Homemade Solar Cell » Conservation http://homemade-solar-cell.com save energy, save money, save the planet Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:28:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 Ashrae Energy Audit is the top kept secret to get the most out of your industrial energy efficiency…and your profits! http://homemade-solar-cell.com/ashrae-energy-audit-is-the-top-kept-secret-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-industrial-energy-efficiency-and-your-profits/ http://homemade-solar-cell.com/ashrae-energy-audit-is-the-top-kept-secret-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-industrial-energy-efficiency-and-your-profits/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:17:03 +0000 Brandt Smith http://homemade-solar-cell.com/ashrae-energy-audit-is-the-top-kept-secret-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-industrial-energy-efficiency-and-your-profits/ energy saving audit?]]>

Why Must I Be concerned About energy saving audit?

I know, I know, you already have so lots of things to be anxious about. Your competition is gunning for your best client. The principal project in your shop is behind schedule. You are anxious about the economy and anxious we are heading into another depression. Expenses are rising but you can’t increase your prices without loosing business so profit margins are non-existent. How are you going to deal with rising energy costs?

And that doesn’t even take into consideration troubles in your personal life (we all experience them).

Why should you add something in addition to your list? Since commercial energy efficiency is a low risk way to resolve some of your leading problems.

Think about it. Energy costs are a key expenditure. If you can cut your energy spending by 25%, how much would that help your business? What would that do for your profit margins? How much more competitive will you be if your expenses are lower?

How Can energy efficient audit Assist Me?

If done correctly, a business energy audit can show you how to cut your expenses. A first-class consultant can examine your utility bills searching for billing errors, avoidable charges, and better rates. A good energy auditor can show you ways to help lower your energy consumption (and your energy spending), and many of his recommendations will cost you little to put into practice. And these recommendations are low risk because the consultant quantifies the savings and price to implement. You know ahead of time what to expect, and get to reap the reward of the energy savings year after year.

So What Is a energy efficient audit?

A commercial energy audit is simply a evaluation of your business, building, along with utility bills by a consultant who is a specialist in energy conservation. There are different levels of commercial energy audits. The most popular designations are:

**Preliminary Audit: A high level look at your energy use. Your energy consumption is compared to other businesses in your industry. This gives you an idea of what energy you can save, but doesn’t make any suggestions. **Scoping Audit: Scoping audits include an examination of your utility bills and a quick walk through of your facility to grasp your process, maintenance procedures, equipment, and energy consumption. There is adequate data to discover the low hanging fruit, but not enough to discover every savings possible or to give you a high level of accuracy. **Comprehensive Audit: Also know as an ASHRAE Level 2 audit, a comprehensive audit picks up where a scoping audit stops. A more complete walk through and examination of your facility lets the consultant to fully check all energy conservation possibilities. More importantly, because there is sufficient data to accurately examine your energy consumption, the energy consultant is able to tell you how much energy your can save with a high amount of accuracy. This enables you to prioritize energy conservation measures and greatly reduces risk. **Engineering or Investment Grade Audit: These are the most complex (i.e….costly) audits. They are most often used by major corporations with intensive project approval processes, or by corporations looking to execute major (and expensive) technologies. These include wind, solar PV (photo-voltaic), hot water heating, solar heating system (passive & active), CHP (Combined Heat Power), CHCP (Combined Heat Cool Power), refrigeration (mechanical & absorption), heat pumps, HVAC, high efficiency electric motors, biomass, and small hydro-electric….Most businesses don’t need an audit at this level. The cost and time simply are too expensive to justify the minor improvement in accuracy.

Industrial Energy Audit Services are industry leaders in industrial energy savings. Our decades of experience will make your commercial energy audits fast, effective, and affordable. We are so confident that we will save you money, that we guarantee that we will save you 15% or more on your energy bills. If you would like more information on energy efficient audits or would like a quote please contact us at www.industrialenergyaudit.com.

]]> http://homemade-solar-cell.com/ashrae-energy-audit-is-the-top-kept-secret-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-industrial-energy-efficiency-and-your-profits/feed/ 0 Discovering How To Save Energy By Researching Alternative Methods With Internet Providers http://homemade-solar-cell.com/discovering-how-to-save-energy-by-researching-alternative-methods-with-internet-providers/ http://homemade-solar-cell.com/discovering-how-to-save-energy-by-researching-alternative-methods-with-internet-providers/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:00:33 +0000 Gloria Frontenegro http://homemade-solar-cell.com/discovering-how-to-save-energy-by-researching-alternative-methods-with-internet-providers/

The saving of energy has become a goal for many people today. Although this can be more of a challenge in areas with a cold winter or very hot summer season where high energy use can result in energy ‘brownouts’, there are many ways to conserve. And most of them are simple. Your appliances, for instance, can leak power even when they’re turned off. And you can find out more about this when you use your connection to internet service providers to research further.

Small electronics that use battery chargers can cause big problems. In California, where increasing efficiency often takes center stage, new standards which govern battery chargers have recently been approved. Items from coffee makers to forklifts will be covered, and the companies who make the battery chargers will have to produce products which are more efficient.

Most devices used around the home can be robbed of their ‘vampire power’ status by simply unplugging them. Of course, this won’t do for those who have their coffee makers set to begin brewing at a certain time, for example. But the small sacrifice of unplugging your devices can mean money saved at the end of the year, along with a lighter energy footprint for your household.

The methods to conserving energy in the home are many. Some have taken energy conservation to the extreme, choosing to live completely ‘off the grid’. But for most homeowners, easily installed applications to help generate energy are available in a wide range of locations.

Solar power is probably one of the most common ways to do this. Solar panels are now available in hardware and building stores in a wide range of sizes. So whether you want to cover your roof with panels or just generate enough electricity to run a couple of things at home, there is most likely a panel size to suit your needs.

There is an expense associated with solar panels, however. If a homeowner wishes to cover their roof with panels, for example, they may end up paying thousands of dollars. But those who choose to invest in alternative energy may also receive rebates from the government if alternative energy incentive programs are available.

Having your lights or devices on a timer can also help you to conserve energy. There are many different types of timers available for both indoor and outdoor use. This can be especially beneficial if members of your household tend to leave the room without turning the light off.

Most cities have identified their peak times for energy usage. A simple online search for your local utility may reveal this information. All that’s needed is to use your larger appliances like ovens and dishwashers at off-peak times. This can benefit both your own budget and the energy footprint of your community.

If you enjoyed this article, you can learn more about ISP services from broadband guru Gloria Frontenegro. Resources are available for High speed access enabling you to make a more informed decision.

]]> http://homemade-solar-cell.com/discovering-how-to-save-energy-by-researching-alternative-methods-with-internet-providers/feed/ 0 The Environment And One Way To Save The Planet’s Resources With Rainwater Collection Systems And Grey Water Recycling http://homemade-solar-cell.com/the-environment-and-one-way-to-save-the-planets-resources-with-rainwater-collection-systems-and-grey-water-recycling/ http://homemade-solar-cell.com/the-environment-and-one-way-to-save-the-planets-resources-with-rainwater-collection-systems-and-grey-water-recycling/#comments Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:32:39 +0000 Sid Crayton http://homemade-solar-cell.com/the-environment-and-one-way-to-save-the-planets-resources-with-rainwater-collection-systems-and-grey-water-recycling/

Of all the basic elements we essentially need to exist, water is possibly the thing we use without too much thought. Turn the faucet and out it comes, sparkling and cool ready for our needs. Nonetheless, this might not always be so – a calamitous side effect of our complicated consuming way of living.

In the Western world we consume a huge quantity of fresh water, a quantity that is perpetually increasing and stretching our resources to the breaking point. If every one attempted to preserve water, using rainwater collection systems and additionally practice grey water recycling, the gains would be impressive. There are lots of things we can change to preserve this precious asset, from collecting natural rainwater to re-processing the water that we routinely send down the drains.

Say that your roof is 2500 square feet in area, and then times this by 0.6. When an inch of rain lands on the roof of your home, the outcome is 1500 gallons of rainwater that you could use to water your shrubs or to wash your car, in fact it can be used for many things apart from drinking. The biggest part of the two thousand gallons of fresh water used by each individual every day in America gets sent down the drain to the filtering plant, where it goes through the complicated monitored filtering systems before it is sent back to be used again. The process is costly and will inevitably be more so in years to come. A simple rain barrel diverter would provide a big proportion of a normal household’s daily needs.

The sad fact is that the huge amount of water we use in the home doesn’t have to be that clean! We may drink a gallon or so a day, but the rest of it could really be a lower grade. Although some grey water needs to be cleaned and filtered before being used, such as the first empty cycles for the dishwasher and clothes washing machine, subsequent machine cycles are pretty clean.

Grey water recycling can be as elementary or as complicated as we demand, treating and filtering as required for various uses. Simple filtering of the detergents using a single pass charcoal filter would be sufficient if the water were to be used for watering the garden, or cleaning the car, to give just two examples. The next 2 important uses for water is for drinking, washing ourselves, and our clothes.

The filter needed to convert waste water into water we can drink might be costly and not advisable, depending how committed you want to be, but a small amount of filtering can make waste water usable for general washing purposes. Naturally, recycling water, storing and heating, will mean alteration of the installed waste water arrangement such that water doesn’t drain back to the main sewer system for processing, but stays in the home to be recycled.

Learn more about rainwater collections systems. Stop by Sid Crayton’s site where you can find answers to the question ‘is solar energy renewable’?

]]> http://homemade-solar-cell.com/the-environment-and-one-way-to-save-the-planets-resources-with-rainwater-collection-systems-and-grey-water-recycling/feed/ 0 Conserving Energy in Your Home http://homemade-solar-cell.com/conserving-energy-in-your-home/ http://homemade-solar-cell.com/conserving-energy-in-your-home/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:26:43 +0000 Roger Frost http://homemade-solar-cell.com/conserving-energy-in-your-home/ Most people don not know how easy it is to make their homes more energy efficient. Huge savings in heating, cooling and electricity costs can be accomplished through very simple changes, most of which can be done by the homeowner themselves.

Heating and cooling your home accounts for 50% of your homes energy costs. Set thermostats to an appropriate temperature. Specifically, they should be turned down at night and when no one is home. In most homes, about 2% of the heating bill will be saved for each degree that the thermostat is lowered for at least eight hours each day. Turning down the thermostat from 75 F to 70 F, for example, saves about 10% on heating costs.

Demand-type water heaters (tankless or instantaneous) provide hot water only as it is needed. They don’t produce the standby energy losses associated with traditional storage water heaters, which will save on energy costs. Tankless water heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank. Ensure you have a good filtration system installed when using a tankless water system, calcium can cause expensive problems if you have hard water.

Lighting your home can use up to 11% of your total energy bill. Changing your lighting can help reduce your energy costs. CFL type lights use 75% less energy than regular incandescent lights and last up to 10 times longer. Advances in lighting controls offer further energy savings by reducing the amount of time that lights are on but not being used.

Sealing and insulating your home is one of the most cost-effective ways to make a home more comfortable and energy-efficient, and you can do it yourself. A tightly sealed home can improve comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility bills. Removing window mounted air conditioners and sealing around electrical switches and outlets are simple tasks most homeowners can do themselves.

Check your attic for leaks and visible holes. Because hot air rises, air leaks are most likely to occur in the attic. Homeowners can perform a variety of repairs and maintenance to their attics that save them money on cooling and heating. In cold weather, you may see frosty areas in the insulation caused by warm, moist air condensing and then freezing as it hits the cold attic air. Seal up the attic access panel with weatherstripping. You can cut a piece of fiberglass or rigid foamboard insulation in the same size as the attic hatch and glue it to the back of the attic access panel.

Most areas now require using low-flow toilets. Toilets consume 30% to 40% of the total water used in homes, making them the biggest water users. Replacing an older 3.5-gallon toilet with a modern, low-flow 1.6-gallon toilet can reduce usage an average of 2 gallons-per-flush (GPF), saving 12,000 gallons of water per year. Low-flow toilets usually have “1.6 GPF” marked on the bowl behind the seat or inside the tank. Changing your shower head is also a good way to conserve water without giving up any loss of comfort.

Use efficient ENERGY STAR-rated appliances and electronics. These devices, approved by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program, include TVs, home theater systems, DVD players, CD players, receivers, speakers, and more. According to the EPA, if just 10% of homes used energy-efficient appliances, it would reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of 1.7 million acres of trees.

Buying or selling Choose Orillia Real Estate Agents for all your Real Estate needs. Looking for an Orillia Home Inspection Company then visit www.orilliahomeinspector.com for all your needs.

]]> http://homemade-solar-cell.com/conserving-energy-in-your-home/feed/ 0 Be The First To Benefit From Solar Power For Homes! http://homemade-solar-cell.com/be-the-first-to-benefit-from-solar-power-for-homes/ http://homemade-solar-cell.com/be-the-first-to-benefit-from-solar-power-for-homes/#comments Mon, 17 May 2010 18:23:08 +0000 Simon Berrit http://homemade-solar-cell.com/?p=289 by Simon Berrit

Want to get with the program and start saving the environment instead of always damaging it? Also saving money on pricey electricity bills?

Well then, building your own solar panel and using it either on your own house or office or anywhere for that matter is an excellent way to start.

Now it’s impossible to give full instructions in a short article like this one, but it can get you started in the right direction.

Initially, I would like to point out that any one attempting this doesn’t need to have any special experience, be it scientific or in building and Do It Yourself. You’ll only need the right advice.

It comes from getting a really good quality instruction manual for building your solar panel and then installing it. There are currently a huge amount available in the marketplace. This will show you on a step by step basis how to do everything, including what stuff you will require to get it build.

A guide from a high quality organization will also mean that you will get access to some support. This means that when you get stuck or a little confused there will be somebody that you are able to turn to for help and advice. This can be really important especially if it is you first time.

All the stuff required to get the solar panel completed will not come to more than two hundred dollars and can be sourced locally at DIY stores and even from things found lying around the home, garage or workshop.

When I completed my first solar panel it took around about 7 days to fully install it and get it working. It’s now a lot less than that, but still fun.

Now you’re Ready to go!

About the Author:
Read Simon’s Site to find reports of the best Do It Yourself guides available so you can start saving right away.
]]> http://homemade-solar-cell.com/be-the-first-to-benefit-from-solar-power-for-homes/feed/ 0