In today’s economy, there are more reasons than ever to cut your energy bill. One of the most popular ways to do so is to invest in green, renewable energy to power all or part of your home. But, even if you don’t have the resources or the time to install a full photovoltaic solar kit on your roof, there are dozens of other ways to cut your bills, save money, and generally be more kind to Mother Earth.

That’s what we’re going to talk about – the strategies that frugal home owners and green members of society are using to take a hack at their energy use once and for all. That includes cutting down on your power bill in as many ways as possible, installing green energy sources such as solar panels, solar heat, and windmills, or simply cutting back on your food bill and other expenses.

The nation has had a wakeup call when it comes to our financial future. We cannot sustain endless spending and debt. If you’ve joined the ever growing revolution and want to cut your bills, keep reading – it’s time to rethink what you use and how you use it. This isn’t just about your checkbook – it’s about your children’s future and the future of our planet and everyone on it. I can’t think of a better reason to start making changes.

The World’s Energy Crisis

Right now, we’re coming to terms with a hard truth that has been hanging over our heads for decades. The amount of energy in the world is finite. We have always known that – it’s fairly easy to understand when you consider that most of our energy is derived from fossil fuels. But, now more than ever we’re seeing the evidence that we only have so long until energy sources grow too rare and too expensive for average consumers like us to afford.

It’s a big problem because most consumers don’t realize their role in the crisis. When we see a problem this big we assume that the government is responsible for fixing it. But, in reality, the government is limited in its actions as long as human beings continue to devour energy in such high amounts. We need to learn how to cut back our energy use and then replace the fossil fuels with sustainable solutions.

If you’re not sure this is a problem you need to face, just look at the cost of oil, gas, and electricity compared to 10-15 years ago. Gasoline in the early 2000s was barely more than $1 per gallon in the United States. Today, it remains around $3 consistently and sometimes goes upwards of $4 per gallon. Heating oil and natural gas also continue to skyrocket in price, to the point that some families must choose between food and heat in the winter. No one should be forced to make that kind of choice.

How Long Do We Have?

Right now, we’re on the cusp of a major turning point. It’s believed that peak production will occur in the next 3-10 years. That means, after that point, production of fuel will not be able to increase with consumption any longer. With massive countries like China and India industrializing and growing at unheard of rates, this is a very bad thing for anyone that uses fossil fuels each day (as most of us do).

Scientists are not sure when fossil fuels will start to run out – having a clear idea of the earth’s contents is nearly impossible with current technology. But, conservative estimates put us at about halfway through the world’s oil reserves. That means we could conceivably run out of oil within 30-40 years at the current consumption rates. That’s the current rates. Year over year, oil consumption has rarely if ever gone down globally. So, we can expect it to increase…which means we could run out of oil even faster. Your children will almost surely live in a world where oil reserves dry up or deplete to a level where they can no longer afford it.

The Solutions

Right now, there are a lot of conversations going on around the world about what we should be doing about the energy crisis. Compounding it is the fact that our continued use of fossil fuels is creating a growing climate change problem. So, what does our government plan to do to provide energy and fuel for families and individuals in the coming years as costs rise and supplies decrease?

Right now, actions by the government aren’t going to make major dents in our fossil fuel use for years or even decades to come. But, as a consumer, you can do your own part to cut back on consumption. Not only will you help to reduce how much energy is used around the globe, you’ll be preparing for further price increases, reducing your bills and making it possible to survive in a world where energy costs dwarf other basic necessities.

That means finding alternative energy sources and implementing them in your home. Solar energy can be used to heat water and your home, as well as power your devices with the right installation. Wind power is another viable solution in many situations – providing a massive secondary source of power. Ultimately, though, whether you have the resources to install renewable energy for your home or not, the easiest way to save money is to reduce your energy consumption across the board.

This report is going to help you do just that – providing a bevy of options that will outline where your energy is currently going and how you can cut back that use immediately. With a world depending on us, it’s our responsibility to take action now, not when our kids are grown and the earth has already been sucked dry.

20 Ways to Cut Down Your Bills

Right now, your biggest concerns are the bills you have to pay, not the future of our earth’s energy sources. So, understandably, you’d rather hear what we can do right now to change what you spend, than what you should be doing with money you don’t have to replace that energy use.

To start with, understand that cutting your bills is not as easy as waving a wand and waiting for meters to run backwards. It takes hard work and sacrifice to reduce the bills you currently have. And if you have a family, cutting down on expenses is going to be even harder. Children and spouses are not always amenable to giving up their refrigerator gazing habits or their superhot showers. So, put on your gauntlets and buckle down because we’re about to do some serious slashing of your budget.

Before You Get Started

Before you invest any time into cutting back your bills, I want you to do something very important. Call a family meeting, sit down with your kids and spouse and discuss what’s about to happen. Many times, a backlash occurs because you don’t consult everyone before making changes. Putting up signs, unplugging appliances and canceling services can be frustrating for a family. So, instead of thrusting major changes into your lives without notice, sit down with everyone and ask them their opinions.

It may not change your decisions, but just by discussing it, you can layout clearly why the changes are being made and how they will benefit everyone in the long term. Mention what the savings will be spent on, how you’re helping the environment and why you feel it is a necessary step. If properly communicated, your family should understand why these changes are being made.

1.    Replace Incandescent Bulbs – Old fashioned, incandescent bulbs are a huge money waster, both in energy and in the cost of the bulbs. Modern fluorescent bulbs can last up to 5 years and use a fraction of the energy. If you’re aiming for even bigger savings, go with LED light bulbs, which can last twenty-five times longer than incandescent bulbs and use even less energy than fluorescents.

2.    Unplug Your Devices – Most people figure that when they hit the power button, their appliance or electronic stops sucking juice from the wall. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really work like that. Electricity may not be flowing and getting consumed, but it is very much being used. So, don’t just turn your devices off, unplug them when not in use.

3.    Turn Off Lights – This is a simple one that you’ve likely heard since you were ten years old. Turn the lights off when not in the room. I’ll do it one further. Turn them off at all times unless you specifically need that light to do something.

4.    Buy Energy Star Appliances – The Federal Government has a program that rates and labels appliances that are considered high efficiency in terms of energy use. Look for the Energy Star label and specifically the energy use statistics that must be labeled on all major appliances.

5.    Wash Clothes Smartly – Washing machines and dryers make up a huge chunk of your monthly energy use. First off, cut down how often you do laundry. Only run the machines when you have a full load, and use cold water whenever possible. Additionally, check your exhaust vents and have your washer serviced to make sure it is working properly.

6.    Change the Thermostat – In the winter, drop your thermostat to a bearable temperature around 68 degrees or so (60 degrees at night) and in the summer, raise it to 78 degrees. The small difference in temperature from the standard 72 degrees can save you hundreds of dollars a year, especially if you live in an extreme climate.

7.    Turn Off Your Computer – Computers leach tremendous amounts of electricity, even when in hibernation modes. If you’re not using a computer, turn it off – simple as that. Additionally, make sure it is attached to a power strip that you can turn off whenever the computer is off.

8.    Check for Leaks and Improper Insulation – Homes with poor insulation or leaks in air vents can bleed energy. Have an inspection done to check for thin walls, poorly sealed doors, leaking air vents, or other issues that can cause energy loss. In some cities, there are public programs for low income families and the elderly to provide free insulation. If nothing else, home insulation is a big tax write off.

9.    Plant Trees Carefully – Trees around your home can provide much needed shade in the summer and sun in the winter. Southern and Western exposures are best, and you should plant deciduous trees so that the leaves are gone in the winter to let winter sun in. You can also install awnings each summer to reduce direct sunlight into your home.

10. Prewash and Load the Dishwasher – Dishwashers suck energy to heat water. To cut back on that energy use, scrape and pre-rinse your dishes, then use a lower cycle for your dishwasher.

11. Use Smaller Appliances for Small Meals – If you’re only making a small meal or feeding one or two people, avoid turning on your oven or stove. An energy star Microwave or toaster oven will provide plenty of heat to warm up a bowl of soup or cook a cheese sandwich.

12. Hang Your Clothes to Dry – If possible, avoid using your dryer altogether. Hang clothes lines in your basement and backyard. As long as it is not below freezing outside, wet clothes will dry in nearly any temperature.

13. Seal Windows in the Winter – Leaky windows can lead to a tremendous amount of lost heat in the winter. Make sure you install storm windows, and that the seals around your windows are properly caulked to avoid leakage.

14. Use Shades in the Summer – Instead of letting all that sunlight into your house and fighting it back with an air conditioner, use shades that can let in the cool air but block the sunlight. Again, you should also consider installing awnings to block direct sunlight.

15. Use Power Strips to Control Use – Use power strips on every outlet that you can. They not only reduce direct energy use, they allow you to turn off the power being used without having to unplug every appliance individually. It’s also a good idea to have power strips to avoid surges that can harm your devices.

16. Don’t Idle Your Car Unnecessarily – Idling a car wastes gasoline. Most cars can be warmed up by driving them. Instead of sitting in your car and idling without moving, drive it to warm it up while not on the highway. Additionally, avoid city streets whenever possible to improve gas mileage.

17. Tune Up Your Car Regularly – Regular tune ups and oil changes in your car will improve gas mileage and reduce the need for costly repairs. Even if you have a new car with no problems, make sure you stick to your regular maintenance schedule to reduce potentially massive bills.

18. Reduce Weight in the Car – Take out any unnecessary weight from your trunk or back seat. Extra weight reduces gas mileage and slows your car down, also putting a heavier burden on the engine which can cost you later.

19. Have Your Home Inspected – Have someone take a look at your home to find any leaks, insulation problems, old wiring, or other energy wasting issues. Many times, energy draining issues can be masked by walls, flooring, or a simple lack of knowledge. Look for an impartial third party that won’t try to sell you on unnecessary repairs.

20. Go Outside Instead of Watching TV – The more time you spend inside, the more electricity you use. So, instead of constantly watching TV, surfing the Internet, and playing video games, go outside and enjoy a sport or read a book.

Special Phone Bill Tips

Most of what we’ve discussed relates to your energy bills – the utilities that vary depending on use and energy rates. Another utility that can really add up and that many people don’t think about is the phone bill. It may not be related to renewable energy, but these tips can help you cut back a very hefty expense in most households:

• Reconsider Long Distance – If you have a mobile phone with free long distance or you simply don’t use your long distance very often, you likely don’t need long distance service on your home phone.
• Remove Package Features You Don’t Use – Other package features you don’t use like caller ID, offsite voicemail, 411, or voice activation are all unnecessary features for most people and can add up quickly on a phone bill.
• Consider VoIP if You Have Internet Access – VoIP phone service costs as little as $25 a month without any taxes or fees and works directly over the Internet access you already pay for. It also has free long distance and all the other package features you are used to.
• Review Your Mobile Bills – If you have a mobile phone or a number of phones, consider reducing your spending. Take a look at how many minutes you actually use, the text messaging you pay for, and the data plans. Children under 12 likely don’t need a mobile phone except for in emergencies either.
• Get Unlimited Plans When Necessary – If your family regularly goes over the limit on certain features, such as text messages, minutes, or data use, upgrade your plan to include unlimited packages. Unlimited text messaging for a family of four is often far less than the overages a single teenager can rack up in a month.
• Set Limits for Your Family – Be realistic about what you want to spend and communicate it to your children and spouse. If they are using hundreds of minutes and text messages each month, it’s likely not necessary. Set limits, check the bills often and make sure you follow through on the limits you set.

The average family spends between $100 and $300 a month on phone bills when you include mobile bills. That’s a LOT of money – enough to dwarf all other utilities combined. If you are smart about what you need and what you actually use, you can cut it back significantly and boost your energy savings almost two fold.

Secrets to Installing Solar Power in Your Home

When it comes to renewable energy, nothing gets more press than solar power; and for good reason. The sun is out there all day, every day. Even on cloudy days, the sun is showering us with energy that can be harnessed and used to heat our homes, power our appliances, and replace the expensive, fossil fuel burning energy companies. Every square meter of sunlight carries 1,000 watts of energy – a massive burst of raw power.

But, is solar power really an efficient option, and if so, is it affordable? Let’s take a closer look at what energy costs in your home can be replaced with solar and how effective they generally are.

Solar Hot Water and Space Heating

Solar hot water and space heating is one of the simplest ways to harness the power of the sun. It requires a solar collector, a tank on your roof, and the necessary connections to circulate heated water throughout your home. It’s about 80% cheaper than installing solar panels and can pay for itself within 2-3 years instead of 20.

What You Need for Solar Heating

There are two different types of solar heating installations – a passive installation that circulates water directly from the solar collector throughout your home without any pumps or motors, and an active installation that pumps cold water into the collector and hot water into your hot water tank where it can be stored for later use.

The simplest to install and least expensive is a passive system because it requires fewer parts, less maintenance and no permits. However, you should still be careful when installing a passive solar hot water system, if only because you’re working with active pipes in your home.

Types of Solar Collectors

A solar collector is a panel attached to your roof that will absorb energy from the sun and convert it to heat. In the case of a passive system, the collector will directly heat the water in a tank attached to your roof. Basically, it’s like a greenhouse for your home’s hot water.

However, not every home can benefit from a simple, flat plate solar collector. In colder climates where that water might freeze, you will need a more indirect system. In this case, you will need an evacuated tube system. What evacuated tubes do is surround the water pipes with glass tubes that have inert air in them. This counteracts the ambient air temperature so only the sun’s energy affects the overall temperature.

Additionally, those pipes will usually contain some kind of coolant rather than water. The heated coolant is then transferred to a separate water tank to heat potable water. The water never freezes, the pipes stay strong, and you have hot water even in the winter.

Implementation

Putting in a solar hot water system starts with analysis of your hot water needs. How much do you use and what do you currently pay for it? Likely, you will never be able to replace your entire hot water supply with solar hot water, but anything you do now will help your bills in the future.

Beyond the solar collector – which will be between 4 and 12 feet long – you’ll need the following parts to complete a solar heating installation:

• Storage Tanks – For active systems using evacuated tubes, storage tanks will hold the potable water away from the roof. This allows you to heat the water in a separate location more safely in cold temperatures.
• Water Heater – If you choose to remain connected to the grid, with the option for outside energy to heat your water, this is important. Most people remain connected to be sure they never run out of hot water. If the solar tank drains when you have company or it gets too cold outside, this will be welcome.
• Heat Exchanger – If you are using coolant in your solar collectors, you’ll need pipes or coils to transfer the heat from the coolant to your water, usually inside your storage tanks.
• Water Pumps – In an active system, you’ll need water pumps to move water to and from your solar collectors. Passive systems don’t use water pumps.
• Valves and Controls – These are used in active systems as well. Controls will determine where water is pumped and when to turn on your hot water tank. You can also install an isolation valve to cut off your solar system if something goes wrong along with a tempering valve. If you’re using direct hot water from your solar collector, a tempering valve will make sure it doesn’t get too hot when you’re in the shower or washing dishes.

Hot Water or Heating

Of the two, hot water is considered the simplest to install because it uses less energy than heating and because it only requires two connections to existing plumbing. However, for many homes – especially new ones – it is viable to use a solar heating system for both hot water and heating. In the case of heating, you’ll need to install pipes and radiators throughout the house to transfer the heat to your rooms, which will require professional assistance.

Photovoltaic Solar Power

The second type of solar power – the one you’ve likely heard more about – is photovoltaic. Without getting too technical, photovoltaic solar power is the process of converting solar energy directly into electricity using a solar panel.

These panels are made with highly conductive materials like silicon, which can break apart the energy from the sun’s rays into electrons and then direct them into an electric current. That current is transmitted through wiring in your home, converted into usable electricity, and funneled to your outlets and lighting fixtures.

It’s not quite as simple as all that, but nor is it much more complicated. Solar power’s biggest drawback isn’t complexity, but cost.

Because solar panels are notoriously inefficient (the best panels convert between 10-15% of the solar energy that hits them), and because they take up so much space, a system that will fully power your home would be large and rather expensive.

Installation Secrets

Just because they’re expensive, though, doesn’t mean solar power isn’t feasible. There are in fact many ways to optimize your use of solar panels without having to pay through the nose.

• Placement – First, your roof needs to be angled properly – ideally at about 45 degrees facing south. A southern exposure with no overlying shade will guarantee maximum sunshine throughout the year.
• Energy Use – You’ll need to cut your energy use to make solar panels viable. Luckily, you’re reading this guide, which provides dozens of tips to cut your bills and energy use down dramatically. Keep in mind that it costs $9 per watt of electricity to install a solar system. Analyze what you use currently and compare it to your total kilowatt use at the moment.
• Forecasting – You should also do some research to determine how much sun you can absorb throughout the year. What does the National Weather Service say about your annual sunlight? If you live in Seattle, PV cells probably won’t be of much use, but if you live in Arizona, you might be able to go off grid for a reasonable investment.
• Power Sharing – If you’re in a state that supports it, remember that you can also resupply power back to the electric company through the power lines. This way, you can stay on the grid and access electricity if it’s extra gray outside for a few weeks.

Installing solar power is expensive to be sure, but if you do it right, you can cut down your electricity use and at least supplement a bit chunk of your power use.

What You’ll Need

There are quite a few parts involved in PV cell installation, but to give you a general idea of what you’re paying for and the scope of installation, here’s a run through of the parts:

• Batteries – Without grid electricity, you’ll need batteries to store power when you’re not using it. This will help ensure you have power when the sun isn’t shining.
• Charge Controller – To control how fast the battery charges and drains, a charge controller is needed. This will lengthen the battery’s life and efficiency.
• Inverter – An inverter converts electricity you gather through your solar cells from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). This is necessary so you can use that electricity in your outlets.
• Generator – A generator acts as a backup if you’re off grid and run out of battery power. A generator can also be wired to a battery to recharge it if it gets too low during peak use.
• PV Cells – The actual solar cells you need will be available in many forms and costs. Higher end cells have been getting far better retention numbers, but the price rises drastically.
• Additional Parts – There are a number of other important parts including wiring, junction boxes, disconnects, overcurrent protection, grounding equipment, and brackets for installation.

Overall, solar panels are a fun, effective way to supplement the electricity you use from the power company – and the source is free and abundant. Remember to thoroughly research local laws and building codes before starting a project. You may also want to contact a licensed contractor for consultation.

Installing Wind Power

Wind power is becoming increasingly popular as a source of energy for major power suppliers around the globe. The wind never dies and turbines are becoming less expensive and more efficient with each passing year. However, when you crane your neck up at the 200 foot high windmill along the highway, you must be wondering if you could possibly harness the same power efficiently. Luckily, the answer is yes.

What You Need for Wind Power

A lot of people assume that you need acres of space, dozens of windmills and high speed winds to generate enough power for your home. However, recent studies have shown that substantial energy production can occur at wind speeds as low as 11 miles per hour with 100 square feet to build on.

Due to building codes and space restrictions, a windmill might not be ideal if you live in a major city or a crowded suburb, but anyone with a little space in their backyard or who lives in a rural area can easily take advantage of this rapidly advancing technology.

Building Your Own Windmill

Of course, there is the cost issue. Luckily, there are a number of resources cropping up that offer plans for installing windmills by hand using homemade parts. Because a windmill’s basic design premise is so simple, homemade windmills are far easier than other renewable energy sources like solar panels.

Before you start a project in your backyard, it’s a good idea to do some thorough research about what your windmill should include. It does you little good to build a windmill if you don’t know how much power you need it to produce or how fast your wind speeds are. Here are some things to consider:

• Energy Use – How much energy do you currently use each month and how much energy can you expect a residential sized windmill to produce? If you used 800 kWh each month, your windmill would need to produce at least 5 kilowatts to be effective in cutting your energy bill. That would cover roughly 40% of your energy bill. A windmill producing as much as 15 kilowatts would produce upwards of 90% of your power. These numbers vary depending on a number of geographical factors, and if you can lower your electricity use, your windmill will be far more effective.
• Space – Review how much space you have to build your windmill. Ideally, you want your windmill to be tall enough to rise above any obstructions like trees or your home. However, if the wind source is substantial, it doesn’t need to go any higher than that. For some home owners, a 20-30 foot windmill is plenty tall enough to gather the power you need.
• Building Materials – Your windmill will be tall, narrow, and jutting into the wind every day of the year. You will also depend on it to produce a large chunk of your electricity, so it can’t fall down on you during a storm. To combat these issues, make sure you buy only the strongest materials. A deep foundation, metal framing, and strong supports are all vital to keeping that windmill upright.
• Electric Components – While you can build a large portion of your windmill on your own, including the frame, blades, foundation, and head, you’ll still need to buy certain parts. There are plans for creating your own turbines and transfer systems, but even if you go the homemade route there, you’ll still need inverters, batteries, a charge controller, disconnects, and other electrical materials. Make sure to research the market prices for each of these parts. Don’t skimp on anything when it comes to your windmill – this is your home we’re talking about.

Ideally, well before you start construction, you should know how big of a windmill you need, how much space you need, how many parts you need, and what it will all cost you. If any of those details are fuzzy, go back to the drawing board and start back up your research.

Plans and Parts for Your Windmill

When the time comes to start building, you’ll need to have plans that have been successfully used by other do-it-yourselfers for their windmills. Do a quick Google search and I guarantee you’ll find a LOT of plans, but how many of them meet our criteria? Not very many.

To start with, your plans should be easy to understand. I’m going to wager a guess and assume you’re not an electrical engineer. If you like to fix things, tinker in your shop, and do odds and ends around the house, a windmill is a big leap, so having solid, well written plans is important.

Beyond the writing, however, you’d better have clear illustrations outlining what to do at each step of the process. Look for clear measurements for braces, foundation settings, and blades. When it comes to anything that channels electricity, accuracy is vital. Don’t settle for instructions that leave you not quite clear on what to do next.

It’s also important that your guide outlines exactly what you’ll need to finish the project. A lot of the time, plans and guides written by do-it-yourselfers will skim over some details that they didn’t remember to mention. The last thing you want is for your windmill to come crashing down because you didn’t know about a joint you needed at the pinnacle of the braces. Not only should you know which parts you need, you should know sizes, brands, and styles that will match up with your windmill.

Catering to Your Home

Windmills are fantastic in almost any climate and region. There are very few places that have no wind. Even if you live in such an area, a windmill can produce enough power to help cut down your energy bill at least a bit. But, you still want to be sure that your final design will fit in with your environment.

The windmill should be air and water tight to avoid any leaks or electrical shortages. It should also be tall enough to get above the trees in your area, and if you live with neighbors nearby, you should be sure it won’t make too much noise. In the past, many do-it-yourselfers have had their windmills taken down due to noise ordinances in their area.

A good windmill can put a big dent in your power bill, but it needs to be built to fit your particular needs. Sit down, do some research into what your home needs to get off the power grid, and find plans that will specifically match up with your region, municipality, and energy needs.

30 Money Saving Tips You Can Use Right Now

Every year, there are millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet, and most of them never realize that they could save hundreds if not thousands of dollars by making some very simple changes. For those of you in search of money saving solutions that turn your life into an episode of Survivor, here are 30 simple, easy to follow tips you can implement today.

1.    Combine Your Utilities – If you pay over $100 a month for cable TV, you can probably save a lot of money by adding in your cable Internet and phone bill to the same package. Many times, cable companies and phone companies are able to offer packages of all three for around $100 a month. You may lose some of the 500 channels you currently enjoy, but remember, we’re trying to save a few dollars.

2.    Send in Rebates and Use Coupons – Remember all those rebates you got from Best Buy last year for your home office equipment? Did you send any of them in? Rebates may seem like a pain to deal with, but they are basically free money. If you receive rebates or coupons for things you already buy, put them in a folder somewhere and act on them at least once a week. This will ensure you never “forget” to send them out.

3.    Refinance or Consolidate Loans – If you have loans or major debt, consider consolidating or refinancing to get better interest rates. Student loans and mortgages are great examples as they allow you to pay off the debt faster and with a fixed rate to reduce interest charges.

4.    Borrow, Don’t Buy – If you want to read a book, watch a DVD, or listen to a CD, borrow it from the library or a friend instead of buying it brand new. The cost of entertainment alone can add up extremely quickly. Consider services like Netflix for DVDs or Pandora Internet radio for music – both of which have low subscription fees.

5.    Magazine Subscriptions – If you currently buy magazines (or newspapers), replace those hefty monthly fees with a single subscription cost. Most magazines can be had for an 80% discount if you subscribe for the whole year.

6.    Order or Buy Groceries Online – These days, you can buy nearly anything online. Add your groceries to that list. Services like Fresh Direct and websites like Amazon make it easier than ever to order food in bulk at big discounts. You not only cut back on what you spend on groceries, you cut down on how much you must drive to get them.

7.    Pay Down Credit Card Debt – Debt is a big part of most people’s bills. Some people spend as much as half their income paying off loans, credit cards, and other debts. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars a month on interest charges, pay down those cards and stop using them to buy things you cannot afford.

8.    Wait for a New Car – Unless your car is falling apart and can’t go over 45 miles per hour any more, you don’t need a new one. Avoid the urge to spend money on the flashy new sedan you saw on TV. It’s not necessary and you’re adding yet another bill to your list.

9.    Pay Bills Annually – A lot of bills can be reduced by paying them in a lump sum up front. Car insurance, life insurance, phone bills, oil heat, and many others offer plans to pay up front and save as much as 25% of the total. It may seem like a lot to spend, but it’s far more cost efficient.

10. Cut Back on Gifts – Gift giving adds up significantly, especially around Christmas time when so many gifts go out. You don’t have to stop giving gifts, but cut back on them as much as you feel comfortable. Find ways to show your love without maxing out a $5,000 credit card every year – you’ll feel far less stressed come January 1^st.

11. Make Your Own Lunch – Lunch is a huge expense for many of us. If you work 5 days a week and spend $10 a day on lunch, that’s $2600 a year just to feed yourself while at work. What are the alternatives? Bring something from home. A brown bag lunch can cost as little as $2 and often includes more food than takeout – plus it’s healthier. Another tip: don’t spend so much money at coffee shops. That $5 latte could easily be replaced by a thermos of coffee from home that costs twenty-five cents.

12. Cook Meals for Dinner – Again, eating out is expensive, but now we’re talking about your whole family. What did it cost the last time you took the entire family out to your favorite restaurant? $50? $100? That same meal could be made at home with bulk foods and fresh ingredients for as little as $10 for four people.

13. Join a Wholesale Club like Costco – When it comes to buying food and household goods, no one has better deals than Costco. The membership is only $50 per year and you’ll be able to take massive discounts on everything from milk and vegetables to toilet paper and toothpaste. It may be a hefty monthly shopping trip, but it’s well worth the savings.

14. Use Free Software – If you have a home office or simply use your computer for a lot of personal projects, consider downloading and using free software options instead of pricy retail tools. Google Documents and Open Office are great replacements for Microsoft Office while Paint.net offers many of the basic tools that Photoshop does for $600 less than its pricy counterpart.

15. Cut Out Snacks and Drinks – A lot of what you spend on food could be completely cut out simply by eating less. Evaluate how much you spend on things like potato chips, candy, sodas, and other junk food and start cutting it out. Even if you replace it all with more expensive fruits and healthy snacks, I can guarantee you’ll spend less in the long run. Another big money waster: alcohol.

16. Exercise and Eat Healthy – By eating healthier and exercising regularly, you’ll save money in a number of ways. First, you’ll have more energy and get more done. Second, you won’t need to buy as many medications or see the doctor nearly as much. Finally, you’ll be happy going for a walk or talking with your family. You won’t need so many crutches and extra toys to keep you happy. A healthy body is a happy, inexpensive body.

17. Save Leftover Change – Don’t toss change away or leave it in your car. Get a change jar and start saving it for future use. By setting aside all the extra pennies and nickels you get, you can come away with hefty three figure paydays every few weeks.

18. Create Monthly Budgets – One of the easiest ways to save money is to know what you’re spending it on. A monthly budget is vital to help you understand what you actually need and what expenses are frivolous. Check in on your budget at least once a week, adjust as necessary and try to get as close to the minimum spend as possible.

19. Save Money in a Money Market Account – If you are trying to save money, make it work for you. Eventually, you’ll want that money going into CDs and IRAs, but for now at least get a money market savings account. Even just extra savings in your bank account will make small amounts of profit each week by staying here.

20. Plan Grocery Shopping Trips – The easiest way to waste money at the grocery store is to go in without a clear plan. Sit down once a week and make a list of everything you need, using recipes and your current needs as a guide. Then, when you go into the grocery story, don’t buy anything that’s not on your list. By limiting your trips to the store and cutting out unnecessary purchases, you’ll remove impulse buys from your budget immediately.

21. Don’t Pay Unnecessary Fees – There are so many fees out there that you may not even realize where your money is going. Of course there are credit card fees, but there are also late fees if you forget to pay a bill on time, transaction fees if you use the wrong ATM, and overage fees if your subscriptions don’t cover your service. Take a look at your last bank statement and try to cut out as many of those fees as possible.

22. Research Prices Online – Before you buy anything, sit down and look at the varying prices online. Impulse buys of major appliances or electronics can cost you hundreds of dollars.

23. Don’t Drink Bottled Water – Bottled Water is a massive waste of money, plus it’s awful for the environment. Get a stainless steel or plastic water bottle and fill it up instead. You can always get a filter if you don’t like your tap water.

24. Stop Smoking – Smoking is expensive. From $5 a pack in most states to $13 a pack in New York, you could be spending anywhere from $1500 to $5000 a year on this nasty habit, not to mention the future cost of health care.

25. Drive Your Car Less – Driving costs money. So, instead of driving three blocks to work each day, get a bicycle or start walking. Public transportation is also a great option, or you could car pool with people going your way.

26. Take Care of Your Pets At Home – Pets don’t have to be so expensive. Instead of spoiling them with expensive wet foods, stick with simple dry food from a reputable brand. They won’t know the difference and you’ll save money. Also, consider clipping nails, brushing teeth, and deworming at home – all feasible if your furry friend is well behaved.

27. Review Tax Savings – Take a closer look at your income tax return next year. You may be getting less back than you should. If you’re using any of the renewable energy tips in this guide, you can likely deduct them from your bill. Plus, there are plenty of deductions for children, green automobiles, and business expenses.

28. Have a Garage Sale – Get rid of your old stuff the best way possible – with a good old fashioned garage sale. If you’re not a fan of strangers on your lawn, go online and use eBay or craigslist instead. Throwing out old stuff is almost never necessary. Someone likely wants it.

29. Buy Used Items – Instead of buying brand new electronics, cars, clothing, or other goods, look for used options. Again, eBay is a great tool for finding used items, or you could talk to your friends and family to see if they have anything available.

30. Cut up the Credit Cards – Get rid of the credit cards. Paying for things with credit is the single fastest way to lose money. A $500 credit card would take 3 years to pay off if you paid the minimal balance and you would end up paying nearly 200% of the balance. Why do that when you could use cash and limit your spending?

This is only getting started, and don’t forget the 20 methods to save money on your utility bill and 6 methods to save money on your phone bill we already discussed. The opportunities to cut your bills, save money, and start saving for the future are nearly endless. The earlier you get started, the sooner you can relax and enjoy a life without hefty bills and massive energy consumption.

Conclusion

Some people never stop and think about where their money is going. They spend indiscriminately, throwing cash into the dustbin instead of setting it aside for retirement, college, or other expenses that are almost sure to come up in the future.

In today’s economy, with our energy sources running lower by the year, it won’t long be possible to ignore changes that you need to make in your spending habits. So, sit down with your family, review your expenses, and start slashing them down to size. Review the renewable energy you could be using right now and how much less energy you could be using with some simple, pain free changes.

Trust me, the grumbling will die down. Your family will be excited to do their part for the planet, and to cut down on how much money you’re spending every year. It might even mean an extra vacation or a few extra outings with the kids. Saving money is only a small part of the equation, but for your family, it can make all the difference.

So, stop waiting to take action because there isn’t much time left. As we speak, the world’s energy supplies are draining way, leaving a world for our children that will cost more, provide less, and take years to clean up. Eventually the higher ups will have no choice but to act. Would you rather be ready for it, or caught off guard without the money to make those changes?

Recommended Reading

Phone 4 Energy – By Ryan Wilson

Get Free Electricity From Your Phone Line

Ryan Wilson, a Telephone Engineer and Energy Specialist, has worked in the telecommunications industry for over 20 years and has now created “Phone 4 Energy”, a kit that will teach you how to use the electricity generated from your phone line – for free!

The technique he teaches in the “Phone 4 Energy” kit takes you through the process step by step. Better yet, it’s designed with the complete novice in mind, and you can have tapped into that power source in less than an hour!

This is a great way to stop the power company taking advantage of you, and use the electricity that you already pay for on your phone bill.

It will give you an emergency source of power too, as phone companies generate their own electricity – so you can still have power when there is a power outage.

The Phone 4 Energy System will give you the ability to power appliances and other household gadgets – and you can even use it when talking on the phone.

Using Phone 4 Energy means you can reduce up to 50% of your energy consumption, so you will be doing your part to preserve the environment.

If you’d like to do more to help the environment, Ryan shows various ways of doing this in his 6 part bonus package.

These bonuses he gives away when you purchase the Phone 4 Energy system include more easy step by step guides on different topics (such as run your car on water), and will have you saving more money. It’s a win/win!

I highly recommend you find out more about using this secret source of energy as soon as you can:

Get Free Electricity From Your Phone Line

Before we build a home (or hire a contractor to build it for us), we need to understand how the house works as a complete system. It is much easier to build a green home once we become familiar with some key principals such as how heat and cold gets transferred, and the reasons why moisture and air move throughout our homes. It is even more important to understand how a house works as a system; this saves both on energy losses through air leaks, and added moisture.

The transfer of heat

To understand heat flow it is best to look at the laws of thermodynamics (the study of energy) that is, thermo (heat) and dynamics (movement).  Once we understand these principals, we come to understand that science plays a big role in building a home, as well as the more commonly thought-of nails, wood and hammers.

There are two laws of thermodynamics:

1) The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can be changed from one form to another, however it cannot be destroyed. Energy exists in many forms including solar, chemical and electrical. In fact, the total amount of energy available stays the same – it just changes to different forms.

2) The second law says that in all energy exchanges, the potential energy of that state will always be less than the initial state. In other words, whenever energy is converted it gets downgraded in the process. This process is what is referred to as entropy.

You may be thinking right about now, what do these laws have to do with me building a house? It’s just bricks and mortar. These laws of science actually play a rather large role because when building a home you want to make it as efficient as possible.

A house that is electrically heated is nowhere near as efficient as a home which takes advantage of passive solar design features. Homes that utilize electricity typically come from fossil fuels such as coal. Coal as an energy source requires much energy to change from one form to another. A big chunk of this energy ends up getting ‘lost in transit’ and therefore by the time the usable power is delivered to a house its energy potential is very low. Sometimes by the time useful energy reaches a house its net energy is only 15 per cent of its original. That is, electricity has lost 85 per cent of the potential energy coal used to make it through transportation, refinement, generation, transmission, and transformation by the time it reaches the end user. I don’t know about you, but in a world where the supply of fossil fuels is running out by the day, finding an alternative is very much a reality for me.

Instead of using fossil fuels i.e. non renewable energy, have you ever thought about passive solar design? Solar design uses the power of the sun to create energy and in the process reduces the amount of energy a house will consume.  The sun as an energy resource is ever abundant and most areas in the world have enough sun energy to harness this energy. Even areas where the sun does not shine brightly every day, surprisingly there is still enough energy to power homes throughout that specific area.

Unlike with electricity conversion, solar conversion only uses one conversion process. That is, the sunlight shines through windows in your home and hits an object which is then radiated to human bodies giving us heat.

People find passive solar design a great way to reduce heating and cooling bills, and reduce wear and tear on heating and cooling equipment. These techniques are easy to apply when building new because you can control the placement of the home and were you put the windows (i.e. north facing, south facing etc). However, if you live in an existing home you can still take advantage of solar energy technologies. Some of these technologies include energy efficient windows, solar panels and rainwater catchment.

When we build a home and want to incorporate green elements, the process is easy once we have a clear understanding of entropy. We come to realize the role that well-designed windows play and the type of appliances we should use to make our homes run as smoothly as possible, using the least amount of fossil fuels.

How heat moves

The flow of heat is the flow from hot to cold, and is an important concept to understand. Heat is energy, and as long as there is a difference in temperature, heat will move.  Ever notice how when it is cold outside and you have the heater or fire on, you leave the outside door open even briefly the warm air sneaks out the house? Heat always moves from hot to cold and keeping this warm air inside the home is imperative to keep you feeling comfortable as well as saving you money on utility bills. This concept is important when building a home in order to truly comprehend how to heat and cool our homes, and how to control added air and moisture in our homes.

There are three ways that heat can be transmitted and energy movement is always a combination of three movements of energy: conduction, convection and radiation.

1) Conduction

Heat conducts through solid substances in the conduction process. Conduction is usually measured in insulation terms. R-value is a measure of thermal conduction – the higher the number the greater the resistance to heat flow. This means that heat will move more slowly through the material. You will also find that anything that conducts electricity will have a low R-value. It is important to have good insulation in a home to limit the amount of heat loss. To do this we need to use low conducting materials.

2) Convection

Convection happens due to density differences between warmer and cooler parts of a fluid.

In simple terms, the hotter the fluid is the less dense it is. Hot air rises and this is why warm air remains in the upper levels of a home and the basement stays cold. Even using your morning coffee as an example: when you blow on your drink to cool it down, convective heat loss occurs between the drink and the air. It is important to understand convection because when not controlled, convection can result in a cold house and damp house.  It’s not only utility bills that will sky rocket if you have a cold damp house, but dampness which can lead to mold and mildew which can have catastrophic effects on your family’s health as well.

3) Radiation

Radiation occurs when heat passes from one object to another. For instance, the sun radiates heat and when you stand next to a cold object such as a window, your body radiates heat towards that object, and that is the reason you feel cold. Radiant floor heating is often a popular choice for consumers and is often said to be the most energy efficient and comfortable heating method on offer today. With a forced air furnace, hotspots are created only where the air blows and in high ceiling areas, however radiant heating provides an even temperature throughout the house.

Not only will radiant floor heating increase the comfort levels of a home, it will cut the heating bills of a house more than other traditional heating methods can do.

Controlling heat flow

It is important to build a house in order for you to remain comfortable and keep the cold air outside and the warm air in. You need to make sure that you build your home to respond to the environment around you. Once this is achieved, no matter where you are in the country, you can design your house so that you can control the flow of heat.

When looking at controlling heat flow, insulation is the key element that you need to consider. There are a number of options when it comes to insulation choices and most are available from a home center store or large hardware retailer. Before going to the store to purchase insulation it is best that you measure the areas to be insulated beforehand so that you purchase the right amount of material.

Depending on where you live, the amount and R-value of insulation you require differs. However, remember that the more insulation you have, the warmer and more comfortable your home will be.  The Department of Energy website which is regularly updated is a great resource for you to use and has a helpful insulation calculator www.ornl.gov/~roofs/zip/ziphome.html.

If your home was built before 1981 you will probably need to add insulation, and if you are currently remodeling your home there is an easy way to add insulation. When it comes to insulation people tend to know what `Pink Batts` are but most are unaware that there are other types of insulation as well.  You need to realize that no type of insulation is the same and each different type is used for a different purpose and has a different R-value.

Batts are the most common form of insulation available. They come in either fiberglass batts, non-fiberglass batts or wool and cotton batts, and are often described as ‘fluffy blankets of insulation’.  Batts are easy to install and sit easily in the space between the studs in a wall. As with all insulation choices there are tradeoffs in terms of performance, cost, and the amount of chemicals they contain. Avoid fiberglass batts if possible. However, if you do choose to go with fiber glass batts, choose formaldehyde free and make sure the installer knows what he/she is doing.  There are three choices with batt insulation: foil-faced, kraft-faced and non-faced. They all have their benefits and limitations. Talk to your local insulation professional about what choice is best for you.

Loose fill insulation is another popular insulation choice and as the name suggests, loose fill is made up of small pieces of insulation that is blown into place using a special piece of equipment. Fiberglass and cellulose are the main loose fill options available, they are both cost competitive; however cellulose is a better insulator. Cellulose has a R-value of 3.7 whereas fiberglass has an R-value rating of 2.8. Loose fill insulation is a popular choice in small and hard to reach places such as in the attic. If you choose to install loose fill insulation into the walls, it needs to be held in place with netting or held in place while the wall is being completed.

Spray-in Insulation is similar to loose fill insulation. It expands into a foam, filling every possible area even in hard to reach places. Spray-in Insulation has high R-values, creates a super insulated area and is great for sealing tiny gaps.  The one down side to spray-in insulation is that they are one of the most costly options and not an option you should consider if you are looking to save money. However, the one thing you need to keep in mind is that by spending up now, in the future you will be much better off and will be living in a warm and comfortable home.

Rigid foam is a stiff board and when applied to the outside of a framed wall is a great way to keep wall cavities dry and reduce the risk of mold. More expensive than batts and loose fill, rigid foam has more than double the R-value of batts and loose fill making it a great choice and especially effective where space is limited. If you are remodeling your home and you want to incorporate insulation in that process, you may want to consider rigid foam because it is easier to add insulation to the outside of a framed wall rather than removing a wall and adding insulation i.e. batts or loose foam, and replacing the wall again.

Air leakage

Air leaks can be responsible for approximately 25 per cent of the heat loss in a new home, and even more in older houses. Leaky Building Syndrome is an issue affecting homeowners worldwide. Air leaks are an important part of the equation, often causing mold and structural deterioration.

To determine whether your home is suffering from air leakage you can do a blower door test which must be performed by an energy auditor or a heating contractor. These tests shouldn’t cost you more than a few hundred dollars and are a great way to check if air leaking areas should be sealed.

Once you have all air leakage problems sorted out it is important to have good ventilation i.e. fresh air needs to be able to come into your home. Don’t ever think that you have tightened up your house too tight by sealing all potential air leaks, you haven’t.  Mechanical ventilation is the next step that you should take to control the flow of fresh air in your home. Not only does mechanical ventilation control the flow of fresh air in your home, it also helps define the correct pressurization of a house.

Foundation and framing essentials

The foundations of a home are one of the most important things to take into consideration when building a home, yet the importance of the foundations for the efficiency and air quality of a house is often forgotten about. When looking at the foundations of a home there are three key factors that must be taken into account. These are: resource conservation, energy conservation and moisture control. I will discuss why these factors are so important in the chapter below.

The good performance of a home relies on a good foundation in order to cut down on heavy heating and cooling costs, as well as reducing the likelihood of any moisture and mold problems. The one thing which rings true for the foundation of all homes is that a foundation should not need to be replaced over the lifetime of a house – in other words, foundations need to be built to last.

Look at the foundation of a house as part of a whole system rather than as just one aspect of home construction. In this day in age it is important to build the foundation of your new home using sustainable building practices. For starters, you may want to consider substituting fly ash for cement. There are two main benefits for doing this, firstly using recycled product means you will be stopping the waste being dumped in landfills and secondly substituting fly ash actually improves the strength and durability of the concrete. Not all builders know that you can substitute fly ash in concrete, so the key is communication here. Do a little research and find a contractor who has experience working with fly ash.

Another important framing essential that you should be aware of when building your home is that foundations should be insulated. If the foundations of your home are not insulated, you will find that there will be heat loss throughout the home. This includes the foundation walls, crawl space and concrete slabs. It is best to insulate before you lay the foundations down as this will save you considerable savings in the long run, and add value to your home if you ever decide to sell.

It is best to insulate foundations on the outside in order to reduce any risk of condensation and mold development. The best way to do this is to insulate the exterior of the foundation wall by a process often referred to as backfilling. Two inches of rigid foam insulation should be used to insulate foundations, but you may need to increase it to 3 inches if you live in areas which are very cold. Once installed, this insulation will keep your basement at a steady temperature and in the future you may want to use the room as a fun room for the kids to play in or as an office.

Seeing as you are insulating foundations, it is also a good idea for you to insulate the slab. It is very important that you insulate slabs if you live in an area where the number of cooling degree days is high. In these instances you can gain approximately 15 per cent of cooling load. You can insulate the slab perimeter (this is a cheaper option), but I would recommend that you insulate the entire slab to avoid any heat loss.

As I have said before, you need to do everything you can to prevent moisture getting into your home and this means controlling moisture around your foundations as well. Even if your builder uses asphalt-based damp-proofing before back filling the foundation, it is still not enough to control moisture around foundations entirely. You may wish to discuss with your builder other options such as applying a rubber-based coating over the outside of the foundation wall to help keep your basement warm, dry and without mold.

Framing

I’m sure that there are many questions that you would like answered in terms of what materials and techniques you should use, and what you should do to make the framing of your new home as energy efficient as possible.

There are a range of materials that you could use for the framing of your home such as straw bale construction, blocks of aerated concrete and structured insulated panels. There are benefits for using all of these materials and they all play a role in sustainable building practices, however the real problem is that not all of these materials are widely used and to get hold of them is often difficult and a rather expensive process.

Despite the fact that there are a range of materials you can use to build your home, wood is still the most popular choice. In fact, wood is one of the most renewable materials that is used in the construction of a house. The one problem with typical house construction is that builders are using too much framing. If builders incorporated advanced framing techniques by using less wood and smarter joints, the amount of wood required to build a typical home will be chopped by at least half, if not more.

By taking advantage of advanced framing, cost savings will be significant as not as much wood will be required and you will be curbing some of the construction waste that gets thrown in landfills every year, at the same time cutting down on green house gas emissions. Having a home with less framing will mean that it is easier to install insulation as well.

Build with certified wood

As of now, global warming is a real threat to our environment and because of this, having trees planted in forests is beneficial to both us and the environment. Every year we chop down more than 32 million acres of forest to use the timber, but in the future it is going to be more beneficial to maintain forests that cut them done.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) was founded in 1993 as an international not for profit organization which certifies that wood has been harvested sustainably from forests. It is important that you use timber which has the FSC stamp of approval which means that the wood that you are using is from organizations that follow responsible forest management standards. Responsible forest management standards mean that the harvesting of the wood did not contribute to deforestation. There is no difference with wood which is FSC certified than the wood from a clear cut forest, apart from the fact that it doesn’t contribute to deforestation or global warming. It’s something to think about, because the more people that choose to use certified wood, the better it will be for the environment – and it will stop illegal logging practices as well.

FSC certification is the only way you know that the wood that you are using comes from a sustainably harvested forest.

Top ways to save on electricity bills

Taking stock of your utility bill is one way you can save money, but by following these tips you will also find you are more comfortable in your home and more energy efficient at the same time.

One way that you can instantly save money is by making sure that every time you leave the room you are turning off the light switch. It seems simple enough, but many people fail to do this simple task and pay the price for leaving the lights on in the next months’ power bill.

It is important that you get rid of any incandescent light bulbs that are used for more than two hours at a time and replace them with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL’s). CFL’s only use 25% of the electricity of incandescents, which means a saving of several hundred dollars for the average household every year. They last at least eight times longer than incandescents which save you on replacement costs as well.

Turn off the screensaver on your desktop computer or laptop. By doing this you can save upwards of $100 a year. Sure screensavers look attractive but the reason they were developed was to prevent screens burning out, but now that technology has developed they are no longer required. Better yet, to save even more money I would suggest turning your computer off completely.

Look at the appliances that you use every day and look for ways to make them more efficient. For starters, when you replace your appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines, replace them with a new and more efficient model – make sure you look at the Energy Guide sticker and look for appliances with the lowest yearly operating cost. Visit the US Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website www.eere.energy.gov/consumer and the ENERGY STAR website www.energystar.gov. I like to do my research before purchasing a new appliance and find both of these sites handy.

Choose to cook energy smart. There is no ENERGY STAR rating for ovens and stove tops, however there are a few things you can do to make sure these appliances are running as efficiently as possible. If you are cooking a small meal it is a good idea that you use a microwave or a toaster as an oven or stove top uses much more energy. Other things you should consider to cook energy smart is that when cooking on the stove top you match the size of the pots and pans with the size of the element. Avoid opening the oven door to check on food – instead trust the recipe, your instinct and the oven timer.

Cut down on how much water your shower uses. If you install a low flow showerhead you can save approximately 4,000 gal. of water a year. Apart from saving water you are saving gas and electricity as well by not having to heat that excess water. This is a project that you can do straight away, all you need to do is go to your local hardware or homestore and ask for a low-flow showerhead. Due to federal law, all showerheads will be no more than 2.5gpm but lower flow amounts are available as well.

Install a programmable thermostat. If you set the thermostat to your daily schedule you can have you home at a comfortable temperature at all times, for instance you can set the thermostat at a level you are comfortable with for when you first wake up in the morning and also for when you return home in the evening.

Take stock of your appliances and see which ones you really need and if you can do without them, get rid of them. A lot of the appliances that we now use are for convenience rather than as a necessity. Do you really need that spa pool or that dishwasher than you fill up with only a few dishes a day? Try going without the dishwasher for two weeks and see how you feel.

Front loader washing machines are gaining popularity and use much less electricity than standard top loader washing machines. Another benefit of front loaders is that they use far less soap than top loaders and spin the water faster with less vibration as well. If you are thinking about replacing your top loader washing machine why not replace it with a more efficient front loader.

Another way to instantly save money is to hang washing on the line outside or on racks to dry rather than placing the clothes in the machine. It requires no energy at all and is a task that can be completed in minutes.

Get rid of appliances which use large amounts of water and cost you a lot of electrical energy to run. These appliances include large aquariums, swimming pools and spas. If you do not need these appliances for your survival and you can’t afford to have them my best advice is to just get rid of them or sell them to someone who will make better use of them. A heated aquarium uses a lot of energy and most of that energy is for controlling the tank temperature. If you can’t fathom the thought of not having fish as pets then you could sell the aquarium and purchase a small glass fish tank and keep a few gold fish.

It’s a great idea to insulate your water heater if it is not already internally insulated with foam and it’s not so old that it will be replaced in the next 12 months. To find out if your water heater is internally insulated all you need to do is look at the opening of the water heater where the pipes emerge from the tank. Look at the pipe fitting and see if there is a plastic trim piece around the pipe. If you wrap your heater with a ‘tank wrap’ you will save some energy on your monthly utility bill.

Have you thought about installing a solar water heater? If you have some spare disposable income and have real interest in building sustainably then it is recommended that you install a solar water heater. At approximately $10,000 a pop it is a decision that takes a bit of thought. Solar water heaters are great if you have some wall area or an unshaded roof that faces south as you can reap the benefits for decades. It’s important that you speak to your solar expert who will be able to give you advice on the type and size of solar water heater that you should utilize depending on the size of your house, the location of your house and the number of people in your household.

If you have a furnace or an air conditioning unit in your home make sure that you always have clean filters i.e. make sure that you change the filters at least once a month the system is in use. If these systems are not used so much in the off season (spring and fall) then you don’t need to change the filters as often. The same rule applies when you have really dirty filters, change the filter more often.

Ventilation is important in a home as is an efficient air conditioner. Make sure that when you buy an air conditioner it is efficient. When you buy a new air conditioner, the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is the ratio of efficiency which you need to look for. Do your research and choose an air conditioner with the ENERGY STAR label.

Adding insulation to your home is one of the best ways to save on electricity bills. Whether you are building new or adding renovations to an existing home, there are a number of insulation options. Talk to an expert about ways you can add insulation to your home to save on electricity costs because heat loss through ceilings and walls can add 50% extra to your home’s utility bill in winter. To save money immediately, why not seal doors and windows and spray the roof with foam insulation. If your roof is already insulated with batt insulation you can add a layer of rigid foam in order to cut your energy bills down just that little bit more.

Many people find that windows and doors are one area of the home where the majority of heat is lost. The inefficiency of windows and doors adds to your utility bill; however there are a number of things that you can do to improve this situation. It is important that you install energy efficient windows in your home if you are replacing windows. Double glazed windows are a popular and great energy saving option because their inside surface is closer to room temperature. If replacing your windows is not an affordable option why not add weather stripping to old windows. At the same time you are weather stripping your windows why not weather strip your doors as well.

I could give you more great tips about what you can do to cut down your electricity bills but something that will benefit you tremendously is a bit of advice from the experts. Through discussing with an expert your home’s structure, the appliances you use, and the number of people in the household, you will come to an understanding of how and in what areas you can cut down your energy usage and your monthly power bill. Before you hire an ‘energy auditor’ I would suggest that you ask what services he/she provides and at what cost. Call a few different companies up so that you get the best deal. Most top quality auditors will spend a few hours with you at your home and go through your entire house including your attic and basement. They should conduct an air leakage ‘blower door’ test as well and will use an infrared camera to assess the insulation levels in your home, as well as test your ducts for leaks.

Install solar and wind power and save money

Solar and wind power are readily available power sources and the one reason why everybody is not using it (or at least not yet) is that up until now it has been too cost prohibitive. It is all a supply and demand thing and until more people choose to use renewable energy, the cost of producing those types of energy will remain high. However, at the moment governments worldwide are realizing the benefits of these technologies and thus offer incentives and paybacks for people who decide to use solar energy and wind power.

The Energy Policy Act makes installing solar and wind power affordable options through the use of tax credits which range from $50 to $2000. Aside from tax credits there are rebates available as well.  There are a range of renewable energy incentive programs available for consumers.  The North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council were key developers of the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE). This database describes what resources and incentives are available for people who wish to consider renewable energy options.

A great thing about renewable energy is that if you generate enough you can sell it back to the utility company. The 1978 Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act states that if individuals or businesses generate excess amounts of power through renewable energy, the utility company must buy it at wholesale cost.

There is an abundance of sunlight available for people to harness and use to power their homes, but because of the heavy cost involved, very few people are taking advantage of solar energy – despite it being the cleanest source of energy that has ever existed.

Electricity can be generated from sunlight through the use of the PV Cell. The PV Cell converts light energy into electrical energy using the simple process called the photovoltaic effect. Sun light hits the PV cell and the cell then transforms light energy into an electrical signal. The electrical signal is then converted into electrical power. The same principles apply to a small solar power system as to a large scale solar power system.

If you have a large area (more than an acre) of land at your disposal then you may be able to turn that wind into power. For people who live in a rural location or on a lifestyle block, wind power is a cost effective and renewable source of power. Even if you only have minimal natural air movement, your home can at least produce some electricity and for many people it is often a cost effective option. Depending how much wind you have on your property you could possibly save 50 to 90 per cent on your electricity bill. Combining wind power with solar power could potentially mean that you never have to pay a power bill ever again.

It is almost a better idea to take advantage of both solar power and wind power. If you require the energy of the wind to power your home completely you may find that you don’t have enough wind to power your home for the entire year. To measure how much wind power you have available at your home you need to have the correct measuring equipment. Wind socks are available which indicate the speed of the wind as well. Equipment is available at a science or weather equipment store.

There are wind resource maps available which detail the estimated yearly electricity production available from a wind turbine. These maps are based on an average wind speed, but if you are going to rely fully on wind power you will want to make sure that you get consistent wind speeds at your wind power location.  The Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the United States is available on the Wind Technology Center website at www.nrel.gov/wind. More than likely you will want to have on hand a battery system where you can store generated power.

If you are concerned about the damage that fossil fuels are doing to the environment and are looking for other options, then solar and wind energy are your best options. You do not have to fully commit to a wind power or solar powered system, instead think about the small changes you can make. For starters, you may want to install solar panels on your roof. There are a range of styles and cost ranges available which fit into any budget.

By combining both green-building techniques as well as active solar systems, you can actually create a home which produces as many kilowatts of energy a year as it uses. These active solar systems that you could use to create a `zero energy` home include such technologies as solar water collectors and photovoltaic panels. Passive solar design of a home is important when you wish to create a `zero energy` home.

Talk to an engineer who will be able to give you the best advice about how you should build your home to take advantage of both the sun and the wind. You need to make sure that your house is orientated in the right position, that your windows are in the right spot and that you have an overhang in the right position. A home which uses passive solar design can cut heating bills by up to 80 per cent and the extra energy cost can be minimized by utilizing wind power and solar power.

Plumbing tips to help with your water

If you are looking for ways to save money you may wish to consider using less hot water. Using less water means that you will be paying less on your energy bills because you will not need to pay for that extra water. There are a number of things you can do and the projects I am discussing in this chapter can be completed by any DIY enthusiast.

If you want to use less hot water you might want to install a low flow aerator on your faucet. To complete this project follow these steps:

1. Unlock the old aerator.

2. Screw the replacement aerator in. Makes sure it doesn’t leak when used, if it does leak use pliers to tighten.

After installing a low flow aerator you may wish to add an on/off lever for the aerator. I have a lever on the aerator in my kitchen and bathroom; they are helpful for when pouring a glass of water. The biggest benefit of an aerator with a lever is in the bathroom when you require intermittent hot water.

To save on hot water bills it is important that you replace showerheads. To complete this project follow these steps:

1. Unscrew the showerhead using pliers.

2. Wrap the threads of the shower arm clockwise for a few turns.

3. The next step is to screw in the new showerhead and tighten with pliers.

4. Turn the shower on and make sure that there are no leaks.

Get your toilet to use less water; you can do this by installing a flush adapter and Aqua system. But when the time does come for you to replace your toilet make sure that you buy a toilet with low flow. An easy thing you can do to save the amount of water that your toilet uses is to lower the tank float manually. It’s easy to do this, all you need to do is turn the adjustment screw to lower the float using a screwdriver.

To get your toilet to use less water you can also place a soda bottle in the back of the tank. Fill a soda bottle half to three quarters fill with sand and small pebbles, top it up with water and seal the lid. Place the bottle in the water tank; this process can actually save half a gallon of water per flush.

As well as stopping equipment using excess water it is also imperative that you fix leaks – otherwise you are pouring water (and money) down the drain.

Grey water is the left over water from sinks, showers and dishwashers EXCEPT toilet water which is referred to as black water. You may want to consider utilizing grey water for irrigation and to flush the toilet rather than watching it run down the drain. Grey water is a relatively new concept but there are some plumbing systems which already incorporate a way of capturing this used water. The big problem is that most cities do not have building codes which allow the use of grey water. The best advice I can give you is that if you are building a home, you should talk to a plumber about pre-plumbing for grey water for when building codes come into fruition for it. One of the reasons that there are no building codes for plumbing grey water at the moment is that there is a bit of fear that grey water and black water may get mixed up.

When you are looking at ways to save water, you need to make sure that the appliances that you wash clothes are dishes in are energy efficient. Did you know that a washing machine uses just as much water as your toilet does? If you use a model which is more efficient you may be able to cut down how much water you use per load. Front loader washing machines are a better option when it comes to water efficiency, but do your research as there are some energy efficient top loaders as well.

If you do need to use a dishwasher it is important that you use one which has an ENERGY STAR rating. You will find a good range of water-saving models available by most manufacturers. It is also important that you fill the dishwasher before turning it on otherwise you will just be wasting electricity and water. Choose to be water and energy efficient today and you will be doing your part to making this world a greener place.

Landscaping tips

Good green landscaping is important when you are building an energy efficient home. There are a number of things that you can do to incorporate plants into the overall design of a home that may reduce the need for insulation and reduce the flooding from rainwater runoff.

Even the correct placement of trees and shrubs can mean the difference of having a home which is cool in summer and warm in winter. The US Department of Environmental Protection says that planting trees can cut a home’s air conditioning cost and a home’s heating cost by approximately 25 per cent. That’s not bad for a tree that stands there and does nothing. Make sure that your landscaping plans take into consideration the way that plants can be used to save on both energy and water. By no means do these energy and water savings mean that your garden cannot be aesthetically pleasing.

When looking at your landscaping options you want to buy plants which require the least amount of water and little other maintenance such as fertilization.

When it comes to a lawn, you need to understand that the more lawn that you have the greater dependency you will have on water.  The ultimate aim of a green home is the opposite of that; you want to conserve as much water as you possibly can. There are more options than simply going without a lawn and having a concrete slab as your front yard. For instance, you could plant many native plants as they require less water and are a plant drought tolerant species as well. If you still want to have a small lawn on your front yard, that can be accommodated for too.

Sprinklers are the biggest waste of water in a garden because the dispersed water only touches the plants rather than the soil where the roots of the plants and flowers are able to properly absorb the moisture. If your plants do require that little bit of extra water to remain healthy, you may want to consider in ground irrigation. In-ground irrigation uses less water, yields better results, and if you are concerned about wasting water you may want to place the irrigation system on a timer or on a rain meter.

As mentioned in the previous chapter grey water (used water) is a way to make use of water which is left over from other processes. Rainwater catchment systems are a way of utilizing rainwater and can be used to water your garden. It is actually really easy to make your own rainwater catchment system – all you need to do is place a rain barrel underneath the gutter spout from your home. If you want to get a bit more technical measure the size of your roof multiplied with the average yearly rainfall in the area to find out how much rainfall you can gain from the roof. Once you have calculated this figure you will be pleasantly surprised with how much water you can feed your garden without ever having to turn that tap on.

It is amazing how things have changed over the past decade or so, there was a time that having an outdoor swimming pool or spa added great value to a property – now it is just seen as a costly expense. Aside from needing hundreds of gallons of water to fill a pool, it is very expensive to heat and the chemicals required to purify the water add to this cost. As people are becoming more aware of the cost of resources they are realizing that despite being aesthetically pleasing and a fun activity, it has higher costs than people are willing to spend.

Follow these landscaping tips and combine them with the other advice in this book including framing, insulation, ventilation, electricity savings, plumbing and solar and wind energy advice about how to build a home green from the ground up. Remember that all of the projects discussed in this book you will be able to complete if you are keen and are willing to put a bit of hard work in.

Best of luck with your future projects.

Recommended Reading

MagniWork

The Magniwork guide will teach you how to create a magnetic power generator so you can power your home for free, and help save the energy crisis.

The zero point magnetic power generator uses magnets and magnetic force to induce continual energy by itself.

In other words, the magniwork power generator that you can construct using the Magniwork guide will give you the ability to generate FREE energy – without the need for renewable, or non-renewable sources to create that energy.

A magnetic power generator does not require a lot of space in your home, and it is reliable – working in all extreme weather conditions. The Magniwork free energy generator is a great eco-friendly solution, and the materials you need to build one are all very common – totaling less than $100.

We are aware of numerous reports that Magniwork doesn’t work and that the plans have been stolen from Naudin and Bedini.  It is true that Magniwork can be built cheaply, for less than $, and it can be installed anywhere.  As we are yet to receive a shred of evidence that the device generates more electricity than it consumes,  we can’t endorse it as an over unity device, producing free energy.   All claims that it does are false.

You can access the original Bedini plans for free here and examine if this device really works.

Organic Food Gardening Beginner’s Manual – By Julie Villani

http://thegreenfuel.com/admin/recommends/organicgardening

I recommend the Organic Food Gardening Beginner’s Manual by Julie Villani as a great place to start for growing your own organic food.

Do you enjoy gardening? Or consider it more of a chore and something you’d rather not spend time on?

If you agreed with the former, then you’re probably relishing the idea of successfully growing your own food (if you’re not already).

If you agreed with the latter, but you’re keen on having organic food, the Organic Food Gardening Beginner’s Manual will make it easy for you – and you’ll begin to realize it is not just a ‘chore’ after all.

Julie Villani didn’t begin life as a natural gardening enthusiast, but learnt with a lot of time and effort how to become a successful organic gardener.

She developed the Organic Food Gardening Beginner’s Manual so that everyone would be able to experience the same benefits she has – without wasting time and effort on trial and error.

Not only does growing your own fruit and vegetables reward you with a natural joy of accomplishment, and save you money, but Julie has made it easy for you to do.

And, don’t forget that growing your own organic food means you will be serving up you and your family chemical free, vitamin filled, fresh, natural foods that your body is really looking for.

Julie’s Beginner’s Manual is crammed full of information covering the best growing tips and instructions for never failing, written in simple steps.

She’s also giving away 4 bonus gifts with every purchase; these include a garden diary, an eBook on seed saving tips and techniques, plus more.

Since the dawn of time, man has attempted to harness nature. It’s something of an obsession. We’ve cultivated crops, domesticated animals, built cities, dug up fossil fuels, and even landed on the moon. But, the most common and powerful source of energy at our fingertips has been ignored by many executives and innovators for far too long. Until very recently, solar power has been a passing “fad” that only the most die-hard of green energy converts and NASA would tout and yet the technology never died. It continued to develop, to innovate, and to become more efficient.

The first solar cell was created in 1941 by an enterprising American working with silicon named Russell Ohl. It’s been 70 years since that first breakthrough and solar technology has come a long way. Cars have been built with solar cells. Houses have been taken off the energy grid with solar and wind energy sources. You can go out right now and buy your very own solar energy kit and start tapping into that great big orb in the sky yourself.

Technology is a wonderful thing. It provides endless opportunities and with the world realizing with increasing urgency that our traditional energy sources just aren’t cutting it any longer, solar is finally coming into its own. This is a soon-to-be multi-billion dollar worldwide industry.

And, with the right tools and knowledge in your back pocket, you can be at the forefront, heating your water, powering your garden lights, or even bumping your entire home off the energy grid once and for all with green energy.

And it all starts with knowledge – the basic facts about how this innovative technology actually works and why you haven’t heard nearly enough about it in the last decade as our oil prices have skyrocketed.

It’s Not Just Solar Cells

If you’ve never heard anything else about solar energy, you’ve probably heard about or seen those foil lined, shiny surfaced solar cells that sit atop businesses and schools. They’re called photovoltaic cells and they are just one form of technology at our finger tips used to convert the sun’s rays into a viable, usable form of energy for our homes, electronics, and cars.

But, with the right technology, the sun can be used for all sorts of other energy transference. The dream of converting your entire home to solar dependency doesn’t have to be hard. You can ignore the critics that say it’s a passing fad or that the savings take too long to manifest.

Other technologies exist that provide opportunities to save money, and do your part to minimize your carbon footprint. We’re talking about:

• Solar Hot Water
• Solar Collectors
• Active Solar Space Heating
• Photovoltaics

And that’s just the solar side of things. You can also boost your natural energy sources by utilizing wind power and by cutting back on your current consumption rates. This guide will touch on all of these topics and more as you attempt to learn what it will take to stop using your share of the fossil fuels in the world and cut back to strictly natural, renewable energy.

Forms of Solar Powered Energy

As I mentioned already, solar power comes in many forms. To better illustrate what I mean, consider the world’s current energy sources – not just the oil and coal we use to run our computers and cars, but the food, water, and wind that’s around us every day.

It’s all because of the sun. Trace the food chain to its lowliest members and you’ll find plants and algae – both life forms that can transform the sun’s rays into energy sources through photosynthesis. That energy allows plants to reproduce and in turn transfers to the animals and people who eat them. All energy in our food comes from the sun, even if it goes through five or six steps of the food chain before it gets to your belly.

Even the current forms of energy we use are merely old, super high-density containers for solar energy. Coal is compacted plant matter. Oil is compacted algae matter. Natural gas is the by-product of both of them.

It’s all a cycle, so it’s no surprise that technology has developed in recent years to take advantage of the sun’s rays in as many ways as possible, not just through silicon based solar cells, but through solar collectors, insulated tubes, and more.

Solar Collectors

First thing’s first – how do we take all that energy being pumped out by the sun each day and convert it into viable power for your home? It’s done with solar collectors – special panels that you place in your roof, on your walls, or beside your pool to collect and trap the radiation given off by the sun and use it to produce heat. We’ll get into the systems used to convert that energy into a useful form in your home soon, but for now, let’s take a look at how the collectors actually work.

Sometimes called solar thermal collectors, collectors are used in many installations – most notably solar hot water and space heating setups. They may also be used for solar towers, solar power plants, and solar conversion for warehouses or commercial outlets.

Think of it this way. Roughly 52% of all electricity generated in the United States is done with the use of Coal. However, coal doesn’t generate electricity on its own. Usually, it is burned or broken down in a way that releases energy. That energy is then used to heat water which turns turbines. Those turbines then produce electricity which is stored and transferred to homes and businesses throughout the region.

A solar collector is taking on the same role as the coal – it’s trapping energy and preparing it for conversion to a form we can actually use. Where and how you use those collectors will depend largely on what kind of energy you need. Instead of the highly unstable and generally not very useful solar radiation that comes from the sky every day, a solar collector converts the sun’s energy into something that can be used to heat water or recharge a battery.

Heating Collectors

The first type of collector is used for heating. Solar heating collectors come in flat plate or evacuated tube collectors. Basically, a flat plate will heat a tank of water while evacuated tubes will transfer heat to various tubes of coolant which can be transferred to a tank for later use. The latter is more often used in commercial settings or for homes that experience freezing winters.

• Flat Plate – A flat plate collector is an insulated box that contains a plate designed to absorb solar energy – usually protected beneath a set of glass or plastic layers when installed in your home. If you use the same collector plate for your pool, it may be uncovered.
• Integral Collector Storage – The Integral collector storage (ICS) system is often known as a “batch system” and will usually have multiple tubes or tanks contained within a single insulated box. The system will pump cold water into the tubes or tanks to heat it. The water is then transferred to your standard hot water heater which is heated by gas or electricity.This ensures that, if your region freezes in the winter, you always have a source of hot water. The hot water heater can be set to only turn on when the water drops below a certain temperature coming from the collector. In most situations, this reduces your traditional energy use by up to 70%.
• Evacuated Tube – The third type of solar collector is the evacuated tube, which encapsulates each pipe in the collector with numerous clear tubes made of glass. Each tube will have metal absorbers to trap the solar energy and heat the water.Due to the scalability of this option, it is used often for businesses and large buildings. Another benefit here is that the evacuated tubes are not affected by things like air temperature due to the insulation.

These collector types will vary greatly depending on whether you are installing a heating system, a hot water system, or a different thermal solar system.

Electricity Collectors

The collectors you’ve probably seen more often are the ones used for generating electricity –­ the panels, dishes, pyramids, and towers that dot the landscape in secluded areas or in industrial parks. Different types of collectors include:

• Parabolic Trough and Dish – Troughs are used by solar power plants to concentrate the energy collected from the sun to heat a pipe filled with coolant, which is then used to power boilers in a station. Parabolic dishes look like giant foil wrapped satellite dishes. They focus all of the sunlight received onto a single point where it is converted into a more useful form of energy.
• Power Tower – Like something out of a scene in a science fiction movie, the power tower is surrounded by small mirrors that focus on the central point of the tower. The tower then transfers heat gathered to the base of the tower where a power station is located.
• Solar Pyramid – A pyramid uses air as the conductor to turn the turbines. They require a lot of space and are covered in solar collectors that transfer heat to the air that is pushed through them.

There are a number of reasons why these systems tend not to show up on your neighbour’s roof or at the local grocery store. They’re expensive to implement and require a complex system to ensure the mirrors and collectors remain concentrated in the right location throughout the day. The amount of heat generated and collected, however, is immense. This makes them perfect for power plants where cost can be outweighed by the long term benefits of a productive power plant.

The biggest issue that keeps concentrating and collecting systems from being used residentially is that they generally don’t work in sub-prime conditions. If the sun is invisible or simply diffused for any period of time, they don’t work well, whereas photovoltaic systems continue gathering power.

So, instead of focusing on what you can’t use, let’s take a look at how solar collectors can be integrated into your home for thermal collection.

Solar Hot Water

Yes, solar panels are cool. They take the sun’s rays and convert them into real life electricity that can run a toaster or an LCD TV. But, a lesser known use of solar power that is far more affordable and efficient for the average home owner is solar hot water.

So, what makes a solar hot water system so powerful, and yet three times more efficient than PV panels? It’s the combination of simplicity in design and long term use with minimal maintenance. Plus, because of the current tax climate, you can receive massive rebates from the state and federal governments for adopting a green energy source in your home. In short, it will actually pay for itself sometime soon, rather than in 20 years.

Savings and Production

Like any solar energy source, solar hot water will vary in how useful it is for your home, largely depending on how much sunlight you get throughout the year. A well-built system that is large enough for your daily hot water needs and that can store energy throughout the day should be able to provide hot water for your entire home for as many as 8-9 months out of the year.

However, if you’re region freezes often or if you have 200+ days a year of rain and clouds, the sunlight may not cut as deeply into your bill as you might like. You’ll want to measure the savings before investing money into a system like this, just to be sure it will benefit you in the long run.

System Options

Solar hot water has been on the market for about 25 years now and in that time, quite a few methods have been developed to convert energy from the sun into the hot water you use to take a shower or do your dishes. There are multiple systems to choose from when determining how to install your hot water. Which one you choose may depend on factors such as local rebates, space, and the daily hot water needs of your family.

• Active – An active system uses various parts and mechanics to absorb heat and transfer it to your household water source.
• Passive – A passive system does nothing beyond providing a funnel for solar energy to the water source.

For the most part, the passive systems are easier to install, less expensive and require far less maintenance. On the flip side, if you live in a high-maintenance climate where the sun takes long naps and it gets very cold in the winter, you may need the extra bells and whistles of an active system that can back up your hot water, separate the heating elements, and provide on-grid options when conditions get too harsh.

How a Solar Water System Works

Whether you have an active or passive system, you’ll need to have a collector and a storage tank for the water. The collector will take in the solar energy, amplifying the heat and transferring the radiation to the water in the tank which will then be distributed, either to a secondary storage tank or throughout the hot water pipes in your home.

Ultimately, you have two options for your storage tank – dual tanks or a single tank – and three options for your solar collectors. Here is a quick breakdown of the differences between active and passive systems.

Active Solar Hot Water Systems

In an active hot water system, there will be a number of moving parts that make sure it keeps running under all conditions. This is very important for a home that doesn’t get a lot of sun during some parts of the year or that suffers from deep freezes during the winter. Without an active system, you may lose hot water completely or suffer damage to your installation.

Active solar hot water systems come in two forms – either direct or indirect circulation systems. The direct circulation system will simply heat the water in the collector and move it through your home as it is heated, using a series of pumps. The indirect system will use a special coolant liquid that can be transferred between the solar collector and a heat exchanger which will transfer the heat to the water for later use.

If your home is in a climate where it freezes often, an indirect system is almost vital to avoid any pipes that might freeze in the collector. Imagine having water back up in the tank attached to your roof on a cloudy day and freeze. The damage would be incalculable.

Passive Solar Hot Water Systems

In general, these systems are much simpler. They use traditional plumbing and gravity to move water between the solar collectors and your hot water facets, but because they lack any pumps or backup systems to keep things running, you run the risk of a system that will bleed heat and become inefficient quickly.

The first type of passive system is the integral collector, which we already discussed and which is great for homes that are in nice warm climates. However, for those that might encounter freezing temperatures, the thermosyphon system may be a better option. This system works with the natural properties of water to syphon hot water out of the collection system. Cold water will rise into the batch tank and as it is heated, it will rise in the collector and run into a higher pipe that goes to the hot water heater or storage tank.

This second method is great if you’re interested in something reliable and passive, but keep in mind that they generally cost more because of the need for new plumbing and that they need to be very carefully installed – usually by a professional – because they are heavy and attached to your roof.

Is a Solar Hot Water System Right for You?

Hopefully everything above made good sense. Even if the technical details didn’t hit home, consider this – a solar hot water system is a great way to cut back on your carbon footprint and reduce your energy bills instantly with a relatively basic installation. Especially if you’re using natural gas heat for your hot water tank, this can be a great way to cut your gas bill.

And the cost is very attractive. The parts and installation of the system may seem hefty up front, but you’ll almost never need to worry about maintenance and the sun’s rays are always free. The cost of parts and labour will vary, but on average, a new home buyer will spend as little as $10-15 a month over the course of 30 years to cover the cost of the system, which is generally far less than you’d be paying for hot water for a family of four.

In comparison, it will cost roughly 3-4 times that much to install a photovoltaic system that can produce electricity for your entire home. If your heating bill is significantly higher than your electric bill due to the use of natural gas or oil, you may want to consider starting your conversion to solar with a hot water or heating system, both of which are far easier to install and have a far lower upfront investment.

Active Solar Space Heating

If you’ve ever been in a greenhouse, you understand the basics of solar space heating. Instead of concentrating solar energy on a single point or converting it to electricity with expensive photovoltaic cells, you transfer solar energy into your home through a glazed surface – such as glass or plastic – and use the energy for heating.

Of course, it can be much more complicated than that depending on how much heat you want to generate, whether you want to store it or transfer it to other rooms and how you will use the energy when it is gathered. So, it’s a good idea to determine how each of these systems will work in your home before making any decisions.

Passive Heating

Passive solar heating is pretty simple and the least expensive way to introduce solar power to your home. It basically takes advantage of southern facing windows, insulation, and sunspaces to gather and hold heat throughout the day and maintain the temperature in your home.

A passive system most commonly uses what is called a direct gain setup to store sunlight throughout the day and then release it over time. This allows the home to stay warm even after the sun has set. The biggest issue here is overheating as there is no way to regulate the heat your building materials gather during the day.

Another common form of passive space heating is “indirect gain”. This is when you use special building materials or insulation that will hold heat during the day and then release it into the home. This creates a buffer to reduce the direct heat your living space absorbs, but still maintains the slow release method.

Active Heating

Active heating takes us back to the collectors we discussed earlier. You’ll need to gather solar energy in concentrated points and direct that energy through water and other fluids to the rest of the house – sort of like a solar boiler. Air can also be used as an option to transfer the heat throughout your home.

• Liquid Systems – A liquid based system will use the same kind of water collector I mentioned when discussing your hot water system. Then, with the help of pumps or valves, you will transfer that water throughout the house to radiators, floorboards, or walls to redistribute heat to different rooms. It doesn’t need to be water – some liquid systems will use various non-toxic coolants as the transfer source.
• Air Systems – In an air transfer system, an air collector is used to heat pressurized air that is then distributed throughout the house to keep you warm.

One of the more common additions to a system like this is a backup source that provides heat when you either use up the heat you’ve generated or the sun isn’t shining for a day or two. Backup systems usually require water based heating as water is easier and safer to store than heated air.

Things to Consider

If you’re seriously considering installing a solar space heating system, you’ll need to do more than just place larger windows on your house. First, you will need to calculate your current energy usage for heating. How much does it take to keep your family warm throughout the year?

Once you’ve done that, you need to determine whether or not your home is insulated enough to maintain the heat you generate. Without an outside heating source, you want to retain as much heat as possible. Without insulation and with gaps in windows or doors, a solar system will have a hard time keeping up with the energy demands of your home.

If you plan on using a collector, keep in mind that most homes use more energy in heating than for hot water. You won’t be able to use a single collector and storage tank for your heating needs. You may need multiple collectors, either on your roof or in your yard, to ensure you get enough heat during the colder months of the year.

Is Solar Space Heating Worth It?

If you live in an area where heating is necessary for more than 2-3 months of the year and you get sufficient sunlight to generate that energy, you will definitely benefit from solar space heating. Passive systems are less expensive and require less moving parts, but can be far less accurate when it comes to providing enough heat for your home, so they are generally recommended only for temperate and moderate climates.

If you live in a colder area where it freezes often, you will want to consider an active system that can continuously generate heat and store it for later use. You may also need to remain tapped into an external heat source to ensure you don’t run out of viable energy in the dead of winter.

Photovoltaics

I’ve saved this solar method for last for good reason. While photovoltaics (or solar cells) may be the most commonly cited and recognizable of solar technologies, they are also the most expensive and at times hardest to utilize for a residential home. And while I’ve reiterated that a few times in the guide so far, this is still a technology that I am positive will revolutionize how we use energy in the decades to come.

How Photovoltaics Work

So far, we’ve discussed other solar systems that basically concentrate solar energy and transfer it to another medium – either water or air. With a photovoltaic cell, things are done electronically. In short, the cell is converting the energy from the sun into electricity using a silicon semiconductor.

It’s the same technology we’ve using for years to power computers, transistors and other electronics, but instead of a man-made power source, we using the sun directly. When the sun’s light hits the PV cell, some of that light is absorbed by a semiconductor made of silicon (or a similar material). The energy in the semiconductor then breaks loose electrons that can travel as they please inside the device.

These electrons are then pushed in a particular direction creating a current. Once the current has been generated, you can use contacts located on the PV cell to draw electricity off of it to power your devices.

I’ve just boiled down a very complex subject to about 150 words, so you’ll have to bear with me when I say that “it just works”. Entire books, classes, and college degrees are based on this subject so if you’re interested in how electricity, silicon, or semiconductors work, there are plenty of resources to draw from.

However, the basic idea is that those PV cells can take the sun’s rays and convert them in real time to electricity which we can use to power various devices – from the solar powered calculator we all thought was amazing in second grade to the space station orbiting the earth with solar panel wings catching as much radiation as possible with each circuit.

Issues with PV Cells

Since the 1950s, photovoltaic cells have been used by various military, government and commercial outfits and scientists have tried to determine when this technology would become feasible for residential use. When would we be able to unplug from the grid and start using solar power only?

The problem, unfortunately, isn’t the sun. The sun’s rays produce 1,000 watts of electricity a day for every square meter of the earth they hit. That’s a lot of juice. The problem is the efficiency of the solar cells, which lose quite a bit of power in the transfer, rendering them fairly weak in terms of electricity generation.

Silicon and other conductive materials are also pretty shiny, which means they shoot all sorts of radiation back out, wasting possible energy sources. Up to 2006, the average solar panel only absorbed 15% of the solar radiation that hit it. The goal is 40%. And if scientists try to cut back how much energy is lost, they give up valuable voltage needed to generate electricity.

Of course, there are new technologies constantly being developed and some solar panels have been created that can get efficiencies of 41% or higher. But, the cost is high, which makes it tough for a regular guy or gal like you to take full advantage of the technology.

Tapping into the Sun for Your House

With all that in mind, application of solar panels for your home’s electricity use isn’t necessarily that hard. Once you factor out the cost, you simply need to make sure you have the right angle and direction in which to face your panels. Ideally, solar panels should be angled upwards and should face south in the Northern Hemisphere or north in the Southern Hemisphere, where the sun will spend its time throughout the year. If your home’s roof faces slightly east or west, you can still use the panels, but expect some efficiency loss.

Next, you need to determine how much electricity you use and how much electricity your system can produce. Since it’s impossible to know when the sun will shine, you’ll need to use averages provided by the National Weather Service (in the US) or related agency in your country. These numbers vary of course, but will give you a baseline from which to work.

You will also need to get your average electrical use from your current power provider. It costs roughly $9 per watt of electricity usage to install a solar system. The more watts you use each day, the more solar cells you’ll need to power your home. The average home runs on between 100 and 300 watts, but beware – 100 watts of electricity is not very much. If you plan on cutting your electricity use to afford a solar cell system, you’ll want to be realistic about how much you can cut.

Another factor many people don’t realize is that most states have systems in place that will allow you to remain attached to the power grid. In particularly drab months with no sunlight, you can draw as much power as you need and in bright and sunny months or when you’re on vacation, you can sell power back to the power company, essentially banking it for later use. You’ll need to check with your local government and power provider to find out if it this is an option for your home.

Putting Your Knowledge to Use

So far, we’ve discussed the details involved in solar systems of various types. But, once you’ve decided if these systems are right for your home, you’ll want to take the leap and install them. In the next section, I’ll go a bit more in-depth about what each solar system requires, what it will cost, and the long term energy savings you can expect.

Installing Solar Power in Your Home

For the purposes of this report, I’m going to hit on two options you have for installing solar power in your home – collectors and panels. Keep in mind, however, that you can also take advantage of passive heating systems to draw power into your house through special insulation or simple glass windows – both details we’ll cover in the final section.

Heating Installations

For a solar heating installation, you’ll need a variety of parts, depending on what your heating system will be used for.

Solar Collectors

The solar collector will either be a flat panel attached to your main tank or a network of tubes that will run water through to be heated. The actual size of most solar collectors is around 4-8 feet, though some can be as large as 12 feet if you have a particularly large tank.

If you have a lot of cold or rainy weather, you may want to consider evacuated tubes for your collector as they cut down on outside temperature influences – a major factor in the winter. Only the sun’s energy will impact the temperature of the water or coolant in your collector this way.

Storage Tanks

A solar storage tank acts as the transitional device between the collectors and your water heater. If you use a closed loop system, the water will be heated in the storage tank by a series of coiled pipes that come from your collector. If you use an open loop system, the water will be pumped directly to the solar collectors for heating and then returned to the hot water tank to be used.

Water Heater

This isn’t necessary in an open loop system that is completely disconnected from the grid, but it is highly recommended because you never know when you’ll lose the sun or need some extra hot water. A backup hot water heater will remain in service, only producing hot water when your solar tank runs empty or the thermostat drops too low on the current supply. You can link them up so that hot water from you solar collector goes directly to the hot water heater and then back to your household supply.

Water Pumps

You’ll only need a water pump if you opt for an active system that requires the transfer of coolant or water from your solar collector to a separate tank and then to the hot water heater. You’ll likely only worry about your pump once as they last for 10-20 years and can be powered by any power source in your home – solar or grid-based.

Heat Exchanger

If you have a closed loop system, you’ll need a heat exchanger to transfer heat from the solar collector to your cold water supply. This is usually done by running coolant through a series of pipes and back to a solar tank or the hot water heater. Another alternative is to have a pipe wrapped around another pipe, transferring heat to your fresh water as it is transferred to the facet or bathroom.

Controls and Valves

A number of controls and valves are needed for different types of installations. The “controls” will help to determine where the water is pumped and when the hot water is collected using a thermostat in your hot water tank.

The isolation valve is used to cut off and isolate your solar tank if there is ever problem, such as a leak, contamination, or improper heating. This way, you can cut off the solar heated water while maintaining a direct line to your hot water tank if needed.

Another valve you may want to use if you have an open loop system that doesn’t use pumps or controls is a tempering valve. This will allow you to directly impact how hot the water coming out of your facet is. If your water gets too hot, adjust the tempering valve to add more cold water to the mix and get it right.

Installing the Heating System

For the simplest heating systems – the ones where you add a few pipes and install a solar collector and tank on your roof, you can likely do it on your own without any help. However, the more advanced closed loop systems require a great deal of alternation to your plumbing and may even require special permits, so it is a good idea to discuss your solar heating plans with a contractor before starting any new project.

Photovoltaic Cell Installation

Once you’ve determined how much sunlight you receive each year by analysing meteorological data and your current electricity usage, you can start creating a list of necessary parts, building materials and permits to get your solar project underway.

What You’ll Need

Adding solar power to your home with PV cells starts with the big question of whether you want to remain hooked up to the grid or not. Each option has its share of drawbacks so be sure to review them carefully.

• Off Grid – If you go off grid, you’ll almost certainly need to have a generator or battery to supply power when solar energy isn’t available. Even if you plan for the worst case scenario, you never know when you’ll get 30 days of consecutive cloud cover and rain blocking out your power source. Batteries can be quite expensive, however and they require a lot of maintenance. Solar panels last 30 years or longer, but batteries may only last 2-5 years depending on usage, and they are very toxic so they need to be stored and disposed of properly.
• On Grid – If you choose to remain on the grid, you will need to do a lot of research to determine what your local laws are and how to follow the power company’s regulations. You will likely need special equipment to ensure the power remains compatible and that, if there is a power outage, you don’t continue pumping out electricity to dead power lines (this is a huge safety issue).

Batteries

If you opt to go off grid and install batteries, make sure you choose a deep cycle battery made with either lead-acid or nickel-cadmium. These batteries will last longer and match the energy storage and release requirements for a solar power system.

Charge Controller

Additionally, you’ll need to purchase a Charge Controller. A charge controller is important in making sure your battery doesn’t get drained too fast or overcharged. When the battery is full, it will stop the charging cycle and when it is drained too low, the controller will stop drawing off the battery to extend battery life. A charge controller will keep your batteries in service by as much as 150% longer than without one.

Inverter

All electricity is not created equally. For this reason, you’ll need an inverter to change your Direct Current (DC) power (created by the solar panels) into Alternating Current (AC) power (used by your outlets and provided by your electric company). If you remain on the grid, your inverter should also stop the flow of electricity from your home to the power company when the power is out. This will protect any electrical workers from working on live lines. Inverters are sometimes included in PV cell kits or with basic installation packages, so check with your contractor before buying a separate inverter.

Generators

For those that want to go completely off-grid, a generator is necessary, even if you have a battery backup. If the power is low and your batteries are starting to lose their charge, you’ll need a generator to recharge the batteries or provide emergency power. If your power output suddenly overwhelms the inverters, you will also need a generator to supply backup power.

A good generator should be directly connected to the inverter, so that when you turn on the generator, the inverter will immediately recognize the new power source and switch the entire load to it. Generators come in many options including gasoline, diesel, and gas. Gasoline powered generators are the most common because they are the least expensive and the easiest to get fuel for.

Assorted Other Parts

While the core parts listed above are very important, there are quite a few other small parts you’ll need to complete your installation, including:

• Wiring – Wiring needs will vary depending on the size of your system and the number of panels.
• Grounding Equipment – Grounding is a vital safety consideration and is required for all electrical work.
• Overcurrent Protection – Regulates and protects the power supply from excess current and shortages.
• Junction Boxes – Junction boxes will protect and preserve your conduits and cables from the elements and other outside factors like bugs or rodents.
• Disconnects – The DC disconnect shuts down the Direct Current from the Solar Cells – usually mounted outside the house for quick access in the event of an emergency, while the AC Disconnect shuts down the Alternating Current from the inverter, generator, or power grid.

And of course, there will be the solar panels themselves. With recent advances in technology, there are more options for solar panels than ever before, but it is still important to choose panels that fit your budget and the sizing options for your home. It’s best to talk with a salesman or contractor who is well versed in solar panels specifics and which will most directly benefit your home.

Permits

Before you start hammering away at your new solar energy system, contact your local municipality and learn if there are any permits required. The odds are that you will need to acquire at least a building permit, and possibly additional permits for the installation of a solar system. Heating systems are usually more straightforward, while PV cell systems might require a lot of paperwork, especially if you plan to say connected to the grid.

Also consider what is legal for you to do on your own. Only certain operations may be completed by an unlicensed contractor. If you’re planning on running wires and changing how your house connects to the power grid, you’re almost certainly going to need an electrician, and an inspector will be required to look at the finished product and sign off on all safety regulations.

The building department is usually your go to source for permits, but your municipality can vary from the norm, so check first. In the US, however, almost all cities and towns follow the same National Electric Code. Exceptions include New York City and Chicago, which both have their own building codes.

Don’t forget, though, that the government wants people using renewable energy and will reward you for your efforts. So if you follow the rules, use the right materials and file all your permits, they’ll help you along in the process every step of the way.

Other Forms of Natural Energy

Most of this guide has been dedicated to helping you understand what it will take to grab the sun by the horns and corral it for your personal use. I mean, why not? That thing is huge. It feeds the plants, powers our rivers, and dictates our seasons, so why not power our laptops and TVs while it’s at it.

But, for those of you still not sure if you can reasonably expect to make it off the power grid with solar panels alone, there are other alternative energy sources you can tap into that are growing in popularity as technology continues to advance.

Wind Power

Remember how our power plants currently work? We burn coal, it boils water, which creates steam, which turns turbines. Well, wind power cuts out all the middle men and turns the turbines directly. When those giant blades turn, they cause a generator to produce electrical current which is then stored and sent to homes on its gridlines.

Wind power is fantastic in that it doesn’t have any pollution, requires no outside resources and utilizes minimal land, allowing for multiple turbines to be placed together. For your home, it will depend on how much wind billows through your region on a regular basis. Without a wind source, you won’t be able to tap into nature’s gusts nearly as well as you would like. For a home that uses about 780 kWh per month of electricity, you would need a wind turbine that can produce between 5-15 killowatts to reach the 50-90% efficiency.

Another consideration in regards to wind turbines is space. If you live on a small lot or in an urban setting, they’re not going to be feasible. Even before considering the building codes which will likely limit or disallow a noisy turbine, you’ll need to find room for it. However, turbines are fantastically effective if you have a great deal of property.

Thermal

Thermal energy is drawn from the heat produced by the earth’s core. The heated rocks and water that comes up from between those rocks can be tapped into to generate electricity if you live in an area with significant geothermal output.

To effectively tap into geothermal energy residentially, you would need to have a home located near geothermal vents or you’d need to drill into the earth to access those vents. Luckily, this is becoming easier than it once was as drilling operators are cropping up in the Midwest and far west to provide such a service on large properties where permits can be granted.

Quite a bit of care needs to be put into accessing geothermal energy. Because of pollution risks and the sheer number of materials needed to create an electrical source, you would need to hire a contractor and have the property space on which to build.

Hydroelectric

Very rarely is a residential space able to tap into hydroelectric power, but it is possible. Hydroelectric power basically harnesses the energy produced by the water as it flows downstream or in tides on the ocean. Most commercial hydro power is produced by dams such as the Grand Coulee in Washington State or the Hoover in Nevada. These dams tap the natural inertia of water traveling down river and use it to turn turbines that produce large quantities of electricity.

To use hydroelectric power at home you would need a water source and generator that the water could access. This requires access to a river or stream or waterfront property where you can build a device to harness tidal strength. Most residential generators are upwards of 30 feet high, so again, you’ll need the property and space on which to build it.

The turbine of a hydro system is fantastically efficient at converting energy in water to electricity, so if you’re in a rural area or have the space, definitely consider what this type of electricity can offer you.

Cutting Out the Waste with Less Energy Usage

The whole point of renewable energy is to save money and have as small an impact on the earth as possible. And one of the most effective ways to do that won’t cost you a dime – in fact, it will save you money. By cutting waste and using less electricity in the first place, you can reduce your electric bill immediately. This can ease the pressure on your budget, and also make it far more realistic to install a solar system in your home that could replace your grid-based power.

To help you cut down your waste, here are some tips to help reduce your carbon footprint and save money on your bill:

1.    Insulation and Windows – By properly insulating your walls and ceilings you can reduce your heating costs by 25% or more. This immediately cuts how much oil or electricity you run through and allows a solar heating system to run far more efficiently. Windows can be equally as wasteful. Consider upgrading to double-glazed windows to minimize heat loss.

2.    Weatherizing – You can also seal up any cracks or holes on the outside of your home to reduce the heat loss you experience in the winter. Simple caulking and stripping can go a long way, and in some regions, cities and local governments are subsidizing the cost of doing so, even offering huge tax credits to encourage action.

3.    Thermostats and Refrigerators – Anything that has a thermostat can be adjusted to use less energy. Your refrigerator is a good start as they use a tremendous amount of power. You can buy a smaller one to start with, storing less food over shorter periods of time. You can also turn up the temperature to as high as 37 degrees and your freezer to 3 degrees – the most efficient temperatures to maintain food safety.

You water heater thermostat can be turned down as low as 120 degrees F, plenty hot for showers or washing. Additionally, you can turn your thermostat down in the winter to 68 degrees – plenty warm enough to feel comfortable. The four degree difference has a massive impact on energy consumption.

4.    Wash with Cold Water – Most clothing doesn’t need hot water to get clean when detergent is used. Another tip regarding your water use is to avoid using the dishwasher when it’s not full. Additionally, turn off the drying cycle. Instead, you can open the dishwasher and let it air dry.

5.    Light Bulbs – If you’re still using old style incandescent light bulbs, they waste a LOT of energy. Upgrade to the far more efficient compact fluorescent models to cut down on your energy use by 75% and get as many as 5 years out of them. The cost of these bulbs has dropped quite a bit recently as well to make it far more affordable when replacing the entire home’s lighting.

6.    Shower Heads – Get a low flow shower head installed to cut down on how much hot water you pump through it each day. It costs only $25 for the head, but the drop off in energy use is tremendous.

7.    Air Conditioning – Avoid turning on air conditioners unless the temperature gets above 85 degrees F. When you turn on an air conditioner, turn the thermostat up to 76 degrees and if it has an energy saver mode turn it on as well. If you plan on using solar energy, air conditioning can be a huge drain on your batteries.

This list should hopefully just get you started. There are dozens of other things you can do to cut down on your energy use as well. Turn off lights when you leave the room, unplug electronics that use power even when not in use. Do things by hand that you don’t need electricity for. Spend more time outside and less time in front of the TV. Buy smaller electronics that use less power. Buy appliances with the Energy Star label.

The more money you can save on your electric bill and the further down you can cut your usage, the more affordable and viable a solar power system will be and the closer you’ll be to cutting ties with the power grid once and for all.

Conclusion

Solar power is fantastic. It’s free once you’ve installed everything, it’s renewable and it’s out there almost every day of the year. If you live somewhere with plenty of sunshine and hefty electric bills there is no good reason not to tap into the massive volume of potential energy that comes pouring from the sky every day.

Just imagine the feeling when you first kick that PV cell frame into gear and start running your refrigerator, TV, coffee maker and everything else in your home off of clean, renewable energy. No more electric bills. No more power outages. No more concerns about the impact you’re having on the earth from burning coal.

You might even see your meter running backwards as you send a bit of power back to the electric company. It’s all possible and the technology is ready right now. How you use it is entirely up to you.

Recommended Reading

DIY Solar Water Heater Guide – By Tom Hayden

http://thegreenfuel.com/admin/recommends/solarwaterheater

This guide was created by Tom Hayden, a Solar Energy enthusiast who has been studying, building, and using solar energy for over 30 years now – he really knows his stuff.

Over time, Tom has seen the energy needed to build a solar power water heater become easy and affordable, and has led him to create a guide so others can easily replicate the process he has refined for building a solar water heater.

The DIY Solar Water Heater Guide is easy to follow and extremely affordable, and once you are finished you will end up with a solar water heater that works in both warm and cold climates, and lowers your power bill.

It will greatly improve your home’s energy efficiency, and when used in addition to your existing water heater, it saves you money by meaning your existing water heater doesn’t have to work as hard to heat the water – as the water will enter the system already heated by the solar water heater.

The guide is currently on sale, and you can purchase it by itself (comes with a number of great bonuses), or as a bundle of 12 guide in the Green Living Kit, if you would like to also learn other ways of saving money and the environment around your home.

The DIY Solar Water Heater Guide comes highly recommended, so do go and check it out while it is being offered at this great price:

http://thegreenfuel.com/admin/recommends/solarwaterheater