Archive for the 'Energy Saving' Category

Mar 10 2010

Energy Conservation – Think Before Buying and Using Electric Gadgets

Part of my approach to energy conservation is to limit my purchases of electric gadgets. I know it’s in a man’s genes to buy gadgets. It’s also a time-honored American tradition to take something that works well manually and turn it into a consumer product that uses electricity. Nevertheless, if you’re interested in reducing your electrical energy consumption, you’ll want to be very selective as to what you buy, and only buy something that requires electricity when it’s warranted.


Here are a handful of examples of where electric gadgets just aren’t necessary or desirable:




  • The electric can opener. It’s bulky, hard to clean and takes up space on the counter. When you have a can to open, you must bring the can over to where you have the can opener plugged in. If you go on a picnic, what good is the electric can opener? I find a mechanical can opener much easier and more convenient to use and clean. It’s highly portable and it can be popped into the dishwasher. It resides in a nearby drawer, so it’s ready when you are, but doesn’t take up room on the counter. And, it doesn’t occupy an electrical outlet either.
  • Plug-in air fresheners. For years we were happy with air fresheners that simply evaporated. How easy is that? Now, we have plug-in air fresheners that heat up the material to vaporize it. The use of electricity doesn’t make the product any better, it just appears to be higher technology. Worse yet, since you need an outlet to operate it, the design of the gadget limits where it can be placed in a room.


Electricity doesn’t necessarily make things better. It seems to me that my disposable razors, mechanical pencil sharpener and manual paper stapler work just fine. They won’t be improved with the addition of electricity.


It’s up to each of us to make good decisions about how much electric cord, how many outlets, and how much electricity we’re going to dedicate to having a plug-in and rechargeable world all around us. In many cases, energy conservation starts with what we purchase and how it operates. For me, many of the traditionally designed manual items work just fine and don’t need a cord or a battery pack.

Clair Schwan is an expert in frugal living and writes http://www.frugal-living-freedom.com where the motto is, “…living well, and well within your means…” See his many ways to save energy that are simple and effective, and provide good return on investment of your hard-earned money.

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Dec 23 2009

How Do Solar Panels Work? Use Homemade Solar Panels and Cells

With the fact that electric bills nowadays have reached outrageous heights, people have been searching for a way to generate electricity that would result to more savings. There is actually one solution and that is through the use of solar power, specifically through the so called solar panels. Most people, upon reading this, would definitely say: “Great!” but then again, for people who are not that crazy about Science, the question: “How do Solar Panels work?” will definitely arise.

Solar panels actually work in a simple way —their job is to make sure that the light from the sun is converted into useable energy. How do they do this? The answer lies in that element called Silicon. Electrons are found in silicon atoms; silicon atoms in turn can bond with other silicon atoms in order to share electrons which are an important component of solar panels.

Take note though that the said element (Silicon) still has to be mixed with something else in order to successfully generate electricity. This is where sunlight comes in. Photons that are found in the sun, when combined with silicon would result to the creation of electricity. Many solar cells are needed, however, for a great amount of electricity to be produced and for that produced electricity to last long.

If you think that having solar panels in your homes are impossible, then you’ll be glad to know that there are solar panel kits out in the market nowadays made by a number of manufacturers that are very easy to use. Those kits even include inverters which are tools that would make the solar panels’ produced power into forms that are applicable for home use.

You can build and install your homemade solar panels and cells, but there are a lot of factors that would affect how solar panels work such as the angle of the roof of your house, whether you have trackers for your panels to be able to face towards every direction of the sun, etc.

Learning about how solar panels work would more often than not encourage people to rely on solar power. Today’s modern times even show that homes are not the only ones that benefit from solar power. Lighthouses, traffic signs, street lights, and a lot more now use solar power, not only to conserve energy but also because of the reliability it provides plus the fact that solar power only requires a bit of maintenance.

Now that you have ideas on how solar panels work and the many advantages they offer, you can now search for ways to make your home harness solar power and see the amazing things it can do for you, for the environment, and for your wallet.

Did you know that it is very possible now to build your own solar powered home easily and with little cost? You can help save the environment and also your wallet.

Visit this site now http://www.FullEarth4EnergyReview.com to find out on how to do this and to find out the many other advantages you do not know about solar energy.

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Dec 22 2009

How to Build a Wind Turbine and Save Power Today

If you want to reduce your electricity bill and help reduce pollution quickly, one of the best things you can do is use the power of the wind. Having a wind energy system installed by a professional can be extremely expensive, often over $3000. You would have to have the system running at full capacity every single day of the year, for at least a couple of years to save anywhere near that amount of money. Learn how to build a wind turbine yourself and start saving money, and power, today.

The first step to building a wind turbine is to determine whether you actually live in the right sort of area to properly be able to install one and see good results from it. One of the most critical factors in deciding whether wind power is right for you is whether you live in a windy enough area. If there is almost no wind at all throughout the year (or if you only get extremely strong gales) you would be far better off installing a solar energy system, keep reading this article and I’ll talk about that at the end. However, from my experience, most people live in areas that receive sufficient wind, and that makes having a wind turbine worthwhile.

The next step in the process is finding out what the dimensions of the system are going to be, as well as what components you will need. One of the best ways to do this is to use a wind turbine blueprint kit that you can download off the Internet. The dimensions, list of required components, assembly and safe installation instructions are all included. Also, many kits will show you how to build a wind power turbine that will allow you to divert power back to the main grid (provided you don’t consume more electricity than you produce) That way, your utility company will be sending you checks instead of you paying them. That’s just one reason why it really is worth purchasing a kit that will show you how to build a wind turbine. Finally, you will also wind up with a more professional looking, reliable and safe device that will last for many years longer. How much will this all cost? By using a set of blueprints you are looking at having to spend around $300 on components and installation. That’s a lot cheaper than $3000!

Click here to learn more about wind generated electricity in your own home, including what the best wind turbine blueprint system is, how much you will need to spend, how much power and electricity you will save and how to build a wind turbine

Jeff A. Palmer has worked in the alternative energy sector for a number of years. Using a combination of wind and solar power he has managed to completely eliminate his electricity bill. Using his advice, you can do the same thing as well.

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Dec 21 2009

Build Your Own Solar Panel

To build your own solar panel, and use it to generate your own electricity, is easier than you might think, and much cheaper than buying commercially available solar panels. Just think about it – if you want to save money on power bills, you don’t want to start by spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars – you may never get a payback. Even if you’re doing this to be more environmentally friendly, how can you be sure that the panels you buy have been built in a carbon-neutral manner? It makes sense to build your own solar panels, so what’s involved?

Materials required to build your own solar panel

The most important components are the solar cells themselves. These are the small photovoltaic cells in which silicon molecules react to sunlight, and produce power. If you’re interested in the exact process, look it up on Wikipedia. If you shop around, you should be able to purchase the cells at a bulk rate, because you will need several hundred if you are making more than one solar panel.

The other components are just standard DIY materials – plywood for the base and backing, copper wire and solder to connect all the solar cells together, glass for the front cover, and a suitable material to build a frame for the whole structure, to make sure it’s weather-proof. Depending on your tastes, budget and skills, this could be wood or perhaps uPVC the same as used in windows.

Information required to build a solar panel

I can’t stress this enough – I wasted a lot of time on trial and error before I got a reasonable panel built, and then when I found a good guide, and read it, I realised I could have made a better panel more cheaply! Make sure you’ve got a good up-to-date guide before you start.

The basic process

  1. First of all, lay the solar cells out on the base board, at the optimum spacing. Refer to your guide for details. Mark the cells, and then drill holes in the board for the connecting wires.
  2. Affix the cells to the base board, and carefully wire them together according to the instructions. Place a backing board over the wiring to protect it.
  3. Construct the frame, mount the base board with the cells into the frame, and affix the glass securely.

You should now have a professional-looking, efficient solar panel! You now need to connect it to a suitable battery system, and feed the power into your home electricity supply. Again, this will be detailed in your instruction book.

If you’re serious about DIY Solar Power, then you need a comprehensive instruction manual. Find out how to install your own solar power system for less than $200 here, Build Your Own Solar Panel, where you will also find out how to install your own wind generator system!

Alternative Home Energy

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