Green Renewable Energy

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that between 1992 and 2002, Australians spent over $1.6 billion on home renovation. And with the current economic downturn, more and more homeowners are considering hanging on to their residents and giving them a new look instead of buying a new one.

One of the first renovation considerations for most homeowners is remodelling the bathroom. That salmon colour scheme with sea foam green might have been a great look for the 50s, but it just might not be your cup of tea.

For the eco minded renovation, there are many sustainable options for the bathroom. From tips to save water, energy - and some precious cleaning time - here are some Green Pages eco tips for going eco in your bathroom:

Eco Home Tip # 1 - Upcycle/Recycle - Consider second hand pieces for furniture. An old dresser or buffet could make a great vanity. By visiting some great recycle shops, you may find a treasure trove to inspire the ecomagination.

Eco Home Tip # 2 - Lighting au natural - consider installing a skylight to let in natural light during the day. Many skylights can also be ventilated which will save on cleaning (see Eco Tip 5). For artificial, opt for energy efficient globes and fixtures.

Eco Home Tip # 3 - Hey you, try a watersaving loo - Australians were the first to pioneer dual flush toilets, let’s all be proud. The unique shape of the bowl is the secret behind this ingenious invention, which can save on average 35,000 litres of water a year. There’s also the option of installing a waterless urinal in your home, the perfect water saving solution for a house of growing boys.

Eco Home Tip # 4 - Low flow taps and showerheads - Get your fittings measured up and put in flow restrictors or install some low flow fittings. When getting your plumbing put in, call certified Green Plumber who can answer many of our eco bathroom questions.

Eco Home Tip # 5 - Ventilation Revolution - Hate cleaning the bathroom? Here’s a quick tip - by installing a fan or ceiling ventilation, you reduce the build up of mould, mildew and foul odours. This means less cleaning, especially with those harsh bleach based chemical cleaners. (which you should ditch for eco cleaning ideas)

Eco Home Tip # 6 - Eco IS a material change - there are eco option for practically everything, solvent free eco paint, sustainable timber or bamboo cabinetry, recycled glass tiles, screens, blinds, windows, everything you can think of. Do your research on sustainable architecture and eco home products such as those listed on the Green Pages green directory for the green home.

And don’t forget, once you have eco bathroom of your dreams, stock it up with some great eco home products. Delectably scented beeswax candles, luxurious organic cotton or bathroom towels, organic hemp shower curtains and organic soaps (and of course recycled loo paper!) are just some great items you can use to give the your own personal eco touch.

The Green Pages green directory has all the best green products to help you go green.

Great place for Alternative Energy ideas

1. Start by switching to green power

   The easiest way to switch to green energy is to call your current provider and see if they offer an alternative. An increasing number of companies do, harnessing renewable sources like wind and solar power to offer electric service in their markets. This costs more for the consumer, since you’ll pay a premium to offset the money involved in tapping the alternative source, but the price varies: in Sacramento, you’ll pay 5 cents per kilowatt hour or $30 a month for solar, and in Oregon you’ll shell out only .8 cents per kilowatt hour for wind, geothermal, or hydropower. Curious about the options in your state?

2. Plug in to solar power

   There are two kinds of solar power you can use in your home: active and passive. Active solar power is captured through solar cells (also known as photovoltaics), and then stored to later provide heat or electricity-or to supplement a traditional heating or electrical system. But before you buy a solar system for your house, keep a few points in mind: many towns have restrictions on the size and type of collectors they’ll allow; the annual number of sunny days in your climate will affect how much power you can collect (the Southwest usually has the best luck with solar collection); and the system’s cost efficiency varies based on its size, your location, and the amount of power you plan to get from it.

3. Get passive solar to work for you

   The second kind of solar power, passive solar, doesn’t involve the (expensive) photovoltaic cells and mechanical systems of active solar, but still takes advantage of the sun to heat your home in one of three ways: direct gain, which collects light through the windows; indirect gain, which stores thermal energy within the walls; and isolated gain, more commonly put to use in a solarium or sun room setup. By thinking about window placement, insulation, and even landscaping–trees can be the ultimate passive solar helpers, since they soak up solar in the hot summer, and let the sun through in the winter—it’s possible to help keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

4. Opt for solar hot water

   You can also use solar power to heat the water for your showers, dishwasher, and laundry (though why aren’t you using cold water for that?) by installing a solar hot water system. If you live in a place where freezing temps aren’t a concern, look for a direct circulation system-this cycles water through the solar heater and into the home; otherwise, go for an indirect circulation system, which runs a freeze-proof fluid through the system to prevent icing. Both those active systems are generally more efficient than passive solar heaters, which don’t have the same pumps and controls but can be more dependable. No matter which system you choose, you’ll want to consider a (smaller) more traditional hot water heater for backup on days when the sun won’t come out or for showering during peak times.

5. Tap into the earth’s natural geo-energy

   The terms “geothermal” and “ground source heat pump” are nearly interchangeable in casual conversation-but they shouldn’t be, since they’re not the same. Geothermal energy comes right from the ground-think hot springs, geysers, and volcanic areas—while ground source heat pumps use the relatively steady temperature of the Earth (as compared to the air) to heat and cool buildings. These heat pumps use as little as half as much electricity as traditional systems, and generally last between 25 and 50 years; while they are more expensive to install than other systems, you can expect the system to pay for itself in energy savings in less than 10 years.

6. Replace oil with biofuel

   You can also heat your home using biofuels—nontoxic, biodegradable, and renewable power sources, like those made from animal and vegetable fats and oils or wood. If you’re using oil heat, have a technician take a look at your furnace and get the okay to switch to a blend of 20%-99% biodiesel; in most cases, you won’t need any additional parts or service to make the switch. Using a woodstove to heat your home is an age-old solution, but the more modern version is the pellet stove: The pellets of compressed sawdust take up less storage space than a wood pile, and burn with so few emissions that they aren’t required to get EPA certification. (One tip: if you’re going this route, find a local source for inexpensive pellets first.)

7. Harness the power of the wind

   Wind energy is one of the cleanest forms of alternative energy available, and using it can cut your electricity bill by as much as 90 percent. Once you make sure your area is zoned to allow wind turbines, you’ll want to make sure you have enough space—the Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy suggests at least one acre of rural land—and a climate that affords a steady breeze. Run an energy audit on your home to determine what size turbine you’ll need; most houses require between 5 and 15 kilowatts to produce an average of 780 kilowatt hours every each month. And wind turbine systems aren’t cheap, so run the numbers to figure out if you’ll save enough to make the 20-year investment worth it.

8. Capture small-scale hydropower

   Before you can use hydropower for residential energy, you’ll need one very important jumping-off point: running water on your property. If you are lucky enough to have a creek, stream, or river in your backyard, then a micro hydropower system may be a good alternative energy solution. By diverting a portion of the water through a wheel or turbine, you allow a shaft to spin; the spinning allows immediate results, like pumping water, or more indirect usage, like powering a generator. These calculations from the Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy can help you figure out if your water source will provide enough energy to significantly offset your electric bill.

9. Make a smart start

   If you’re in the process of buying a home, it’s easier to make alternative energy work for you, by buying a property that comes with running water or room for wind turbines, for example. If you’re designing from the ground up, choose a roof that’s specially fitted for solar panels; place your house on the lot so it takes advantage of the sun; build with passive solar materials; and use daylighting technology by installing windows and doors in places that allow you to get the most out of natural light sources,and to go green.

10. Think smaller

    If you can’t make the jump to powering your entire house with alternative energy, start by focusing on one room at a time. Or look even more closely at your life, and get small solar cells to charge your laptop, cell phone, iPod, and other small gadgets—every little bit helps!

Great place for Alternative Energy ideas

Going green, also known as eco friendly living, is a growing trend around the world. Now more than ever, people are beginning to realize the impact their actions and decisions have on the world around us. Every time we get in a car, ride on a plane, or make a purchase at the grocery store, we know that energy is consumed, greenhouse gasses are created, and landfills get a little fuller. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the vastness of it all, but relax and take a step back. No one of us has to save the world alone. But what we can do is each take a few small steps every day. Small changes make a big difference in the grand scheme of things. With that in mind, we’re going to discuss a few easy things that you can do at home to make a big difference in the world around you.

1. Recycle. Experts agree that recycling is one of the best and easiest ways to make a difference. If every person on the planet recycled, we could reduce landfill waste and greenhouse gasses in a very significant way. Most communities have recycling programs in place already, making it easy to participate. If your city doesn’t, inquire with local officials about starting a program.

2. Don’t throw it away! We have a tendency not to think about items we throw away. They disappear from our sight, so they are out of our minds. But all those things that the garbage truck hauls away every week do have to go somewhere, and that place is a landfill. Landfills are a major cause of greenhouse gasses and ozone depletion. So next time you get ready to throw something away, ask yourself if you could possibly use the item in another way or donate it.

3. Turn off the water. U.S. householdswaste thousands of gallons of water every year. A significant amount of this water goes down the sink while we are brushing our teeth, washing our hair, or soaping up in the shower. Turning off the water during these activities can save a huge amount of water, which not only helps the environment, but also saves you money.

4. Ride your bicycle. For short trips around town, air up the tires and ride your bike. It will save you gas and give you some good exercise. If you don’t have a bicycle, you can walk, ride rollerblades, or even a skateboard.

5. Install low flush toilets and showerheads. This is another way to consume less water in the bathroom. Even better yet, if you’re getting ready to put in a new toilet fixture, look into composting toilets. These fixtures are clean and odorless, and will save you a significant amount of money in water and sewer costs.

While the suggestions above may seem like really small things, don’t underestimate the impact these changes can make. If every person in the United States made a conscious effort today to turn off the water while brushing their teeth or shampooing their hair, think how many millions of gallons of water would be saved! Now multiply that over the course of fifty years, and the result is astronomical. So what are you waiting for? Now is a great time to jump on the going green bandwagon by recycling, saving some water, and using less energy. The environment will benefit, and in many cases, your pocketbook will, too.

We all have access to a free, bright and renewable source of light – the sun. A great way to utilize it after dark is with solar lights. Solar lights have come a long way in the last few years and offer a wide array of styles, shapes and materials. They are powered by rechargeable batteries and can light up an area for the entire night. The lights are powered by light emitting diodes (LEDS) which rival hard-wired lights. They are very durable and can last for up to 1,000 hours.

Solar lights have several advantage over hard-wired lights some of which are:
Require no wiring
Powered by the sun
Fast and easy to install
Energy saving
Recharged by solar panels under sunlight
Light turns on automatically when dark
Super bright LED for brighter light output
Rechargeable Ni-Cd AA battery which are included
Safe water resistant
CE certified
LED bulb never burns out
Up to 10 hours of light when dark
Corrosion resistant
LEDs can last up to 100,000 hours
Batteries are rechargeable and should last for approximately 2 years before replacing

Solar Lights are totally free standing, simply fit the light components together, press the spike into the ground or screw on to the wall mounting, it’s that simple! Add them along pathways or set them up as spotlights. Add some unique lights and be the talk of the neighborhood.

There may be even more advantage to solar lighting based on your application. They do offer a real alternative to hard-wired lighting and are real versatile. They allow you the option to spending time outdoors after dark and allow you to light up any areas you may want. Solar lighting is a very versatile way to light up your yard.

Jerome Sturgeleski is an avid outdoors person and loves to stay out in his yard after dark. He lives in Minnesota so time outdoors is limited to just a few months of the year. After completing a landscaping project he thought the must be a way to light it up so he could enjoy in on those evenings out. He added some solar lights and liked it so well that he decided to start a website and sell solar lights so others could also add them and enjoy their outdoor spaces well into the evening. He started a website in May of 2005 called http://www.solarlightspro.com to allow people to see what types that are available.

Will renewable gusto be plenty to live when we hold used up adjectives of the fossil fuels?
Will only renewable energy and no fossil fuels be enough to run the things that we sign ‘essential’ for life? yes if we develop technology to use all sorts of renewable energy.

How do they integer the cost of solar drive electrolysis?
I’ve been reading through this articlehttp://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10922&page=103They cite the current cost of solar in the field of $3-$6 per peak-watt. And they give other figures for the conversion of Solar to Hydrogen.What I don’t understand is that the sun shines adjectives…

solar power?
anyone know aproximately how much it would cost to get enough solar power installed on a 1200 sq ft home? about $20,000 to power the entire house for 30 years.Look into toll credits etc. and it might become cost effective.Wait…

Solar Energy?
How much human energy is need to produced solar energy?How much engery will solar power produced? How much do we put aside from changing to solar power?What are some benefit in changing to solar power?How to install the panel?Can solar…

Is solar power affecting the worldwide climate?
So, all these massive mirrors that point to a central cooling tower - surely these mirrors are stopping the suns energy to enter the dirt and to radiate back to the atmosphere?Is solar power going to cause the earth to freeze…

any concept re building sustainable swimming hole rural property solar power, filter sea beside reeds etc?
Not knowing how big the property is, the only suggestion is the solar and wind power is a great addition to any rural property. The thermostatic solar hot marine system would be ideal. No pumps, or electricity required. A…

Is here any Inexpensive road to convert your home to solar or twirl power?
If the govt wants us to convert, why aren’t they demanding that it be CHEAP? moderately… no less expensive install it yourself. That’s what I’m doing now near 3 wind turbines on top of my garage, and hopefully in a…

What’s the pros and cons of solar vim versus weave vim?
I’m planning on building a business. What would be the advantage of using solar cells or windmills to produce the power, or at least to hold the cost of electrical power down? The facility will be in the midwest…

Where can I find a allow to assist beside the instillation of solar or windmill vigour?
I want to open a facility , but I want to use solar or will mind energy. Are there any grant available to assist or offset the cost? If so, who and where can I look? Check the…

Solar vim and thermodynamics?
A 5.0-m-diameter garden pond is 0.400 m deep. Solar energy is incident on the pond at an average rate of 400W/m^2 . If the water absorb all the solar energy and does not exchange energy near its surroundings, how many hours…

How can apartment renters economically harness the power of solar animation?
If you have south facing windows, assuming you live in the northern hemisphere, donate passive solar to a room by putting down plastic over the carpet and put down a cheap dark colored tile to conduct yourself as a passive…

how vital is renewable heartiness for business?
Potentially if you can generate your own renewable energy, very. In times past solar panel and wind turbines cost loads compared to what they can produce. Now these devices are cheaper and more efficient, and you can save their cost…

Do You Agree That India Should Invest More Funds In Solar Power?
Eventually oil will be depleted and states will have no other choice but to diversify their energy sources anyway. Because India is such a reheat country, it can potentially have an advantage over other states in so far as solar…

why? solar perkiness can be used surrounded by singapore??/?
please tell me any other things except because there is a lot of sunlight… I’m not sure I construe your question. If you’re asking about the feasibility of utilising solar animation in S’pore, (besides the point that you mentioned that…

Renewable force policy?
Another answer got my attention;given the amount of land,water,(and labor) required for agri-based renewable activeness,is it really a viable option?Asked this in the Politics section because the countrys vivacity policy will play heavily in the upcoming election cycle.To all,Ethanol production uses…

Can you believe it facilitate crooked border crossings solar-powered immigrant shelter next to internet access.
Here’s a nifty little invention for facilitating illegal border crossings: the solar-powered immigrant shelter with internet access.Robert Ransick have completed a 6 month Residency at Eyebeam developing Casa Segura (Safe House). The artwork combines a sheltered room on private land in…

Why Solar heartiness Not utilized or Why at hand is no emergency contained by using solar punch?
Please give me the informations how solar energy can be effectively used in our day after day life We can make roof-mounted solar units to warmness water.Solar electric panels are still expensive, but getting cheaper.Do some re-searching on the internet….

How does a turn turbine work? what are some advantages of twirl life?( stipulation 10 advantages)?
Um…. Also i don’t need disadvantages and history so please don’t just paste something from a site create I really need this for robotics so don’t want to spend too much time on reading. Thanks! All you ever wanted…

Solar Power?
Solar Power?World Solar Production Total peak power of installed solar panels is around 5,300 MW as of the end of 2005. (IEA statistics appear to be underreported: they report 2,600 MW as of 2004, which next to 1,700 installed in 2005…

what can i use aside solar dash to trademark a rechargeable iron?
I and a friend are trying out options for a rechargeable iron we need other options aside from solar vim that would work well and affordable. there are radios that use crank handles….but thats the best i can come up…

Any input on how rationalized today’s solar power roof panel are? 20% is what I’ve read.?
In that the conversion ratio from sun to actual electricity is only 20%. Star Solar has just come out near a photonic crystal that can increase the efficiency of solar cells by up to 37 percent, Solar energy…

jump to yahoo.com and type within solar vivacity. What do you consideration in the region of the 3 hits surrounded by the blue box? How do they?
(sorry got cut off there)differ from the next group of hits that are numbered? Why do they appear contained by this order?PLEASE HELP ME MY GRADE IS DEPENDING ON YOU! PLEASE THIS IS MY HOMEWORK! the ones in the blue…

should the United States build a solar power satellite up within space?
For both space and EarthBut who built that wertyuSo it can send electrical power back to Earth! It is so much cheaper to just build the the panel on the ground. They could build several for the price of getting…

Poll: If you be solar powered, would you move more like greased lightning than you do presently?
I have been solar powered for three years now. At first the added weight I had to carry aroud within the form of huge solar panels was a bit of an issue, but you get used to it after a few…

Does anyone know any bearing to go and get solar activeness within a do it yourself format?
I would like to get started and gradually add on to my system until I am off the grid! It’s tricky, because you actually want to be on the grid.The reason is that one of the ways solar works economically…

MicroCap Solar Company located within CA that have perfect solar Petawatt life?
If your concern relates to investing, there will be a lot of solar companies claiming breakthroughs and looking for investment money. Without a great deal of expertise surrounded by this area to separate out the good ones from the bad…

What is the potential for Alternative Energy within Malaysia? (biomass/fuel, solar, nuclear, weave, water)?
Malaysia is currently dependent to petroleum as the main source for electrical generation and fuel, but the oil reserve will single last for 50 years, or so. Why there are low exploitation by the industry and government for alternative dynamism to…

Since we enjoy so much space where on earth the sun shines for 365 days, why can’t we enjoy trunk solar power plants?
Eventually, we probably will unless we come up with a different more cost effective way to create power first.The problem is solar cell are still expensive. Presumably as more people buy into the technology, economies of scale will see in….

how do hydrogen fuel cell compare to solar or coil activeness as an alternative joie de vivre source?
Solar and wind energy are alternative sources of energy, whereas hydrogen fuel cell are not exactly a source of energy at all, unless you have pure hydrogen. You see, hydrogen is a fuel, lately like gasoline, except with no emissions except…

can solar dynamism used within singapore and why is that so.?
can u tell me in sentence form… Singapore is situated near the “Equator”, thus it is of terribly suitable and having nearly all year round sun light. The problem next to it is that “COST”, very,very expensive for the solar…

how does joie de vivre from coil affect the behavior of surface currents/?
the wind has force that blows the surface currents, soo if its stronger, then the top will have greater amplitudes

More Solar & Wind Energy Questions Please visit : RunAsk.com

Due to a number of major factors, including the state of the economy, the climate crises and the general higher visibility of environmental issues, renewable energy has become a significant and high profile subject. Now, more than at any time in history, there is a growing awareness of our impact on the planet and consequently a growing movement toward environmental responsibility through the use of renewable energy.

The fundamental shift toward using renewable energy is not just motivated by those who are environmentally conscious and who want to do their part to stabilize the climate. renewable energy is also attractive to the countless people out there who are interested in saving money on heating and cooling bills by using alternative energy sources. Regardless of the motivation, the result is the same; unprecedented numbers of average people are looking into all types of renewable energy in order to save money on household energy bills. Many have numerous questions about renewable energy. Here are some renewable energy FAQs:

What is renewable energy?
Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that is unlimited in quantity and which renews or regenerates itself without any input from humans.

What are the different types of renewable energy?

Solar power: one of the most popular and reliable forms of renewable energy available, today, solar power is collected by solar panels that have numerous solar cells that store the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity, just like a traditional battery. Solar panels are usually installed on the roofs of structures and are linked together and then tied into the house’s electrical wiring system. Many people find that having a solar power system saves them dramatic amounts of money in heating and cooling bills and some people are even able to disconnect entirely from the electric company and live off the grid on solar power.

Wind Power: wind power comes from wind generators that capture the kinetic energy from the wind and translate it into electricity. This is essentially accomplished with propellers mounted on towers. As the wind turns the propellers, electricity is generated. Many electrical cooperatives have built large farms of massive wind generators, but a scaled down version is available for residential use.

Hydrogen furnace: while somewhat different and much more complex than solar or wind power, hydrogen furnaces are just beginning to become proven and reliable technology to create unlimited sources of renewable energy. Essentially, the hydrogen furnace produces energy from waste material by separating the hydrogen molecules. Hydrogen furnaces have posed massive engineering problems for years, but recently there have been breakthroughs that have allowed this technology to become viable.

Can one save money by using renewable energy?
If done correctly, one could save thousands of dollars per year in electricity costs by using renewable energy technology such as solar or wind power. In many places, solar panels can provide the majority if not all of the electricity necessary to power a household every month. The cost of installing a renewable energy system is often recaptured in savings in the first year.

As the old saying goes, “for 200 years we’ve been conquering Nature. Now we’re beating it to death”. Everyone needs to jump on the Eco-friendly band wagon these days. There are lot of options for being eco-friendly from using solar power and recyclable material to building eco-friendly housing. Log are the best choice available for building eco friendly homes today. From planning and construction to living in the friendly wood homes, every activity has little or no negative impact on the environment. Though the Eco friendly wood homes are offered by various companies, not all of them are equal. You should know some factors about the Eco friendly wood homes before choosing the one for you.

Eco friendly wood homes made from Northern White Cedar are better than others

Eco friendly wood homes are made of different types of wood. Most of the eco friendly wood homes are made using the “Dry Dead Standing trees”. As the name indicates, this type of wood used in constructing the log homes will be of very poor quality. Though many log home manufacturers claim using the “Dry Dead Standing trees” as the cheapest and best option, this is simply untrue. The true fact is that though the log homes made from “Dry Dead Standing trees” needs low initial investments, the maintenance cost of these log homes will be very high. Getting log home constructed using the “Dry Dead Standing trees” will end up in a lifetime of repairs and maintenance.

When it comes to the best wood for constructing the log homes, the Northern White Cedar are the ones to look for. There are countless numbers of benefits in using Northern White Cedar in the construction of the log homes. One of the main advantages of this type of wood is it’s unsurpassed durability. The Northern White Cedar can retain its good appearance and toughness for more than 100 years. The maintenance cost of the log homes constructed with Northern White Cedar will be much less when compared to the other types of log homes.

Northern White Cedar log homes are better than White Pine Log Homes

White pine is also widely used in the construction of log homes. Though white pine log homes are better than the ones constructed from “Dry Dead Standing trees”, they too have some drawbacks. White pine logs do not have the capacity to resist insects and rot. This means the log homes made from white pine needs some special treatment to prevent insects entering the house. You don’t have to worry about insects and rot if you are living in a log home constructed with Northern White Cedar. Researches revealed that Northern White Cedar is imbued with natural resins that repel insects and resist rot and degredation.

Considering all these benefits, the Northern White Cedar log-homes are the best eco-friendly homes available in this planet.