Reduce – Save as Much Power as Possible
Electricity is used for a lot of things in our lives. Often we do so without thinking twice about it. We turn on the lights in our home automatically by reflex. Not only that but we do the same with electronic devices all the time (TV, stereo, computer, game system etc.). We need to retrain ourselves to save as much power as we can.
You can start by thinking about the type of light bulbs you are using. We can really reduce here and be more friendly to the environment as well. You can buy more energy efficient ones in any size you need for all the rooms in your home. They have really come down in price and what you spend on them you will save with a lower electricity bill each month.
It is simple to even cut back on the amount of lighting you use all together. Try opening curtains during the day to allow the natural sunlight to shine through. This way you will only need to turn your lights on at night when the sun goes down or on cloudy days.
Sky lights are an amazing light source. They have become very popular for businesses and even in newer homes. They allow even more sunlight to shine into a room and so you reduce your use of electricity. Some of the larger retail stores such as Wal-Mart use this as much as possible.
You can also use alternative energy sources to generate electricity. Installing solar panels on your roof which will collect electricity is a great choice. You can use this source for all your home needs when you do need to turn something on. If you run out of the solar power energy you have collected it will immediately kick over to the regular electricity without any interruption to you at all.
There is also the use of wind and water power in some areas. Take a look at these alternative methods and see what you can do with them for your own home.
One of the biggest wasters of electricity is leaving the lights burning when you are away from home. Here again there are some great alternatives to consider.
You can use decorative solar lights along your driveway. There are many styles to choose from. Some of them are very short while others are tall lantern style. The look is completely up to you which would look best for the landscaping of your home. Since you don’t need to plug them in they can be placed anywhere you would like to be.
They collect power from the sun during the day time and as soon as it gets dark they will illuminate your yard. When they run out of energy they simply turn off. When the sun comes up they start collecting energy for use all over again.
Another alternative is installing motion lights. These lights don’t have to be left on when you leave home. They will come on automatically when you pull into your driveway, based on the movement that is detected. They will remain on for a short period of time which allows you to get safely into your home with the light you need.
The use of windmills is also being looked at in many areas to create energy. Sometimes water known as hydropower is also available.
However, the light bulbs you use will help you get the most out of these benefits.
If you are using your electricity in an eco-friendly way from start to finish you won’t feel bad about consuming what you need, to operate lights and the electronics that you use in your home and business.
Solar Energy’s New Home Improvement Technology
With natural resources such as oil and coal being used up at an astonishing rate, solar energy has to be a key element in our future energy supply. Solar energy is the most abundant resource we have of those we currently have the ability to harness. It is clean, has virtually no adverse effects on the environment and is a never ending energy source that can be easily harnessed.
The problem with solar panel systems is they are bulky and unattractive. New solar technology is making such criticisms a thing of the past.
Everyone agrees solar energy is clean, and is becoming a cost-effective energy source. The problem is solar panel systems are large and rather bulky. And even though solar panel designs have improved over the years they don’t add to the beauty of your home.
New solar technology involving shingles is getting a lot of attention. These new Photovoltaic shingles are a major design breakthrough. Especially for those of you who have distaste for the large solar panel systems. These shingles give you the physical appearance of a regular shingle roof and simply replace the regular shingles on your roof. They look like a regular roof and many people cannot tell the difference because they do not standout from the roof in the same way as panels. Though they only come in black. Obviously, this gives you a much more appealing look than the bulky designs of adding on panel systems.
The invention of a thin film photovoltaic cell was the technological breakthrough that made this new technology possible. It is known as “amorphous silicon thin alloy technology”. After the designers stepped back from the present solar panel designs and did some creative thinking they discovered that the materials used in panels were not the only ones that could be used. The solution was more efficient cells that could be built on a steel substrate. Each of these super thin cells was tailored to capture different spectrums of the sunlight. They were then layered on top of each other thus becoming extremely efficient at producing power.
These cells are more efficient than regular solar panel cells and far more normal and appealing from a visual perspective. So if your excuse for not using solar in the past was the bulky system, you need to check into this new solar technology.
Will this new technology become the breakthrough we have been waiting for in solar power? Well it already is proving to be significant if you consider the following.
1. Habitat for Humanity is using the system on many of the homes it builds.
2. Lockheed Martin is experimenting with the technology as a power source for high altitude flights.
3. The United States Army is building a solar powered community using it.
4. Museums in Beijing, China are converting to it.
This new solar technology represents a major breakthrough in the industry in the opinion of many experts. Solar energy represents one of the best solutions for decreasing our dependence on our non renewable resources such as oil and natural gas. And with energy prices on our non renewable resources exploding solar is also becoming cost effective. Just think we’ll never have to worry about the sun giving us free power for the foreseeable future.