Energy For Home
Helping the Environment by Helping You Make a Green Home
Wisdom from the Green Economy
As the U.S. and world economies plunge deeper into turmoil, it is becoming clearer everyday that our economic system is fatally flawed. The world need fundamental-systemic change to prevent these continuing crises from happening and worsen.
The green economy is filled with abundant ideas that can help the country navigate through current recession, and into the new green era of social justice and environmental sustainability.
Take these solutions and learn from them and spread the word. Together, we all can all move forward towards a brighter green future that we all have been dreaming for.
Latest News
Green Gadgets
Cell phone needs a charge? Take a walk in the sun with this bag, and you're golden - and green. The solar panel in the Eclipse Fusion Laptop bag...is connected to the receiving end of a 12 volt cigarette lighter adapter; you'll need the CLA plug that's compatible with your device to make it work...
by Maryanne Murray Buechner, TIME Magazine, November 12, 2007
Green Savings
Solar Powered Bluetooth
Headphone known as the Q-Sound. It also a hands-free kit which allows you to
take calls when you need to. Each hour of sunlight can provide 2 hours of
running time.
Cool-N-Save can instantly save you up to 30% on your Air Conditioning costs!
Cool-n-Save is an amazing new, patented product, that is actually based on the same scientific Principles that large corporations have used to save themselves money for years.
Installed in less than five minutes with no tools required, the Cool-n-Save system affixes to the top of most home air conditioning units. The system is activated only when the AC unit turns on; hot air from the condenser unit’s fan raises the flap on the patented Cool-n-Save control valve allowing water to flow to the misters that surround the AC unit. When the ultra-fine mist is released into the air, it evaporates almost instantly creating what is known as a “Flash Evaporation,” which literally sucks heat out of the air as water absorbs the energy it needs to evaporate.
The result of the immediate evaporation constitutes a substantial drop in ambient temperature without wetness—up to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
The problem with the AC system is that in extreme heat, many conventional air conditioners are unable to effectively transfer their stored heat into the surrounding air. They are forced to work harder and longer to cool the air in your home, shortening their life and producing unreasonably high electric bills.
To combat this problem, large commercial AC users such as commercial factories, warehouses and office buildings have been installing professional misting systems around their AC condensers for years. These misting system are much like the misters you may have encountered in restaurant patios and amusement parks.
Do-it-Yourself Energy Audit
(1st Part/Home, 6/26/09)
Assess how much your home consumes energy by doing your own energy-audit. This will allow you to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient.
This is going to be the first, in a series on how you can do your own energy audit.
What Energy Audit Can Do To Your Home.
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Will show you problems that when corrected, will allow you to save money overtime.
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Pin point where your house/apartment is losing energy.
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Determine the Efficiency of your home's heating and cooling system.
How to Do it
It is important to keep a checklist of the areas you have inspected and the problems you found. The following list will help you prioritize your energy efficiency upgrades.
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Locate Air Leaks (Make a List of Obvious Air Leaks)
Check for indoor air leaks, such as gaps along the baseboard or edge of the flooring and at junctures of the walls and ceiling. Check to see if air can flow through these places:
- Electrical outlets
Check if there are no gaps or cracks.
- Switch plates
Gaps or cracks
- Window Frames/Doors
If you can rattle the window, it may be possible that there are some leaks.
Seeing daylight around a door or window frame also means a possible leak.
Check storm windows if they are not broken.
Seal leaks by caulking or weather stripping them.
You may also consider replacing your old windows.
You can save by installing low-cost plastic sheets over the window, if new ones are too costly.
- Baseboards
- Weather stripping around doors
Check if weather stripping are applied properly.
- Fireplace dampers
- Attic hatches
- Wall- or window-mounted air conditioner
- Electrical outlets
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Plug and caulk holes or penetrations for faucets, pipes, electric outlets and wirings.
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Check the exterior caulking around doors and windows, and see whether exterior storm doors and primary doors seal tightly.
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BE AWARE of the danger of indoor air pollution and combustion appliance "backdrafts." This can happen when the various combustion appliances and exhaust fans in the home compete for air. An exhaust fan may pull the combustion gases back into the living space. This can obviously create a very dangerous and unhealthy situation in the home.
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MAKE SURE THERE IS ENOUGH AIR TO CIRCULATE. Generally, one square inch of vent opening is required for each 1,000 Btu of appliance input heat, for homes where a fuel is burned (i.e., natural gas, fuel oil, propane, or wood). When in doubt, contact your local utility company, energy professional, or ventilation contractor.
Evaluation Tools
Nations Join Forces for their Home – Earth
Many nations, one planet. Of course, this is not a topic to be debated over. Unity is a must as it is a key. International organizations such as the REN Alliance (International Renewable Energy Alliance) and IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) have been started as the battle cry to promoting renewable resources not only on the member nations, but all over the globe.
Even without these organizations, individual nations are taking their own steps in order to preserve and conserve the environment. The popular sources of renewable energy being focused on are solar power, wind power, geothermal energy, biofuel and hydro power. As you can see, these renewable resources can be harnessed in abundance. Some of them (like biofuel) can also act as a new method in controlling and utilizing harmful wastes that are accumulating especially in populated areas.
With the lead of major nations such as USA, China and most European countries (all of which are expanding and slowly shifting their markets in renewable energy), other nations have gladly followed suit (thus, a new kind of international market is booming out of renewable energy). Now, there is already a long list of renewable energy utilized by different countries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List of renewable energy topics by country.
With the popularity and growing demand (which can be translated as concern) towards the trend of green living, many companies (jobs too!) have opened to cater to this market. All of which presents a new positive future for all of us.
A bright green future that is.
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Going Solar.......Find Out why a GREEN Energy future is not possible without Solar.
What to know-------
The United States imports 11 million barrels of oil each day, more than half of our 20-million-barrel daily habit. At $40 plus a barrel, we’re spending more than $800 million a day to import oil. The carbon emissions from burning all this fuel amount to about 600 million metric tons. The cost of the war in Iraq is more than $1 billion per week.
Source: Hunter Lovins, Yes Magazine, http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1018
The impact of our dependence on foreign fossil fuel on people, communities, the environment, and our nation is staggering.
The good news: renewable energy sources-----wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and hydrogen fuel cells --- are more than capable of supplying a significant portion of our energy needs in the US and abroad.
Renewable energy technologies, yield significant environmental, economic, and energy security benefits, reducing our dependence on coal, nuclear energy, and foreign oil.
Unfortunately, many people, including some of our elected officials, are not ready to buy the idea wholeheartedly of the benefits clean energy sources.
Green America's Green Energy program helps fuel your own green energy shift, with ideas and information that can help make clean, sustainable energy a reality for your family and your community. it brings the best ideas on energy conservation and efficiency, and the latest on renewable energy technologies that are available to use right now.
Green Tips
Cool Your Home Naturally Using Natural Ventilation.
To apply the passive Cooling Strategy effectively, make sure that you understand the seasonal wind patterns in your area.
Knowing wind pattern will help you adjust your window openings properly.
Pay close attention as to what time of the day the wind is blowing at the most, and what direction it is coming from.
