Green Renewable Energy

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.

Wind power is considered by many as an emerging technology, the truth of the matter is we have been using wind power for many hundreds of years to grind our corn and even for milking our cattle. With the dawn of the industrial revolution the use of wind to power machinery
fell by the wayside as steam and eventually electricity grew in popularity.

Recent environmental concerns have made way for the return of wind power, and in its wake came a host of myths, mistruths and misunderstandings. This article aims to dispel some of the common myths of wind power.

Wind turbines are only efficient in high winds
This is a common misconception regarding wind turbines. Obviously the more wind there is the more electricity each wind turbine will generate, but even in a light breeze both large commercial wind turbines and the smaller residential wind turbines will generate an acceptable amount of electricity. As the wind speed changes, the angle of the turbines blades will adjust themselves accordingly to achieve maximum efficiency, regardless of wind speed.

Wind turbines are noisy
This may have been true in the past as many early wind turbines had no noise emission guidelines to adhere to. Also, wind turbine manufacturers and wind power companies didn’t really consider the impact a large scale wind farm would have on nearby residential areas. These early wind turbines are the source of the current ‘wind turbines are noisy’ myth. Over the last decade wind turbine technology had progressed considerably, rendering mechanical noise almost undetectable.

Wind farm planners have strict guidelines to adhere to in order to protect nearby residential areas from noise emissions. This doesn’t mean that wind farms are silent as there is an audible ‘swoosh’ as the turbines blades pass the tower; however this is only heard at a relatively close range.

Wind farms are not cost effective
Twenty to thirty years ago, wind farms and wind turbine technology was a victim of trial and error to a certain extent. Let us not confuse older, noisier and more costly wind farms with their modern counterparts. In the early 1980’s over 5000 wind turbines were put in place at the Tehachapi Pass in California. These days wind farms consist of fewer, larger wind turbines which have proved not only more cost effective but more attractive on the eye than the early wind farms which dotted the landscape with hundreds of smaller wind turbines.

Home wind turbines are a waste of time and money
The smaller home wind turbines are more often than not used in combination with an array of solar panels. The wind turbine will continue to charge the batteries through the night even in a light breeze meaning a steady trickle of electricity is potentially available 24 hours a day. Prices of home wind turbines vary depending on the output power and installation cost. A small residential wind turbine will reduce an average electricity bill by around 20-35%. Or to put it another way, a residential wind turbine would save around half a ton of CO2 each year.

Wind farms kill birds
It is true that a considerable number of birds have flown into the blades of wind turbines and as a result have been injured or even killed. Saying that, it is also true that a large number of birds are killed each year as a result of flying into tall buildings or are hit by cars, trains, trucks and busses. It is an unfortunate fact that human impact on the environment does take its toll on wildlife to a certain extent; however, wind farms do not pose any considerable threat to birds or any other form of wildlife.

Over the past years, most people never considered wind power as a serious source of generating energy and electricity, that too, for domestic purposes. In fact, wind was perceived as just another natural phenomenon with very limited usage in life. People generally reveled when the weather was pleasant, and tried to protect themselves when storms or blizzards attacked an area.

However, the situation grew more serious over time, as the oil crisis hit the world. The prices of oil rose rapidly, and the need for an alternative, less expensive source of energy was felt acutely. Such an energy source would indeed be required pretty soon. Now, wind power fitted the bill perfectly. In addition, the supply of wind power was plentiful as well. Thus, many experts tried to combine automobile alternators to radiator cooling fans. This was expected to produce 12 volts of DC current, and was quickly stored away on automotive storage 12 volt batteries. However stretching whatever little power that was produced to 120 volts of AC current, proved to be an unpractical task for most people. And thus, these trials on wind energy harnessing came to an end.

Business houses however, remained extremely active during this period. By the latter parts of 2007, wind power driven devices, like mini generators and turbines arrived in the markets, in large quantities too. Provided that enough quantities of wind power were available, these devices, coupled with utility grids, could substantially bring down the costs incurred on electricity by people. Experts decided to experiment a bit more with these equipments, in keeping with their mental make-ups. The wind turbines were used to try to generate electricity for one’s home requirements. The potential benefits of such an experiment were huge.

It was not that all these attempts met with immediate success. Many people found the continuous roaring sound emitted by the wind turbines to be eminently disagreeable. Hence, they complained of mechanical nuisance to the local authorities, against their neighbors, demanding the turbines to be stopped. In such cases, the authorities were in fact bound to put a stop on the working of any win d turbine. The wind power generated by the turbines lacked in reliability as well. Often, the power could not even spin the turbine blades. The impact of these failed experiments was profound. People were saddled with debt, and attempted to resell their electrical equipments, including the turbines, related accessories, and the inverters that were meant to generate 12 volt usable AC current from the obtained DC power. However, not many were interested in buying these products then.

However, it was not all a story of failure and gloom. Several valuable lessons could be gleaned from these failed attempts to harness wind power. Some of these lessons were:

a) Never use wind turbines in congested city areas. The high rises and sky scrapers hamper the smooth flow of wind at these places.

b) Do not try to tap wind energy by using turbines in the urban regions. The noises affect the ecological balance of the area.

c) For best results, combine a solar electricity generator with the home wind power turbines. The former can work smoothly during daytime. As night arrives, the blades of the wind turbine can start to rotate

d) Erect home wind turbines at areas of high elevation and/or at remote places. The former would get smooth, unhampered flow of wind at such places.

e) Opt for home wind turbines if you cannot access utility power, and

f) Note the similarities between a small home wind turbine and a large scale energy firms. The structure, and hence, the complexities of the two are thus the same too, albeit in different degrees. The different components of the home turbines and larger wind energy firms, including the batteries (for smooth flow of power), the torque controller, the inverter (for conversion of DC output to 120 volt AC current) were all the same too.

Thus, you can learn from these lessons and set up your wind power system - all you need to do is refer to an instruction manual. The manual would help you know how to install the system, the ideal place to do so, as well as how to acquire different parts at an affordable price. Free availability of the batteries is also discussed in the manual. The wires of the wind power system, and the safety features related therein should also be given due importance in such a manual. So go ahead and read such a manual and get ready to benefit from wind power. This information would considerably ease the process of installation of the system and using it to your advantage.

There are as many definitions of “green” as there are shades of color. Wikipedia defines a green building, also known as a sustainable building as “ a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner.”

Dade County Florida’s Website reads that, “Sustainable building practices go beyond energy and water conservation to incorporate environmentally sensitive site planning, resource efficient building materials and superior indoor environmental quality.” The website lists five key benefits of sustainable construction that seems to concisely capture the “spirit” of the green building concept.

- Lower electric and water utility costs
- Environmentally effective use of building materials
- Enhanced health and productivity
- Long-term economic returns
- Reduced environmental impact

The need to reduce costs associated with energy production and importing building materials, the importance of conserving water and natural resources and minimizing environmental impact are challenges that are even more paramount within our island communities. Green initiatives provide excellent benefits but carry a price tag associated with implementation. We’ve looked at the benefits and the challenges, but what are the affordable solutions?

Lower Eletric and Water Utility costs
Thin-film solar and Atmospheric Water Generation are two affordable technologies that fit expectantly well in the Caribbean region. With the abundance of sunshine we receive intermingled with overcast days, it is still estimated that a solar radiation of 4-5 hours per day is typical for the region. Using lightweight thin-film solar, with a capacity of an estimated 5 watts/sq ft. a typical 1,200 sq ft home could easily support a roof laminted 3,000 Watt solar power system. A system of this size would generate an estimated 12-15kWh per day. By reducing electrical lighting, cooling, and appliance loads to less than 4k the solar system can also be recued in size.

How do we reduce our electrical load calculations? Design and retrofit with L.E.D. Lighting, A typical home using high efficiency L.E.D. lighting would use just under 250 Watts for the entire lighting circuit and provide equal or higher lumen output than conventional incandescent or CFL lighting systems. Heat pump water heating technologies provide an estimates 7,000 btu output and a max water temp of 135 while using less than 800 watts nominal. Air Conditioning units using proven ductless-split DC Inverter technologies provide remote controlled zoned cooling while using as little as 1,200 watts for a 11,000btu system. Energy efficient appliances are readily available and help to reduce overall electrical loads

A very natural solution for clean water production in the Caribbean has been around since the beginning of time. Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) systems use the natural humidity in the air to produce up to 6gallons per day of pure filtered drinking water without the need for any plumbing or related infrastructure. Dispensing 99.9% pure water, the AWG system can be operated directly from solar power or plugs into a standard household outlet. With a built in water heating element the units dispense hot or cold water on demand without the need for maintaining an inventory of bottled water. Production costs are estimated between $0.06 -0.14 per gallon of water.

Environmentally Effective use of Building Materials
What’s needed is a building system that can resist high winds, is versatile, structural, provides a high level of insulation, minimum waste and is affordable. Concrete Structural Insulated Panels (CSIP) provide an excellent alternative to conventional concrete block construction in the Caribbean. Proven and accepted throughout the United States, CSIP’s are pre-designed, pre-cut, professionally engineered, insulated, provide a structural frame and exterior and interior concrete fire resistant surfaces for finishing. These lighweight concrete panels are produced by manufacturers that are members of the Unites States Green Building Council (USGBC) such as T.Clear Corp of Hamilton Ohio. Their ProTec® CSIP building system provides less skilled labor, reduces wall construction time to a matter days verses months and is competitively affordable when compared to block or conventional construction techniques. The company literature states the panels are “framing, sheathing, insulation and interior wall surface all in one. This equates to building more homes in les time with fewer associated costs and waste.

Enhanced Health and Productivity
Clean water, fresh air, low VOC and no off-gasing products should be the benchmark for homes built under the “green” design concept. Energy conservation and eco-friendly homes do not happen by accident, it takes planning and design guidelines to ensure homes provide comfort, style and are also affordable. Choosing off the shelf products that are eco-friendly minimize costs and help descrease the time required to source specialized products that add time and expense to the construction process. Despite the misconception, “green homes” can be stylish, affordable and built on a reduced timeline.

The Protec® Building System is currently used by HDC Development Corp within the Bahamas to build as it describes, “Net Zero Energy Homes”. Recently receiving approval from The Bahamas Ministry of Works, the Protec Building System® is meticulously engineered to design loads of up to 150 mile per winds. According to the information from the company’s website, these “Net Zero Energy Homes” generate more energy than they consume, have minimal environmental impact, resist high winds and are very compatiable to developers seeking higher construction productivity rates.

Long-term Economic Returns
Unfortunately, when green initiatives are initially introduced into some regions for the first time, typically there exists an entense amount of resistance as traditional stakeholders, with entrenched concepts and methods are challenged by the new technology. However, for the greater good of the entire Caribbean region, traditional bureaucratic “red tape” needs to be pierced so that a new generation may benefit from the advances in proven technology and ensure our regions continued success in the renewable energy amd sustainable development sectors.
Openminded acceptance of proven “green technologies” will bring investment, training, jobs and prosperity to the Caribbean region. The region is ideal to capture the full potential of clean solar and wind power generation. Long-term economic growth is the fruit that’s harvested when we plant the seeds of green initiatives today.

Reduced environmental impact
Waste reduction, resource conservation and matinainting pure water inventories are important issues that face any region, but even more so here in the Caribbean islands. As our population grow so does the need to pay more strict attention to the subject of waste management and recycling. Education and acceptance of recycling is the key. Conservation is an adopted lifestyle and the population must see it as a benefit in order to embrace it. Tangible incentives such as reductions in Waste Collection rates for households that recycle, reduced utility rates for homes with Solar or wind Power Generation systems and reduced municipal water rates for households with Atmospheric Water Generators would go a long way to helping the large public adopt and embrace “going green”.

Lets hope the islands of the Caribbean region can by careful and wise use of our strategic natural resources become the worldwide leader in the adoption and implementation of proven green technologies. It is clear we have the most to gain and success will equate to increased tourism, investment, training, jobs and prosperity for our region.

When it comes to the green home, ratings matter. There are a number of eco certification for home based appliances and white goods. Plus you can get your home professionally assessed for energy efficiency.

Residential homes can be given a rating based on the National House Energy Rating (NatHERS) which is an index of the home’s thermal performance. It is done through a professional analysis by a qualified assessor working in conjunction with the builder of the home. NatHERS provides a baseline for assessment software to rate a home’s energy efficiency potential. Most homes in Australia currently fall below a 5 star rating, but the current tool has now been adapted to allow for a potential 10 star rating (which would be equivalent to zero conditioning energy). This system is based purely on the home’s infrastructure and does not include appliances or hot water systems. Find out more about energy ratings for your home.

Good insulation is a key feature in any energy efficient home. And homeowners are keen to take advantage of Kevin Rudd’s important announcement last week, with funds for ceiling insulation becoming available from the federal government. The Federal Government will be providing eligible homes with free ceiling insulation worth $1600. Landlords and renters can benefit too with rental properties
being included in the package.

Yet with all the available insulation out there, which one should we consider?

Eco Home Tip #16 - Ask about the R value - the measure for insulation materials is the R value. A high R value means better insulation potential. For example, Pink Batts offers a range ceiling insulation products that have an R value of up to 6.0.

Eco Home Tip #17 - Natural insulation - Take your insulation innovation even further and look for ceiling insulation made from sustainable materials, such as Goldenfleece wool insulation. All natural wool fibre has great insulating properties, with the CSIRO claiming, “wool insulation performs better because of it’s ability to rapidly absorb and desorb moisture from the air.” And you’ll be helping out the rural farmers!

Eco Home Tip #18 - DIY insulation - there are lots of simple insulating ideas homeowners can adapt to protect their homes against the elements. Seal draughts with door snakes or hang some thick curtains on your windows to keep out the coming cold.

Insulation is the first step to a great energy efficient home that will save you money. Well designed homes that incorporate insulation, thermal mass design and sustainable energy alternatives, such as solar panels, can save some homeowners up to 50% on their annual energy consumption. Plus you get to enjoy the comfort of having a pleasant living environment year round.

Setting up a good green home starts with energy efficiency. Traditional incandescent light globes lose almost 90 per cent of their energy in generating heat
- only 10 per cent of the electricity used is actually going into lighting your room. And because of their various filaments and parts, incandescent bulbs
generally have a much shorter life span than their more energy efficient
counter parts.

Installing energy efficient globes is one of the most cost effective and easiest options available for a good green home. Some companies had even traditionally given out energy and water saving “packs” for people to try out. Nowadays, these energy saving globes are available everywhere - so the question becomes, which light fitting is right for you?

Eco Home Tip # 36 - The lowdown on CFL - Compact Fluorescent (CFLs) are the most common energy saving fitting. CFLs use just about 20 percent of the energy required for the same amount of light from an incandescent globe and last 10 times as as long. All in all, a CFL will help reduce the cost of lighting your home by as much as 60 %.

Eco Home Tip # 37 - Keep your CFLs close, if shaded - a British study last year revealed that CFLs produced a small amount of UV radiation when used unshaded and in close proximity. Open globes were of note, which “encapsulated” globes were considered safe. So if you’re using a work lamp with a CFL, keep it shaded of opt for an encapsulated globe instead.

Eco Home Tip # 38 - Recycling your CFLs - The typical CFL contains a minute 4 mg of mercury sealed in its glass tubing. Some manufacturers have lowered its CFL mercury content to as little as 1 - 2.5 mg. Handle your CFLs with care and take advantage of recycling programs for CFLs to keep mercury from ending up in landfill.

Eco Home Tip # 39 - Leading by example with LEDs - Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are another popular energy efficient lighting option, especially to replace halogen globes and downlights in your home. The small cluster of diodes can be arranged in a number of configurations and sizes to suit your home. LEDs have been traditionally found in electronics including clocks, and have a variety of uses in terms of producing a broad spectrum of bright coloured light. LEDs are the perfect substitute to the more heat intensive halogen globes and last for over 50,000 - 60,000 hours and uses 70 percent less energy than standard halogen globes. LEDs are also mercury free.

Lighting a home can account for as much as 20 percent of a home’s energy use. Energy saving lights are simply a bright idea for your green home.