30
October
2009

Where can I find instructions for how to build a solar panel myself?11

I want to build a solar panel, Is there a website with detailed step by step instructions?

Its only a matter of time before agua luna.com posts his cut and paste to his web site so that he can try to sell you something…..
While you wait for that just have a look on google and I am sure you will find something..

30
October
2009

Led Light Fixtures10

Led light fixtures will work for both outdoor and indoor lighting systems. These fixtures can be attached directly to a power source and they can also get connected through a transformer. People are going for more and more environmental friendly light fixtures and this is the reason why led light fixtures are very popular.

For this reason, production rate all over the world has gone up. The fixtures can be used with solar panels as well as batteries. They are very easy to use and there is nothing complicated about the fixtures. Its is vital for you to follow the manufactures instructions and advise. For led light fixture, Manufacturers advise the used transformers and dimmers.

The application of the dimmer will extend the life of led lamps by modulating the pulse. To install, make sure you follow instructions to the letter. An advice from a professional or expert will certainly go a long way to ensure you are ahead with information.

Too achieve an artistic purpose, the light fixtures will be combined with other lamp devices. You will get to save money this way because your electricity will go down significantly. Depending on the kind of project you have in mind, choose fixtures that are compatible with the other features of the system. If you are not sure about compatibility, ask for expert advise.

The led light fixtures are especially designed for unique applications for many rooms. They are designed for kitchens, cabinets and even for display areas. You can choose several work models if you want to create the right conditions at home or in the office. You will find this fixtures not only reliable but, very practical and cost effective.

Peter Gitundu
http://www.articlesbase.com/tools-and-equipment-articles/led-light-fixtures-534550.html

29
October
2009

Where can I find Solar Power Information?6

I’m looking for ways to save some money on my electrical and gas bill at home. I’ve heard that solar power is a great way to do that, but it looks pretty expensive to have it installed. I’m thinking that I may have to spend some time installing it myself. Where can I find solar power Information to install my own solar power equipment?

Solar power is a great way to save money on power bills. For instance, I had a solar water heater installed for my pool. It uses the sun’s energy to keep my pool heated throughout the day, even during the winter. It’s really nice having a warm pool to jump into, even during the winter when it’s cooler.

But anyways, I installed the solar water heater myself. It’s fairly easy, and the trick is to find a good deal on the equipment. However, once you have the right equipment, you’ll need to find the right solar power information. Awhile back I found some good books that will help you with your solar projects. It’s been extremely helpful for me, so I hope it works out for you too, especially if you’re looking to try and save some money from your power bill. Check out the sources section below.

29
October
2009

Can a solar panel facing north generate enough energy?5

My family and I will be moving into a loft in January. We will be on the top level and will have two sections of three overhead windows. The windows are at a 45-degree angle and facing north. If I place a solar panel at the same angle and facing the same direction as the windows, will I be able to harness enough energy from the sun? Or should I find another location for a solar panel, such as the south facing windows (perpendicular to the ground)? If you need more information, just let me know.

It would not produce as much as it would facing south. Whether directly or indirectly, south facing panels will get you the most out of the daily sunshine.
Then there is the size question. More surface area exposed to the sun will give you more wattage in the end.
Reputable solar panel dealers should be able to give you their optimum recommendation and estimates.

28
October
2009

Greener Houses Can Offset Greenhouse Gases0

28
October
2009

What Are Sunroom Kits?2

Sunroom kits include the foundation material. the wall type. the doors and windows. the roofs. nuts and bolts. ball bearing wheels. panels and more. But before you opt for a kit. you should pay due attention to the flooring. insulation. roof system and wall material. Depending on these factors. you should make the purchase.

Selecting the right kit is essential to the sunroom of your dreams. Make sure that the size fits in all the furniture that you plan to place inside it. The size of the sunroom kits should be such that it compliments with the other rooms of the house. Moreover. it should not look as if it is an extra part of your house protruding outside. but it should appear as an integral part of the room beside which it is placed. The sunroom kit includes a number of items with the help of which even you can build your sunroom yourself. But. before purchasing sunroom kits. there are a few factors that you should consider.

Factors To Consider

One of the chief factors that you should keep at the back of your mind is the foundation of the sunroom. It should compile with the codes of the local building. Consider the climatic condition of your area. If in winter your area freezes. you need a foundation that goes around four feet deep below the frost line. This will ensure that the foundation of the sunroom does not contract and expand with the ground depending on the weather. If the area where you want to build the sunroom is a level land. it is best to place slabs to achieve concrete block foundation sunroom. If you can not do so. you will have to place a framed foundation and top it with footings that are concrete. The walls of the peripheral foundation should be of cement block or concrete.

The second factor to consider is the roof. Other than the roof of the prefabricated and all glass sunroom. the other ones generally have roofs that are framed with the aid of joists of varying spacing. sizes and insulation. You can also give skylight opening on the roofs. Make sure that the glass used in the sunroom complies with the safety codes of local buildings. Usually the windows of the roof and the set skylights meet the requirements of safety system.

The third factor to consider while purchasing the do it yourself sunroom kit is the type of wall that you will need. There are mainly three types - PVC. wood and aluminum. The PVC walls have good insulation and require very little maintenance. They are extremely economical and are available in varying colors. The walls of wood will lend an authentic look to the room and requires frequent maintenance. They are costlier than the PVC ones and can be easily painted or stained. The aluminum sunrooms are almost like the PVC ones but it does not have good insulation capability. They are less expensive than wood and more than the PVC ones.

Contents Of The Sunroom Kit

Some of the common contents of the sunroom kit include the foundation material. the wall material. the doors and windows. the roofs. nuts and bolts. ball bearing wheels. panels and more. They include roof glazing. wall glazing. selection of single or double pane types. doors that can be easily fit into any place. aluminum frames with hollow tubes in white and bronze color. They are provided with clear wall glazing to allow maximum amount of light transmission. The panels also have solar guard glazing for reducing heat by the maximum amount. The frames can be purchased according to the design that will suit your house best. The frames in white and bronze can give you a finish of baked enamel. They are available in various sizes. You can opt for the Cathedral type with vaulted ceilings and slanting roofs. The Conservatory style uses numerous glasses in the roof that merge into a single beam. You can give a classic touch to your room by styling it in Victorian and Georgian models. They can also be styled in Straight and Curved forms.
The Insulation Factor

A sunroom is built with the aim of providing round the year comfort. But to indulge in daily work or enjoy nature sitting in your sunroom. you need to make the glass enclosed area well insulated. In order to maximize insulation. you need to opt for an insulation material with a higher grade. As far as the studs are concerned. it is best to install larger size studs measuring 2X6 for enhanced insulation. Glazing is an important factor that controls the amount of heat and light in and out of your room. It is best to select a high performance material for glazing which can collect the natural light. block the rays of the sun and retain heat if you need it. Thus. make sure that before you purchase the sunroom kit. you have properly chalked out your requirements according to your budget on the size. style. color. walls. panels. and overall appearance of your sunroom. This simple task will provide you with an all season sunroom that will not only keep your comfortable and cozy. but will also enhance the overall appearance of your house.

Mr.Andrew Caxton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/what-are-sunroom-kits-118451.html

28
October
2009

Wind Turbines: Here is Something Better2

26
October
2009

Light Up Your Life, And Your Landscape3

It’s easy to see your beautiful landscape during the daytime, and usually that’s the only time you think about it. But why not enjoy those scenes at night as well, with lighting that will accentuate and add beauty to every setpiece.

There’s an extra element to landscaping that many people don’t even think about, and that’s lighting. In broad daylight, of course, there’s no need for lighting, as you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy your front or backyard, meticulously designed just the way you want it, with no problem at all. But, what’s the point in lighting your yard at night, you’ll be asking yourself.

Security
Outdoor lights are one of the best accessories you can add to your home from a security issue. Everyone should have a porch light, so those hard-working pizza drivers can find your house if nothing else! But with a porch light or a lamp post illuminating your front door, this provides extra security against intruders.

And it’s not even so much to guard against intruders. Who hasn’t fumbled with their keys when trying to fit a key into a lock they can’t see? Placing a row of lights next to your garden paths can ensure that unsuspecting feet don’t step off into the flower beds.

Accents
Why just be able to enjoy the beauties of your gardens at night? With strategically placed lights you can enjoy your miniature fountains or waterfalls, water gardens or rock gardens at any time. Indeed, they may even look more spectacular at night. And its not just a question of accenting your garden. By lighting up your entire home with carefully placed spotlights, it can be made a work of art in itself.

Celebrating the seasons
Lots of people put up lights for the holidays - and go to a great amount of trouble stringing lights on their garage and on the eaves of their house. Then, two weeks later, they go through all the trouble of taking those lights down again. By designing a lighting system that will be semi-permanent, you remove the need for all that extra work. Simply change out the bulbs for those of different colors, depending on the season.

Where’s the power come from?
Give a thought to your lighting needs. If you choose line voltage fixtures that can get their power from your home’s electrical system, you’ll want the wires to run underground. You’ll want to have these installed by a professional. Also, make sure that you have a plan of where these underground wires are installed, because if you do any digging in future - or if you sell the home and the new owner wants to do some digging - it will be all too easy to cut through these wires if no one knows where they are.

The other choice that also works great, is to use solar light fixtures. These feature a solar cell that absorbs energy from the sun and stores it in rechargeable batteries. These types of lights are easily installed by the homeowner, but how long they will last can be a question.

To find out what kinds of lights are available, visit your local home and garden or home improvement center. However, a lot of companies offer their wares on the web as well. Seagull Lighting has practically every type of outdoor light you can imagine, as does Lights by Lighthouse.

Mr.Andrew Caxton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/light-up-your-life-and-your-landscape-127363.html

26
October
2009

Electric Lawnmowers Buying Guide0

There is a lot of choice on the market when it comes to electric lawnmowers. They can help you caring for your lawn without generating as much pollution as their gas-powered counterparts.

Electric Lawnmowers: Quietly Efficient

The past century has seen an evolution of the humble lawnmower. In what follow we will be particularly looking at how electricity powered lawnmowers can be both useful and more advantageous than their gas-powered counterparts, as they are generally less polluting and noisy.

How The Electric Lawnmower Developed

Where manual lawnmowers are a good option for the smaller gardens, mowing a larger area would require considerable time and effort. As most people do have the luxury of time, mowers powered by either electricity were developed.

Indeed, especially in rural areas where homes tend to benefit from much larger gardens there was a need for a tool to allow people a greater chance to enjoy their lawns.

Maintaining a healthy and good looking lawn requires regular trimming. Blades over 3 to 4 inches in length tend to look unkempt and unsightly. Keeping the lawn to a neat looking 2 inch length requires quite a bit of effort, which is where lawnmowers come in.

As electric cabling can prove impractical, lawnmower manufacturers came up with automatic cable winding, then cordless versions. The current trend is for the cordless remote-controlled variety. The next step may involve electricity generated by solar panels, and an on-board computer that will allow you to set it and forget it: once your chosen settings programmed in the mower will trim your lawn at the required height without further intervention from you. With this in mind it is difficult to imagine ever going back to manual or even gas-powered mowers.

Why Chose An Electric Lawnmower

Electricity powered mowers have distinct benefits over their mechanical and gas-powered counterparts:

1. Less polluting: if you consider that a 2-stroke gas-powered mower can generate as much as 2 or 3 times the amount of pollution created by a car it is no surprise that electrical mowers are the preferred option in today’s pollution-conscious society.

2. Less noisy: you may be prevented by homeowners associations to operate noisy gas-powered engines at certain hours due to the amount of noise created. Going electric gives you greater flexibility to tend to your plot when you are available.

3. Electric-powered mowers are easier to adapt to current technological advances such as computerization and remote-controlled operation.

The Future Is Electric

It is no surprise that these benefits are contributing to mains and battery powered electric mowers taking over from gasoline versions which are being phased out for the smaller backyards.

Mr.Andrew Caxton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/electric-lawnmowers-buying-guide-138062.html

26
October
2009

Offshore Wind Farms2

Offshore wind farms are becoming an increasingly popular idea, right across the world. This is down number of factors that all contribute to the argument of constructing wind turbines out at sea.

Until the idea of placing turbines out at sea came along, the placement of wind turbines was usually decided upon by a locations average annual wind speed. The disadvantage of this method of deciding where to construct turbines, rests upon the fact that where there is a high wind speed on land, there could very well be houses or businesses nearby.

Most people agree that wind turbines are a very sustainable and cost effective method of generate renewable energy, yet a large amount of people who think that, wouldn’t take too kindly to a large wind turbine or wind farm been placed within half a mile of their home.

Wind turbines are described to sound like jet engines, and when you get close to one, you can really make out this comparison. This is a huge problem when developers request planning permission, and usually village and/or town meetings will be held, followed by petitions of large numbers against the development.

So, wind turbines placed out at sea currently seem like a very good option, as the wind is quite constant, of a significant energy, and no-one is around to hear the output of noise. The main problem associated with this development method is the dangers and technological skill needed to construct large turbines in the seas.

Many more countries are turning to the idea of building wind turbines out to sea, in a bid to generate more natural energy. This idea is especially welcomed by smaller countries who want to save land space while still allowing power industries to develop.

Offshore wind farms are set to play a very significant part in the future of our society, along with other renewable energy technologies such as solar panels, and especially geothermal energy. If you want to do something good for your environment, why not go small scale, and just implement one of the technologies to give a boost to your home electricity supply.

http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/wind_turbines.html

James Bratley
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/offshore-wind-farms-110609.html