Norms Green Energy

Posts Tagged ‘Saving Money’

These days we are experiencing a growing awareness to the fact that our energy resources, as they have been used in the last few years, are probably not going to last for long and that the energy markets are exposed to more and more rapid changes, some due to political reasons and others because of the changing climate of the planet.
Solar energy is a renewable free source of energy which is sustainable as it is not inexhaustible, unlike fossil fuels which are finite. It is also a non-polluting source of energy and it does not emit any greenhouse gases when producing electricity. The solar electricity that is produced can supplement your entire or partial energy consumption. Using solar energy means reducing your energy bills and saving money. Also having solar PV panels adds value to your home, they are low maintenance and unobtrusive. Germany is the global leader for solar-generated electricity.
Why choose solar energy?
Australia is the luckiest country in the world. Our geography gives us the opportunity to use the most natural, sustainable and clean energy in our homes – the energy from the sun.

Solar thermal applications are the most widely used category of solar energy technology. These technologies use heat from the sun for water and space heating, ventilation, and many other applications.
Solar energy is not a new concept, it has been properly introduced to the global public many years ago and successfully implemented in different parts of the world in different ways, so we can say that solar energy is known to most people, but it is still not as popular as it should be, as a cheap replacement for other sources of energy. The energy of the sun, from its direct sun rays that are projected directly at the earth or by giant wind turbines are free fro us to use, to manipulate for our needs, and this can be done by almost anyone in any place, it just needs to technology and the know-how.

Energy Matters
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/solar-energy-a-reliable-and-practical-source-418757.html

Technorati Tags: Changing Climate, Energy Australia, Energy Bills, Energy Consumption, Energy From The Sun, Energy Markets, Energy Matters, Giant Wind Turbines, Greenhouse Gases, Pv Panels, Rapid Changes, Saving Money, Solar Electricity, Solar Energy Technology, Source Of Energy, Sources Of Energy, Space Heating, Sun Rays, Thermal Applications, Using Solar Energy

If I wanted to use some type of alternative energy (wind, solar, anything else you can think of) to power the things in my house, whats the best way to go to get the most energy out of it at the least cost? Or what would be worthwhile to have in the long run?

thanks for your time

Great question, but there isn’t just one renewable energy that gains the title of “best”. Micro hydro, solar, geothermal, bio fuel and wind turbines are all great, but it really depends on your home, neighborhood and your needs.
Micro hydro:
- Ideal condition: access to year-round flowing water and a permit to build a system
- Positive: produces power 24 hours a day
- Negative: if too much water is diverted it may damage the ecoststem
Solar:
- Ideal condition: south-facing areas with no obstructions
- Positive: tax incentives are widely available
- Negative: not all roofs can hold the extra weight
Geothermal:
- Ideal condition: large yard space for digging
- Positive: cuts down on electricity bills as it uses 25-50 percent less electricity.
- Negative: difficult to find experienced contractors
Bio fuel:
- Ideal condition: access to soybean oil or recycled restaurant grease
- Positive: it is a domestic and renewable source
- Negative: it costs more per gallon than conventional oil
Wind turbines:
- Ideal condition: a home or building with at least an acre of property
- Positive: wind energy can lower electricity bills by 50-90 percent
- Negative: there are no federal tax credits for homeowners yet

Here are a few articles that may help you locate what energy is the best for your needs.
In the Market for Alternative Energy

http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/Inspiration/2002-05-01/ALTERNATIVE-ENERGY.aspx

Energy Efficiency for the Home, Saving Money for All

http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/2008-08/energy-efficiency-for-the-home-saving-money-for-all.aspx

Do Your Own Energy Audit

http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/Inspiration/2008-01-01/Energy_Audit.aspx

Technorati Tags: alternative energy, Bio Fuel, Conventional Oil, Electricity Bills, energy audit, Energy Efficiency, Federal Tax Credits, Flowing Water, Geothermal, Home Neighborhood, Micro Hydro, Own Energy, Renewable Source, Restaurant Grease, Saving Money, Soybean Oil, Tax Incentives, Wind Energy, Wind Turbines, Yard Space

In addition to green shopping bags and fuel efficient cars, there are a number of things you can do at home to improve your energy consumption. Newly constructed buildings tend to be green buildings, with many energy-saving features already in place. Whether you have an older home or a brand new home, there are a number of changes and ideas to save energy, and that in turn will save you money.

You simply cannot underestimate the importance of turning off a light to save energy. When your lights are on, be sure to burn only the new energy efficient light bulbs. These compact fluorescent light bulbs use up to 75% less energy and last up to ten times as long. What this means to you is you are saving money on energy and creating less waste.

Everywhere you go these days, you see “Save The Earth” t-shirts (made of organic materials, of course) and “green” shopping bags. More and more people are turning in the keys to their enormous, gas-guzzling SUVs for a greener ride in a more fuel efficient car. As green living becomes mainstream, more and more people are understanding the need to adopt a greener lifestyle to prevent further damage to our planet.

Your heating and cooling bills are likely one of your largest energy drains. Be sure to keep your thermostat set at a lower temperature in the winter months and a higher temperature in the summer months. Avoid heating and cooling the outdoors by ensuring your doors and windows are air-tight. Consider replacement windows to save energy and keep your heated or cooled air indoors.

Another large energy consumption area is your water heater. You use hot water for washing clothes, bathing, cleaning dishes, and a number of other things. If you don’t already have one, consider upgrading to a gas water heater to save energy.

When you have taken all of these energy-saving measures in your house, you should see a significant drop in your monthly energy usage. But you can still do more! Most days, you have a vibrant energy source shining down on your house, and unless you have solar panels installed, this energy is simply going to waste. If you’ve looked into using solar power at your house previously but have rejected it due to high cost, take a look at the affordable do-it-yourself solar panel kits. These kits are designed for the weekend do-it-yourselfer to easily construct your own solar panels as well as to install them yourself. What’s more, when you take on the construction and labor element of installing solar panels to your house, you drastically cut down on the overall cost. These solar power kits can decrease your energy usage by up to 80%, resulting in a truly green lifestyle that anyone can take advantage of.

When you adopt green living ways to save energy, not only are you protecting the health of the planet, but you will be saving a few dimes in the process.

Daniel McDowell
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/not-too-many-years-ago-green-living-was-reserved-for-extremist-earthlovers-742992.html

Technorati Tags: Compact Fluorescent Light, Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs, Doors And Windows, Earth Lovers, Energy Consumption, Energy Efficient Light Bulbs, Energy Usage, Extremist, Fluorescent Light Bulbs, Fuel Efficient Car, Gas Water Heater, Heating And Cooling, Hot Water, New Energy, Organic Materials, Replacement Windows, Saving Money, Shopping Bags, Thermostat, Washing Clothes

In addition to green shopping bags and fuel efficient cars, there are a number of things you can do at home to improve your energy consumption. Newly constructed buildings tend to be green buildings, with many energy-saving features already in place. Whether you have an older home or a brand new home, there are a number of changes and ideas to save energy, and that in turn will save you money.

You simply cannot underestimate the importance of turning off a light to save energy. When your lights are on, be sure to burn only the new energy efficient light bulbs. These compact fluorescent light bulbs use up to 75% less energy and last up to ten times as long. What this means to you is you are saving money on energy and creating less waste.

Everywhere you go these days, you see “Save The Earth” t-shirts (made of organic materials, of course) and “green” shopping bags. More and more people are turning in the keys to their enormous, gas-guzzling SUVs for a greener ride in a more fuel efficient car. As green living becomes mainstream, more and more people are understanding the need to adopt a greener lifestyle to prevent further damage to our planet.

Your heating and cooling bills are likely one of your largest energy drains. Be sure to keep your thermostat set at a lower temperature in the winter months and a higher temperature in the summer months. Avoid heating and cooling the outdoors by ensuring your doors and windows are air-tight. Consider replacement windows to save energy and keep your heated or cooled air indoors.

Another large energy consumption area is your water heater. You use hot water for washing clothes, bathing, cleaning dishes, and a number of other things. If you don’t already have one, consider upgrading to a gas water heater to save energy.

When you have taken all of these energy-saving measures in your house, you should see a significant drop in your monthly energy usage. But you can still do more! Most days, you have a vibrant energy source shining down on your house, and unless you have solar panels installed, this energy is simply going to waste. If you’ve looked into using solar power at your house previously but have rejected it due to high cost, take a look at the affordable do-it-yourself solar panel kits. These kits are designed for the weekend do-it-yourselfer to easily construct your own solar panels as well as to install them yourself. What’s more, when you take on the construction and labor element of installing solar panels to your house, you drastically cut down on the overall cost. These solar power kits can decrease your energy usage by up to 80%, resulting in a truly green lifestyle that anyone can take advantage of.

When you adopt green living ways to save energy, not only are you protecting the health of the planet, but you will be saving a few dimes in the process.

Daniel McDowell
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/not-too-many-years-ago-green-living-was-reserved-for-extremist-earthlovers-742992.html

Technorati Tags: Compact Fluorescent Light, Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs, Doors And Windows, Earth Lovers, Energy Consumption, Energy Efficient Light Bulbs, Energy Usage, Extremist, Fluorescent Light Bulbs, Fuel Efficient Car, Gas Water Heater, Heating And Cooling, Hot Water, New Energy, Organic Materials, Replacement Windows, Saving Money, Shopping Bags, Thermostat, Washing Clothes

Hi-tech ways to capture enough sunlight per day every day to power everything in a home or business hasn’t been discovered yet. The current cost of solar panels can run into thousands of pounds, which would require the panels to produce electricity for years without maintenance in order to see a return on investment. What is needed is more grants available to people to enable them to afford renewable energy in the homes. Otherwise only the relatively well off will be able to afford paying over £2000 for solar panels and then saving money over the next 10-20 years. B & Q and other retailers in the UK have now started to advertise solar and wind turbines on TV, they must becoming more mainstream for them to do this.

Currently, many people use solar panels, which can be placed on a side of a roof to attract sunlight during the day to heat a small number of rooms and water. Solar panels can be purchased at a number of locations throughout the UK, as well as online. To view UK companies involved in renewable sources of energy see the green directory. Panels do a great job of helping families and businesses to conserve energy. Hopefully, solar panels will become a part of daily life, in order to prevent the disappearance of natural resources and to maintain energy conservation. In August 2006 high street chain Currys have said that they will start to sell off the shelf solar panels at a substantial discount to existing suppliers. Also, houses that are being built locally now have wind turbines attached to create energy! At last progress from the house builders are making an effort – they can be the real drivers behind this change.

In the recent 2006 Budget announcement by Gorden Brown, millions of pounds have been allocated to helping homes and businesses take advantage of renewable energy and the benefits that it brings. This is a welcoming strategy by the government. More and more homes are also attaching mini-wind turbines to their homes to boost the electricity generated by solar panels, British Gas (Centrica) have recently been looking for volunteers to pilot this with.

Developing countries with sunny climates such as Africa are the perfect place to take advantage of this renewable energy especially in rural areas that are not connected to the national grid for electricity. There needs to be a commitment from the G8 and other government around the world in providing funds to achieve this.

I have just read about the founding of google and the founders are keep to develop solar power and have invested in a number of companies that have solar panels attached to like a mat that you can roll out and stick onto a building instead of the current large, expensive panels that are available at the moment!

Davinos Greeno
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/renewable-energy-and-solar-power-84548.html

Technorati Tags: Amp, Budget Announcement, Currys, Disappearance, Electricity, energy conservation, House Builders, Mainstream, Natural Resources, renewable energy, Renewable Sources Of Energy, Return On Investment, Saving Money, Solar Panels, Solar Power, Solar Turbines, Sources Of Energy, Substantial Discount, Sunlight, Wind Turbines