This article is courtesy of  http://www.NeutralExistence.com 

Prevent global warming by ‘Pimping’ your hot water heater.

First off, most of us have our hot water heaters turned up
way too high. If you just turn it down about 10° Fahrenheit,
you can reduce your energy consumption by 3%-5%.

Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of hot water if you set your
water heater between 110°-120° Fahrenheit. By just doing this,
you will eliminate about 500 lbs. of CO2 per year and save
about $25.

Next, lets talk about insulation. You can also insulate your
water heater storage tank if it has an R-value of less than
24.

How do you know? You can tell by simply touching your tank,
and if it feels warm then it needs additional insulation.

*There are insulating blankets that you can purchase for about
$10-$20 from most hardware stores, which have an insulating
value of about R-8. This will reduce your heat loss by
25%-45% which will save you about 4%-9% in water heating cost.

*Electric Water Heaters:
These blankets are very easy to install and most people can
do it themselves. You simply wrap it around your electric
water tank, being very careful to leave the access panels
uncovered. Also be sure to keep the temperature set below
130°F (preferably 120°-110°) to keep the electrical wires
from overheating.

*Gas Water Heaters:
If you have a gas water heater this insulation is a bit more
difficult. I recommend that you have a qualified plumbing
and heating contractor install this insulation. This insures
you in case of a fire. If you insist on doing it yourself
please follow the directions here: http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=13100

*You should also consider putting a piece of rigid insulation
under the water heater tank for an additional 4%-9% of water
heating energy savings, as this will help eliminate heat
loss through the floor.

*You can also install a water trap on your water heater. This
will save around $15-$30 on your water heating bill by
preventing convective heat loss through the inlet and outlet
pipes on your water heater.

These specially designed water trap valves come in pairs and
cost about $30. Now the installation of these is difficult for
the average person and it is recommended that you have a
professional heating and cooling contractor install them.
However, if you are capable of properly soldering a pipe
joint, this installation is not that difficult.

Well, that is it for today. I should also remind you that
when you take these steps to becoming more energy efficient,
the IRS actually gives you tax breaks.

Until next week,

Neutral Existence Admin
http://www.NeutralExistence.com

P.S. Have you ever heard about Tankless Water Heaters?
Did you know that they can cut your water heating cost by
over 60%? Check it out: http://www.HotWaterFor.us

My thanks to Neutral Existence LLC for this article        

If you want more articles like this go to

http://www.NeutralExistence.com

The present economic climate and the lowering of global oil reserves is not good news for everyone. Its pushing our everyday energy costs higher and higher. But on a positive note it makes us investigate alternative energy sources that will be a solution of reducing present and future energy consumption, particularly in terms of fossil fuel usage like coal and oil. For example, it has become more and more economical to install or build a solar energy system for your home.

If you have the money you can get a system professionaly installed. But did you know it’s also possible to build your own home made solar system, by building your own solar panels. By then connecting your home made solar panels to deep storage batteries you can store electricity to use for when you need it. This reduces the demand on the country’s energy grid as you will use the electricity that you have produced yourself first.

With your home made solar system you can start small and  then build and expand  your system untill you are producing enough electricity that you are totally self sufficient. You will no longer need to rely on the countries energy grid hence reducing the amount of power that has to be produced. Which in turn will reduce the amount of oil or coal that needs to be consumed for electricity production.

As you expand your home made solar system your energy bills will also start to get lower. Who is there in the world who does not wish to have their energy bills get reduced by 80% or more? Imagine what you could do with the money you will save; pay off the mortgage sooner, pay off the credit cards, have a luxury holiday – the list is endless. Once you get to a point where you are producing more electricity than you can consume it’s even possible in some areas to send your surplus electricity to countrie’s energy grid and get paid for it.

Many of us will want to take advantage of such a great deal. One of the best ways to start is to follow the guide that Earth4Energy offers. They have lots of fantastic home made solar solutions on their site, which can be built easily, for the low cost of less than $200.

The Features of the guide are –

·        Full and detailed instructions both written and on video which can be easily understood by a layman or the unskilled for building a home made solar panel.

·        Other details on how to obtain the components available in the neighborhood hardware/material store for preparing the home made solar system.

·        Tips on how to construct the alternative energy generators that are not readily available anywhere else.

·        A one time investment - and life long updates to the manual and video series, at no additional cost.

·        Full cash back if you are not saving hundreds of dollars per month on your energy bill after using the system for eight months.

·        All the detailed instructions are explained by videos.

Think about it! Here you are with a home made solar system, generating power that will be stored in deep cell batteries for future consumption. And all of this costs just pennies on the dollar! With your Earth4Energy kit you will not get your own DIY home made solar kit but you will have a subscription that includes lifelong upgrades to the manual and videos. You will then begin to experience the fun of making your own energy generating kit at home. The DIY instructional manual and videos are so easy to understand that even a beginner will be able to follow the instructions and build their own system.

Earth4Energy have a history of excited customers mentioning positive reviews about the many money savings they have made. Most of them who have built the devices can’t believe how easy it was. Additionally, these testimonials or feedbacks state that they have actually gained and also saved 100% of their electric bill and that they can use the extra money to put gasoline to their car, or pay off their credit card debt etc!

Make power at home with solar and wind energy to eliminate your power bill. Get your complete guide at Earth4Energy

Our existence depends on the sun.  Solar energy, the light and heat radiated by the sun allows us to live, it causes plants and animals to grow for our use.  It keeps us and the earth warm, it warms our houses, gives us a tan and can sometimes even burn us.  It also provides us with vitamin D which is essential to our health.  However, renewable solar energy can provide us with much more.  Using renewable solar energy can provide both economic and environmental benefits as well.

Renewable solar energy is an excellent source of electricity.  Rather than dwindling more fossil fuels to feed power plants, we can take advantage of huge savings and electricity by utilizing renewable solar energy.  Renewable solar energies come with very little pollution when they convert electricity from solar panels or thermal devices.  Renewable solar energies do not contribute to the effects of global warming.

Solar energy is a renewable resource.  Yes, there are days when the sun doesn’t shine enough to generate electricity, but there are far more days when the sun is there and not being utilized to power our homes, businesses and workshops.  Once you invest in renewable solar energy, you can save greatly on maintenance costs as most systems have no moving parts and require little upkeep. 

By utilizing passive renewable solar energy, you can build a solar home that requires very low energy use.  To use passive renewable solar energy you must include south facing windows if you live in the northern hemisphere or north facing windows in the southern hemisphere in your home design, in combination with products like brick and stone that provide heat radiating thermal mass.  In combination with a solar hot water system and solar electric panels you can take full advantage of renewable solar energy resources.

Solar systems also need to be positioned where they will get the most sunlight to work at their best. The best location is on the south facing side of the roof if you live in the northern hemisphere or north facing side in the southern hemisphere.

It is also possible to build your own solar panel and solar hot water systems for your design.  By building your own components you can greatly reduce the time needed to pay for your renewable solar energy system.  Building your own solar energy system also allows you to fully understand the mechanics and physics behind harnessing solar energy.  This can be an educational benefit for all members of the family and building your own systems will lower the cost of your renewable solar energy household by at least half when compared to purchasing the system and having it installed professionally. 

 Start utilizing the power of the sun and design a plan for your renewable solar energy system.  With research and elbow grease you can be on your way to a lower monthly budget and a more environmentally friendly home or business.  Renewable solar energy is going to be the way of the future and the Earth will thank you.

Wind power is one source of energy that’s available for everybody to use no matter where in the world they may be. And the best thing is it is free!

We see the energy from the wind used everyday in various ways. One of the most common would be blowing over a hot drink or hot food to cool it down so we can consume it. This where we produce the wind ourselves by expelling air from our lungs using the air we breathed in.

Other common uses of wind energy are harnessing wind from nature to power yachts, wind surfers, paragliders, flying kites or wind mills to grind grain or pump water from artesian basins. Wind also can provide relief from heat on a hot day, pollinate certain plants and spread seeds.

Wind can also cause major damage at times with strong gusts like what you get in a storm, tornado, cyclone or hurricane. Strong gusts can blow off roofs, blow over trees, and turn umbrellas inside out. It can also change seas and lakes from being flat, calm and gentle into frenzy of high breaking waves that make it dangerous for all boats especially small boats.

As you can see wind can be a very powerful but unpredictable source of energy ranging from a very gentle breeze to a very strong force that can even blow you over if you are out in it, or worse as in a tornado where it could even pick you up and dump you miles away. But we can harness its energy as a renewable power source that will not cause pollution. It is a fantastic alternative to fossil fuels.

By using fossil fuels we are depleting the earth’s resources and also causing pollution, harming the environment from the way we use these fuels. Most fossil fuels used to produce energy are burnt; the results of this are greenhouse gases which are inturn causing global warming. Wind energy by comparison is a clean energy alternative that won’t harm the environment.  

Wind as an energy source has a long history going back to ancient times. Since ancient time’s man has used energy from wind to power sailing ships, grind grains and pump water. Today we have added producing electricity to the list and in this form wind has become the earth’s fastest growing energy source. It along with solar power has become popular since the 1970’s oil crisis.

We capture wind energy through the use of wind turbine machines. There are two types available. The most common is the horizontal axis machine; these consist of usually three blades like an aeroplane propeller mounted on a tower. The vertical axis machine has blades that go from the top to the bottom like an egg beater and they spin around the supporting tower.

Commerical wind turbine machines can be quite large, as high as 196metres and diameters up to 126 metres. These turbines are usually located in groups known as wind farms, offen on coast lines, open plains or hilltops. Some are even located off the coast in the sea. Fortunately for the home owner much smaller turbines are available to generate power for their own idividual needs.

Propellers on wind turbines can be angled or turned to face the wind for maximum effect. The blades on the turbines work by capturing the winds kinetic energy making the blade turn. The propeller is connected to a drive shaft that turns a generator producing electricity. Wind speeds over 8metres per second are needed for turbines to produce electricity. At times of very high wind speeds as in over 25meters per second a brake is used to slow down or even stop the turbine so it doesn’t get damaged.

Advantages of wind power are many:

• It’s non polluting.
• Doesn’t produce global warming effects.
• Allows for land use like farming underneath them.
• Consume no fuel.

Disadvantges are:

• Its an intermittent power source.
• It needs wind to be present to work.
• Some sort of storage capacity or alternate power source is required as a backup during periods of little or no wind.
• Towers can be unsightly.
• It can also have damaging effect on bird life and also bats, but this has being proven to be very minor compared to the number that die as a result of other human activities.

One of the answers to future energy requirements and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels is the wind. As new technologies develop that allow us harness and store electricity for future use wind power will become a more cost effective source of environmentally friendly energy that we can all use. A number of goverments are now issuing tax credits for its use. And its also possible to direct your excess needs to the main power grid for credits you can use later.

It is possible to buy a micro turbine for your own use or to build and install your own wind turbine. Note, fairly reliable wind in your location is also required.

Go here for instructions on how to do it yourself

The Sunforce 50022 5 Watt Solar Battery Trickle Charger gives you another reason to love the sun — it’ll help keep your vehicle’s battery charged. Just plug the this helpful 5-watt trickle charger into your vehicle’s 12-volt lighter socket and position the panel to pick up the most daylight possible. Or, if you prefer, use the included alligator clips to connect it directly to the battery, so you can keep your lighter socket open for cell phone chargers or other accessories. Regar (more…)