Making Important Choices On Your Appliances Load Consumption

Specific Loads & categorical Solutions When it comes to making load decisions, off-grid people without large resources always target potency. Heres some specific guidance on common appliances, drawn from my 30 years of off-grid living experience. Fridge / refrigerator : Set your sights on extraordinary energy efficiency here, since this is sometimes the biggest electric load in an off the grid home. Chillers and freezers cycle off and on steadily, and need to run with no regard for sun and windyou cant flex your use to house the adaptations in weather. Using specialty DC appliances may be a good option in some cases, and getting correct numbers on energy use before you buy any refrigeration hardware is the best idea. Gear up to spend more up front for better overall savings over the long term. At least one ultraefficient fridge is available too in an AC configuration for approximately the same cost. Lighting : Off-grid homes of sensible design have no incandescent lights. Compact fluorescent lights ( CFL ) and LEDs predominate. Try a spread of CFL and LED options, since quality, color rendition, and light output varies. clothing washing / drying : Horizontal-axis ( often frontloading ) machines use less electricity ( and less water, requiring less water heating and pump operation ) than top-loading vertical-axis machines. Take a look at your machine for phantom loads and employ a timer or switch when mandatory. Off-grid homes won’t typically use an electric dryer, and if solar energy ( a clothesline ) cant be used, a propane dryer is an option. Motor loads : In the old days, engineers switched the majority of the woodshop motors to DC, a clever decision in those days of ineffective inverters. Today, it is smart to select prime quality, infrequently variable-speed AC motors ; whether for pool pumps, heat-pump motors, shop tools, oranything else that’s motor-driven. The bottom line is found with your watt meter, which will tell you how much energy is being used. Computing / office electronics : A single word gives you the center of the guidance herelaptops. These often use half or less what a desktop machine uses, and they also incorporate a battery, so during periods of very low replaceable input, you can still use your personal computer for awhile. Peripheralsprinters, Routers, modems, backup drives, scanners, etc.often are phantom loads, so put them on individual switches and turn them on only when needed. These peripherals do not usually must be on for long periods, so ultra-efficiency won’t be as critical as for the computer itself. Solar hot water systems : For off-gridders, solar hot water systems reduce the need for propanemaking hot water with solar power is not an intellectual option. Often its wise to make the electric portion ( for the solar pumps ) separate from your principal system to reduce the unpredictable load on the primary electric system. Off-griders like PV-direct systems that utilize a dedicated PV module to run the SHW system pumps. Get more information about living off the grid, and learn more about home energy consumption , by visiting http://OffTheGridHomeEnergy.com. Read more on Making Important Choices On Your Appliances Load Consumption…

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Making Important Choices On Your Appliances Load Consumption

Living Off The Grid: Watch Your Appliances’ Power Consumption

Specific Loads & Specific Solutions When it comes to making load selections, off-grid people without deep pockets always focus on efficiency. Heres some express guidance on common appliances, drawn from my thirty years of off-grid living experience. Chiller / freezer : Set your sights on intense energy efficiency here, since this is frequently the most important electric load in an off the grid home. Fridges and freezers cycle on and off continuously, and need to run irrespective of sun and windyou cant flex your use to accommodate the adaptations in weather. Using speciality DC appliances may be a great choice in some cases, and getting accurate numbers on energy use before you buy any refrigeration kit is the best idea. Gear up to spend more upfront for better overall savings over the long run. At least one ultraefficient refrigerator is available in an AC configuration for approximately the same cost. Lighting : Off-grid houses of sensible design have no incandescent lights. Compact fluorescent lights ( CFL ) and LEDs predominate. Try a variety of CFL and LED options, since quality, colour rendition, and light output varies. attire washing / drying : Horizontal-axis ( often frontloading ) machines use less electrical power ( and less water, requiring less water heating and pump operation ) than top-loading vertical-axis machines. Check your machine for ghost loads and employ a timer or switch when obligatory. Off-grid houses won’t typically use an electric dryer, and if solar power ( a clothesline ) cant be used, a propane dryer is an option. Motor loads : In the old days, engineers switched the majority of the woodshop motors to DC, a clever decision in those days of ineffective inverters. Today, it is smart to select prime quality, occasionally variable-speed AC motors ; whether for pool pumps, heat-pump motors, shop tools, oranything else that’s motor-driven. The base line is located with your watt meter, which may tell you how much energy is being used. Computing / office electronics : A single word gives you the core of the information herelaptops. These often use half or less what a desktop machine uses, and they also incorporate a battery, so in times of very low replenish-able input, you can still use your personal computer for awhile. Peripheralsprinters, Routers, modems, backup drives, scanners, etc.often are ghost loads, so put them on individual switches and turn them on only when required. These marginals do not usually need to be on for long periods, so ultra-efficiency would possibly not be as crucial as for the PC itself. Solar hot water systems : For off-gridders, solar hot water systems reduce the requirement for propanemaking hot water with solar electricity isn’t an intelligent option. Frequently its smart to make the electric portion ( for the solar pumps ) separate from your main system to reduce the unpredictable load on the primary electric system. Off-griders prefer PV-direct systems that use a dedicated PV module to run the SHW system pumps. Get more information about living off the grid, and learn more about alternate home energy , by going to http://OffTheGridHomeEnergy.com. Read more on Living Off The Grid: Watch Your Appliances’ Power Consumption…

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Living Off The Grid: Watch Your Appliances Power Consumption

Volvo debuts a diesel plug-in hybrid – the V60

Volvo V60 diesel plug-in hybrid Volvo plans on showing off it’s “almost ready for the production line” new plug-in hybrid diesel, the V60. Supposedly coming out as a sports wagon next year (2012), the V60 sports 3 different driving modes (Volvo calls them “temperaments”) – Pure, Hybrid, and Power, which the driver can select. If Related posts: Volvo Unveils Heavy-Duty Diesel-Electric Hybrid The Volvo ReCharge – the next stage in hybrids? Want a plug-in hybrid? Build one yourself!

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Volvo debuts a diesel plug-in hybrid the V60

Seeking help Between Choosing Combi And Condensing Boilers

Both combination and condensing boilers can be oil boilers , gas boilers or also electric. This is the power system powering what these do, and doesn’t really effect it. Gas and oil have long been utilized in house heating systems, and can be very effective. If you are employing solar power for your house, an electric sustem can be a far better idea, but it is going to take longer to heat up your house, and your hot water. This is because the heat exchange is different. The gas or oil is immediate heat, which means that a flame is used to make the water hot, while electric models use an electric heating element, which takes longer to get hot. A combi boiler heats both your house and the hot water you use. These models don’t need a standard hot water tank. For heating water, they use an inline heating system. How this works is that inside the unit is a series of coils, one for the water flow. Once you turn on your heating unit, or use hot water, cold water flows through these coils, and the heat exchange heats the water as it passes through. cold water flows in, hot water out. Combination boilers are extremely convenient and energy effective. This is because you don’t need to keep a tank of water hot all the time for house use. They can be used in smaller spaces, and mounted directly on a wall. Some people also use more than one of these units, to make the water hot faster, or when they need use hot water for more than one application at a time. Even though there are some major differences, you can still possess a combination boiler that is a condensing boiler at same time. Here is what a condensing boiler is all about. Regardless of whether you are employing gas boilers or oil boilers, there is going to be some kind of exhaust that needs be vented to the outside. This exhaust is emitting harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, no matter how effective the heat exchange system is. what transpires with the condensing boiler is that the first initial exhaust is rerouted back into the heating unit itself, and utilized to increase the effectiveness of system. This does a number of things and has many advantages. Using condensing boilers can conserve you a lot of money. The exhaust that comes out is already hot, turning it back and getting it to help heat up the water lowers the cost of employing a gas source, because you don’t need as much energy to heat your home or water. These units are completely sealed so there is no need to worry about obtaining carbon monoxide poisoning. Once these units have vented out, they possess much less toxins, and in some instances come out as water vapor. These days, when it comes to new homes, condensing boilers are now the standard. They emit less pollutants than standard boiler systems, and with all the new codes concerning the environment, this is essential. If you possess an older house, and are finding that your electricity bills are high, you may want to look at switching over to one of these newer models. Read more on Seeking help Between Choosing Combi And Condensing Boilers… Alternative energy

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Seeking help Between Choosing Combi And Condensing Boilers

Electric Vehicle Invented

Richard Chapo asked: Many say the electric vehicle will never exist, but popular hybrid vehicles are a variation of them. To under electric vehicles, it is prudent to know who and when they were invented. The electric vehicle has been heralded for many years as the vehicle of the future. This type of electrically powered vehicle is better for the environment and less expensive to run than traditional gasoline powered vehicles, and can be built from existing vehicle parts with a few modifications. With all of the focus on hybrid and electric vehicles in recent years, you might think the time when the electric vehicle was developed was relatively recently, but this is not the case. So, when was the electric vehicle invented? Historians have recorded that between 1832 and 1839 (the exact year is uncertain), Robert Anderson of Scotland invented the first electric powered vehicles. This crude model was not exactly what would be considered a vehicle by today’s standards, but was definitely the forefather of electric vehicles today. Around 1842, more practical and usable electric vehicles were developed in America by Thomas Davenport, and in Scotland by Robert Davidson. While the evolution of the electric vehicle invented more possibilities, France and Great Britain were the only two countries to really start focusing on the electric vehicle, in the late 1800′s. In 1895, the United States finally got on board with developing electric powered vehicles, after an electric tricycle was built by A.L. Ryker. The first commercial version of an electric vehicle or vehicle was found in 1897, when the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company of Philadelphia built a fleet of electric powered taxis for New York City. The years 1899 and 1900 were the best years in the history of electric vehicles for the United States, as electric vehicles outsold any other type of vehicle in these two years. Production of electric vehicles peaked in the year 1912, and these type of vehicles enjoyed success into the 1920′s, after which there was a marked decline in the demand for electric vehicles. As more and more road systems were developed crossing the US, the need for longer range vehicles became apparent. Coupled with the finding of oil in Texas, which meant gasoline was more affordable for everyday use, combustion engines quickly became the more popular engine for vehicles. Today, the electric vehicles invented in the last half of the 20th century are seen as the wave of the future for eco-friendly vehicles. The same problems still plague electric vehicles that did so in the 1920′s, including slow speeds and short ranges, but hopefully with new technology, electric vehicles will be able to replace the polluting combustion engine vehicles we drive today. Read more on Electric Vehicle Invented…

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Electric Vehicle Invented

Green Lamps Built From Ground Up By LA Designer

At the risk of seeming lazy I am going to post a story I got in the email today (well it is Friday after all and time for the weekend). I felt this pitch just jumped out at me and stands on it own without lots of my jabber. This sounds like a great green product that Ms Allen has come up with and it should get as much exposure as possible. Read more on Green Lamps Built From Ground Up By LA Designer…

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Green Lamps Built From Ground Up By LA Designer

Desire For Wind Power In Hawaii Faces Challenges

Does wind power development in Hawaii threaten species? Found this great article in the NY Times today about the challenge of wind power in Hawaii as critics worry about threats to the birds and bats of the islands. It is a controversial subject, the birds that get killed by wind turbines have raised alarm in other areas around the world. The Hawaiian islands have famous trade winds that blow daily and which could provide power in a state that is heavily fossil fuel dependent. Read more on Desire For Wind Power In Hawaii Faces Challenges…

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Desire For Wind Power In Hawaii Faces Challenges

2010 Honda Civic Hybrid Car – Easy on the Environment and on Your Budget

Augustine Guzman asked: Car makers have come up with an innovation by producing vehicles that can help both the environment and the driver’s budget. They have manufactured a certain type of car that can function with more than one power-source option. These are the hybrid cars. And one that offers comfort and style: 2003 Honda Civic 2010 hybrid car. What is a Hybrid Car? A hybrid car is a one that uses more than one energy source to power the car. A gasoline engine and an electric battery run it. These are what we now know as the Gas Electric Hybrid Cars. A hybrid car can either be a full hybrid or an assist hybrid type. A full hybrid is a car that can run either with a gasoline engine or through batteries or both, while a gasoline engine primarily runs an assist hybrid and the battery takes charge of the gas engine when gas runs out. There are three most popular hybrid cars in the market. The first car that had been released was the Japanese-made Toyota Prius in 1997, and then followed by Honda Insight, also a Japanese-made car, which was released to the American and Canadian markets in 1999. A few years later, Honda again released another hybrid car: the Honda Civic hybrid. Features of the Honda Civic Hybrid Honda Company developed another option for hybrid car lovers. This model is a bigger and better hybrid car, which is competitive with other previously manufactured hybrid cars. Physical Structure The 2003 Honda Civic hybrid looks like the first released Honda hybrid car, the Civic Insight but this has four doors instead of just two. This car has 174.8 inches length, 67.5 inches width and 56.3 inches height. It weighs around 2,700 pounds. It can accommodate a maximum of 5 passengers and can carry weight up to 435 kilos. Its trunk has a volume of 10.1 cubic feet. The body is made from steel. The car comes out in two colors. These are magnesium metallic and gray. Interior 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid is neatly structured. All parts are well distributed and located. All the controls are grouped together which makes it easier to manage and control. It also has a storage area that has enough space to fit a wallet or a coin purse found at the center area between the driver and the passenger. In addition, it also has a glass-holder. It is very convenient for placing your beverages. The gauge meters are colorfully made. It comes with blue color and is easier to read especially during nighttime when light is limited. The interior has a classic color of black and tan. The seats are covered with a suede-like cloth that is very soft and it also has a new pattern design. The back part has a wide area where passengers can move freely and with ease. Technology The Honda Civic hybrid car has a 1.3 liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, with 85 horsepower at 5,700 rpm. It has 47/48 (highway/city) fuel consumption. It has an Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system wherein the gasoline engine stops and the battery works in place of it. Advantages Of Hybrids Over Conventional Cars Like other hybrids, this car consumes less gas, which can be seen clearly when the distance of travel is gauged. It likewise produces lesser carbon dioxide to the environment. With the conventional cars, the amount of the carbon dioxide is equal to the fuel that is used. Once the carbon dioxide released is decreased, there will also be lesser chances of pollution, thereby decreasing the factors that can affect global warming. Since there is lesser consumption of gasoline, your budget for gasoline is considerably less. Aside from these, the maintenance of the car is not as frequent as a conventional car. Motor and batteries of a hybrid car do not involve any special attention because they do not bring out as much carbon dioxide as the other cars. The brake pads in hybrid cars are not frequently used so it lasts longer as compared to the conventional car’s brake pads. In the US, tax breaks are available to those individuals who use hybrids, such as the 2003 Honda Civic hybrid. This is the way for the government to support the car manufacturers and drivers who likewise help clean the environment. Read more on 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid Car – Easy on the Environment and on Your Budget…

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2010 Honda Civic Hybrid Car Easy on the Environment and on Your Budget

Electric Cars the Future?

Martyn D Bleasdale asked: With the environment becoming an ever increasingly debated topic, as is reducing carbon emissions with one of the main contributors to this problem being auto mobiles. Over the past decade the cars on the road have become much cleaner and are leaps and bounds ahead of what they were in terms of carbon emissions. However there is still a call for internal combustion engines to leave the roads and to replace them with new electric car engines. The technology has now become advanced enough for this concept to be seriously considered as an actual alternative to fuelled cars. These types of cars are powered and fuelled by battery packs that are placed into the car and are rechargeable. There is a lot of appeal for these cars to become much more popular as they do not use any fossil fuels which is a major contributor to global warming. There seems to be a big demand for electric cars as a city car, which means that they will be primarily introduced in the cities so that it can have a direct impact on city pollution. Also be keeping them in cities initially, it means that the electric cars do not have to be able to cover extra long distances however this aspect of the technology should develop as the years pass. These are very exciting times in terms of electric car development with Nissan planning on launching a fleet of electric hatch back family cars throughout 2010. There are many interesting aspects that come with the electric car revolution and there are many aspects of the combustion engine car that will have no place in the new electric operated world such as fossil fuel. Another component that is in every car at present that will no longer be needed in an electric car is the alternator that powers the electrical systems of a combustion engine car. This obviously will not be needed as the whole car will be electrically powered, so there will be absolutely no need for either an alternator or a starter motor for that matter. Moreover one of the main fundamental benefits to the customer is that it is estimated the cost of running an electric car will be four times cheaper than a fuel car. With this fact alone it is more than ever an essential innovation that is really needed in the auto mobile industry as the fuel prices in the United Kingdom have reached an all time high as of 2010. The safety of the electric cars is also very promising with them being closely managed by the international ISO standards. There are obviously some key differences that fire fighters would have to train on, for example with fuel cars they would produce a fuel fire where as with an electric car they would need to be fully trained on the electrical fires that could potentially occur. All in all electric cars do seem primed to take the world by storm. They seem to be cleaner, greener, cheaper and to all intents and purposes just as safe. Read more on Electric Cars the Future?…

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Electric Cars the Future?

Electric Cars Are Good for the Environment?

Christy M asked: Electric cars are currently touted to save the mother Earth from the issue of global warming but are they really capable of doing that? After all, electricity is generated from coal and coal, just like petrol, is a non-renewable source of energy. Are we better off with the electric cars or do we just need to make the fuel based cars more energy efficient? Electric car certainly save on energy, no doubt about that but they are not zero emission automobiles. Driving it still involves a lot of money and you’d be surprised to know that 49.7 percent of US electricity is generated from coal. However, these cars are certainly much lower in carbon dioxide emissions as compared to the fuel based ones. Toyota recently came out with the Tesla Roadster which gives you 245 milers of travel on a single charge. There is also the 2006 Corolla which is excellent in fuel efficiency give an average of 31 miles on a single gas galleon provided it has manual transmission. After a hundred miles, the Corolla will produce 63.11 pounds of carbon dioxide through 3.23 gallons of gas. Energy Information Administration says that one gallon of gas emits 19.564 pounds of carbon dioxide. This figure again doesn’t include the energy which is spent on taking the oil out of the ground. Looking at the Roadster, you will find that this electric car give you 100 miles of travel on a single charge. Out of this, only 70 percent is used in the vehicle movement and the rest is lost due to the inefficiency in charging processor. One kilowatt of electricity generation produces about 1.55 pounds of carbon dioxide and this means the Tesla, in 100 miles, produces 48.05 pounds of carbon dioxide. You can check for yourself and the results will wary a bit, depending upon your state. States like West Virginia, North Dakota and Wyoming use a lot of coal and hence the CO2 production is higher. Roadster will end up with a lower carbon dioxide production at the end of the day. On the flip side, if you are a motorist from the Pacific Northwest, I would recommend an EV since this region uses hydroelectric pumps. You can check on the Internet regarding how much electricity does your state make from coal. Lower emission of carbon dioxide is not the only reason to purchase electric cars. You won’t see a single electric car having a tail pipe on the back which means these automobiles will not put a thick pile of smoke when they are running. The electric cars produce less nitrous oxide, methane and other green house gases as compared to the gas counterparts. The only exception to this is sulfur dioxide which is produced a lot by coal combustion and can result in acid rain. The biggest drawback with the electric cars is that they need huge batteries and they are a bit difficult to manufacture. Some people say that if you take in to account the process that is needed for making these batteries, it makes the electric cars less greener. Read more on Electric Cars Are Good for the Environment?…

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Electric Cars Are Good for the Environment?

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