Green Renewable Energy

Woods Industries 93004 Moonrays Dover 4-Pack of Pewter Solar Fixtures

Trying to enhance your home without harming the environment at the same time? Today, lighting retailers have many clever ways to be kind to the Earth without sacrificing your sense of style. Energy Star qualified, energy efficient, Title 24 compliant, and dark sky lighting all contribute to a “greener” world without breaking the bank.

Energy Star was set up by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy to help Americans save money and reduce their impact on the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Products that earn the Energy Star qualification must meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set forth by these two departments. But don’t think that Energy Star equals unattractive.

That full-size chandelier you’ve been eyeing for your foyer may be Energy Star qualified. How about those lanterns for your deck? The cabinet lighting for your kitchen? And what about the ceiling fan for your children’s playroom? Yes, yes and yes. You’ll be surprised when you go shopping for new lighting and see the huge selection of Energy Star qualified products.

Energy efficient lighting is another great option. Energy efficiency simply means the lighting product uses less electricity than a standard product. That makes it a great choice for outdoor lighting – which is necessary for security and safety but could add to your electric bill if you’re not careful. Manufacturers such as Kichler and Hinkley offer outdoor lighting options that are both energy efficient and pleasing to the eye.

Many lighting companies comply with California’s Title 24 building codes for lighting. Title 24 requires all new homes, additions, remodels and most commercial buildings within the state to meet minimum standards of energy efficiency.

What could be more energy-efficient than generating power itself? That’s where outdoor solar lights come in. Choose your design, stick it in the ground, and there you have it – beauty, safety and security in minutes.

While you’re outside, why not look up at the stars? Special dark sky lighting allows lights to shine where needed without annoying light pollution. Dark sky lighting directs light to its intended space, such as porch stairs or a walkway, while preventing light from shining upward unnecessarily and blotting out the night sky. There are many beautiful and elegant dark sky lighting products available to fit any budget.

CCI Moonrays 91225 Verona Style Solar Powered Plastic Path Light, Black, 10-Pack

LED’s have been around since the 60s, but have mostly been relegated to showing the time in an alarm clock or the battery level of a video camera. Its use as a source of illumination was a challenging one for scientists. Light Emitting Diodes or LED Lightings- differ from traditional light sources in the way they produce light. In incandescent bulbs, a tungsten filament is heated by electric current until it glows or emits light. In a fluorescent lamp, an electric arc excites mercury atoms, which emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation. After striking the phosphor coating on the inside of glass tubes, the UV radiation is converted and emitted as visible light. On other hand LED’s are diodes made from semi-conductor materials. This is why they are referred to as “solid state” devices and relies on indium gallium nitride to convert electricity into photons with help of direct current (DC) instead of alternating current (AC) There are other types of Lights which on the principle of solid state objects like semi conductor but LED’s are the most relevant for general illumination. It consists of a chip of semi-conducting material treated to create an electric circuit. An LED is usually a small area source, often with extra optics added to the chip that shapes its radiation pattern. The specific wavelength or color emitted by the LED depends on the materials used to make the diode. It depends on the composition and condition of the semi conducting material used, and can be infrared, visible, or near-ultraviolet. Red LED’s are based on aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs). Blue LED’s are made from indium gallium nitride (InGaN) and green from aluminum gallium phosphide (AlGaP). “White” light is created by combining the light from red, green, and blue (RGB) LED’s or by coating a blue LED with yellow phosphor. LED based lights are still under development but it is predicted it will radically change the energy consumption patterns of the world over the next few years. As such there’s a phenomenal amount of resources being devoted to improving LED technology worldwide. The U.S. has committed an uncharacteristically large amount of industrial policy support for LED research and development. Asia is a hotbed of cutting-edge manufacturing technology and Europe and Canada have led the way in energy efficient initiatives accompanied by some of some of the most innovative design styles you can find anywhere.

Advantages and disadvantages of LED lightings

They have extremely low power consumption. LED lights use up to 90% less power than normal lights, which has many more advantages than you would ever assume. Firstly electrical running costs are reduced, not only reducing the demand placed on your household energy consumption but feel good knowing you are saving energy and becoming green, the global warming factor. Along the same line, the other major advantage of LED lights is that you can connect multiple sets of LED lights together from only one plug or socket, more sets than non LED lights due to the lower power consumption. This is not only practical resulting in the requirement for less power sockets, but you can lit larger multiple area with little drilling of your walls. Just imagine powering a string of lights ½ mile long from a single electrical socket. With LED’s you can use more light than ever before and still save money. While the small energy draw of LED’s would indicate many more could be strung together, until the UL listing is changed for the standard plug connected light sets, it is prudent to adhere to the current regulations for risk management. Since LED lights don’t contain any energy hungry materials, they are very efficacious-convert energy to light, not heat as non LED’s lights do. These make them intrinsically safe and are generally cool to the touch. LED’s lights can provide with 50,000 hours or more of life, which can tremendously reduce maintenance costs and time. This means, assuming an average twelve hour night, you will not need to change your LED lights after a good eleven year. In comparison, an incandescent light bulb lasts approximately 1,000 hours. Fluorescents are rated for 10,000 hours under ideal conditions. Along with this LED lights are incredibly bright, 3 times brighter than traditional lights, this makes them ideal for a wide range of situations, offering much greater impact and appeal than subdued traditional bulbs. The known problem of replacing blown and the inconvenience and undesired appearance of multiple failed bulbs isn’t an issue with LED’s. With such a long bulb life you can be sure of a fully functioning set of lights, which can be happily left outside requiring no maintenance and minimal routine care. Further mentioning the longevity of LED lights, LED’s are manufactured as one solid piece, with no glass or filaments to break. As such these lights are resistant to shock and vibration, which makes them more durable than non LED lights. Plus they have better quality light output since they have minimum ultraviolet and infrared radiation. LED lights have much greater design freedom in terms of color flexibility including many “whites” – without the use of filters, fully dimmable, new form factors for fixture designs which give us innumerable options to look for. Lastly the most important benefits if you are environment conscious is LED’s unlike Fluorescent and mercury vapor lighting which contains mercury, a hazardous waste to the environment and must be disposed of properly, LED’s don’t contain mercury and are not considered hazardous waste designating them environmental friendly.

Shopping guide for LED lightings

LED lights have started flooding the market but before purchase see to it what are you looking for. LED lights were initially started to be used in commercial environments like entertainment shows, theaters etc. Also, LED lights are already the best light source for traffic signals, vehicular tail lights, emergency lighting and flashlights. Increasingly nowadays, Home LED lightings such as accent wall LED lights, task, landscape and even outdoor LED lighting such as garden Pole LED lightings have arrived in the market. After deciding upon the type of LED lighting, check the prices around various online shop. Price is a hard thing to remain constant since most companies post retail type prices online and are willing to accept your bargain call for bulk purchases. Your best bet is to have a specific LED lighting type in mind and browse through several LED light shop. Check the kind of warranties the selected shop is giving you in terms of lamp life span and durability of LED lights. The light output declines over time so at some point, though the lamp is technically lit, it is not providing the same effect as intended in the beginning. Market pitching shop owner will seem to claim very high lamp life, while more honest LED shop will opt for the lower numbers. A reasonable lamp life for most LED’s seen in the market is around 50,000 hours but if it is more see what kind of warranties and return policy is in place if the claim is not fulfilled by the seller.
As we can see LED lightings have so many benefits compared to other form of lightings that sooner or later its usage will be common. More widespread use could lead to big energy savings and a revolution in the way we think about lighting. And We at For your Home would be part of these revolution, would you like to join?

Our Michigan summers can get to 100 degrees with very high humidity. Most everyone uses air conditioning. Our local energy board warns every year about the overuse of air conditioning and ‘brown-outs’. We have never invested in a central AC or even a window unit.

We prefer to use ‘greener’ methods which are better for the environment. They are better for our health also. They are easier on our gas and electric bills as well. We have, therefore had to research and explore methods for keeping our house cool and comfortable.

If you want or need to keep your home cool with out an air conditioning system, here are several tried and true ‘green’ tips for keeping your home or apartment cool in the summer.

Hang dark colored curtains, mini blinds or Roman shades in each window. Keep these drawn in the warm sunny part of the day.

If a cool breeze is coming in, you can put a fan on the floor to circulate cool air throughout the house. Close the windows and curtains if warm air is coming in.

Windows that face south will get lots of sun. East facing windows will get morning sun. Windows facing west will get the afternoon and evening sun, which is hotter and stronger. Close them as the sun comes in.

Keep lights off as much as possible.

Use florescent lighting which burns cool and is very efficient.

Use ceiling fans and vents and open windows during showers.

Keep the house clean. A house full of junk will be hotter.

Don’t use the oven in the hot part of the day. Use an electric frying pan or microwave for stovetop foods.

Serve cool foods like salads and sandwiches. Hot foods and beverages make you feel warm. Avoid alcohol when it’s warm; it will warm you up.
ine Be sure that your furnace is off.

When doing laundry, turn ceiling vents on and open window to keep warm moist air out. Be sure outside dryer vent is open and clean.

Do laundry in the early morning or late evening.

Use a clothes line instead of dryer, especially for towels and pants.

Invest in some quality fans, one for each window of the house. You don’t need to spend big to get good quality, if you purchase fans made in the USA. You can get a window fan for under $15.

HeatMax EverCool Cooling Bandanas. Pack of Three Bandanas - Reusable

A company called GreenCore Air has released an air conditioner than can be powered by a single 170 watt solar panel. The GreenCore air conditioning unit can heat and cool a 600 square foot room. It runs on DC power, so there is no need to put an AC inverter between the solar panel and the air conditioner. This eliminates the power losses associated with converting AC to DC.

When the sun is not out the unit runs on the battery bank which is integrated within the unit.

There two version of the air conditioner: a fixed one, and a mobile one that is mounted on wheels.

GreenCore units are being tested by a McDonald’s restaurant and the U.S. Navy.

Air conditioning is possible in a green home. Read all about it in this installment of our “Focus on Green Homes” series.

Air conditioning in green homes is cause for much debate among green enthusiasts. Certainly, the best way to save energy
on air conditioning is to not have it or use it. But this is just not practical for everyone.

Without a doubt, air conditioning of the past was anything but green. It used very damaging chemicals and consumed large amounts energy for what it produces. Even more efficient units in use today still use lot of energy causing enormous electricity bills in the summer months. Can a system be designed for a green home that uses much less electricity and no damaging chemicals? Yes, indeed.

Size Matters – The first consideration when designing an air conditioning system for your green home is the size of the system. Air conditioning systems should be sized correctly for the space to be cooled, considering the number, location, and type of trees, the number of window, the arrangement of the house, and size of the living space. Care should be taken to right-size the system – it should not be too big or too small. Then we need to look at all the renewable resources we can use to accomplish this.

Cooling from the Earth – For the system to be truly green, renewable resources must be considered. One of the best renewable resources is called geo-thermal. Geo-thermal is literally heating or cooling from the depth of the earth. It is the reason that most caves are the same temperature (around 55F) all year round. We can use this constant temperature of the earth to cool air for air conditioning.

To accomplish geo-thermal cooling, water (or other liquid) is pushed through a tube in the ground buried at an appropriate depth. The water is cooled to the ground temperature. Air is then passed over the tube and the warm room air is transferred to the water in the tube, removing the hot air from the home. The heated water is then pushed back though the tube under the ground and the heat is transferred into the ground effectively cooling the water back to 55 degrees and the process starts all over again.

Clean and Efficient – Using geo-thermal air conditioning is clean and quiet. For systems that do not use forced air to distribute the cool air, there is far less dust and noise.

This system uses much less energy to create cool air for the home than conventional air conditioning and is much better for the environment. This system can also be used to heat the home. The cost of the system and the depth to which the tubes must be buried depends on the part of the world in which you live.

The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling

When it comes to making a change in your life, and deciding that you want to ‘go green’, then a green forum is an excellent place to begin.

It is difficult to know where to start. We all know that we should be making a concerted effort to save energy, and eat food produced in a fashion that protects the environment. The question is where is all the information to start to make a positive change? Well, over the last few years there has been a large increase in the number of ‘go green’ focused websites. These sites are portals for consumers to leave information about any experiences they have had in becoming more friendly to the environment.

So called ‘Green Forums’ are usually free to join, and they can have thousands of useful tips for local and global issues. Making a change in our life means starting the change from home, and these forums give us all a chance to find out what we would maybe never have learned otherwise. Tips on the house and home and how to saving energy is a very big subject, and there is plenty of information to be found.

Other areas to help the environment include new fuels and fuel technology, including how and where to fill up a car running on a hydrogen cell, or how to get information on running and electric vehicle.

Solar panels for the home are quite a new trend, and there are many unanswered questions about this topic. Using a green forum lets you see the experiences of others in the same situation, and see any pitfalls and advantages before you decide on how to proceed.

Home solar power is often considered as the most effective means of reducing your electric bills. If you wish to benefit through solar power energy, you need to be well aware that a home solar option is readily available through online stores. If you are tired of unreasonable power cuts and wish to benefit through a regular supply of electricity, you need to take advantage through home solar options. Listed below are a few advantages of opting for solar power energy.

Home Solar Power Is Readily Available

Solar power energy is abundant in nature and it is also said to be a renewable source for power generation. Hence, when the need of the hour is to pick suitable home solar power systems, you need to research well and then apply your facts to good use. Home solar options can be had through the means of a secured site and while most may appear expensive, there are a few which are really inexpensive and long lasting as well. Home solar power systems are also considered essential to meet your energy requirements as they are promoted by the government agencies.

Solar Power Energy Can Be Harnessed Through Your Backyard

The second advantage of a home solar option is that it can be harnessed through your backyard. Home solar power systems work on the basis of assembled kits which can be obtained through the means of the World Wide Web. Solar power installations can be ordered online. They come in the form of a kit, which has an instructions manual as well. Simply follow the manual book and you can ensure that your solar power installations are in perfect order. Solar power kits have the ability to be used and built from home. Hence, they can be utilized by just about any human being-you need not be a technical viz to harness solar powered electricity from home.

Solar Power Cost Is Very Low

The third advantage of setting up a home solar power option is the saving in terms of electricity bills. Solar power cells, which are used in producing electricity, are affordable and long lasting. Once you have them installed in your roof, you can be rest assured that they would carry on for the rest of your life. You only cost is the initial purchase of the solar powered kits and the installation charges. Nowadays, there are solar power kits which are available for under a hundred dollars. Such options can be had through the means of a reputed online manufacturer only. Thereafter, the total cost of power generation is nil and you not only generate power for your home, you also never actually spend a dime while doing so.

Solar Thermal Power Is Pure

With the rise in air pollution and the reduction in the ozone layer, the chances are that your conventional sources of energy may prove to be a hindrance to the future generations. This is when solar thermal power comes into picture. Over here, not only are your electric bills reduced drastically, you also have a chance of keeping your environment neat and tidy. This is so as solar energy is a clean energy resource and it does not emit any harmful chemicals in the atmosphere. Hence, whenever solar energy is produced from home, it is considered a blessing in disguise for the environment.

Solar Power Cells Are Noiseless

As compared to the usual sources of energy, the solar power cells, which are generally used in a solar powered grid, are noiseless in nature. Hence, if you are using solar generated power for your household uses, you are indirectly saving your environment from excessive noise pollution. At the same time, the energy which is generated is never wasted and can be easily stored for future use.