Build A Wind Turbine And Start Saving Some Serious Money

Tweet

One of the best reasons in the world to build a wind turbine is that it can save a whole lot of money. It is also environmentally friendly, and leaves no carbon foot prints or pollution of any type. This is a renewable energy resource which makes use of wind to make the power required in a home.

The 1st thing you’ll require is a good, easy to read set of building plans. There are a number of places online where detailed and all-inclusive plans can be ordered, and they are not as expensive as most folks think. These plans are real simple to follow and make the entire construction project really quick and easy.

In order to convert the wind to electricity to make household power, you will need to order the appropriate form of motor. The plans should be able to offer advice on the best place to buy the proper sizing and strength of motor, to guarantee that the maximal benefits are achieved all the time.

The blades are a vital characteristic and will want to be carefully constructed, and aligned. The blades are what will drive the entire electrical process and they are responsible for the harvesting and conversion into usable house power. The blades of your wind turbine will require connecting to an alternator which will be hooked up to the motor.

The windmilll tail will also have to be added. A tail is indispensable because it keeps the windmill blaces facing the wind at all times. This means that the turbine will constantly face directly into the wind so that it can generate maximum power.

There is no need to build a generator tower from scratch, because there are often old TV towers available which can be put to good use. However, if you do need to build one it will not take too much time and effort to construct. Another great option is to purchase a tower in kit form – these are relatively cheap and quick to construct. Shop around and find the best deal possible.

Batteries and charge controllers are a must to build a wind turbine, to ensure that the power is correctly stored and then converted for domestic use. This is not a convoluted process and can be done in next to no time, it is a trouble-free case of running wires from the alternator and then to an AC adapter for the home. All of the orders come standard with installation instructions to build a wind turbine, which do not take a degree to follow.

In 4 or 5 days you can have your project built – all you need are a few standard tools and a humble working area to put it all together. There is no need to be an expert in DIY or construction to follow the simple plans and get the whole project all put together. You will find that learning to build a wind turbine is an agreeable process that will have you producing power and saving money in no time at all.

Before you make a final final decision on how to build a wind turbine, check out Paul Robertson’s practical FREE Report on DIY Energy for your home, plus a whole range of other money savings secrets to help your budget.. Check here for free reprint license: Build A Wind Turbine And Start Saving Some Serious Money.

Do dimmer switches really save energy when lighting a room? | Leo Hickman

Tweet

What is the most energy-efficient dimmable eco lightbulb on the market? And does it work?

Is it true that dimmer switches do not actually reduce the power consumption when used with an eco or normal light bulb? I have been told they still use the same power as for, say, a 60-watt bulb and only restrict the flow of power to the bulb but do not reduce it and therefore there is no actual saving by fitting dimmer switches to lights. Please can you advise?

Steve Knights, by email

This is not the first time I’ve heard this being said of dimmer switches. There seems to be a common perception that rheostat-type dimmers only convert the energy “saved” by dimming the switch into heat and, therefore, do not make a net saving. Equally, I’ve also heard it said that a dimmer switch at full beam uses more energy than if the same lightbulb had been controlled by a regular on-off switch. I will ask a lighting expert to supply a response below, but I’d like to hear your thoughts too.

And while we’re on the subject of dimmer switches, it would be interesting to gather together people’s thoughts and experiences of using eco lightbulbs with dimmer switches. The two technologies have not had the best of relationships, but there seems to have been periodic promises by the lighting industry over the years that the problems will be resolved and a fully dimmable eco lightbulb will be made available.

In 2007, I wrote about my experience of trialling a Varilight DigiFlux “switch dimmable” bulb which, while I thought it very good, was just too expensive at £10-£12 to be attractive to most users. I see that they can now be obtained for £8, but I suspect that they would need to be much cheaper still before they moved out of their niche.

But perhaps I’m wrong. How much would you pay for a dimmable eco lightbulb? Or have you tried other models? If so, what is your verdict?

Please let us know all your lightbulb-related views below and I will join in with some of my own thoughts as the debate progresses.

• Please send your own environment question to ask.leo.and.lucy@guardian.co.uk.
Or, alternatively, message me on Twitter @LeoHickman

Environment: Energy | guardian.co.uk

Can We Afford Not To Go Green

TweetExisting type of alternative energy
The sun is the most powerful natural energy source on the planet. Every day, 365 days per year The sun gives us energy in the form of light and heat all year long. But most of the energy it supplies goes unused, while instead we burn carbon fuels, which are rapidly being depleted, and only becoming more and more expensive. The situation will only worsen for those who carry on to rely on fossil fuels, and the time to use solar energy to power our homes is now.

Solar Heating
Typically you will get about 80% saving of that electricity that your electric geyser is going to use from your solar water heater. Those consumers that can afford it are turning to solar systems
Not many people have heard of the heat pump, a reliable and exciting renewable. Its biggest selling point is that it costs you much less upfront. With the heat pump you have a payback period of less than two years. With the solar panel you get a payback of in the area of about four years and with the cheap solar panel in the region of about six years.

Buying a solar system may take about 5-8 years to pay itself, but benifiting of federal tax credits and state, it may be paid much sooner. Solar water heaters also last much longer than gas or electric water heaters. Until your have fully paid your system, you are also investing in your environment and the planet.

Wind Turbine
Probably the second most fashionable residential source of energy efficient is the home wind turbine. Wind energy, like solar, takes advantage of a natural phenomenon to produce energy saving, with few costs after the original installation.

Energy Saving Lighting
To some, the phase out of the standard incandescent light bulb that has served us so well since almost the dawn of the electrical age is nothing but an inconvenience. To others, it is a long overdue and essential step in reducing carbon emissions and slowing the pace of climate change. To the electrical wholesaler it could be either of the above.
There is one certaintiy, everyone will soon buy energy efficient lighting

The commonly used metric for comparing energy saving lighting is lumens of output per watt of electrical input. This method is appropriate for omni-directional bulbs such as traditional A-shape lamps and spiral CFLs.

What does the futur hold. I think green energy may create some jobs in the short term. However, Most of the empoyee will become unemployed once the solar panels, windmill are installed, theres little or no maintenance on them, there will be no reason to retain all employees. I do think we should develop energy saving more efficiently and for more application, and for that, a profit will need to be ensured after project completion in order to secure major investment.
Green energy is probably looking at making up 10 per cent or so, maybe a little less than that, of our energy mix over time.