Archive for September, 2009

Sep 30 2009

DIY Cut Monthly Electricity Costs on Lighting

This DIY cut monthly electricity costs article is just the beginning when it comes to easy ways to save you money on your power bills. You could get yourself some new green products or even take you and your family on a mini vacation.

CFL is what’s called a Compact Fluorescent Lamp or a circular fluorescent bulb. A CFL does not generate light the way incandescent bulbs do.

Incandescent light bulbs essentially work the same way Thomas Edison invented them. After electricity is connected to both sides of the carbon filament it gets hot and the outcome is light. In CFL bulbs, as with older fluorescent tubes, a closed glass tube is coated with a fluorescent coating that glows when current is applied to the argon and mercury vapour inside.

You might’ve heard how the incandescent bulbs work but if you are using the bulb more than a couple of times a year, your money is being wasted, no matter how cheap the bulb was. Green products will help you save money. One of the newer Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulbs saves around 75% in costs over the equivalent incandescent bulb. In 6 months of usage a CFL will pay for itself saving you about $30 per bulb over its lifespan!

The CFL bulb has come a long way these days giving us a much wider choice of light spectrum that is omitted. The mood of the rooms in your house, office or any other rooms can be greatly changed. The CFL color choices vary from a daylight blue to a warm yellow. Choosing a warmer colored light would be the right choice if you prefer incandescent bulbs. Be aware that the daylight or bluer light comes across as very harsh white light and can have negative effects on people that are sensitive to light.

If you look at the package that the bulb comes in it should have K for Kelvin rating, which gives you the “temperature” of the bulb. If you see a K rating of 2700K-3000K you will be getting a warm/yellow bulb. 3500K-4100K Kelvin rating will get you a cool white bulb. And a 5000K-6500K Kelvin rating would give you that Daylight blue look.

If you are looking to replace 40 watt incandescent bulbs, use 9-13 watt CFL bulbs. Replace a 60 watt incandescent with a 13-15 watt CFL. For a 75 watt incandescent use an 18-25 watt CFL. And to replace 100 watt incandescents use 23-30 watt CFLs.

Always recycle all your old fluorescent bulbs where possible. Some states forbid mixing used bulbs that contain mercury with solid waste trash. The reason is there is around 5 milligrams of mercury in one CFL bulb.

If you want places to recycle your used CFL bulbs and other green products you can take them to places such as IKEA, (OSH) Orchard, ACE Hardware and Home Depot.

If you are looking for decorative lights, Energy Star qualified light emitting diode bulbs (LED) are a great alternative. They produce the same amount of light as an equivalent incandescent bulb and use up to 90% less energy! I have heard that the power needed for only one 7 watt incandescent bulb could be used to power up to 140 LEDs!

Give the CFLs a try for inside and the LEDs for the outside. They will save you some good money and reduce your carbon footprint.

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Sep 28 2009

What Do Alternative Energy Job Add to the Future?

Most people agree that the current condition of the world is distressing and that alternative energy jobs could be the ticket to a clean Earth. While we have been developing new technology, new developments in sports, medicine, and architecture, we have also been killing off the health of the planet. Taking care of the mess we have caused will require a force of renewable energy jobs.

It could work. Cars and industry are the two main sources of air pollution. Alternative energy jobs that investigate the possibilities may very well be able to develop some of the answers that will not just slowly reduce the problem, but eliminate the problem. Will this be an overnight fix? Of course not, but the chronic and immediate pursuit of clean energy will change the research that we have accomplished thus far. It will open up new doors for energy conservation.

Wind energy jobs are already starting to crop up along the coast lines of the United States. With the perpetual winds across the oceans, there is no reason why we can harness that wind and transform it into power.

This type of progress can immediately help reduce our energy costs out of our pockets as well as environmentally. We can start to transition coastal communities to wind and solar energy. The green building jobs that will accompany this progress will also help boost the economy.

From every direction that we look at the problem there really only seems to be one solution. If we want to start developing a better planet to live on, we have to catch up to the damage the we have done already. By progressing in this stable and efficient manner, the market for renewable energy jobs will increase, simultaneously giving the economic issues another shove.

It doesn’t stop there. In every sector of development we can be moving forward in healthy and environmentally friendly ways. Green collar jobs are the answer to so many of our daily questions. We need the better research that comes with these jobs. We need the extra funding that comes with these jobs because at the current rate of destruction it is more than possible that the planet will not hold up.

Without the research and the continuous ingenious developments of energy conservation jobs and alternative energy jobs our children may end up wearing gas masks by the time they are thirty just to go outside. The beaches could be closed because the sun’s rays have just gotten too strong with the reduction in the ozone layer. Clean energy jobs are the bottom line if we want to stop the destruction and welcome the protection.

Today starts the first efforts toward a cleaner, better Earth. If alternative energy jobs are the key element to making tomorrow a better day, then perhaps it is time for interested parties to start making their ideas known, transition toward such jobs, and becoming educated to be able to jump in to the industry as soon as possible. Green collar jobs are going to help turn the world around, and being a part of that is something very extraordinary.

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Sep 28 2009

Solar Energy For Your Home – The Initial Outlay Is Expensive

Solar energy for your home is working towards a green future as well as the future of generations to come. Buy installing solar energy you are not only saving for the home but for the coming years. Not only are we using renewable energy but we will be assisting with the global warming crisis.

I know you are asking yourself what happens on days when there is no sun and it is cloudy. Well you will still have energy but less than normal. The sun still emits its rays even on over cast days. Not only will this be an improvement to your home you will reduce the consumption of electricity as well as carbon footprint.

A complete installation of solar energy to you home will then cost you nothing. The money you used to spend on power can now be saved towards something needed. And by having a grid connection; local electric services actually pay you for power used from your home.

Let’s explain how a solar panel works. Solar cells are needed and these are made up of semi conducting materials. They then require sunlight which shines onto the cells and in turn create electrical current generating electricity. The cells which range from about sixty are assembled together which form a solar panel.

You are able to take full advantage of rebates and incentives provided by your local governments once you have installed your system. The system has many environmental benefits in that you are contributing to the world’s electricity security. This technology has also opened a new avenue for those that are unemployed and strengthens world economy.

No pollution or hazardous materials are generated from solar energy. It does not require any gas or liquid substances to make it functional, it only needs sunlight to become functional and sunlight is free and guarantees you power. The solar energy cells will also guarantee you when all the other supplied have exhausted their supplies. These solar panels have been used with great success in the Ant-arctic (the sun doesn’t shine there) where run ways have been lit for safe landings. So this tells us that solar energy cells can be used literally anywhere in the world.

It is becoming a standard practice when new homes are erected as well as other building structures a solar panel is automatically part of the structural plan. When it comes to old structures and homes, the panels can still be installed but will have to be included on the original plans and passed by the local authorities.

Solar energy is not only important to our homes but to everything that exists on the planet. We will save the natural resources like coal and natural gas supplies in the long term. And having solar energy in the home ensures that you can still cook and bake or watch your TV without interruption or spend hours with no electricity in the long term due to load shedding. We are also helping to eliminate toxic pollutants, and make the environment safer for future generations to come.

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Sep 27 2009

Solar Power For Homes

Heating and cooling our homes places a huge stress on our natural resources. The time has come to find options that don’t have a put so much stress on our world. There are practical methods to generate electric power for our houses that exploit the earth’s replaceable sources. Using solar electricity for houses is a way to generate this electricity that takes advantage of clean, cheap energy.

Solar electricity panels come in both flexible and firm formats. The flexible ones are best for light, intermittent usage and aren’t expensive. Solar energy panels are made from photovoltaic cells. Solar cells are made from the same kinds of semiconductor materials, utilized in the electronics industry. For solar cells, a thin semiconductor wafer is treated to form an electrical field, positive on one side and negative on the other. Solar cells convert solar light energy into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Photo means light and voltaic means electricity.

One of the finest things about having solar power for houses is that at least in the day time, the sun’s energy is always working to make electricity, even if it’s a cloudy day. You may think solar electricity will not work unless it’s bright all the time. That is just not true. It’s correct that there will be less electricity on a cloudy day, the panels will still make electricity. All you’ve got to do is set up something to store the electricity for night and cloudy days.

Solar energy panels just may be the correct choice for you. Solar electricity for homes can cost quite a lot and you want to know if the investment will pay off in the end. Solar electricity panels are hands down the most efficient and cost-efficient energy alternative that we are able to use right now to deal with the rising price of electricity. If you need to understand how to lower your energy costs each month then considering putting up a solar energy panel can be one of the first steps you take in reducing energy costs.

Spending thousands of bucks now to save thousands on your future electricity bills may be a problem for you. If this is an issue, you could always start small. Instead of completely converting over, simply add a small system to your place. You should purchase a do it yourself kit on the internet that will show you the best way to build a solar energy panel to start.

Building your own panels can be a really enjoyable project that isn’t just very doable, it’s also very inexpensive. Carefully thought out planning of your purchases can result in your paying less than $200 for your materials, which is a minute outlay for the rewards that you will reap from the savings. Building and installing these alternative power sources can be equal to getting a pay raise at work. This is how much can be saved with home-made solar cells.

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Sep 26 2009

What You Should Know about Solar Energy Jobs

The increase in solar energy jobs have grown to disbelieving proportions. While compared to jobs like law enforcement, the numbers are still small. Yet when compared with itself, the job industry for solar energy has gone up an impressive 25%. There is an urgency about the solar energy development as the world’s health has gone down hill and the alternative energy jobs are now looking to fill the void.

With an increase in jobs that is so dramatic, there is an abundance of positions all around the world as well as in the country that will change your world. Literally.

As alternative energy jobs go, solar energy jobs are one of the most readily available. It is speculated that the job market will continue to grow for several more years. Without the appropriate research and the access to qualified construction, solar energy will be delayed in its implementation all over the United States. Joining the wind turbine industry, solar panels are expected to become one of the most common home improvements within the next 15 years.

We are just a bit behind the increase in solar energy jobs when compared to countries throughout Europe. European countries recorded a record growth spurt in between 2001 and 2003. This significant leap forward has placed them well ahead of the race to save the planet. It is going to take a lot more effort than just opening up more jobs in the clean energy market to really clean up the planet. But it seems as though we have the economic, political, and ecological need to move forward quickly and effectively.

The clean energy jobs that are being created today are the jobs that will help the planet recreate its entire energy system. We will have new ways to heat homes and keep the lights on. We will have reduced energy bills and more efficient energy use. We will effectively clean up the planet one solar panel at a time.

There is no doubt that solar power can take away a huge dependence on traditional oil and gas resources, which decreases political stress while increasing eco friendly practices. The progress through this single generation toward solar power is really quite amazing.

While there are numerous internships and apprenticeships available in the alternative energy job industry, it is best if you review the educational requirements and meet them in order to join the rather exciting movement toward efficiency.

If you are willing to relocate you increase your chances of being taken on before you finish your education. The down side to this as you have to transfer and may lose some credits along the way. However, finding green employers before you finish school is like being hand picked into a position pined for by thousands.

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