Welcome to Greensun - a blog about Enviromental Energy

Sunday, 28 December 2008

Solar Powered Landscape Lighting: The First Step to a Perfect Summer Evening

Summer is for evening parties and what can be better venue than your backyard lawn for hosting a cozy gathering with your friends? Proper lighting plays a key role in the success of such parties.

 

Now the question is: what do you mean by the term, proper lighting? Here are four main points to consider:

  • The light should adequately illuminate the place, so that your guests can sit or move around comfortably. This is the functional side of your landscape lighting scheme.
  • On the aesthetic side, the lighting should be such that it rightly accentuates the beauty of the landscape.
  • More importantly, the lighting should be power efficient.
  • The wireless lighting offers a fuss-free way of installation, and that make them more suitable for outdoor use.  

Solar powered landscape lighting is one that helps you meet with all these criteria in one.

  • Solar powered landscape lights offer you the most energy efficient solution. They are virtually free, as they need nothing but clean energy from the sun to run.
  • With solar powered landscape lighting, you are not only cut benefit on the personal plain by saving on energy bills, at the same time you are making valuable contribution in conserving precious environmental resources.
  • It may sound unbelievable, but you will need as little as twenty seconds to install a solar powered light in your outdoor space. Spare fifteen minutes more and you are done with the task of illuminating the entire outdoor space for enjoyment after sundown.
  • With no wiring required, solar powered landscape lighting can be installed even by an inexperienced homeowner. Your task almost ends with locating the proper place of installation of light; after that all you need to do is just plant them in the ground, without needing any cumbersome wiring.
  • In case you need some alteration with your original scheme, it is easy to just pick the lighting fixtures up and replace them.
  • You don’t have to compromise on the aesthetic side too; these solar powered lights are available in variety of styles starting from decorative lanterns to accent lights.

What makes a basic solar light?

  • In a solar powered landscape light, the source of illumination is an LED lamp that is expected to withstand 10,000 hours of usage.
  • The solar panels are made of photo cells that charge up the battery from solar power.  
  • The solar panels need to receive enough sunlight during the day, so that you can get illumination throughout the evening. The rechargeable batteries provide about 8 hours of light at a stretch.
  • These lights come with built-in light sensors that work for automatic turning on and off of the lamp.  

Ideas for creative use of solar powered landscape lights

You have worked hard to give the desired shape to create your dream landscape; now is the time of finishing touch. Add the final polish with a stylish lighting scheme.

  • First locate the places in your garden that requires lighting and use different types of lights for different areas.
  • If you happen to have a pond in your plot, use floating lantern style lamps for an unusual look.
  • In the sitting areas or in the places where foods are served, place the table top solar powered lanterns.
  • It is equally important to lit up driveways and pathways; use pole lamps or pedestal style lanterns here.  Pole lamps are also ideal for illuminating the patios and decks.
  • The solar powered accent lights are also available to decorate the rock sculptures or other architectural attractions in the garden.
  • Use footlights in the corners of edging and fences for a dramatic ambience. For the same effect, you can hide the source of light behind the bushes to bring about a silhouetted view. 

In the end here are some useful facts about solar powered landscape light that may help in your selection.

  • Solar lights come both with ornamented outdoor fixtures, and without them. Select the type according to your plan of using them.
  • Your local garden store can be a great source of solar powered landscape lighting options. If you want to spark off the imagination a little more, surf the internet; the online stores are the ideal place for finding out the products that you are looking for.

What's the Best Bit Of Earth4Energy

It is expensive to use fossil fuels these days as a primary power source for the home. This bottom line cost is making people reflect on practical alternatives to fossil fuels. Given that burning fossil fuels doesn't have many beneficial affects on the environment too and it seems that people are ready to act on these two factors.

A good starting point is to look at renewable energy systems to power your home. Renewable energy is a cleaner energy generating process than traditional fossil fuel based systems. And by definition, it will always be plentiful despite how much is used.

This means it is an ideal source of energy given that our needs for energy will increase with population increases. So the Earth4Energy guide is about creating 2 renewable energy systems for your home. To this extent I think it is quite good. It details how to build these systems from scratch, including finding the parts for free or very cheaply. It also includes clear diagrams, photographs and instructions on how to put them together.

With this said, this is not the reason why this manual is a useful and topical product. It is worthy of praise right now because it puts this information into the hands of the average person just as the renewable energy debate is really taking off. The Earth 4 Energy guide shows you how to install two systems at a fraction of the commercial options.

Indeed, a large commercial alternative could be upwards of $20,000 if large amounts of energy were needed. This kind of money is either not available or hard to justify using on something that isn't essential when a solution is already in place. It will also mean that the investment will take longer to pay for itself with reduced energy bills.

In the case of the systems you will be creating based on the Earth4Energy manual, the cost is small enough that you will have made the initial investment back within a couple of months (6 months maximum). After that, all the energy you create will supplement your energy needs and help to reduce your energy bills. So the manual reduces your risk financially even if the systems it created do not have the capacity of a professionally installed system.

So basically this guide is valuable because it makes renewable energy systems in the home accessible and achievable to even the most cash strapped homeowner.Thus it not only benefits the individual that implements the plans in the manual but, in the bigger picture, helps the environment.

Get more details on solar power as a renewable resource for the home, including residential solar hot water .

Discover the Hidden Facts of Reverse Osmosis Water Filter

What is reverse osmosis or commonly known as RO? It is a water filtering and purifying process that uses pressure to force a solution through a membrane that retains the solute on one side and allows the pure solvent to pass to the other side. The reverse osmosis water filter is commonly used to improve drinking water and for cooking. However, the effectiveness of the RO system really depends on the water pressure as well as the initial stages of pollution.

However, regardless of how much improvement RO does to the water, it still brings some disadvantages to the users. Though the reverse osmosis filter potentially clears minerals, it also removes minerals that are essential for our bodies. Besides that, the filtering also leaves chlorine behind. Although the water supposed to be purified and cleaned, you can still get the distinct chlorine smell occasionally which could be hazardous to our body if we kept on consuming lots of this. Sometimes, bacteria and viruses are also not removed from the water content by the RO filters that will cause various illnesses to us.

Bear in mind that reverse osmosis water filter uses a huge amount of water throughout the system. This RO water filtering process causes loss of large quantity of water. The treatment uses lots of water as it needed massive water pressure to push through the membrane. Experts prove that this system can only recover up to a maximum of 20 percent of the water going into the system. Besides that, the reverse osmosis water filter can be very expensive. Even if you truly want to protect your family, why waste money on expensive reverse-osmosis water filters where there are more affordable and better water filter system available?

Another disadvantage of using reverse osmosis filter is the wastage of electricity. It requires additional power being supplied to the pumps to pressurize the water entering the system. This means that both your electricity bill and water bill will go up higher! Besides that, RO water filter system frequently needs higher maintenance and it is therefore more costly to maintain than other normal water filter system.

You can see that there are many flaws and setbacks of getting a reverse osmosis water filter system for your home. So please take the time to do your research to consider other alternatives to RO filters. Aquasana offers a more advanced, complete and also more affordable water filtration and purification system to reverse osmosis filters.

Thursday, 11 December 2008

Know The Basics About Saving Gas

One way to save gas is to look for a job that won't be far from your residence. The fact that one would have to drive lots of miles to go to work can put a big hole in one's pockets, especially if one must use the car.

One of the myths that surround saving gas is that topping your tank up to its brim makes you have more gas to use throughout the week. You might risk of losing more of your purchase gas when you practice filling your tank to the top. The loss of gas from your gas tank can be avoided if you don't always fill your tank to the brim.

You can use more than one gasoling credit card if you wish to. Once you expend the rebate rate of a gas credit card, you can apply for another gas credit card to enjoy its rebate rate. With more than one gas credit card, you can save tremendous costs on gas.

Many people say that green cars are becoming a much accepted way to save gas these days. Although I haven't used a green car before but they say a green car is one that does not rely on gas to power it. Whether such cars really exist is something that is worth studying. But the way the cost of gas is going, green cars will surely be an option for many if such cars actually exist and work as advertised.

You can walk instead of using your car all the time in order to save gas. As an alternative to using your car, walking comes with tremendous health benefits such as the loss of extra fat, leaner muscles and a healthier heart. Walking to closeer destinations instead of driving can keep the gas in your car much longer.

Slamming on the car breaks unnecessarily tends to cause loss of gas. It's really true that aggressive driving is responsible for gas loss in many cars. Jack rabbiting is a driving habit that can cause you to lose more gas than you should. Please take time to master how to avoid these bad habits and you will be surprise on how much fuel you can save at the end of the day.

A vehicle in general works better and save more gasoline when is kept in great conditions. If you fail to maintain your car, you will work with a car that uses up more gas. Keeping your car in a good regimen of maintenance is vital for saving gas.

Getting a job where you can telecommute can be the right answer to the the question how I can save gasoline. If you work at home on the Internet, then you don't need to commute to and fro your place of work. This is indeed a great way to save on gas and still live your life, especially one that still puts food in your mouth and feed your family each month.

Sunday, 7 December 2008

Common Renewable Energy Resources

Fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil are a finite resource. With time, it will become harder to find and remove these resources out of the ground and this cost will be passed onto the consumers. This trend will continue if more resources continue to be used. And there are potentially more telling costs that come with using fossil fuels. Many people feel that they have caused many of the environmental problems that we are beginning to witness today and ultimately will be paid for by future generations. So what are the alternatives to these traditional sources of energy. This article will cover a few of the alternative energy sources that are being touted as practical solutions both commercially and for the individual homeowner.

The first alternative energy source to be covered is solar energy. It has been around for quite a while now and most people have seen the odd solar panel on a neighbors roof. To this extent, mankind has always known about the Sun's energy and used it is one way or another since the first civilizations where established, however it is only fairly recently that it has advanced to the stage that we are at now.

At this point in time, the Sun's heat and light energy is utilized to make energy for consumption.

Heat energy provided by the sun is used for many things like heating water, heating a room or cooking food. As we can feel the heat provided to by the Sun, the inspiration for using it as a renewable energy resource was not a great leap. In fact, It was a focal point of many of these early civilizations existence and may explain why many saw the Sun as a diety.

Harnessing energy from sunlight is still a relatively new discovery by comparison. The innovation that makes this occur is the photovoltaic (PV) cell. The idea was first tested in the late 19th century however it wasn't produced and sold until the middle to late 20th century.

The principle behind this is that photons in sunlight give the individual atoms in the PV cell enough energy to displace a spare electron. Many cells and more sunlight cause more electrons to flow. This is how direct current (DC) electricity works. Direct current can be stored in a battery or used to power appliances that run on DC.

Another popular option in terms of renewable energy is the use of wind power. I think this is because it is fairly well understood by most people as a concept. It may also be because plenty of wind turbines are popping up all over the countryside.

A wind turbine is a modern day windmill, it uses the power of the wind to turn blades. The kinetic energy is utilized by the generator to create electricity. Countries such as Germany, Denmark and the United States are increasing the number of wind turbines every year. They give the opportunity to create cheap yet clean energy.

Wind turbines or mills are an option even in the suburban home and can be constructed quite cheaply. It is quite simple to build a windmill or turbine from scratch or a pre-built variety can be purchased. Before this is done, it is important to ascertain the amount of wind you get and have a clear unobstructed place for the turbine to go. You may also want to notify your neighbors that you are erecting a turbine as it could be an issue with some people.

Other familiar renewable energy systems exploit the kinetic energy in water to create usable energy, like electricity. This is hydro-power and a dam is an obvious example of this process in action. Geothermal energy can also be used to some extent. This is using the heat from the earths core to heat water which can be turned into steam that can turn a generator or be used as is.

Friday, 5 December 2008

What Is Water For Gas ?

With the increase in gas prices lately, many people are focused on getting the best mileage per liter of fuel that they use in their car. For instance, two common ways to save fuel are to employ more efficient driving strategies (or hypermiling) or to organize some form of car pooling. One idea that is designed to get better fuel mileage is to create a hydrogen generator. There are plenty of products on the market now that show you how to create such as system. This article goes into the underlying ideas behind the method and what to think about if you are contemplating getting a system.

The hydrogen generator that many of the these products refer to is also known as a water for gas generator. The system splits water (H2O) into it's constituent elements hydrogen, hydrogen and oxygen (HHO) through electrolysis.

The process of electrolysis involves having a jar of water mixed with salt. Two terminals, generally made of metal, like platinum, are placed in the water. By passing electric current, from the battery, through the terminals that are connected by the water solution, a chemical reaction occurs. The resulting chemical reaction causes hydrogen gas to go to the negative terminal and oxygen gas to go to the positive terminal.

The hydrogen gas that is created is passed into the inlet manifold of the car. Hydrogen gas put into the carburettor as an additive to gasoline has the effect of improving the efficiency of the fuel. This is thought to increase the amount of miles you get per gallon of gasoline.

Most people agree that adding hydrogen to the gasoline mix can improve the mileage you get from your automobile. However, for many people that disagree that these systems can actually work, they dispute that the amount of hydrogen gas that can be produced can make a real difference. Or they question whether the energy needed to create the hydrogen gas, that comes from the cars battery which is charged by the engine, is not simply being used in another way thus diverting the consumer from the fact that they will need to replace their battery more often or that.

The people selling these products disagree with these comments and believe that their methods can make a real improvement to the amount of gas you need to use each week. This will save you cash on your car's gas bills with time if you increase the mileage you get per liter of gasoline to any extent. A number of these products also include additional information that teaches you how to be more economical in your driving habits so if you take this information to heart, this may also be saving you money on gas consumption.

There are nearly 50 products available on the market these days. Nearly all detail the same method. Many of these products seem to be the same or are slightly differently worded, suggesting that the author of the product has simply bought the rights to the same information. Or possibly they have reworked the idea to create a new book that they feel is an improvement on the others.

You will find all of these ebooks come with aguarantee that can vary from 50 to 60 days. So if you decide on one of these products then try to install it into your vehicle as quickly as possible. Check the changes in your fuel consumption, if you are not happy with the changes then apply for a refund. For unbiased consumer reports on the leading water for gas conversion kits visit http://waterforgasreports.com, including a report on water4gas.

Just What Is An HHO Fuel Kit?

Is it not crazy to wake in the morning to find that gas prices have risen yet again?  You have to wonder if there is any relief available now or in the future?  Yes and it's something you would never suspect, water.  Did you know that you can run your car on water, well not totally, but you can.  This can be achieved with a device called an HHO Fuel Kit.  This little kit can help boost your cars gas mileage and save you a ton of money in the long run.Basically what happens is that you turn your car into a gas sipper running on a mixture of water and gas.

You may be wondering how the HHO fuel kits work?  Well, gas is generated from H2O or water with the help of a catalyst such as baking soda and a couple of stainless steel plates.  These, along with a few other small parts, are erected into a type of cell, like a battery that goes in your flash light.  The gas that has been generated from this cell is then injected into your cars manifold via your cars vacuum system and no I'm not talking about the one you use on your carpet.As a result of installing one of the kits, you'll benefit from improved gas mileage and substantial savings on all subsequent fill ups.

You may be wondering if this is something that will cost a lot of money to do, well it simply doesn't.  You may be surprised to find many of the parts in your garage and if not, they'll be at your local car store.  If you have to go to the store, you can pick up the parts for as little as $50.  If you’re a grease monkey/mechanic, then putting together the HHO cell will be a breeze.  Don't worry if your not a mechanic, your local one can put this kit together for you in a day or so.

This HHO fuel kit can be used on almost every make and model car out there.  It's finished assembly is about the size of a small jar so don't be worried about fitting it under the hood.  There is very little modification needed to your cars engine and the HHO Fuel Kits conversion is completely reversible.

Gas prices are not going to go down anytime in the near future.  People are scrambling to find ways to save on the rising cost's of fuel consumption.  To date, this is the quickest and best alternative to paying an arm and a leg every week for gas.  You should definitely consider running your car on water and gas if your looking to save money in the future to run your vehicle.  You've got nothing to lose so why not give it a try, it's reversible remember!