the amorphous silicon type.

The effort required to make a panel as well as how efficiently it converts sunlight into electricity determine the cost of a solar panel. All three of the above panel types use silicon, but there are vast differences in the structure of that silicon. The cells of monocrystalline panels comprise of single silicon crystals. These crystals take a long time and very specific conditions to grow. But once made, these panels will last indefinitely. They are highly resistant to physical degradation from exposure to the sun and are the most efficient at converting that sunlight into electricity. An old monocrystalline panel will usually only fail because of corrosion in the wiring which can be repaired.

Polycrystalline panels are a cheaper version and while they still use silicon crystals, these are grown more rapidly. The result is that cells are made of silicon slices that contain many crystals. This makes the cells less efficient than those of the single crystal design, as the edges of the little crystals in the cells make it harder for the electricity to flow. Therefore the more crystals there are in a solar cell the less efficient it will be.

The cheapest and least efficient type is those made using amorphous silicon. This type of silicon has tiny little crystals and so is very cheap to produce. The large number of small crystals makes for a lower efficiency panel than with poly or monocrystalline cells. The silicon used in these panels is spread thinly over a backing plate and so the panels are cheaper due to less materials being required. Unfortunately this also means that the panels are not as resistant to degradation from exposure to sunlight. So while they have a lower retail price they also have a shorter lifespan and their efficiency tends to reduce over time.

These factors need to be considered when you’re looking at buying a panel or a household installation. It is also worth keeping in mind if you’re shopping around for second hand panels, as it is possible to pick up used monocrystalline panels at a good price.

Visit Roger Vanderlely’s website, www.green-planet-solar-energy.com to learn more about solar power. You can read more about how to find cheap solar panels in order to reduce both your dependency on the energy grid as well as your carbon footprint.

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Winds Power And Renewable Energy For A Clean World

By
Adriana Noton
Published: September 22, 2010Posted in: Green EnergyTags: , , , , , ,

The world uses fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas to power vehicles and homes. These fuel resources are used without concern to the environment. Air and water are being polluted at a fast rate, faster than ever before. There are more people that inhabit the earth everyday, and that means that more fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas are going to be used to run and generate electricity and power homes and business, and in addition power vehicles that run on these fuels. Winds power and renewable energy can save the earth from early destruction.

The United States is the most developed country in the world. It is one of the largest countries in the world. It uses two thirds of the world’s resources, and that includes fossil fuels to power it. It is a gigantic consumer. The thirst for these fuels for Americans has caused a huge environmental problem.

That problem is pollution. But, that is changing, and slowly. The U. S. And other parts of the world are starting to wake up and realize that in order to save the earth, the old ways of generating power need to go away, and alternative methods must take their place.

The power of the wind, is a renewable energy source that does not pollute the air or water. It is a viable source of energy that will never run out. As long as there is air, there will be wind, and since there will be wind, there will always be that source of green energy. Wind power production areas are popping up in many parts of the southwest.

These are called wind farms. These are parts of the country that are totally dedicated to the use of the wind to generate electricity in a way that is non-polluting. These wind farms have hundreds of these giant windmills to generate megawatts of electricity for businesses and consumers. They cover vast areas and, if you are a land owner in a windy area, you may be able to lease some of your land to one of these wind farms companies and get a check each month.

Solar energy has been around since the universe began. The sun is the source of solar energy. It is a totally renewable energy resource that has, until now, not been used very much. The way it is used is that solar power arrays must be used to harness the power of the sun. In the past, putting up one of these arrays used to be expensive, but no more. The federal government is getting in on the act too. They want to give you a tax break for using solar energy.

You can put solar power arrays on just about any part of your structure. It does not matter if this is a home or a business. You can even put them in your yard. Your solar panel arrays can make money for you too. All that needs to be done is you use less electricity than you produce. The electric company will buy the excess.

The future of saving the world energy problem and pollution problem is through the use of wind power and renewable energy sources. They are free to use, the earth gives them freely. The world would be wise to adopt the Feed in Tariff program.

Solar Power and alternative energy devices, green energy sources like the field of science is around every day. The children learn with fun optical equipment, telescopes and science lab equipment.

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Lower Your Energy Bill With Solar Water Heating

By
Hermione Edwards
Published: September 17, 2010Posted in: GeneralTags: , , , , , , , ,

Make the most of residential solar hot water heating systems that look after the environment and save you heaps on your power bill. These systems use the sun’s energy to provide your home and family with hot water all year round, for a fraction of the price of other forms of water heating on the market.

Other water heating forms, such as gas water heating, rake up huge bills for the consumer, and ones that are not necessary. Many New Zealand families will be spending up to 30% of their power bill on water heating, and if the sun’s resources are used this cost can be completely done away with.

You also get a modern and environmentally friendly approach to water heating – and especially one that saves loads on your power bill. Never has looking after the environment helped your wallet so much and allowed you to put your money into savings or more important and needed aspects of your family and life.

Many systems are using what is called an evacuated tube system. These are sturdy and reliable systems that are not affected by low temperatures and frost, continuing to work in any conditions as long as there is UV light. This gives you the peace of mind that your water heating system is working all the time and providing your entire household with hot water, when you need it.

Get the opportunity to save on the installation of your system with a grant from the EECA. The EECA offer households who use approved installers to install approved solar heating systems a $1000 grant to help with the installation fees. This is a great incentive to get your water heating system installed today!

Make the most of looking after the environment and your wallet today by installing your own solar water heating system. Talk to your local plumbers and drain layers about their systems and how they can help you.

For more information on solar hot water, visit the Alexander Plumbing (Tauranga) website.

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Alternative Energy Source: Becoming Familiar With Alternative Energy Options

By
Carlton Burkhardt
Published: February 9, 2010Posted in: GeneralTags: , , , , , , , ,

Pause for a few moments and consider the many advantages we experience from electricity all around us constantly each day. Now, consider just what life would most likely wind up as if these resources were removed completely.

If you were located within the northeastern or midwestern portion of the us or southern Ontario throughout the 3 day electrical outage of 2003, you no doubt know what it’s like.

We are aware that non-renewable fossil fuels are currently being depleted every day, which in turn makes it a lot more necessary than ever that we become knowledgeable about the numerous advantages of sustainable energy by means of alternative energy sources.

Options like alternative fuel automobiles as well as renewable power generators are only a tiny fraction of the many forms of power available these days.

Taking a couple moments of your time to read about alternative energy sources may well lead to a great deal of benefits in terms of helping to conserve our natural world.

Such power sources really are a wonderful solution to preserve both time and financial resources, as well as also helping to maintain treasured environmental resources. Having a great level of learning and scientific innovation, the prospect of total attachment to alternative energy sources is possible.

A number of communities in countries all over the globe are joining hand-in-hand in an effort to better educate themselves about the most desirable methods to save energy.

Certainly one of the more outstanding strategies to doing this is to educate people that there are good procedures for utilizing renewable power resources. A positive knowledge of these resources can be acquired merely by an understanding of how each alternative energy model operates.

Sun energy is a strong alternative electric power resource that’s gathered by drawing in part of the energy created by the sun’s rays. Hydroelectric power is a source that can be harnessed by actions taken in order to transform water via dams into electricity.

Wind power is drawn in by wind turbines which then can transform it into useful electricity. When you take any among these green sources and alter them, you have a clean and cost-efficient method to conserve electrical energy in an organic way.

A more complete understanding of alternative energy sources will surely be a catalyst for better alternatives in the future in terms of the natural world and for all other worldwide situations addressing energy.

Once we work together as smaller communities and then as thoughtful, creative groups internationally, we will then have a considerably better chance that alternate energy resources will grow to be a high profile interest, as a result resulting in an improved world in which to thrive.

For details on simple home power savings options, see www.energysavingsoptions.com – a popular site providing terrific insights about power cost reducing measures, like Garage Door Insulation – a handy Portable Furnace – and quite a few more suggestions!

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Energy Cost Reduction Tips in Going Solar: Generating an Energy Self-Sufficient Home

By
Carlton Burkhardt
Published: February 3, 2010Posted in: GeneralTags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

A square meter on the earth gets about 1,000 watts of from the sun on an average sunny day. This finding motivated researchers and technical engineers around the world to develop cheaper solutions to \”tame\” this endless and zero cost energy source.

With our understanding of our looming fossil fuel lack together with contemporary initiatives on environmentally friendly lifestyles, nations like the UK and the United States have taken preliminary steps to encourage families to utilize alternate sources of power. Solar energy is certainly one of the renewable power sources demonstrating superior potential for long term everyday use.

Attainability of Solar Energy

Because of advances in environment friendly innovation, current technological know-how now makes it possible for property owners to power their homes with solar energy. Accompanied by a few steps and a modest spending plan, making enough energy to run one’s residential needs is possible.

You can find, nevertheless, two essential considerations that might create hardships for city residents, each boiling down to the requirement of space. Solar-powering a home requires a suitable placement for both the solar panels and the batteries which stock up the energy.

The solar power systems have to be situated wherever the sun’s energy is most soaked up. The batteries keep the electricity churning during the night.

This implies that the larger the residence, the extra batteries it’s going to need. The batteries, unfortunately, add a substantial price tag and degree of upkeep to the system over time.

Needed Components

The most recommended electric battery for solar panels is a deep-cycle design. It can discharge a high amount of its stored energy while preserving its life. These commonly used batteries are lead-acid and nickel-cadmium, with the second item priced significantly more.

Basic to extending battery life is the use of charge controllers. These devices protect the batteries from getting drained until they’re recharged.

Another necessary portion of the solar power system is the installation of inverters. Inverters convert the direct current (DC) generated through the solar energy system into alternating current (AC) which typical homeowners use.

Incentive for the Transition

A few nations provide a utility grid where households are able to connect with and buy power just in case their do-it-yourself solar power panels create inadequate electrical power.

In turn, the local utility corporation purchases excess electrical energy created by homeowners at market rates. This practice is intended to motivate homeowners, especially those nestled in sun-drenched areas, to make the jump to making their own energy.

Instances such as these are being utilized in the UK, Canada, Australia, and Spain. Still, the utilization of a solar model as a principal supply of energy – not only for homes, but likewise for professional establishments – isn’t predicted to occur soon.

Critics say virtually any national environmental policies are crucial to extending the demand for alternate sources of energy. To this date, the financial burden of these strategies has strongly depended on government financial assistance.

For information on practical home energy savings ideas, visit www.energysavingsoptions.com – a popular site providing great insights about energy cost cutting measures, such as Lennox Furnaces – the helpful Trane Furnaces – and many more suggestions!

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Energy Savings: Generate Your Own Energy Source Employing Home-made Solar Cells

By
Carlton Burkhardt
Published: January 29, 2010Posted in: GeneralTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

For a while, solar cells have been completely a key for creating a renewable energy supply. Quite a few international locations, chiefly the tropical ones, have been using the power of direct sunshine in order to make electrical energy. There is common sense for that.

The sun’s light along with heat are fundamentally the supply of almost all other sorts of power on the globe. So just why is it that sunlight is just not commonly chosen in order to create electricity?

The technology of solar cells makes it attainable, finally. So, besides business types, you will find family solar cells which are becoming utilized far and wide.

Can Virtually Anyone Implement This?

Are home-made solar cells genuinely doable? The answer is yes. These days, numerous families could very well produce their own power through the use of residential solar cells.

It actually is not as problematic and confusing as someone may well assume. You might opt to create your own solar power systems due to the fact typically, commercially available solar cells are extremely high-priced.

That costliness is the principle rationale why not very many families and residences have been using solar cells with regard to the output of electricity.

Do you plan to proceed in generating your individual energy? You may well start your work at this moment. In the event that you do not intend to invest thousands of dollars to purchase a store-bought solution, you should then invest a few dollars to get your hands on the essential instructions for producing the home developed solar cells.

Accessibility of the Resources

You will be able to find and purchase these kinds of items at either bookstores or on the Internet. The instructions are going to assist as guides while you attempt to make the solar cells yourself. The procedural narratives are normally very clear, the guidance comprehensive, and the insights and suggestions are certainly instructive.

You may well get going by looking for and ordering the necessary supplies and tools which would certainly make setting up solar cells on your own possible and simpler.

Just How Challenging is the Labor?

You may be happy to realize that the labor is just not as hard or as complex as you may picture. You could in fact complete the whole set of steps alone, even though it would certainly be faster if someone in your household would help you.

What is even more, it might simply require several hours or up to about three days to totally complete the development and installation of your home developed solar cells. All in all, your total expenditure in the activity should not even reach, much less exceed, a thousand dollars.

This is a relatively reasonable monetary investment when compared with the considerable level of funds you might conserve through establishing your private power.

Therefore why wait on? You would certainly do yourself a favor to give this course of action a serious look to help you understanding the reason why increasingly more families are shifting in this direction.

For info on useful home energy cost savings options, check out www.energysavingsoptions.com – a popular site delivering useful insights about power expense reducing measures, including Lennox Furnaces – the helpful Trane Furnaces – and several more!

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Earth4Energy Review – Hot Air Or Good Advice?

By
Tim McDonald
Published: November 4, 2009Posted in: GeneralTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If you have heard all the hype around people making their home wind turbine and solar power at home for little under $250, you would have noticed that there are dozens of diy energy guides on the market. One them, Earth4Energy, claims it can help you save up to 80% on your power bill. But what is the truth behind the guide? We got ourselves a copy, and this is what we found.

Its good aspects:

1 – Value for money

Earth4Energy, although similarly priced to the other guides, was the most complete and comprehensive ones we read. Furthermore, if we were ever stuck at some point in our build, the quick, helpful customer support provided great advice.

2 – Great after-sale service

What we like about customer support is that not only were their replies helpful, but they came really quickly. Furthermore, it is the only guide that is regularly updated with the latest information. For example, after many requests, Earth4Energy added video instruction on how to build a working home solar kit and home wind generator, without charging us any more money!

3 – Excellent solar panel plans

The solar panel system plans were the most comprehensive and thanks to the great instructional videos, they were by far the easiest to follow. Material cost estimates were accurate – the author, Michael Harvey, claims you can get all the solar parts for about $100-$150. We managed to find everything for $117.53. This is a bargain if you think the cost of getting a professional to install these systems can run into thousands of dollars!

Another winning aspect about Earth4Energy is that is explains how you can make the solar power system portable, and use it to power your RV. This also comes in handy for those off the grid camping trips.

What we did not like about the guide:

1 – More than one system needed for best results:

This is one of those problems we found with all the diy energy guides. Yes, it is very possible to save up to 80% on power by following these plans, but it will take you more than one system to get there. So, depending on how much power you want to make, and where you live, you will have to scale up your systems, and obvious spend more than the claimed $250 or so to see the desired results.

Verdict:

If you are really serious about making your own home wind turbine and solar power system to start saving money, then Earth4Energy is your best option. It has the most comprehensive instructions, practical diagrams, step-by-step videos, and top quality customer service with regular, value-added, free updates. And it is no wonder it has outperformed it closet competitors – Homemade Energy and Efficient Planet – by over 500% (based on number of happy customers).

And what’s even better is that you can now get a FREE sneak peek of Earth4Energy, before deciding to make your own Home Solar Power and save thousands on your electricity costs.

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