Home Made Energy – DIY Solar Panel and Wind Generator

March 31, 2009 · Filed Under Home improvement · Comment 

It is possible for you to reduce or even eliminate your electricity bills. By generating electricity at your home you save a lot of money. You may think it is very expensive to do that. Yes, usually it would take $2000 to get a solar power system installed at your home. But there is some way to make solar panels and wind generators with a much cheaper setup fee. It is a green renewable energy source and is very good to our environment.

DIY solar panels

You can build a great looking solar power system for as little as $200 – Simply by using parts found at your local hardware store. You can use this system to power up basically any appliance you have in your home: fridge, washing machine, computer, TVs, lights. Moreover, you can even take this with yourself when you go camping, because it’s highly portable.

DIY windmill

Wind power is a very good source of electricity especially when there is a long period of cloudy days. So it is good to have a windmill too. You can build up your own windmill with as little as $100 to power up your household appliances.

Store residual electricity

One great thing for this system is that you can get your extra electricity generated be stored in batteries. This is very good that you would not waste any electricity you generated. So this is good to your pocket and environment.

If you are interested in making your own power system, you can go to the site below for more information.

http://www.GreenEnergy4Home.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/home-made-energy-diy-solar-panel-and-wind-generator-843223.html

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DIY Wind Power Generators & Turbines – Slash Your Energy Bills and Reduce Your Carbon Emmissions At the Same Time!

March 30, 2009 · Filed Under Home improvement · Comment 

Wind power is an excellent weapon for fighting climate change because wind generation produces no carbon emissions at all. When you consider that every unit of energy generated by wind, is a unit of energy free of carbon pollution, wind makes sense. Producing just 10 per cent of electricity from renewables could cut carbon emissions by 2.5 million tonnes a year.

Small wind-electric systems can provide electricity to remote sites, or to houses that are also connected to the utility grid. But the prices! A small turbine can cost $US 2,000! A medium turbine $3,000! A large one can cost $8,500 – and that’s without the rest of the equipment you will need, and installation costs! Although wind systems require some attention, if you build a strong system, following a proven design, wind-electric systems make great economic and environmental sense.

How much FREE electricity will I get? There seems to be a myth that wind power produces little power. Strange, when a 1.8-megawatt turbine produces enough power for 1,000 homes.

More realistically for the DIY wind turbine maker, a small wind turbine, with a rotor diameter of 7 feet (2.1 m), and a swept area of 38.5 square feet (3.6 m2) will produce, per month, at average wind speeds of 10 mph – 80 KWH! This is enough power for a low-energy home, yacht, or business. A medium sized wind turbine with a rotor diameter of 10 feet (3 m) and a swept area of 79 square feet (7.3 m2) will produce, per month, at average wind speeds of 10 mph – 130 KWH! This would be suitable for a medium-energy home, business, or school. A large wind turbine with a rotor diameter of 12.5 feet (3.8 m), and a swept area of 120 square feet (11.2 m2), will produce, per month, at average wind speeds of 10 mph – 230 KWH! This is for big energy consumers. A huge wind turbine with a rotor diameter of 56 feet (17 m), and a swept area of 2,462 square feet (229 m2) will produce, per month, at average wind speeds of 10 mph – 5,060 KWH! These power large farms, very high-energy businesses, villages, islands, and massive heating projects.

Smaller turbines can be built for boats, caravans, cabins, or where only a small amount of electricity is needed. But for significant amounts of energy, you need a large enough rotor, as this is the wind turbine’s ‘energy collector’. When sizing a wind-electric system, you don’t add windmills in as you need them, as you can with solar panels. Because wind is more cost effective as you increase in system size, most people put up only one wind turbine, big enough to significantly slash their electric bills, or to fulfill all of their energy requirements for the foreseeable future.

System Components: The turbine is only one component of a wind-electric system, and very often is not even the most expensive component. You need all of the necessary components to have a functional system. Plan ahead to buy quality components properly matched to each other and to your energy use.

A complete wind-electric system includes: • Turbine—blades + hub = “rotor,” which is the “collector” of the system. • Tower—supports the turbine, getting it up out of the turbulent zone created by trees and buildings, and exposes the turbine to more wind • Wiring and conduit—carries the electricity down the tower and to power-conditioning equipment • Controller/Electronics—controls charging of battery or input to inverter • Batteries—used for storage in off-grid systems or grid-tied systems with battery backup • Inverter—converts direct current (DC) electricity from batteries or rectifier to alternating current (AC) for home use or “storage” on the utility grid • Metering—allows user to understand and manage system operation.
Small wind turbine: needs a controller or inverter, and is suitable for battery less grid-tie or 12, 24, 48 VDC battery charging
Medium sized: needs a controller or inverter, and is used for charging 12, 24, 48 VDC batteries Large: needs controller, dump load, and inverter. Suitable for battery less grid-tie or charging 48 VDC battery.
Huge: suitable for battery less grid-tie

How does a wind turbine actually produce electricity? The rotating blades convert the wind’s kinetic energy into rotation in a shaft. The rotating shaft turns an alternator, which makes electricity. The electricity is transmitted through wiring, down the tower, to batteries, or an inverter. The blades are designed to intercept wind and capture its energy. Most modern wind generators have three blades, to compromise between the highest efficiency possible (one blade) and balance (multiple blades). The blades must turn to face the wind, so a yaw bearing allows the wind turbine to track the winds as they shift direction. A tail directs the rotor into the wind. In small-scale designs, the rotor is connected directly to the shaft of a permanent magnet alternator, which creates Alternating Current. This wild, three-phase electricity means that the voltage and frequency vary continuously with the wind speed. The AC output is used to either charge batteries or feed a grid-synchronous inverter, which turns it to steady, usable Direct Current. In small designs, the rotor is connected to the alternator, eliminating the need for gears. In larger systems, a gearbox is used to increase alternator speed from a slower turning rotor. A governing system limits the rotor rpm and generator output to protect the turbine from high winds. A shutdown mechanism is also useful to stop the machine during an extreme storm, or when you want to service the system. Understanding the Ratings Wind turbine rating is difficult because rated output is pegged to a particular wind speed, and different manufacturers compare different wind speeds to better promote their particular model. To understand the real power of wind, cube its speed. For example, 10 kph of wind, gives 10 x 10 x 10 = 1,000 watts. Or, a 10% increase in speed gives a 33% increase in power. This means that very small increases in wind speed create huge increases in power. This also means that a turbine that produces 1,000 watts at a wind speed of 28 mph, might produce only 125 watts at a wind speed of 14 mph – so half the wind produces 1/8 of the power. So ignore the rated peak output of a turbine, and look for the monthly (or annual) energy production you require (from your energy audit), estimated for the average wind speed at your site. After all, long-term energy is what you’re after, not peak output! If, for example, you know your home has 10 mph winds, and you need 400 KWH per month, you know what turbine to build. Knowing a turbine’s swept area may also help you calculate the annual energy output for the wind turbine. Jim Green at the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) developed a formula: annual energy output (AEO) in KWH = 0.01328 x rotor diameter (ft.) squared x average wind speed (mph) cubed. Easy!

Getting Started: Consider: Is it your aim to slash your bills, or to be completely independent? Are you going to be stand-alone, or will you still be connected to (and adding into/taking from) the grid? If you’re staying connected to the grid, will your local power company pay you for the electricity you generate?

First you need an energy audit of your home. Go to www.njcleanenergy.com for an accurate home energy audit, and great ideas on saving electricity and money. Sit down with your family, work out how many kilowatt-hours you all use, and find out where the waste is. But be realistic, reasonable, and think laterally. Just because you are now horrified at how much electricity your plasma TV uses, doesn’t mean the kids are never allowed to watch it. You may consider a smaller, more efficient TV for weekly use, and save the plasma for the weekend family movie.

Next, work out your location’s average wind speed, at a website like www.awea.org for the USA. When you know how much energy you need, and how much your wind will provide, you will be able to see the size of turbine you will need.

Now that you have a good idea of what you’re after, check out the DIY Wind Power Kits at EarthEnergyPlus.Com These kits have been selected with the DIY novice in mind, and include all the information you will need to build your own electricity-producing windmill! Detailed lists of the tools, parts, and where to get them. Video instructions you can play over and over. Great back-up from dedicated designers! Build your own wind power system this weekend, then sit back and watch your home-built wind generator turn a summer breeze into FREE electricity!

Arthur Pugh
EarthEnergyPlus.Com
EarthEnergyPlus.Com/blog
sales@earthenergyplus.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/diy-wind-power-generators-turbines-slash-your-energy-bills-and-reduce-your-carbon-emmissions-at-the-same-time-840752.html

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Do-It-Yourself Cleaning Tips For Marble Floors And Vanity Units

March 29, 2009 · Filed Under Home improvement · Comment 

Marble flooring and tiling is seen as an effective way of adding an elegant and wonderful design element to your home. For those who are thinking of replacing then existing floors for example, then marble floor tiles would be an option worth considering.

These natural stone materials are truly stylish, easy to maintain and clean, and come in a wide array of designs and color patterns. For instance, these tiles can either be rough or smooth, or will have a pattern on them which may include hand-painted designs and patterns. The more complex the designs and patterns would be, the pricier and more expensive will they get.

The patterns you choose will depend upon the room that you are placing them in. if you are intent on installing these types of tiles on the floor, or in the kitchen or bathroom walls or furnishings, then you will probably select a pattern such as leaves or perhaps simple, plain tiles. In your living or activity room, a nice swirl pattern on the tiles could do just fine.

Restoring Marble Vanities By Yourself

While there are professionals to call whenever you need to do some cleaning for your marble flooring or vanity, sometimes you still ask yourself, is it possible to restore marble and various stone vanity units by yourself?

The answer is yes, and it could be done to some extent; however if the surface is etched or dulled by using some bathroom and washroom cleaning products, you may need to call in the cleaning e professionals to hone the top and polish it back to its previous glorious shine, because a new factory -finished marble top is shined or glossed up by around seven to 11 grades of diamonds on a machine, and attaining the same finish would almost be impossible if you’re simply using hand tools.

However, what the professional does to your marble top would be more than acceptable in any case. To reinstate the vanity unit’s tiptop condition, or other piece of stone furniture, it would be worthy buying stone soap to clean, maintain and impregnate the surface. You may do this on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, depending on the cleaning regimen you would like to implement.

Maintaining Marble Floor Tiles The Simple Way

In making sure your marble flooring will stay in good shape, and retain its shiny glow for years, you simple need to follow the following cleaning guidelines. First, ensure that you keep your surfaces as dust free as possible, by dust mopping it regularly with soft, clean, lint free mop. You should also clean them carefully with water and a mild neutral-ph cleanser, which was especially manufactures for use in stone surfaces.

You need to remember that acidity/alkalinity or even abrasives present in standard cleansers may cause dulling, etching or scratching. You could also utilize a separate mop or cloth, specifically reserved for stone, and remember to change mop water frequently. Lastly, you need to quickly tend to spills, and not let them leave there to dry and smudge your surface, and it would also be good t use mats at entrances to trap dirt, sand, gravel, and other grime.

As discussed above, there are different methods in cleaning marble floors and tops, however there are methods that are applicable to those types of surfaces. As obviously you will not be doing a major restoration program, but will only be implementing a simple cleaning guideline. If your floors require more than this we really need to see them to give you an idea of what they need to bring them back to life.

 

 

yuxiang granite tile,quartz stone and marble tile

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/doityourself-cleaning-tips-for-marble-floors-and-vanity-units-840372.html

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The Advantages and Benefits of Wooden Furniture

March 29, 2009 · Filed Under Home improvement · Comment 

If you are looking to give your home the perfect contemporary look then wooden furniture is often the best choice that is available to you. You can often find wooden furniture in all types of designs and looks that will be sure to suit your style and match your needs. From different choices when it comes to the type of wood to the exact cut of the furniture, your options are often endless.

There is a vast array of types of wooden furniture including chairs, tables, stools, dressers and even full size beds. You can even look into smaller furniture items including bookshelves, picture frames or really anything that may come to mind. Almost any type of furniture you desire can be found in a beautiful and elegant wooden look.

While the look of wooden furniture is often the first advantage that comes to mind, there are a number of even more important benefits. No matter the type of furniture you invest in you are ensured a very genuine material when it comes to wood. There really is little to no maintenance required at all when it comes to wooden furniture and all you will be required to do is wipe it down from time to time.

On top of all these benefits wooden furniture provides an instantly classic look that never seems to tire. Unlike other furniture designs, you will not have to worry about your furnishings going out of style within a few short years. All different looks and designs of wooden furniture come with an inherent classic and timeless look.

With all that being said there are a few disadvantages to different designs when it comes to wooden furniture. The majority of wooden furniture can often be quite heavy and hard to maneuver. Once you set up a piece within your home, you are most likely going to leave it there as rearranging it becomes quite a hassle. But, the weight of the piece also provides an advantage when it comes to the overall sturdiness and durability of the furnishings in question.

Now, once you decide you want to invest in some wooden furniture you need to consider all the different types of wood and the looks that come with them. There are many hard woods like oak and maple and some of the most popular when it comes to wooden furnishings are mahogany and teak. Teak has a very durable property to it and provides very little maintenance if any at all. Mahogany on the other hand has a beautiful red hint of color within the brown that makes it a popular choice for all wooden furniture designs.

Your final buying decision depends very much on price, the durability of the furniture, and the outward appearance. Quality don’t have to be compromised though, even if you go for cheaper pricing. Try buying wholesale for much lower prices.

To source for wood furniture, please visit our wooden furniture website – wholesale prices available.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/the-advantages-and-benefits-of-wooden-furniture-836913.html

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Interior Design Expert Advice – Buying New Furniture

March 28, 2009 · Filed Under Home improvement · Comment 

Buying new furniture can be a daunting task for many homeowners. Just think about the process of buying new furniture. First, you probably need to brainstorm for ideas. You want to be sure that whatever you are buying is suitable for your own personal tastes.

Once you have a good idea of what you are looking for, you then need to scout around for the actual furniture. This is by no means an easy task. It can be rather consuming, and at times, confusing. There are just too many options available in the marketplace! Knowing what you want is good. It’s going to help you narrow your options. But you can narrow the scope even more by making a decision based on the materials that the furniture is made from.

Every material will have its own characteristics. For example, wood may rot, and metal may rust. Cane seems to be a durable material, but it may not fit into the overall design of your home. Take the time to understand each material. Modern furniture these days always have some way to overcome the weaknesses of the raw materials. So you may end up having the best of both worlds.

Then there is the price tag to consider. Many different factors influence the price of the furniture. Of course, you can expect designer set pieces to be more expensive than those that are produced for the masses. However, the designs are more exclusive, and are generally of a much higher quality. If price is an issue, then you want to consider buying more practical furniture. In recent years, contemporary designs have grown in popularity. That is because such products look modern and simple, function well, and are more affordable.

If you are considering buying designer furniture, be prepared to pay a hefty price tag. Renowned designers often come up with award winning furniture. In other words, you are paying a premium price because of the reputation of the designer. A good reputation don’t happen overnight. There must be some good reason that explains the good name. For instance, a designer may be known for his ability to think out of the box and coming up with unexpected designs that are both attractive and practical.

If you haven’t been keeping in touch with industry news, perhaps now is a good time to grab a few home improvement magazines and do some catching up. Look out for brand names as well as the furniture designs that you see in the magazines. You may find yourself coming up with new ideas that you haven’t thought of before. And this is also a good way to check out what is in, and what is out.

With ideas and information at your finger tips, it’s much easier to come to a wise buying decision. It’s now time to go shopping for your desired furniture.

Visit home decor hub for more interior design ideas.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/interior-design-expert-advice-buying-new-furniture-836937.html

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