Kamis, 27 Agustus 2009

Alternative energy sources for homes

Natural gas and electricity suppliers are both heat and light in the hall. Both products have been around so long, it is difficult to imagine a world where they are replaced by another.

So far as you can see, the scientific horizon, at least they will not be replaced, either by a method such as zero point energy, the energy created by the quantum mechanical oscillations of the particles ... Sound like science fiction? Well, so far, yes, it is still science fiction, and if it is possible today, would be very expensive to produce. But do not despair, because in 1989, two chemists, Pons and Flieschman conducted an experiment, and claimed to have established a process of cold fusion. Fusion is a process that goes into the hearts of stars, while fission is something that occurs in nuclear reactors. Both very large and at least one, very expensive! Neither a viable option for domestic use only.

However, Pons Flieschman and shook the world when they published the results of an experiment, they have energy, ie heat, at room temperature by using materials and heavy water through a process of fusion, which generated heat from a sustainable source at room temperature. It is not until the end of April this year when the experiment was conducted by independent bodies, they have not been able to achieve the same results that Dr. Pons and Flieschman . The process was defective and that the two chemists have been discredited and, in general, was the end of the matter. The two chemists were, in terms of their career, they have ended and faded into obscurity. Pons and Flieschman committed the sin of the scientific community by publishing the results to the press instead of batteries for the first scientific review. Tut tut tut, the large search of hell, never to return again!

However, twenty years later, research is still ongoing and there were promising results, not only with cold fusion, but also hot melt. Hot fusion has been more media, probably because he does not seek to line of classical physics. Enormous heat, pressure phenomenal, incredible amounts of money and wallah, fusion! Cold fusion, on the other hand needs a drink, some of deuterium, palladium, heavy water. Now, I am inclined to believe, is an atomic reaction and not a chemical reaction as such, and May or May not produce a temperature rise of a few points more or a couple of weeks, depending on the impurities and of how it is measured. Not least, there have been significant advances in the quest for cold fusion that some companies have invested serious money in serious research.

Before you shake hands with joy at the idea of particles collide, shattering atoms of deuterium and palladium gourmet hot / cold fusion reactor at the bottom of the garden, you want May to consider some easily accessible, non-controversial alternatives to provide electricity.

Wind Turbines

40 of electricity a household over a year.

Costs for installing a solar electricity system are highly variable - the system costs on average between £ 8,000 and £ 20,000, depending on its size and type. The more electricity, the system can produce, the more it costs, but it could save. Solar tiles cost more than the signs, panels integrated into a roof are more expensive than those that sit on top, but if you need major roof repairs, tile PV can offset the cost of tiles.

The savings can be substantial - about 1.2 tonnes of CO2 per year and around £ 250 on your electricity bill. A 2.5 kWp system could provide 50% of the annual electricity output of a household needs.

Maintenance is generally small - you'll need to keep the panels clean and relatively safe that trees do not begin to overshadow them.

This article has barely scratched the surface of what is available to enable the owner to produce their own electricity, there are other methods such as hydrogen fuel cells, bio fuel for generators, oil recycled cooking for generators ... and so on.

However, implementation of this technology is useless unless your house is well insulated first.

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Selasa, 25 Agustus 2009

Reclaimed Hardwood Flooring - Keep it Green

Wood floors are healthy choices, they require fewer chemicals to clean than other floor coverings, and they trap dust and fumes in the fibers or grow mold in the grout. More and more people are choosing wood floors for anyone suffering from allergies. Do not be surprised if a doctor recommends a wood floor for your spine and joints. The wood is taken to give a little in May and will be easier for the legs and feet.

Antique and Reclaimed wood floors are still in vogue in the floor. The wood that is recovered can offer the benefits of old growth forests and more, so that not a single tree in the forest of life is sacrificed. This is where the green comes into play.

Antique and reclaimed wood can be milled to look like new, or sometimes, consumers are looking for wood with nail holes, bolt holes and other marks for the setting of these features are part of the appeal. The old timber will be the mark of many years of use and exposure to the elements.

Many of the floors of buildings are on the verge of being demolished or being renovated. Antique wood may be salvaged from timber rescued from dismantling old barns and buildings. Antique and distressed hardwood floors are prized for their beauty, stability and patina. Antique and distressed wood is usually saved vintage houses, barns and structures.

A rustic wood floor will be more natural than knots, distinct color variations, possible insect marks, surface control and variety of grain. Antique or Reclaimed flooring usually comes from the old growth forests of our early American history. Today, they can still be found in the soil in the old homes and historic structures in many parts of the country. This wood displays character unmatched by any artificial means. Wide Plank flooring can also come from new old wood. The wider use of widths and lengths to reduce the number of joints in all the soil that creates a historical record.

Much of this vintage wood recycled from old growth forests and has been used to construct buildings. This vintage is the wood of the unmatched architectural quality and character, not to mention beauty.

Some old wood floors is sometimes called country wood floor and retrieve the oak, maple, cherry, walnut, walnut, chestnut, white oak and other vintage wood recovered.

No two floors are identical and can usually be found in random widths. Reclaimed wood flooring May contain characteristics inherent in the old wood, including knots cracked a slight control surface, insects and nail holes, checking and time variation of color.

The advantages of using old reclaimed wood floors and a wood floor antique Rrerrque a beauty and definition of character that can not be found in the woods again.

• Recycling wood is an alternative to cutting down trees. This is good for the environment.
• Reclaimed wood has been transformed by nature and time that is a link to our past. After a piece of history in your home can be very satisfactory.
• The character and patina of the wood can not be duplicated.
• Old wood is denser and more dimensionally stable than the growth of wood, which are desirable for wood floors.
• Some species like the American chestnut can be found through suppliers of salvaged wood.


Antique Wood that radiant heat?

The use of radiant heating is increasingly popular in the United States, including the wood floors. The radiant heat is an excellent source of heating. With proper acclimation and installation methods, and the Antique Reclaimed wood is an exceptional choice over radiant heat.

The radiant heat is healthier for the wood than other heating systems. The heat is distributed evenly over the soil at low temperatures. Each board is exposed to the same amount of heat and does not encounter uneven drying.

Radiant heating effectively reproduces the natural process that has experienced antique wood. The wood that was used in support of a factory, a barn or a building has been exposed for decades to increase and decrease in temperature and humidity. In some cases, pieces of wood from which the boards were cut were slightly expanding and contracts for more than a century in their previous installation. Radiant heat, with its low temperatures and even distribution on the wooden floor in the same way, but the impact is much less dramatic or Reclaimed Lumber Antique wood recently because it has already been in through this cycle for years!

Price

In general, the price of reclaimed land are a little higher. Prices for wood may uninstalled from $ 5.95 a square foot and the top of the page $ 22.00 mark. The price of the Antique Reclaimed and recycled lumber vary depending on the size, quality, length, quantity, nature and the surface of the material, and if equipment is purchased by the state or re - manufactured / milled to your specifications. The cost of recycling lumber is generally more expensive than the wood of the new class and size. If the timber passes through the revival of the manufacturing process, it will theoretically be added to this base price to offset the costs incurred for cleaning, nail polish, re-manufacturing and grading. The process of transforming wood recovered can be long and a lot of time, money and expertise.

In conclusion, the recovered wood floors are increasingly popular due to consumer interest in historic preservation and also to advance the design of green buildings. These woods are often of superior quality from wood that has grown slowly and is often more dense than wood faster.

Antique and vintage adds warmth of wood recovered, character and atmosphere of a house. This wood has a natural abundance of features. Some boards are generally wider and orientation of a character and charm that display an instinctive sense of harmony and spirit of the campaign. A sense of history of a time when the use of floor coverings wood was the average home was built.

If you already have an Antique or Reclaimed wood floors, or to consider a purchase, just think a bit of American history or May now be part of your home. This is an exciting concept!

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Sabtu, 22 Agustus 2009

Solar Home Efficiency - Temperature Control

The owners of the world consider a kit of solar energy or solar panels for their homes. It is a powerful way to save money, produce clean energy and "green." But before you do what you have to ensure that your home is energy efficient as possible. The less energy you use, the greatest impact on your solar energy system will have on your wallet and the planet. There are several things you can do in conjunction with solar panels to create a highly efficient, comfortable. This article will teach you about the energy efficiency of heating, cooling and passive solar.

Heating

Use of gas (eg propane or natural gas) to heat your home is very efficient compared to electric ovens. Using hot water and heat, as in the floor and underfloor heating is more efficient than forced air. Whatever your heating system, regular maintenance is essential to the efficient use of energy. Often, items such filters, valves or burners must be replaced periodically. Duct cleaning can also improve overall efficiency.

For smaller spaces that are far from the central heating unit (such as garages or basements) can provide heaters kerosene prices, fast heat without heating costs of everyday life. Closed doors, vents or valves rarely used items can also reduce consumption significantly.

Another thing to consider is your temperature setting. Try lowering the temperature one degree a week for four weeks. During the fourth week, the chances are that you will not see that your house is four degrees colder. And if you're cold, you do not make sense to start on a sweater instead of heating the whole house?

Air Conditioning

The cooling in warm climates is a huge drain on our electrical grid. This type of consumption May be partly responsible for the rolling blackouts in California and other states, a few years ago. Again, the maintenance of these units is the key. Have a professional check the refrigerant levels and performance. For new units, look for the Energy Star logo. This government program certifies the best artists of energy. New air conditioning units are often 200% more efficient than their older counterparts.

In arid climates, swamp coolers are an excellent option for cooling. Swamp coolers work best when they are placed in shady areas, rather than the roof is in place, we're used to seeing. And the same goes for cooling: not cool rarely spaces and ducts and filters to keep clean.

Try to experience temperature for cooling your home. Turn up the thermostat by one degree a week for four weeks. Also, try simply opening the windows at night to let fresh air. Chances are that the night is enough to cool your house while you sleep.

Thermostat

How often is your system? Is it running all day while you're at work? Many people think it is ineffective to stop the system when they left for the day and then the system kick on the right before coming home. It's almost always wrong. One at home is tightly sealed to maintain a comfortable temperature within 5-10 degrees over 8 hours. Try it for a few days and see for yourself.

A programmable thermostat, and an owner who knows how to use it, is an essential element of energy efficiency at home. With regard to your system while you're on vacation, even for a weekend, will have a significant impact on your electricity consumption. Take 15 minutes and read the manual of your thermostat, or to go out and buy a new one. New thermostat cost as little as $ 20, but can have a huge impact on your energy use.

Passive Solar

What is passive solar? The passive solar energy is to use the sun and the window treatment to heat or cool your home. Just open your blinds on the south side of your home during the day can raise the temperature inside by 10 degrees. Similarly, the addition of shade trees, windows and blinds on the south side of your home can lower the temperature inside significantly. Plus these additions can add beauty and aesthetics of your home. An architect and a landscape architect can help you add beautiful and functional home that will pay off in lower utility bills.

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Kamis, 20 Agustus 2009

Easy to understand explanation of how solar panels work

Solar energy is becoming more and more attention these days. Its time to answer the question: how are they really? It is unclear how a group can convert sunlight into electricity without moving parts. This article explains the process in terms that we hope everyone can understand.

The most basic definition of how solar panels work is that the sun hits a certain material, it excites electrons and creates a current and voltage that can be used to power the devices. Now let's explore a little more.

Silicon: Not Just for Computer Chips

First, silicon is taken from the earth. Silicon is one of earth's most abundant elements. It lies in the sand and rocks of all types. You've probably heard of the "Silicon Valley", home to the technology research and investment in California. It is so called because the silicon used in computer chips.

Silicon is a semiconductor. Think of the copper conductor, copper and son. Think of the rubber insulation, such as coating on a copper wire. Silicon is somewhere between the two and is called a semiconductor. This property is used in computer chips and solar panels to manage the reactions that produce tiny electrical currents. An electric current is essentially a "flow". Photo of a thread a small tube current and the speed at which "water" (in this case, electricity) flows through the pipes.

Just Add boron and phosphorus

But the silicon itself is not sufficient to establish the power of the sun. Silicon is produced in a very fine as crystal wafer using pressure and heat. It is then coated with two different materials: boron and phosphorus. Boron is coated on one side, phosphorus, the other with a gap between the two layers. Boron, when combined with silicon, is a positive step, but he wants to be neutral. The only way neutral, it can do is gain an electron, which has a negative charge.

Now enter phosphorus. Phosphorus and silicon material is negatively charged, which means it has extra electrons. But he also wants to be neutral! And how can he do? Get rid of electrons, of course! And how will he get rid of them? This is where the good old Sunday in.

Here Comes The Sun

When the sun hits the cell, the electron is excited. Just think of the electron as a child in the arms of his mother to approach the park. It simply can not wait to get out of the mother and the swing. The electrons leave the phosphorus and boron is positive, creating an electrical discharge under pressure as they fall into the ditch. This pressure must be released, and through the wiring of the cell. This creates the flow, or ongoing, we spoke earlier.

The cells are treated with materials to ensure the solar radiation is absorbed and does not take into account. The silicon wafers are wired together and inserted into the glass and aluminum to avoid weather damage. These are the panels and are then wired together to form a table. And that is the cornerstone of the reaction of a solar panel!

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Senin, 17 Agustus 2009

Easy Way to Make Your Garden Beautiful

Again I have problem about my house. I think I already solve the problem, but in the fact am not. Do you know what the problem is? Yeah… you are correct my brother. The problem is about my garden. My wife didn’t like with mailbox that I choose. Argh… make me very confuse.

In February I already told you about my bad garden decoration, and that’s my fault. I think I already fix it. Now I will let my wife to choose the address plaques and mailbox, hope will make her happy. I don’t know why she looks bad with the garden decoration. Do you know what he says? “Why you choose this mailbox and address plaques style? “ And do you know what I say? I think you already agree with me before I buy, and now you suddenly want to change?

Because I love my wife and hate to fight with her, so I say “here is the place you can choose a lot of style mailboxes, and house numbers”. “Please choose what you want, and make sure that’s match with our garden decoration”. Do you know where I suggest to my wife? Yeah like ordinary I tell him mailboxandbeyond.com. Have same problem with me, just visit mailboxandbeyond.com.

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