Energy Information

The Importance of an Energy Audit for Your Home

This heating season, you probably want to save money on your energy use. This is especially true during this winter?s cold snap that has affected much of the country as far south as Miami and Houston. But that might not be the only reason. You might find that your home?s HVAC system is always running hard but can?t adequately heat your home. Or some rooms in your house seem cooler or hotter than others. Maybe you noticed a mold or mildew problem in a room other than your bathroom. Perhaps your water heater can?t keep up with demand. You can fix these problems by starting with a home energy audit. How does a home energy audit work? An energy audit looks at several specific features of your home. First, it lists the characteristics of your home?s thermal envelope: walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, and skylights. Each of these features has a specific R-value, which is a measurement of the resistance to heat flow. The higher the resistance (or R-value), the better the insulative quality. Another factor is the leakage rate or how much outside air infiltrates into your home. Drafty doors and windows are the primary culprits here, however, other features of your home?s construction, age, orientation to the sun, and physical condition will have an effect. A third area to look at is your home?s mechanical system ? the heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) as well as the heating water. Energy Star provides a Home Energy Yardstick website so you can compare your household?s energy use to the rest of the country. The site is a good place to start and gives some basic recommendations about making home energy efficiency improvements. Generally, performing your own energy audit will help you discover most of the major energy usage problems in your house. For example, locating and sealing air leaks will help you save money and make your home more comfortable. An easy way is to wet your hand and then feel for drafts around: Electrical outlets Switch plates Window frames Baseboards Weather stripping around doors Fireplace dampers Attic hatches Wall or window-mounted air conditioners. Look and feel for gaps where pipes and wires enter a wall. Also check where your floor meets the foundation. And don?t forget mail slots. Check to see if caulking and weather stripping are applied properly and in good condition. Every house and lifestyle, is different. It?s safe to say that climate and location are primary factors in how your home performs. The other major factor is how you use energy in your home. When combined with information about local weather, the home?s thermostat settings, as well as energy bills for a 12 month period (24 is more accurate), an energy audit can render a more accurate picture of how your home uses energy. Unless you already have a few years experience of belly-crawling the dusty, cramped spaces of your home to weather-seal it, you should consider having a professional visit and perform an energy audit. Now you might think all an energy auditor does is seal a fan onto your front door and then prowl your house looking for drafts. Sure, they might perform this test, but not only do you get the benefit of their years of training and experience, you also gain from a fresh perspective. Professionals can often see things you have overlooked that can help you save on your energy costs and be more energy efficient. For example, a slight discoloration along a corner of your living room wall might indicate an unsealed gap in your home?s framing that lets in cold air and moisture. This and other hidden heat loss can also be detected with heat-sensitive cameras, a tool most homeowners don?t own. A qualified energy auditor can also give you an informed choice of options. Some fixes might just require a tube of $4. 00 caulk to save you $100. 00 in energy costs. Some fixes might be more expensive but can be done over time. An energy auditor can make recommendations for improvements and solutions based on what they learn about your living habits, needs, and budget. This can include efficient low-wattage lighting fixtures, getting the best insulation for your buck, as well was Energy Star rated appliances and upgrades so you can take advantage of both Federal and State rebate offers. Remember, not only will an energy audit show you where to start saving money to heat your home this winter but it will identify cooling problems that cost you during the hot summer months. But whether or not you decide to do it yourself or consult a professional, you should do it as soon as possible so you can identify your home?s problems and develop a plan of action. After all, making your home energy efficient not only saves money, energy, and natural resources, it also makes your home more comfortable and enjoyable for you and your family.

Solar Power Electricity Generation-Tips for Solar Power Electricity Generation

The best thing about solar power is that it has an unlimited potential. Discover the easiest method of solar power electricity generation so that you can easily go solar and save $1000?s on utility bills forever. You just need to know how to make your own renewable energy source and today I am going to tell you exactly how to generate solar electric power. If you want to learn solar power electricity generation, you’ll need to learn some basics on how exactly do solar panels work. This way, the entire procedure will be much easier to handle. The process starts with solar modules. They are the main components exposed directly to sunlight. Their main function is to convert the sun’s energy into usable electrical power for your home appliances. To get them correctly installed, solar modules are to be mounted on a steel frame and positioned on your roof top. Power produced by the solar modules is converted from Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC) through a inverter. Usually, Alternating Current (AC) is the usable electrical power that we need to power the home appliances. Next, the electrical power transfers from the inverter to the electrical service panel. The electrical service panel is used for distributing the electrical power to different parts of your house or office for use. The unused electrical power produced by the solar panels will then be brought into the grid all the way through the utility electric meter. As a result, the meter will be made to spin backwards and this establishes a credit with the utility company in offsetting future usage. This method is known as Net Metering and is completely approved by State Level Electricity Policy. Solar power electricity generation isn’t really a difficult task. You don’t require many skills beyond being able to handle wiring & basic tools with care and safety measures. The components needed for building solar panels include:-1. ??? Solar Cells2. ??? Sheet Plywood3. ??? Copper Wire4. ??? General Tools (Drills, screwdrivers, woodwork glue etc)5. ??? Clear PVC SheetingAll these components can be easily picked up by you from the local hardware store. Photovoltaic cell is the only component that you might have to search online and it can be found easily on eBay. Quality directions that are easy to follow are vital to find when trying to generate solar power. This will make the building process less stressful and make you happier that you made the choice to do it yourself. Online is just one of the places you are able to find some of these manuals. We have reviewed the best guides available to help you to learn how to build your own solar panel system for electricity. Go ahead and check them out NOW??learn solar power electricity generation and STOP paying for electricity?FOREVER!

Geothermal Renewable Energy – The Earth

The heat of the Earth makes up what is known as geothermal energy. When dust and gasses from Earth mixed together 4 billion years ago, geothermal energy resulted.
Inside the Earth at its core, some 4, 000 miles deep, the temperature is estimated at about 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Geothermal energy has been used throughout history for bathing, relaxing, cooking and heating. It was thought by some to have healing effects and was used to treat eye and skin diseases. The first geothermal generator that produced energy was built in Lardarello, Italy in 1904. The United States followed with their first attempt at geothermal power in 1912 at The Geysers in California. Today it is produced in twenty-one countries around the world.
Geothermal energy is located deep in the ground. The heat at the core of the Earth has an outward flow. As it moves, it is transferred to surrounding rock layers called the mantle. As temperatures and pressure increase, the rock melts and becomes magma. The magma moves toward the surface of the earth carrying the heat with it. If the magma reaches the Earth’s surface, it becomes lava. However, most of it stays below the Earth’s crust and heats rocks and water that surround it. These temperatures can reach up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water travels to the Earth’s surface, it becomes hot springs or geysers. Mostly it stays trapped in fractured, porous rocks called geothermal reservoirs. This heat near the Earth’s surface becomes a form of energy.
Hot water or steam from the reservoir exerts a force that can spin a turbine connected to a generator and produces electricity. The cooled water is then returned to the reservoir in order for it to reheat. Much exploration and testing needs to be done to determine where the geothermal underground waters are. When ideal spots are located, drilling is done to create production wells that bring the water to the Earth’s surface for power generation in geothermal power plants.
Although the costs to construct geothermal plants and geothermal wells are high, the cost of producing electricity is lower over time. The fuel is reliable, stable and does not need to be transported. The white smoke you will see over geothermal power plants is not smoke but rather steam. During the process of operations it may, however, bring some hazardous gases from underground.
The United States stands as the biggest producer of geothermal energy. Unfortunately, interest in it is low and it only accounts for about 1% of this country’s energy supply. Through research and experience new methods and technologies for accessing geothermal energy will improve. Tapping into the heat under the Earth’s surface can produce much more of the nations energy. We are at a point where renewable energy sources must make their way to the forefront of the energy picture. Not only are fossil fuels being depleted, but also they are ruining our air quality. In time, geothermal energy may become an appealing alternative. Competitive pricing and minimal environmental impact could produce a hot future for this renewable energy source.

“alternative Energy Sources” System © – is it Affordable?

Already spending hundreds month-by-month on these rising electricity-bills? It seems like a simple “Alternative Energy Sources” System can easily save you all that trouble. The first impression may not reveal that, but this technique takes no more than just few days to be completed. If you read this article you’ll be able to know more about how this technology can help you to significantly cut your expenses. Quick introduction The basic idea behind this “Alternative Energy Sources” System is to teaching you how to assemble Solar-Cells by using materials that can be found at any average hardware store. Some guides can be really useful while others miss their target; check whether it offers the following: clear information, detailed diagrams, video tutorials, and technical support. In any case, here are some key-advantages and tips that can help you out. Important benefits We could clearly notice several good reasons to use this one-of-a-kind solution: * Cuts down on the usage of non-renewable enr. resources. * Helps our nation on becoming less dependent on external oil suppliers. * Saves hundreds month-after-month. * Knowing that we are doing our part to conserve the planet. * Increases the value of your home by thousands. Advice Use high quality materials – you want your unit to hold for many years ahead, don’t try to save a few dollars here and there and after a few months watch how everything falls apart. Summarizing this article When we constantly look for immediate and affordable ways to ‘cut’ our elec. expenses, no doubt that “Alternative Energy Sources” System is one of the most revolutionary ideas that can help us achieve that goal. It would be quite easy to find other advantages provided by this remarkable invention, simply because it is innovative. At this point it would be advised to use it as this is the most recommended way that truly enables you to explore the advantages mentioned in this article.