Homemade Solar Cell

Alternative energy sources are popular, can save their users money, are better for the environment, and present less difficult technical problems than conventional energy sources. Solar powered outdoor lighting is one of these alternative energy systems that many people may never have considered using, but which have many benefits to offer the users of such lights.

Landscaping lights can add beauty to your yard as well as using them for safety and visibility at night. The illumination from these lights can make walkways and driveways more visible and safer, as well as discouraging intruders if attached to the building exterior. Statues, fountains and special plantings can be illuminated and highlighted by landscape lights also.

There are many advantages that come from lighting your yard with solar powered lights. The most obvious is that every bit of electricity required to light your yard will add to your electric bill, and solar-powered lights consume no electricity. Many years ago, expensive solar lights redeemed themselves over several years by saving homeowners money. Now, however, solar-powered lights are no more expensive than conventional electric lights. Once your solar light is installed, you will never pay another cent to use it until it is time for the light to be replaced.

Solar power has another advantage in that installing devices that use solar power is quick and easy. Find a site that gets a lot of sunlight, attach the light or sink a pole on that site, and then all you need to do is flick a switch. During the day, solar energy is collected in batteries, requiring no additional wiring. This compares to the hassle of hiring an electrician and concealing and protecting the wires required for conventional lighting fixtures.

A drawback is a site that is in complete shade all day may not get enough sun to properly charge batteries and for those few locations solar yard lights may not work. Check with a landscape expert, or even just places selling solar lighting to know how to assess a location for suitability. There’s also good news because advances in batteries and other storage devices as well as the solar cells themselves are making the requirements easier to meet and will likely continue to improve.

Another issue is how long a light will function when fully charged, and how long you need lights to be on each evening. Lights will be rated for these parameters and you need to decide what you need and check what each device offers. Online resources can help with such decisions. And also be sure to comparison shop for solar yard lights. Check out mark down discount stores for these lights, since I have seen them in one nationally popular chain store for ridiculously low prices. Go solar for a safer, more attractive yard and save money doing it!

Read more about Residential Solar Energy and Solar Yard Lighting.

Gone are the days when you needed to rely on supermarkets for your supply of fruit and vegetables; you can now grow your own produce at, or near your home. Growing your own fruit and vegetables is a great way to help save the environment, while at the same time being a fun activity for you, your friends, and your family.

There are other benefits too: a cheaper food shopping bill, gentle exercise, and an appreciation of where fruit and vegetables come from. You will need to decide where you are going to grow your produce: in the home, in the garden, or on a plot of land. Read about all the options to find out which is best for you.

In the home You don’t have to have a garden to get green – a sunny windowsill will do just fine! Make your own herb garden by filling a few empty yoghurt pots with some earth and seeds and you’re good to go. You might also decide to go for a window box. With this option you could grow your own lettuces or tomatoes.

In the garden If you are willing to dedicate part of your garden to your new green fingers – and green lifestyle – you could have barrels of fruit and vegetables at your disposal. A small patch is a perfect place to grow potatoes and green beans, but if you don’t want to sacrifice your flowers and other plants, try planting in-between them. Just make sure you put pegs in the ground so you remember where to find them!

Need more space? If you don’t want to use your garden for your fruit and vegetables, or don’t have enough space on your windowsill for your ambitious plans, you could look for an allotment near you. You may even find that your town or city has a community garden scheme. If not, Landshare matches land with growers, and the National Trust is offering allotment space on their land.

For other ways to help save the environment, try to conserve the amount of water, electricity and gas in your home; this will hopefully bring you a cheap gas or other utility bill too. When going shopping, bring a reusable bag with you to reduce the amount of plastic being sent to the landfill. Try to recycle everything you can, and then teach others how to do so.

Philip Youngwoodwrites on number of energy related topics including how to get cheap gas bills.