Archives

Solar Hot Water Systems Save Money And Environment

Environmental issues have always accompanied humans’ quest for warmth and light. Cave markings clearly show how wood fires left behind ash and smoke residue. The smoggy cities of the Industrial Revolution were another sign that energy for human comfort came at a price. Today we face the biggest environmental threat of all through climate change, fueled by the emissions of carbon dioxide from fuels for automobiles, airplanes, trains and most of all, electricity. This is where Solar Hot Water Systems take center stage in the new environmental movement.

More and more homeowners are thinking seriously of switching to Solar Hot Water for both, economic as well as environmental reasons. For example, were you aware that a hot water heater is the biggest “power hog” in the home? That’s right; hot water heaters account for 35 to 40 percent of the average home energy cost. When you factor in the environmental impact of burning oil to create the electricity that runs a conventional hot water heater, that’s an enormous expense!

In contrast, the thought behind the invention of Solar Hot Water Systems is simple: Take light from the Sun, which radiates constantly down on earth, and convert it into heat. This transfer is accomplished by a device called a solar collector panel, in which a darkened surface collects the visible and ultraviolet light and translates it into infrared radiation through a heat exchange. Solar panels are covered in glass to insulate and trap the heat, which in turn warms up water stored in a tank for home use.

What happens when the sun doesn’t shine? Even on cloudy days, ultraviolet radiation showers down on earth, so it’s possible for the collectors in a solar hot water system to continue to produce power to heat water. When the weather is extremely rainy or cold, a gas or electric booster augments the system to keep Solar Hot Water always available for home use.

Environmentally, Solar Hot Water Systems create the lowest amounts of carbon dioxide emissions of any kind of water heater. Changing from electric- or gas-fueled water heaters to solar-powered systems can reduce a household’s CO2 emissions from 3 to 5 tonnes per year. Imagine how much CO2 could be reduce if all capable households switched to Solar Hot Water!

Economically, the savings from switching to Solar Hot Water Systems depends on the home’s location, amount of water used, the kind of system that’s being replaced, tariffs or taxes on energy, and the model of solar water heater the homeowner chooses. However, federal government estimates show that homeowners can save about $300 per year on their energy bills. Plus, federal rebates and incentives can result in upfront savings that offset the cost of installation.

What’s more, while Solar Hot Water Systems may have a higher upfront investment than tradition gas or electric water heaters, the operating cost remains fairly stable year after year. This means that unlike the burden of constantly rising electricity bills for water heating, Solar Hot Water produces significant savings over the life of the unit. A recent real estate survey in Australia also found that a majority of homeowners with Solar Hot Water Systems think their units enhance the value of their properties.

Using renewable energy from the sun to create hot water, cut down carbon dioxide emissions and save money is a combination that makes good sense!

Share

Save Money and the Environment with Solar Energy

Copyright (c) 2010 Nadine Davis

Like many Australians, you are probably eager to do your own part to help save the environment. There seem to be more and more tips released everyday about methods for being green, but many of them involve time and money that a lot of people simply don’t have. One great exception to this rule is solar energy. Although solar power Brisbane involves an initial cash investment, it more than pays for itself over time. Better still, solar panels Brisbane are great ways to help save the planet.

Do Your Part, Go Solar.

Around 90% of the electricity that is used in Australia is produced from fossil fuels. Unfortunately, greenhouse emissions are the natural byproducts of this form of energy. These emissions pollute the atmosphere and compromise the health of the planet. Every time you flip on a switch in your home, you’re indirectly helping to pollute the planet.

Instead of being a part of the problem, you can use solar energy to be a part of the solution. Solar energy is very clean and exceptionally efficient; by using it, you can reduce your reliance on fossil fuels. As more and more people turn to solar energy, less and less greenhouse emissions will be produced. By taking advantage of the power provided by our sun, you can make a difference yourself toward saving our planet without the need to spend a huge amount of time or money for it. Truly, solar power is one of the simplest ways to “clean up your act.”

Save Money on Energy Bills.

Every month, you probably cringe when your gas bill arrives in the mail. Energy costs have soared in recent years, and gas is extremely expensive. You can reduce your bill by a significant degree – or, in some cases, eliminate it altogether – by making the switch to solar power. Since solar panels get their energy from the sun, you don’t owe a bill to anybody. The more of your power that comes from solar energy, the lower your regular energy bill is going to be. Within a few months, your investment in solar energy will have paid off.

In these tough economic times, it is essential to find ways to save money. Solar energy is one of the best ways of doing so. Based on how high your personal monthly invoice is, you could be saving more than a couple of hundred dollars each month on what you spend. You can use the money you save for anything you’d like. At the same time, you can feel great about the fact that you are doing more to reduce the amount of pollution to our planet than you have before. Who knows – you might even inspire friends, family members or co-workers to follow suit!

Share

Save Environment and Lower Electricity Bill with Home Solar Panel

The use of solar energy is an existing technology that aims to reduce carbon emissions through the conversion of energy from the sun into electrical energy. Solar energy is a renewable resource, which means that it is inexhaustible. Unlike conventional energy resources like natural gas and fossil fuels, it has minimal impact on the environment. The installation of solar panels in homes and office buildings is a way to gather or “harvest” solar energy.

Nations around the world have been promoting energy efficiency in a bid to prevent or lessen harmful effects that comes with global warming. Governments even started offering incentives by granting renewable energy certificates to establishments that meet specific consumption requirements. Solar energy is considered clean or “green” energy because using it produces minimal pollution. Manufacturers of solar panels, or photovoltaic (PV) panels, continue to fine-tune solar systems to make them more suitable for widespread use.

Homeowners using solar energy may also be entitled to tax incentives. Certain countries make such incentives available to people who have installed solar panels for home use. There is no need to purchase PV panels to be eligible for such incentives as there are also options for passive solar designs. Passive solar home designs use strategies and materials that distribute solar energy to the home without the use of solar power panels.

Is solar energy ideal for home use?

Solar panels are quite costly so anyone interested in installing their own solar systems must be willing to invest and have the commitment to make a change for the better. Although the prices of solar power panels are quite high, the rates have radically dropped for the past decade or so. Installation may cost anywhere between $10,000 and $70,000, and returns would take about 4 – 7 years to be realized.

The use of solar electricity requires an investment but homeowners may look forward to state and federal incentives offered by the government to reduce the cost of ownership. Australia, one of the sunniest places on earth, is one of the most active promoters of solar energy. The government readily offers solar rebate and renewable energy certificates and feed in tariffs to citizens joining the campaign.

Installing Solar Systems

If you are ready to contribute to global energy efficiency, you may have a solar system installed as soon as possible. Remember, however, that some regions are more suitable places for this kind of technology than others. The amount of sunlight available and the level of incentives provided will affect the payback periods on having solar panels installed.

Share

Australia’s Share In Caring For The Environment Is Through The Solar Panel Rebate

A Solar Panel Rebate is an initiative from a Government that wants to subsidize the expense of installing panels on your roof. This makes it more affordable for homes, business and community groups. The rebate means that installing solar power is more a practical and viable investment. There are many kinds of rebates around the world and they differ in each country. However, many countries now simply have a feed in tariff which subsidizes the expense of installing solar power.

Learn how to make your own Solar Power

There is a solar rebate in Australia, which is made up of Solar Credits, which are an element of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme that was created by the Australian government as a mechanism to boost the production of renewable energy. The Solar Rebate gives financial support to households, businesses and community groups that put up small-scale solar systems, wind and hydro electricity systems.

Solar Credits are provided in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates, or ‘RECs’, for individuals who have installed a new solar system from 9 June 2009. Solar Credits are given for the first 1.5 kilowatts (kW) of capacity of the system installed. The level of support provided by Solar Credits depends on the price of RECs (which may vary over time) and the site and bulk of the system.

The new solar panel rebate program means that installing solar power is a significantly more viable investment and a commitment from the government to aid reduce the amount of coal fired electricity in the grid. Along with the rebate, in Australia there are feed in tariffs which subsidize electricity put back into the grid by solar power systems.

Share

The Environment Friendly Solar Powered House

If you really care about the environment and about the future of earth, you should plan to convert your abode to a solar powered house. Take some time off and visit the power plants that provide your house with energy and see the damage they are causing to the environment of the earth. These agencies are generally powered by either fuel or coal that is used to run huge turbines that provide electricity to you and others. During the days of old, there was no other alternative to such power plants and they were necessary for supplying electricity to both residential and office buildings. Later on, with the advent of nuclear powered plants, the pressure on them eased.

However, there is no disputing the point that the majority of power plants around the globe are powered by fuel and/ or coal and they emit lots of CO2, thereby harming the environment of the earth. There is another problem with such plants. With the depleting stocks of coal and fuel, the day is not far away when these plants will have to shut down shop. Are you prepared for such an eventuality? Can you afford to stay without power for a single day? It is doubtful if anyone can stay without power for even a single day. Keeping such factors in mind, scientists have been working for many years to find out alternative means of power.

They have come up with hydroelectric power where the current is generated in the same way as with the traditional plants, only the power for turning the turbines is supplied by water. Flowing water turns paddles that in turn rotate the turbines, thus generating power. However, such plants are not powerful enough and they also need to be strategically located in able to generate electricity, hence they can be used by only a small percentage of the population of the earth. There are a few and limited power plants which run using the power of wind. The turbines of such plants are connected to huge fans that are rotated by natural gusts of wind.

Again these plants too have their limitations and they cannot generate power when there is no wind. The best option for people around the globe is harnessing the light of the sun, which is available all over the world, except in some rare cases. Solar panel kits are widely available and they are very cheap. They are in fact, so cheap, that that they pay off for themselves within a few month post installation. Constructing the panel is not a tough task too. Just follow the illustrative instructions given in the manual that accompanies the kit and you will be able to complete it within a few hours. It is high time you took care of escalating costs of energy and at the same time helped the environment by going in for a solar powered house. The amazement you’ll observe of the face of others is an added bonus.

Share

Home Solar Panels and the Environment

Majority of homes in almost all the urban set ups in the world employ the use of electricity to power the houses. electricity is generated via fossil fuels and with time, they have led to the degradation of not only our immediate environment but also the world that we live in. the present day whether patterns have changed due to the pollution brought forth by use of fossil fuels. Green energy comes as a natural replacement despite the fact that it is underutilized in most of the cases. As a natural gift, you can now go a long way towards safeguarding the future of coming generations through setting up of home solar power. Solar panels for your home make the use of the power that is derived from the sun. Home solar power as the product is referred to have revolutionized the sources of energy in many ways.

First and foremost, through use of solar panels for your home, you take a step closure to a sustainable environment a sustainable environment is one that can live with in its means. A solar power home ensures that they make the most of all the naturally available products to not only save up on had earned money put towards paying electricity bills but through  home solar power systems, the earth is protected from degradation. Using photo voltaic cells, you can harvest the solar power in its natural state. In addition to the environment and the money, solar cells are clean to use. The ecological landscape of the world we live in has been changed thanks to the use of fossil fuels. Carbon emissions have been increased leading to an unbalance in the oxygen percentage in the air. You might not feel the effect, but it is there. All you need to do is compare the past and the present when it comes to the spread of airborne diseases amongst other ailments.

In the spirit of safeguarding the environment, you are encouraged to equip your home with solar power. They are available in a number of sizes and shapes. In addition, they are relatively inexpensive to put up, install, and maintain. Small solar panels can be used to light up a number of rooms at one go. In addition, with home solar power systems, you can regulate the temperature of the house as well as heat water. The process of installing is not as complex as it often reads and sounds. A number of companies have indulged themselves into the world of solar power. They not only provided easy solar solutions for homes, but they also offer maintenance services as well as tips to maximize the use. The more people take up the use of home solar power systems, the more the future is safe guarded. The internet provides a great research portal for one to find out about the solar panels for your home. Once you have set up such a system, the incentives that you receive go a long way towards making you appreciate the benefits of solar to the ecological systems.

Share