Who Cares How Solar Energy Works, As Long As It Does

Every month, you have certain bills you pay, hopefully, if you’re a tax paying citizen of society. One of these essential bills is a major one and it goes to the electric company. That’s why many want to know how solar power works, because they’ve heard it can save them a lot of money.

This check that you pay, or electronic submission if that’s how you pay your bills, is your charge for using electricity to power your alarm clock for waking up in the morning, the electricity to power your stove for cooking your breakfast and the electricity to power your water heater so that you can have a warm shower to wake up to. And let’s not forget about the coffee maker.

This, folks, only covers the morning. Think about all the electricity you use in a day. Your lights, your computer, or computers, your television and entertainment peripherals, and other electronic items, take up a lot of juice and much of your paycheck goes to a company who provides it.

What if you could stop paying the electric company once and for all? That’s right, you could potentially save hundreds of dollars every month by switching to solar energy. But many ask, how does solar power work? Who cares, as long as solar power does.

How Does Solar Power Work?

When you ask how solar panel works, that’s like asking, “How does the electric company provide electric power to my house or apartment?” Who cares, as long as solar power does.

As long as you are able to get up in the morning and have to worry about starting fires to warm up coffee in the morning, you would just rather have the electricity and continue to be ignorant about it.

You gladly pay that check every month because you don’t want to find yourself in the dark. Anyone who has ever had their power shut off, for whatever reason, knows it’s not fun.

Who cares how solar power works, just have it installed in your house and stop paying that monthly bill to the electric company. You don’t ask how your television or computer works, do you? If you do, then you have lot of free time on your hands.

Just enjoy the fact that solar power uses the power of the sun, our natural form of energy and light, and it powers your home for nothing. Stop paying that money and save it for something you want.

Electricity, and all that you do with it, is a given right to every living being and you shouldn’t have to pay for it. Don’t ask how solar power works, just get some solar cells and tell your electricity company that you no longer need their services. They have taken enough money from you.

Why Ride an Electric Bike

The electric bike is the transportation in the future – and available today. An electric bicycle can replace your 2nd or 3rd car, in some cases even your only car. The electric bike can do a lots of the trips you’re using your car for. Customers use their electric bicycle to go to work on a daily basis, to go across college campus, to go to the tennis court, to go for a joy ride around town or for shopping at your local Walmart.

“Electric bicycles are the new way to get around..”

Your electric bicycle can really do most of your trips as well as or even faster than your car. Make a list of how do you use your car. I bet you don’t go far than 8 miles 8 out of 10 times and don’t have to bring anything but your briefcase, backpack, and a shopping basket of extra stuff. Our new generation electric bicycle is becoming very affordable and is now priced as low as $400 to $ 900 for a reliable vehicle. Electric bicycles are the new way to get around. Electric bicycles will replace your car, bus or train ride for all those shorter distance commutes.
Our typical electric bicycles travel at around 18 mph for about 10-25 miles per charge. Electric bicycles cost about $5 worth of electricity a year. Nothing beats driving our electric bicycles past a traffic jam. Electric bicycles take away the hills, the headwinds and getting the thing up to speed part. We carry two types of electric bicycles, power-assist and power-on-demand. Power-assist ebikes are designed to do 50 pecent of the ride work for you. It’s not not seem like a lot but it really works great. Electric bicycles are much lighter than power on demand electric bicycles – they ride and feel just like a non-powered bike. There are no controls, just ride your bike and the system does the rest for you. What a great method to get back in shape or just help out on hills. Power-on-demand electric bicycles can climb a hill without any help from the rider.

 

A Diy Solar Power Project is Simple to Do and Economical as Well

Solar power is a cost effective, efficient as well as an environmental friendly source of energy that is sure to reduce high energy bills. Diy solar power is an option that may have its origins in the late 70s when the world went through its first energy crisis when oil prices shot and led countries that were heavily dependent on oil to look for alternative sources for energy.

Germany Uses Alternate Energy Sources Including Solar Power

The United States, contrary to expectations, does not lead the way in solar power and it is left to countries such as Germany that use alternative energy sources including solar power to fulfill their energy requirements. With each hike in oil prices the energy crisis deepens not only in the Western world, but in all the non-oil producing countries as well.

Nevertheless, with solar energy technology readily available in the United States, there is much to say for a Diy solar power installation in private homes as well. The task of installing and building solar platforms is not complicated and anyone with basic knowledge about construction can make a Diy solar power unit for him or herself.

While a Diy solar power system is easy to construct, one need to choose between a passive and active solar power system. The active solar power makes use of solar panels to make electricity for the purpose of heating, and may require a contractor to install the system. Another incentive for using active solar power is that state and federal governments in the US provide massive rebates to those who use active solar power systems, and is one more compelling reason why one can think of it for a Diy solar power project.

The passive solar power system is also easy and makes for a good Diy solar power project, though one will not be able to avail of any rebates with this particular type. Such a Diy solar power project will allow a home owner to orient his or her home to take advantage of plentiful sunlight, especially on the south side of the home, and thus provides heating to thermal mass materials like masonry that will circulate the heat into the home.

The beauty of a Diy solar power project is that it does not require any special knowledge and simple home improvement construction knowledge should suffice to put such a project to work. One only needs to get the orientation of the home, placing of windows as well as selecting the right materials correct to be successful with a Diy solar power project. Besides its simplicity, it also saves a lot of money.

Solar Energy For Homes.

The sun should not only be considered as center of our solar system. It is a heavenly body that shines to give the living planet a lot of blessings. It is not just a hot ball of fire, but we have discovered ways to use its power as an alternate form of energy. The increased use of this form of energy also prevents us from the ill effects of Global warming.

The use of solar energy is an effective way to cut electricity cost by generating electricity through sun light, which can be used in factories, offices and same can be used to generate solar energy for homes. Due to the immense benefit to the environment, the authorities are encouraging the people to make use of the solar power. Fortunately, some organizations are turning to be environmental advocates by patronizing this kind of alternative source of energy.

Today the need to promote the idea of solar power for homes becomes even more important. This is because the use of fossil fuels in the generation of power has been the cause of much concern lately. And producing energy from solar is always a win-win situation; you are generating power causing no harm to your surrounding and environment, and at the same time influencing others to have home made solar energy systems installed in their homes.

Making the installation process simpler has encouraged even commoners to build their own solar power units. Switching to solar power helps fight the ill effects of using fossil fuels, but at the same time helps in a good savings. Home solar energy kits which are available in the market, makes installations very easy. Furthermore, to help anyone to build this environmental and budget saving tool, Earth4Energy manual is ready to guide you in this endeavor.

So switch over to solar power and help cure the health of our mother earth.

10 To Do’s to Chop Your Electric Bill!

Staying warm doesn’t have to cost a bunch of money. Here’s some ideas from the U.S. Department of Energy for conserving heat and saving money.

When the snow starts falling, and the old thermometer is going down, you know that the heating bills are going to go in the opposite direction. But keeping your home warm and comfortable on a cold winter night doesn’t have to break the bank.

The U.S. Department of Energy offers these simple tips and relatively low-cost home energy improvements that will help guarantee that the cold stay’s where it belongs, outside, and your furnace doesn’t have to work harder than it needs to.

Our goal: Conserve energy and keep more of your hard-earned dollarsfor other things.

Share these ideas with your friends and use them for your own home. After all, who doesn’t want to save a little money these days?

1. Plug air leakages by caulking, sealing, or weather stripping. This will save 10 percent ($150 per year) or more on energy bills. Zone in on windows, doors, outlets and switch plates on exterior walls.

2. Maintain your heating system. Heating accounts for half of the average family’s energy bill (approximately $950 per year). Make sure your furnace or heat pump receives professional maintenance each year. The average cost (about $75-100 for a service call) will pay you back in improved performance all year long.

3. Install a programmable thermostat. Program your thermostat from 70F to 60F during the day, while no one is home, and while everyone is tucked away in bed, will cut the heating bill up to 10 percent ($90 per year), paying for a basic unit in less than a year.

4. Insulate and seal your heating ductwork. A heating system can lose up to 60 percent of its warm air before it reachesthe register (wasting $550 in warm air per year) if the ductwork is not properly insulated in unheated areas such as attics and crawlspaces.

5. Sufficient insulation in the attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawlspaces can save up to 30 % on home energy bills ($630 per year). Focus onthe attic. (Heat rises.) Most homes should have between R-30 and R-49 insulation in the attic. Wanto to learn more? Go to www.eere.energy.gov/consumer.

6. Make sure you close the fireplace damper when not in use. When in use, you can reduce heat loss, up the chimney, by opening the cold air feed damper in the bottom of the fireplace (if provided) or open the nearest window about an inch. Set your thermostat down to between 50-60F.

7. Take advantage of passive heat sources, like the sun! Let the sun shine in. Open the blinds on south facing side of the house, during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat the home, and close them at night to reduce the chill from the cold windows.

8. Hot water keating accounts for 15 percent of overall energy use. You can trim your water heating expense by lowering the water heaters thermostat setting. Each 10F reduction can save between 3 and 5 percent in energy costs. Insulate your hot water heater and water pipes. Consider installing a timer that shuts the water heater off when.

9. Install storm windows, if you have single-pane windows or consider replacing them with Energy Star qualified thermopane windows. Storm windows can cut down heat loss by 25 to 50 percent, and storm windows with a low-e coating that reflect heat back into the room during the winter months can save even more energy. Be sure to look for the Energy Star label if you want maxumum savings. Energy Star qualified windows reduce heating and cooling bills by an average of $345, but could be higher in colder or hotter than average areas, compared to uncoated, single-pane windows. If you can’t afford new windows rightt now, tape plastic to the inside of the window frames. You can get a kit at most hardware stores.

10. Lastly, when replacing appliances, light bulbs, electronics, or heating and cooling systems, you can bring down your energy bills by up to 30 percent ($600 per year) with Energy Star labeled products. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in place of incandescent bulbs.

These improvements around your home can save you a good deal of money in the short term and serve as a selling point to possible buyers, if you decide to sell your home later.

I know this look like a extensive list and your in all likelihood not sure where to start, right? Just begin with number one and work your way through the list. After youv’e completed the list, if you really want to save a boat load of money, visit us at enrgy money savings tips.

Inexpensive Ways to Use Solar Power at Home

I live in the desert Southwestern areas of the United States, and solar power is something I’ve been heavily interested in for years. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the desert areas of the United States, it often gets more than 300 days of sunshine each year. That’s a lot of energy that shouldn’t be let gone to waste.

Putting in a full solar powered home energy system can be expensive though, particularly if you have a large family. Once it finally occured to me that I can do things in small steps instead of all at once, I started making better progress with lowering my electric bills.

Personally our electric bills ranged from $250-$350 which I felt was outrageous, but I know in some parts of the country people pay $600 or more a month. So the first step I decided to take was reducing consumption.

– I replaced all my standard lightbulbs with the more energy efficient versions. This has made the biggest difference in our electric bills so far, knocking as much as $100 and more off the total bill each month.

– I sealed up various cracks and drafy spots around the house. We live in an old rental house that hasn’t been cared for over the years, so drafts in the summer and winter are horrible. Blocking the drafts made a huge difference in keeping the house at more comfortable temperatures throughout the year.

– I started using more of the sun’s natural solar energy. I open my curtains in the winter so the sun can help heat my home. I also place water jugs in the sun so they can store heat during the day. At night, these are excellent heat source supplements to our small space heater.

I’ve also been trying out various forms of natural convection heating, solar power heating, and I’ve been learning how to create my own solar panels too.

After a bit of research I found I can buy ready made solar panels for $700-$1000 then install them myself, and this will save $1000 or more on installation. Making your own solar panels is actually quick and easy to do though, and that can cost as little as $150-$200. This inexpensive cost range makes installing solar panels more than cost efficient, and since I don’t have to have lots of them to get everything started, I plan to build additional panels as needed over the next couple of years.

The Major Advantages of Solar Power

It’s great knowing that once you’ve decided to go with a renewable power source you are not only going to save yourself money, but also helping the planet. When thinking about renewable energy you should consider the main advantages of solar energy.

The first reason and the reason most people start looking at other sources is the savings. Electricity bills are expensive and solar energy can put a big dent in that expense.

If you take your home entirely off the power grid (no incoming electric power from the power company) you can expect to see massive savings as you will no longer be paying the electric company. If you choose to be inter-tied, for example to only heat your home water supply with solar power and use electricity for everything else, you can expect to see a huge savings but you will still have an electric bill to pay.

Another great advantage of solar power is that it can be inexpensive to set up. Anyone who can do a little DIY can build a homemade power system, such as a solar powered generator for a few hundred dollars. This alone can provide enough power to heat your water.

With a set of simple, comprehensive set of instructions an ordinary person can build solar panels and link them together, providing enough power to heat your home. The parts needed are relatively inexpensive and some can even be found for free.

Once you have assembled your supplies the only thing needed is your time. And since you will be building your own solar energy panels there is no expensive labor costs involved. Everyone knows the cost of labor can be outrageous, so this is a huge savings as well.

So you have saved a ton of money building your solar energy panels and generator and you know you are going to save even more money when you put them to use. So how do you put them to use.

Household power needs are extensive and vary greatly. You could choose to use solar energy just for your heating and air conditioning system or your major appliances in your kitchen. On the other hand you could transform your entire house to solar energy all at once or slowly, it’s up to you. Build a portable solar generator to have around for odd jobs outside to use in emergencies.

By understanding that solar energy can be harnessed to power anything electrical makes the savings implications for business magnify significantly. Imagine how much the average business spends on heating, cooling, and running their computers. If just one of these high-energy costs were placed on a solar powered grid that business could ultimately save thousands of dollars over the course of a year.

With so many reasons to go solar, and we’ve only listed the main advantages of solar power, it makes you stop and wonder why everyone isn’t doing it? Solar energy will keep our planet and our people with power for a lot less money than it currently costs. So go build your own solar generator and get off the grid.

There are now several ebooks on how to build renewable homemade power systems, but one stands out head and shoulders above the others. You can find out more by reading my Earth4Energy Review.