Some Tips On Reducing Your Electric Bill
If you have been concerned about the enormous electricity bills you have been getting, there are things that you can do about it. You can lower your energy costs by taking some very simple actions.
This article discusses some simple, easy-to-do things to reduce your power costs.
Use Less Electricity: Whenever you leave a room, shut off any electrical appliances as well as lights. Even if an electronic is not on but is plugged in, it is consuming electricity. Unplug all chargers and seldom-used appliances.
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Energy saving investments: Switch your regular bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. These bulbs are great energy-saving tools, and can save you about $60 a year. Use an energy-saving gadget such as The Power-Save. For your showerheads, use the low-flow kind. If your water heater is in an unheated room of your home (or even if it isn’t) invest in an insulating blanket/jacket. Change air/heat filters as recommended and keep A/C coils clean. See that your house has adequate insulation. Change out your windows with the newer, more energy-efficient ones. If this isn’t feasible, at least check your existing windows for escaping air and correct it.
Household Appliances:
• Run the washer only when there is a full load of clothes.
• You’ve heard it before: Use less water!
• Keep the thermostat temperature higher in summer and lower in winter. Even a couple of degrees can help.
• Switch the computer monitor off when you’re away from the computer. It only takes a second to turn it back on.
Avoid preheating your oven more than necessary and opening the door while cooking.
Use the dishwasher only when you have a full load and use the no heat dry option. Using the no heat function saves 20% of the dishwasher’s total electric consumption.
Use cold water for your washing machine.
Make sure your appliances are energy-efficient models.
Twenty percent of the home’s electricity is used by your refridgerator. Make sure the fridge and freezer are making a good seal when closed. Set the fridge temperature to 37 degrees or as close to that as feasible.
Try turning down the thermostat on your water heater. One hundred twenty degress (120) F is usually sufficient.
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Many local power companies provide free home energy audits. This can help you become aware of where and how your home is energy inefficient.
Remember, lowering your utility bill is equivalent to saving power, thus helping the world conserve energy for the future.
Reduce or even eliminate your utility bill by utilizing solar and wind power to produce your own electricity. Obtain our comprehensive guide at:
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Solar Panels: How Will They Do In Bad Weather?
If you live an area that has weather extremes, you may be wondering whether solar panels are practical for your home. After all, snow and ice storms, tornadoes, hurricanes and hail damage regular roofs every year. Is it really wise to put solar panels on a roof that undergoes those kinds of weather extremes? Following are some facts that will help you decide.
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It makes sense to be concerned about hail or wind damage to the glass that encapsulates the solar cells and allows them to have exposure to the sun. Here is the answer: Make sure your solar panels are made with high impact, tempered glass. High quality solar panels are made with glass that can stand up to 60-mile-an-hour winds with 3/4-inch hail. So the panels normally can stand up to conditions that are comparable to what your roofing material can take.
Before the contractor can install your solar panels, he has to determine whether your roof will be able to support the weight of the solar panel arrays. After that is confirmed and the solar panels are attached to the roof, there’s no reason they shouldn’t stay solidly in place. If there is a tornado or hurricane the solar panels should stay secured to the roof. The only way they would come off is if the roof itself came off.
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In areas that experience heavy snowfall, snow may blanket the solar panels and block them from receiving sunlight. If this happens, the solar panels will be unable to produce electricity and the snow will need to be removed. But, the snow will not damage the panels themselves.
A larger concern would be your roof’s ability to withstand a wet, heavy snowfall. In that case, you should clear the roof in addition to removing the snow from the solar panels. In the event of a light snowfall, the heat retained in the solar panels will normally be sufficient to melt the snow and clear the panels.
Finally, check with your home-owner’s insurance policy. Often, solar panels are included at no additional cost. If your policy does not include solar panels , consider changing to one that does.
Once you have studied the requirements cafefully the risk of damage to your solar panels will be minimal Don’t be tempted with building your solar panels using minimal standards just to save money. It may prove to be more expensive in the long run having to replace damaged glass which subsequently leads to damaged cells. It is a relatively simple task. You can then sit back and enjoy the comfort of all the free energy that you will have once your project is complete.
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What Can I Expect With Solar Panel Projects In Winter?
November 18, 2009 by Guest
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You may be wondering how solar panels can function in an area that has severe winters. After all, days or weeks of overcast skies, snow flurries or heavy rains hardly seem compatible with a technology that relies on the sun to run it.
But the past 10 years have brought a lot of innovation and progress to solar panel technology. Now this technology has progressed to the point that solar panels can easily produce electricity even on cloudy, snowy or rainy days.
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If you have an off grid system which works separately of a public utility system, your solar energy system will include a set of back-up batteries. These batteries are like the ones used in autos. They are made to hold any extra energy that your solar panels make during the daylight hours. The back-up storage system should have enough of these batteries to store power in correspondence to the number of overcast days typical for your geographical region.
If you have a system that is connected to the grid of your local electric utility company, then you won’t need support batteries. After the sun goes down or if there is a prolonged period of inclement weather blocking the sun, your system will automatically use electricity from your local power company. You’ll still be getting the benefit of reduced power bills because on sunny days your electricity will be generated by your own solar panels.
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In some areas, you may even be able to sell power back to your local electric company. This is yet another way solar panels can prove cost effective. The way this works is that excess power generated by your solar panels goes back into the grid and you received credit for it on your account. So even when you have to use power from the grid at night or on overcast days, the surplus that was generated by your solar panels will still be used to lower your overall utility costs.
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Solar Panels: Is Going Off-Grid an Affordable Option For You?
September 22, 2009 by Guest
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If you were to install solar panels on your home, could you just go “off grid” and cut out the electric company completely? Not having to rely on the energy company for your electricity is an attractive proposition. No more electric bills arriving in your mailbox. No further dealings with the utility company for any reason. Is this a possibility for you and your family? The answer will depend upon the typical weather in your area and how much money you’re able to afford maintaining your own power system.
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First First of all|Firstly], consider where you live. Do you live in a part of the world that is sunny much of the time, or do you have lots of gray and cloudy days? As a result, you will need batteries for storing electricity to use at night and on overcast days.
That’s where costs begin to add up. You’ll have to buy and maintain the amount of large DC (direct current) batteries necessary to store a couple of days worth of power for cloudy days. You’ll need ample storage space for that number of batteries and you’ll also need to be prepared to replace them periodically.
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In addition, having a backup generator is a good idea for extended periods of cloudy weather that use up the power stored in the batteries. The generator requires fuel and you’ll have to store that also. Generators normally use either gas or diesel fuel. But that seems inconsistent with the “green” purpose of solar panels, so you’ll probably want to use biodiesel. So while it is certainly possible to go “off grid,” the project is not simple or cheap.
A more practical solution may be “net metering.” You can check to determine if your local utility company offers this program. Net metering is a practical way to reduce your power bills, yet still have power available at night and during extended periods of overcast weather. Net metering allows you to get credits back from the power company for excess electricity that your solar panels produce during the day. Then, at night or on days when there is not enough sunlight, you simply use electricity supplied by your local power company. You won’t need to store stacks of DC batteries in your basement or garage. You won’t be totally “off grid”, but you can save a significant amount of money on your monthly electric bills. Some months you may owe nothing!
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So if you live on a large parcel of land and have lots of extra room to store your DC batteries in, going “off grid” could be feasible for you. But if you live in a small place, have no large storage space, and your part of world gets little sun, “net metering” will probably be your best bet.
Generate Electricity With a Wind Turbine
September 16, 2009 by Guest
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What defines a wind turbine? A wind turbine is also referred to as a windmill or wind generator. Though the terms are used interchangeably, there is a small difference. The wind turbine is the device that utilizes wind energy to make mechanical energy. This mechanical energy is either utilized as is or changed to electrical energy. A windmill uses the mechanical energy as is for pumping out water or for grinding jobs, and the wind generator is the one that produces electrical energy. Are there different types of wind turbines? There are two types of wind turbines, classified according to their orientation:
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- Horizontal Axis Turbines – The blades in these wind turbines turn along a horizontal axis.
- Vertical Axis Turbines – These turbine blades turn along a vertical axis.
The horizontal axis wind turbines are more commonly used. They are more efficient than vertical type. What are some of the benefits of using a wind turbine to generate electricity? The major ones are discussed below:
- They Save Power: Wind turbines utilize a free source of energy – the wind. This makes them a cost-effective way to make electricity. And since they don’t use non-renewable resources, they also benefit the earth as a whole.
- Cost-Effective: The only cost involved in installing a wind turbine is the initial expense and the cost of upkeep. The energy comes free and there is no other fuel.
- Impact on the Environment: Wind turbines don’t emit harmful gases or otherwise adversely impact the environment.
- A More Reliable Source of Energy: Getting your electricity supply from a wind generator means you’ll no longer have to rely on a utility company. No more power outages!
What conditions should exist for installing a wind turbine? While having your own wind generator can be very beneficial for you and the environment, certain conditions must first be met. Here are some factors to consider in deciding whether to install a wind turbine. Two conditions should be met:
- A minimum of one acre
- The average wind speed is around 11 miles per hour.
- The base and tower need to be sufficiently strong to stand up to turbulence
- Ensure the correct height between the tower, the generator and the cells are achieved
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