How To Select The Best Generator For Your Home

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Many people are growing more and more energy conscious and there are many reasons for this. For some, there is a sincere need and desire to cut and reduce costs associated with energy expenditures. A home generator can help greatly in this regard since a home generator can provide a viable source of energy. Then, there are more serious and ominous concerns. Namely, a home generator has the ability to provide a home with electricity in the case of a power outage. That is why it is critical to select the right home generator for your house and here are a few points to consider when making such a purchase.

The first important step that you must take is to decide what basic kind of generator you are going to need. They now come in two basic types: stationary and portable. You should have guessed that the stationary one means that you cannot move it and is better used as a backup energy source; portable generators are better suited for situations where a person will use it more on a regular and frequent basis both in and outside of the house. Either way, it is important to really think about this before pulling out any cash; a generator is a major purchase that should be made carefully.

After you determine your basic needs, you need to determine the specs that you will need in a generator, primarily the volume of voltage and watts you need your generator to have. You do not want to purchase a generator that cannot service your energy needs, but you also do not want to purchase one that does more than you need it to do because it is going to cost you. The best thing to do is to determine what items you are going to run on the generator, or if you are going to run your whole house, you can look at an energy bill and determine how much you use. You can also add up the watts and voltage of everything in your house that is currently plugged in or running on your energy. Then purchase a generator that has enough power to provide the service that you need.

You should also consider the kind of fuel that your generator is going to run off of. The majority of home generators are going to run on propane or natural gas. However, there are generators that exist that run off of diesel fuel, though they are largely used for more industrial purposes. Whatever the case may be for you, pick one that best suits the needs of your particular house. You may need a bigger generator if you live in a mansion.

One should also never overlook the benefits of any safety features that may be present. A generator that shuts itself off in the advent of overheating would be an example of a desirable safety feature. Again, safety is important and it should never be overlooked. Of course, there are many other criteria you can employ prior to purchasing a generator. The key here is to select the right generator for your needs.

Originally posted 2009-07-02 05:05:37.

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Chickens Try Off Grid Living And Enjoy Year-Round Christmas

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With energy prices soaring and environmental awareness improving, many are turning to renewable energy as the solution – even chickens are trying off grid living.

To fool the chickens into thinking it’s daytime and ensure they lay eggs all year round, farmers usually install lights in their chicken coops. The only problem comes in is when a coop is far from the power outlet, and long extension cords have to be used.

This happened at the World Hunger Relief Farm where they had two mobile coops. The coops were used as mobile fertilizers and situated far from any power source.  Initially the folks over at the farm connected long extension cords to power the coop lights, but they suddenly had the urge to make the coops completely mobile and get their chickens off the grid.

They had heard a lot about solar power and how a few small panels could be used to power small appliances.  So they decided to give it a try. And with the help of engineers they installed two small solar panels, charge controllers (batteries), and a small 100 watt inverter.  And to save power they replaced the light bulb with high-tech LED christmas lights that use less than five watts of power.

Anna, one of the students, said, “We mounted the solar panels on the side of the coop and put all the electric components in a five gallon bucket to protect them from the elements. We finished up and left at around 3PM for lunch. When we returned later in the evening it was one of the most hilarious sights ever.”

Apparently all the chickens were huddled around the white christmas lights, clucking in delight, all thinking about laying more eggs. Thanks to the confluence of old and new technologies – animal domestication and modern electronics – the chickens were living off the grid and could enjoy a year-round Christmas.

So, if chickens can do it, then so can you.  And with affordable diy energy solutions, there is no reason anyone cannot enjoy off grid living.

Originally posted 2008-11-16 09:07:49.

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The Growth of Renewable Energy in Northern UK

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The rapid growth of Scotland’s renewable energy sector has attracted many plaudits, and with over £300 million invested and 2,500 jobs created it’s certainly deserved. In fact at least another £6 million is going to be pushed into wind energy alone.

However Scotland isn’t doing this all by themselves a recent report called “Renewables Investments and Jobs” has illustrated that over £2.46 billion has been invested in the UK renewable industry so far and it could boost the job market as well by nearly 12,000 jobs up and down the country.

Yet even though Scotland seems to be getting all the headlines there’s another part of the country quietly working away and it’s actually received a whopping £470 million for its renewable projects; wind turbines, hydroelectricity and solar panels to name a few. Yes the renewable industry is certainly booming in Yorkshire.

In comparison to everywhere else in the UK, Yorkshire has seen has seen a fantastic amount of investment in their renewable energy sector. Especially when you compare it to the £155 million that Northern Ireland received and the £116 million that was invested in East Midlands. Yorkshire received nearly double those figures added together!

The Energy Secretary for the UK Chris Huhne, said: “Renewable energy is not just helping us increase our energy security and reduce our emissions. It is supporting jobs and growth across the country, and giving traditional industrial heartlands the opportunity to thrive again.”

Renewable energy has been like a shining knight in the war against climate change with many people happy to get involved and do their part. The benefit of renewables is that they can take advantage of natural energy sources using equipment like solar panels, heat pumps and wind turbines. The equipment can then take; the heat from the sun or wind in the air and convert it to electricity and heat. Truly amazing!

The reason for Northern regions getting so much investment seems to be mainly down to their more rugged terrain and often changing weather conditions which suit the naturally powered renewable energy gathering devices. However it’s not just the landscape and weather that brings the investors, it is the open arms with which they’re met by the officials in charge.

The massive amount of investment in some northern areas from renewable energy suppliers and overseas has seen a real change in their fortunes with booming micro-economies and revitalized towns it’s no wonder officials are doing all they can to make the investors feel welcome.

This guest post was written by Ross Wilson.

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You can use wind generated power for your home.

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The need for alternative fuel sources has been a topic of hot debate and dire concern for decades. It is only as we reach points of energy catastrophe and economic peril that the issue is taken seriously. Researchers and scientists in many countries have been planning for this time with research and practice in wind farms. The United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom have all begun investing in wind technology.

Wind farms are housed both onshore and offshore. Off shore wind farms are a relatively new occurrence with the largest being off the coast of Scotland. The turbines are placed in rows along the ocean floor in shallow waters close to shore. California’s central valley has been home to wind farms for almost 30 years. The wind generated in the central valley is fed into the public energy grid. Because wind is an intermittent energy source it is often used as an energy supplement.

The United Kingdom has taken steps to map a future powered by off shore wind farms. The shelved sea floor off the coast of Great Britain is ideal for the placement of turbines. Massive off shore wind farms have not been built in the U.S. yet. However, the topography of the ocean floor surrounding the United States might be a limiting factor. Gigantic underwater canyons and steep drops will be keeping wind farms off of the U.S. pacific coast.

Off shore wind power generation is more consistent than onshore wind turbines because winds at sea are more consistent, stronger, and the turbines can be much larger. However, offshore wind generated power is only one piece of the wind power puzzle. Benefits of onshore power farms are sources of income for landowners, tax benefits, and job creation.

Wind power has the capacity to produce more than 100 billion kilowatt hours worldwide yearly. The main hindrance to this wind generated power technologies lies in the cost of the turbines. The rate at which the turbines pay themselves off however is faster than any other power producing mechanism.

Interest in wind power is global. Denmark, Australia, India and even Morocco already have wind farms generating portions of their countries power. Many experts in alternative fuels believe that wind power will be an excellent option for fostering independence in developing nations.

Wind generated power projects are generally funded by governments and non governmental organizations world wide. Employment outlooks for this sector are increasing especially with the U.S. President Obama committing more funding to the industries of alternative energy production. The American Wind Energy Associate estimates that 4.8 jobs will be created for every 1 mega watt of wind power installed.

Originally posted 2009-05-05 08:46:30.

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Great Resources On The Key Reason Why The United States Is Actively Playing Catch-Up When Considering Solar Panels

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Ideas To Save On Energy Expenses By Draught Proofing Your Sash Windows

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You can save on your energy bills by draught proofing your sash windows very easily. A home loses over 25% of its total heat due to draughts. Spending some time to make your home energy efficient will save you time and money with minimal expense and effort.

There are many areas in a home that may be draughty and identifying the areas where you are losing heat will be important. Because of their size and location, most heat is lost from sash windows and you will save a significant amount of money when you properly treat your sash windows for energy efficiency.

An easy way to check for heat loss in your home is to light a candle slowly move it around the frame of windows and doors. When the candle flickers, there is a draught that needs attention. There are a few steps you can take to help eliminate draughts from your sash windows that are affordable and relatively easy to carry out.

Heavy curtains or drapes are one way that a person can reduce draughts from their sash windows. When sash windows are very old, the need to have the window repaired and made energy efficient may be unavoidable, however using heavy drapes will keep heat from escaping.

If the panes in the window are loose, using silicone bathtub caulking will provide the necessary sealant to secure the panes and keep air from escaping through them. This also is a very affordable to treat large window panes.

Sash windows that are very old often will need further assistance from a professional to achieve the level of energy efficiency that will save significant amounts of money. The professionals can re-glaze or apply secondary glaze to the windows which will increase their efficiency. These professionals are also available to re-fit the windows and make them thoroughly energy efficient with parting beads, foam, and seals. When you have completed the repair of your windows you will save on your energey bills by draught proofing your sash windows.

If you’re going to save on your energy bills by Sash window draught proofing, you may want to spend some extra time taking care of all of the draughts in your home in the form of sash window repairs London and cut your overall energy costs.

Originally posted 2010-01-19 14:55:56.

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Impacts of a Switchgear

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It is not everyday that a person sits inside their home and looks around and everything they own that operates off of an electric outlet. In that way, it is also not every day that once contemplates the way in which these devices are controlled. That is to say, no one exactly wonders how much of our electricity is powered by a single source. One may consult their fuse box from time to time, but they do not think about where their city’s fuse box lies, even though that is the true source of energy their house runs from. And without that city power, without that switchgear, there’s no telling what could happen.

In short, a switchgear is the most intelligent kind of fuse box one could possibly own, taking control over an entire grid of systems in a city’s purview.

There are many reasons why having such a system at your hands is important, and it all begins with a simple idea of convenience.

Instead, when one debates the power of a cityscape, they may think about just the larger buildings at hand. Although, they would be mistaken to do so. A city’s power is not simply its buildings, but is in fact its residential areas as well, which means multiple houses on multiple streets all under the same review of needed functions.

The use of a switchgear is to the benefit of anyone overseeing the vast realm of power that stems from the switchgear. By having a localized place, we have a significant upgrade to our once arcane thoughts about electricity. Issues that once used to take days of sifting through wires, now takes moments to assess.

An additional advantage of switchgears has to do with the power to control certain areas of a city.

Think for just a moment about how your air conditioning at home operates. Granted, think about it if and only if you are so lucky to have central air conditioning. In such an analogy, you probably think about the thermostat where you no doubt regulate the temperature of your house, or how hard the electricity has to be working. In the same way that you can change a single degree on a thermostat and create a fiscal change, you can change a switchgear to alter cities.

Now, it is not so much as important as what you use a switchgear for as it is how you use one. One may often drive past huge fields of electrical cords and electrical towers and not realize that they are controlled by a switchgear and affect the way power runs into one’s city limits. However, by having an understanding for the way your city uses their electrical prowess, you can likely influence their decisions, and create a better platform from which to save money in the future. Believe it or not, how your city saves can often impact the way you are going to be saving in terms of levees and tax votes come election season. Those issues may seem unrelated, but a switchgear’s concern know no bounds.

Maria is an electrical engineer who specializes in electrical safety training.

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