Archive for the 'Energy Saving' Category

How to Save Electricity – Change things at Home

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on August 13, 2008
in Energy Saving, Save Electricity and Saving Tips
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Save ElectricitySaving electricity is not only a matter of money that you pay for your electricity bill there are rather issues related to the amount of resources that are used to create the electricity. The researches have projected that in the next 20 years even with diligent conservation of energy, the world will need one third more electricity than it currently is using.
A great aspect that can help you to save electricity is to look at the design of your home. If you live in an older home that was built long time back, it may be worthwhile to consult an electrical contractor to find out whether or not your electrical wiring is up to code and functioning at its optimum best. Although implementing these suggestions might cost you a bit right now, but in long term aspects it would definitely help you to save a fortune.
It is an astonishing fact that homes that have electrical systems that are not energy efficient, the amount of electricity wastage can add up to hundreds of kilowatts per year as well as thousands of pounds in the bills. Also surprisingly, as winter rolls around energy consumption also rises, which bad news for a house that is not energy efficient is resulting in even higher bills.
It has been noticed that many homes use a central heating system that runs on electricity. But instead of using this you can save a lot by simply using space heaters in the specific room. Most of the modern space heaters today are designed to conserve electricity and be easy to use for safe handling. Moreover, the evaporative coolers are very effective when installed correctly. The operating cost of an evaporative cooler is only a fraction of that of a refrigerated unit.
There are tiny things that make huge differences altogether and may prove very useful to save electricity. For instance remember not to leave heating or cooling appliances on when rooms are unoccupied. You may consider the option of using personal fans and ceiling fans for relief from hot weather, as these fans cost much less to run than the air conditioners.
While cooking, a microwave is very economical option for suitable functions. It is excellent for reconstituting food, so avoid using bigger electrical appliances to save the electricity. Try not to use grill-boiler plate on top of range for utensils that are not large enough to cover it. Instead of considering the option of boiling the water on a hotplate, you may rather use an electric kettle. Another thing you should ensure is that sure your door of the microwave or the oven seals properly.

Although these advices may sound quite silly, but still most of us tend do commit these tiny mistakes which result in huge wastage of precious electricity as well as many. As there are countless things that may help you to save electricity, so the best possible thing that you can do would be to try to change your habits, and change whatever you can to save electricity.

Significance of Solar Energy and its Applications

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on August 12, 2008
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Solar PanelsThe earth continuously receives huge amounts of incoming solar radiation at the upper atmosphere. As per statistical records, incoming radiations amount to about174 PW approximately 30% of which is reflected back to space while the rest is absorbed by the atmosphere, oceans and the land masses. Then these radiations pass through the atmosphere, and their spectrum is divided into two parts, visible with a bigger chunk in infrared ranges and small part in the ultraviolet.

The phenomenon of absorption of solar energy by atmospheric convection, evaporation and condensation of water vapor powers the water cycle and drives the winds. On account of the sunlight absorbed, the oceans and land masses keep the surface at an average temperature of 14 °C.

The solar energy has great significances in our life. For instance conversion of solar energy into chemical energy via photosynthesis produces food, wood and the biomass via which the fossil fuels are derived, without which we would find ourselves in a world of darkness. Moreover ever since the beginning of architectural history, sunlight has influenced the building design greatly.

The solar energy greatly exceeds total global energy consumption as the solar radiation along with the secondary solar resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass account for over 99.9% of the available flow of renewable energy on the planet. The flows and stores of solar energy in the environment are vast in comparison to the current human energy needs.

The performance of solar technologies varies widely between regions, so they should be deployed after carefully considering these variations. Technologies that use secondary solar resources such as biomass, wind, waves and ocean thermal gradients can also be included in a broader description of solar energy.

Solar technologies such as photovoltaic cells and water heaters are very popular and find wide variety of use in day to day life. They increase the supply of energy and may be characterized as supply side technologies. So the technologies such as passive designing and shading devices reduce the need for alternate resources, may be characterized as demand side. Optimizing the performance of solar technologies is often a matter of controlling the resources rather than simply maximizing its collection.

Greeks and Chinese were first to develop solar architecture and urban planning methods having their buildings oriented towards the south to provide light and warmth. The elemental features of passive solar architecture are Sun orientation, compact proportion, selective shading and thermal mass.Solar Homes

Solar water heaters face the equator and are angled according to latitude to maximize solar gain. Solar hot water systems use sunlight to heat water. When sited in low latitudes, solar heating system can provide around 60 to 70% of domestic hot water use with temperatures up to 60 °C.

The most common types of solar water heaters include evacuated tube collectors that are about 44% and the glazed flat plate collectors 34%, generally used for domestic hot water; and the remaining portion being unglazed plastic collectors which is used mainly to heat swimming pools.

As per existing records, the total installed capacity of solar hot water systems is approximately 154 GW with China being the world leader in the deployment of solar hot water with 70 GW installed until 2006 and has a long term goal of 210 GW by 2020.

Wind Electricity

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on August 12, 2008
in Energy Saving, Renewable Energy, Wind Electricity and Wind Power
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Wind ElectricityOne of the useful sources of renewable energy is the wind power. The energy of the wind can be harnessed to obtain useful electricity which can serve as alternative to the conventional forms.

The tiny wind-electric systems can provide electricity on remote, off-grid sites, or right in town connected to the utility grid. The wind generator’s rotating blades convert the wind’s kinetic energy into rotational momentum in a shaft. The rotating shaft turns an alternator, which makes electricity. This electricity is transmitted through wiring down the tower to its end use.

So investing up front in good equipment, design, and installation, wind-electric systems, makes economic and environmental sense, despite the fact that these wind systems would require more maintenance and need more attention than solar-electric or micro hydro-electric systems,.

In a wind generator, the blades use engineered airfoils, matched to the alternator, that capture the wind’s energy. Most of the modern wind generators use three blades, the best compromise between the highest efficiency possible (one blade) and the balance that comes with multiple blades. These blades and the hub they are attached together and termed as the rotor collectively, which is the collector of the system, intercepting winds that pass by.

Most turbines on the market today are upwind machines meaning that their blades are on the windward side of the tower. A few downwind machines are also available, but neither of the configurations has a clear performance advantage over the other.

Predominantly in most of the small-scale designs, the rotor is connected directly to the shaft of a permanent magnet alternator, which creates wild, three-phase AC. Wild, three-phase electricity means that the voltage and frequency vary continuously with the wind speed.

The blades must turn to face the wind, so a yaw bearing is needed, allowing the wind turbine to track the winds as they shift direction. The tail directs the rotor into the wind. Some sort of governing system limits the rotor rpm as well as generator output to protect the turbine from high winds. A shutdown mechanism is also useful to stop the machine when necessary, such as during an extreme storm, when you do not need the energy, or when you want to service the system.

These fascinating wind machines bring a great deal of satisfaction as there’s nothing better than watching your wind generator convert a summer breeze or a winter storm into electrical energy.

Although trying to keep an inexpensive wind generator running can be a never ending battle that you are ultimately most likely to loose. But don’t loose heart and expect to pay more for a better machine as it’s a tough job to design and manufacture a long-lasting, small-scale wind generator. Moreover you should always consider buying a turbine that has a very good track record and a good warranty in the small wind industry.

The incredibly powerful wind energy has great potential for future and is surely capable of replacing the conventional form of electricity providing a cost effective solution to the global crisis of shortage of the non-renewable resources worldwide

Improving the fuel efficiency - Petrol saving products

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on August 12, 2008
in Energy Saving, Money Saving Products, Save Fuel, Save Gas and Saving Tips
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Excluding the common things like maintaining constant speed, avoiding congested roads there is lot more you can do to improve the fuel efficiency.

Save PetrolFor instance, while travelling on the highways try to use your overdrive gears. By using your overdrive gears you can improve the fuel consumption in your car during highway type driving. The concept behind overdrive gears is that they decrease your engine speed, saving you on engine wear and petrol consumption. So if you are uncertain about how to use your overdrive gears ask a friend or give a call to your mechanic for some advice.

Apart from what you can do your, there are several other methods available to improve the efficiency of your vehicle. Although the studies are still inconclusive you might want to consider using some of the fuels saving products to save you money at the petrol pump.

The first category of the petrol saving products features the Air Bleed Devices. These types of devices are designed to bleed air into the carburetor and are generally installed in your vehicle in the Positive Crankcase Ventilation line. Some of the common ones include Fuel Max, Aquablast Wyman Valve Air Bleed, Fuel Saving Device, and the Grancor Air Computer.

The next category of petrol saving products comprises of Vapor Bleed Devices. These devices are related to the air bleed device but in this case induced air is forced through a container that contains a mixture of water and antifreeze and the devices are usually installed in the engine compartment. Some of the popular ones include Econo-Mist, Vacuum Vapor Injection System, Mark II Vapor Injection System, and the Turbo Vapor Injection System.

Another category of the petrol saving products include the Atomized Vapor Injector
Liquid Injection systems.These types of fuel saving products add liquid to the air and fuel intake system of your car instead of into the combustion chamber of your engine. The common ones are Goodman Engine System-Model 1800, Waag-Injection System,

Ignition Device are yet another category of the petrol saving products. These devices are usually attached to the ignition system of your car and can even be used as a parts replacement. The common ones include BIAP Electronic Ignition Unit, Special Formula Ignition Advance Springs, Magna Flash Ignition Control System, Baur Condenser

The last category of the petrol saving products is that of the Fuel Line Devices. These devices are used as a cooler or a heater. The fuel is heated just before it is injected into the carburetor. When this type of a device isn’t used the fuel is generally heated by the cars electrical system, the exhaust, or the engine coolant.

Although it must be noted that the above fuel saving products may or may not help you save in your petrol consumption and cost but if you are seriously looking for a way to save money you may want to consider trying one or two products as that is the best that you can ultimately do to save petrol.

Wind turbine

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on August 5, 2008
in Energy Saving, Go Green, Green Living, Save Electricity, Saving Tips, Wind Electricity and Wind Power
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What is 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 minor difference. The wind turbine is the device that makes use of the wind energy to produce mechanical energy. This mechanical energy is then used as is or converted into electrical energy. A windmill uses the mechanical energy as is for pumping out water or for grinding purposes whereas the wind generator is the one that produces electrical energy.

What are the different types of wind turbines?

Wind turbines are classified into two kinds based on their orientation:

• Horizontal axis turbines – The blades in these wind turbines rotate along a horizontal axis.

• Vertical axis turbines – The blades in these turbines rotate along a vertical axis.

The horizontal axis wind turbines are more commonly used. They are more efficient that vertical axis turbines.

What are the advantages of installing a wind turbine?

Let’s look at the major advantages of a wind turbine:

• Power-saving: Since the wind turbines use a free energy, the wind energy, they prove to be a very cost-effective mechanism for generating electricity, thus helping not only save power but also generate power for the world.

• Cost-effective: The only cost involved in installing a wind turbine is the initial cost and the cost of maintenance. The energy comes free and there is no other fuel.

• Environment-friendly: The wind turbines are environment friendly in a way that they do emit harmful gases or affect the environment in any way.

• Uninterrupted power supply: A wind generator helps you become independent of government’s electricity supply. Moreover, you overcome the hurdles of power outages.

What are the factors you should consider for installing a wind turbine?
While installing a wind turbine is extremely beneficial for you and for the rest of the world, you must take care not to implement the solution in an incorrect way. You should take into consideration the following when installing a wind turbine.

Make sure the following two pre-requisites are met:

• The site for installation is at least of one acre area.

• The average wind speed is around 11 miles per hour.

• Make sure the tower and the base are sturdy. It is important to foresee the turbulence in the wind before you invest in the wind turbine.

• Make sure the tower’s height and the distance between the wind generator and the cells are optimum.

Install solar power

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on August 5, 2008
in Energy Saving, Go Green, Green Living, Green Products, Save Electricity, Saving Tips and Solar Power
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With the world faced with a severe energy crisis, it is wise to invest in an alternate power solution at home. It not only helps the government fight energy crisis in a better way, but also helps save power for the rest of the world. Installing an alternate energy solution at home is no less than a great humanitarian effort.

Among the alternate power solutions, the solar power system and the wind power system are the most popular being less cumbersome. Though wind power is a great idea, not all of us can implement it at our homes because of its pre-requisites. For implementing a wind power system, we need a large area and the average wind speed in the area should be 11 miles per hour. In comparison, the solar power system is easier to implement. All you need is abundant sun light.

The complete solar power system has different components. Most people implement a few of these components as per their needs. Let’s look at the various solar power components.

Solar cooker: The solar cooker is the most popular solar energy system implemented at homes. Let’s look at its advantages:

• Healthy cooking – The food cooked using a solar cooker is considered very healthy. You can cook for a family of five in a small cooking box at a time.

• Variety cooking – You can boil, roast, and bake using the same system!

• No fuel - The solar cooker does not use any other fuel other than the sun’s light, thus helping you save power.

• No emissions - The solar cooker neither emits any gases nor does it leave any residue. It makes for the most environment-friendly cooking system.

Solar generator: The solar generator is a device that runs all your electrical appliances using the solar energy. This device converts solar energy into electrical energy using photovoltaic cells. The solar generator is also referred to as the solar lighting system. The solar generator stores electrical energy in cells for later use. Installing a solar generator at home is a great power-saving and cost-saving idea. Imagine running the electrical appliances without worrying about paying any bills!

Solar thermal system: Implementing a solar thermal system or solar heating system at home takes care of your home’s temperature needs. You can maintain a steady temperature at your house without worrying about bills. Thanks to its popularity, the heating systems will not only suit your budget but also please your eyes. These systems are no longer an eye sore.

Windmill design

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on August 5, 2008
in Energy Saving, Green Living, Green Products, Save Electricity, Saving Tips, Wind Electricity and Wind Power
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What constitutes a windmill?

A windmill is device that converts wind energy into mechanical energy which is later converted into electrical energy. A windmill typically consists of the following parts:

• The blades – A windmill can consist of any number of blades from four to 20. Some special wind mills have higher number of blades.

• The tower – The tower holds the rotating blades high up in the air so that the winds rotate them.

• The shaft – The shaft is responsible for joining the blades with the tower and for the smooth rotation of blades.

• The generator – The generator is what generates electricity from the mechanical energy. It also stores power for future use.

• The base: The base of the windmill keeps it grounded to the earth.

What factors affect windmill design?
There are many factors that affect the design of a windmill. Let’s understand the major ones:

• Wind speed: The wind speed can be accurately measured with the help of an anemometer. It is not possible to determine the right kind of wind mill without knowing the accurate wind speed.

• Wind direction: For designing a windmill, it is also important to know the direction from which the wind flows most of the time.

• Change in wind speed: Apart from the constant speed of mind, it is required that you know how the wind changes its speed.

• Change of wind direction: The direction of wind will not be constant, so it important to note the way it changes its direction.

• Obstructions on the site: It is best t install a windmill at a place without many obstructions. Look out for existing and potential structures that may affect the performance of your windmill.

• Wind turbulence: The movement of wind is not always predictable. However, it is a good idea to understand the patter of wind turbulence in your site.

• Distance of wind activity from the ground: The height of the tower is dependent on the height at which the wind is active.

What are the possible designs of windmills?
Aerodynamics determines the design of a windmill based on the factors mentioned in the section above. The designs of windmills vary in the following measures:
• Number of blades
• Shape of the blades
• Height of the tower
• Kind of generators
• Distance of the installation spot from the ground
• Distance between the tower and the generator

Making electricity

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on August 5, 2008
in Energy Saving, Go Green, Green Living, Green Products, Save Electricity, Saving Tips, Solar Power, Wind Electricity and Wind Power
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How is electricity produced conventionally?

Conventionally, electricity is produced by moving colossal turbines. These turbines are moved with the help of various types of energy. Let’s look at the most conventional ways of producing electrical energy:

• By using various fuels and water - Water is heated on a large-scale in furnaces. The vapor generated helps move the blades of turbines. Fuels like petroleum, coal, and natural gas are used to heat large quantities of water.

• By nuclear fission - Electricity is produced in nuclear reactors by making use of the heat generated in the chain reaction caused by nuclear fission. This heat boils water on a large scale converting it into vapor that turns the blades of the turbines.

• By bio-waste - Electricity is now also being produced by burning bio-fuels instead of fossil fuels. Bio-fuels are obtained from biological waste, mainly from plants. Bio-fuels are considered safer than fossil fuels.

• By hydro-power - Water is also a popular method of producing electricity. Rivers and large bodies of water are used to move huge turbines. Though this method of electricity production does not affect the air around us, it spoils the ecological balance inside the water bodies.

• By wind - Electricity is produced by wind generators. These wind generators convert wind energy into mechanical energy which is further converted into electrical energy.

Why is there a need for looking for alternate electricity sources?

Alternate power solutions are needed in the light of highly-depleting fuels and energy sources. Moreover, most of the convention ways of electricity production harms the environment in one way or the other.

The world is currently faced with tremendous power-crisis. We can no longer depend on fossil fuels for power. At the same time, we need to take measures to prevent the harmful effects that convention power production has on the environment.

How can we produce electricity?

In times of global power-crisis and severe environmental-damage, the question is: what can we do to help? We can do plenty if we want to. We need to start with consuming less power. Next, we can employ any of the following energy solution to make electricity:

• Wind power solution – Installing a wind turbine can help generate electricity for our homes and farms.

• Solar power solution – Using the solar power to cook light up and heat our homes is a wise idea.

• Bio-gas – Bio-gas can be used to produce electricity on small scales.

Wind generator

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What is a wind generator?

A wind generator is a machine that uses wind energy to produce electrical energy. It captures wind energy and converts it into mechanical energy that moves the blades of a motor to produce electrical energy. Wind generators help produce thousands of megawatts of electricity. They are also a very popular power solution for individual farms. They are ideal for large areas with good wind speed.

Setting up a home wind generator does not need professional help; individuals can easily set it up with the help of numerous guides available in the market. The components of a wind generator are also easily available in the market.

How does a wind generator differ from a windmill or wind turbine?

Wind generators have been in use for a long time in the form of windmills or wind turbines. Years ago, when electricity was not invented, wind turbines were used to pull boats and pump out water.

Even now, the terms, wind generator, windmill, and wind turbine are used to refer to the same device.

What are the advantages of using a wind generator?
The advantages of a wind generator are many. Let’s look at a few of them.

Environment-friendly: Wind generators prove to be environment-friendly in two ways:

• They do not emit harmful gases in the atmosphere nor do they leave any harmful residual component.

• They do not use any fuel to produce electricity, thereby helping the cause of the environment.

Power-saver: Wind generators are an alternative power solution. They do not use any non-renewable sources of energy, thus helping in times of energy crisis.

Economical: Though the initial cost of setting up a wind generator seems high, the cost of generating electricity in the long run becomes nil. So, you will be getting electricity absolutely free after a few years.

Independent option: Wind generators do away with the dependence on power plants and the government for electricity. With a wind generator in your land, you have your own power plant for life.

24/7 power: With wind generators, you can say bye to power outages forever. You will get continuous, uninterrupted power supply for your entire house and land.

Power storage: A wind generator also allows you to store power for use later. This feature makes it an amazingly lucrative power solution.

If you want to help the world and fight the current energy crisis, invest in a wind generator.

Make solar power

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on August 5, 2008
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The sun’s energy or the solar energy is the most abundant form of energy available on earth. The sun is capable of giving us more than heat and light. The sun has been one of the biggest factors dictating every living being’s stay on the earth. If we go the right path, we can harness more from the solar energy, like generating power for daily use.

What are the advantages of solar power?

The solar energy solution is gaining popularity amongst the alternate energy solutions.

• Green energy solution: When you look at the solar energy solution, you will realize that it uses absolutely no fuel other than the sun’s light. Moreover, it does not release into the atmosphere anything harmful.

• Cheapest power solution: First, the energy comes free. Then, the installation cost is a one-time cost. Finally, the investment is recovered within a few years of installation, making the power generated by solar energy absolutely free.

• Convenience of storage: You cannot store conventional power but you can store solar power for future use. The sun’s energy comes to rescue even in the times of darkness! Storing it also ensures a 24×7 supply of power, thus saving you from any power outage.

• Low on maintenance: The solar energy systems are easy to maintain. They do not involve high costs or too much effort, thus letting you reap the benefits of the solution comfortably.

How can solar power be used?
Solar power can be used in our everyday lives by adopting the following solar power systems:

• Solar cooking system: Solar cooking is about cooking without lighting a fire or using electricity! Before you wonder, let me tell you that solar cooking is not about bland food. You can cook in more ways than one – boil, roast, or bake, cook the way you want! The only demand that solar cooking makes of you is being patient; it is a matter of more than a few minutes. However, it is not asking for too much given that you will get tasteful and healthy food without worrying about paying your gas or electricity bill.

• Solar lighting system: You can now light up the entire house, use every electrical appliance without thinking about cutting down bills. The solar lighting system lights up your house even in the nights, thanks to the power storage feature it has.

• Solar heating system: You can keep your house cozy and warm using the solar heating system without worrying about costs.