Saturday, July 31, 2010

With increasing energy costs each and every year there are people wondering seeking an alternative form of energy. The best alternative is green energy. Green energy is energy produced in ways that have little or no impact on the earth. Why green is so important if you want to see why and then turn on your TV and you'll see how mankind has affected our planet. Appearances ice melts our deteriorating ozone greenhouse gases we are changing our climate and this is just the beginning. 

It has become so obvious that we should start making changes that the government had begun to join in the battle. Unfortunately our government is more concerned about money than our actual environment. Here's where you and I can start stepping in. If everyone started using renewable energy sources we are potentially changing the direction of our environment to deteriorate. 

How Do You Start ?

Well there are many forms of renewable energy out there ready and waiting to be exploited and used. There are basic forms of renewable energy that everyday people like you and me can use. 

If you live near or next to the waterfall you can start utilizing the water power to generate enough energy to power your home and they are some What do you think people used to get the power back in one day.

During your stay in a place where you get sun from sunrise to sunset you can use solar power to generate power to power your home. To utilize the energy from the sun our solar panel system you need. Basically what is solar panels capture sunlight and energy to make electricity. Then there is wind energy. 

Wind energy is used by wind turbines as wind turbine generated energy. 

You might think yeah I know green energy both for the environment. And yes I know that I can save thousands of dollars every year on my electricity bill but I do not have thousands of dollars to spend on the purchase of renewable energy systems. 

Well I'm here to tell you that you do not need thousands of dollars to spend to start using renewable energy. I've found a DIY guide that shows step-by-step how to start running your home off of solar or wind energy Learn how you can start powering your home with a green way and not have to pay the electricity bills anymore.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Obama proposes $3,000 home energy rebates

Georgia (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed rebates of up to $3,000 to help homeowners pay for the cost of making their homes more energy efficient as part of a $6 billion program to create jobs.

In his latest step to convince Americans he can ease their economic woes, Obama traveled to Savannah Technical College to unveil a plan that could create tens of thousands of jobs.

The announcement came as White House economic adviser Larry Summers predicted that winter blizzards were likely to distort U.S. February jobless figures, which are due on Friday.

The White House had been relieved when the jobless rate dropped below 10 percent in January and could be preparing Americans for an uptick.

The efficiency plan, which must be passed by Congress, is intended to prompt Americans to invest in everything from insulation or new windows to overarching energy upgrades of their homes, creating construction and manufacturing jobs and boosting energy efficiency.

Consumers would be eligible for between $1,000 and $1,500 for simple home upgrades such as insulation, duct sealing, water heaters, air conditioning units, windows, roofing and doors.
Homeowners looking for more comprehensive energy retrofits would be eligible for a $3,000 rebate if the efficiency measures lead to a 20 percent energy savings.

"These are big incentives," Obama said. "You'd get these rebates instantly from the hardware store, from the contractor."

Obama, whose $787 billion economic stimulus plan approved a year ago has been criticized by Republicans as a waste of money that failed to create jobs, acknowledged that his clean energy proposals would face opposition.

"Each of these things are hard, some of them have some costs on the front end, and working stuff through Congress is 'more than a notion,'" he said.

With unemployment just below 10 percent, Americans are anxious about the country's finances, nudging Obama's approval ratings to 50 percent or below and potentially dimming his fellow Democrats' prospects in November's congressional elections.

The program involves a range of incentives for consumers, including rebates from stores that sell building materials, companies that install the equipment and utility energy efficiency programs. Consumers could also get rebates for a range of home energy upgrades.

Dubbed "cash for caulkers" after last year's successful "cash for clunkers" automobile trade-in program, the program was first announced in early December. Obama called on Congress to support it in his State of the Union address in January.

RARE BOOST FOR OBAMA AGENDA

Like "clunkers," it will have time limits, although such details would be worked out with Congress. Democrats included the program in a set of job-creation efforts they announced early in February.

"We would anticipate that in the range of 2 to 3 million households would participate," an administration official said. "It's designed to be a short-term program."

The scheme would also offer support for state and local governments to provide financing options for consumers who want to participate.
The White House said it expected the program would save consumers $200 to $500 in energy costs per year.
The president's agenda got a rare boost last week when a few Republicans in the Senate joined Democrats to approve a $15 billion package of tax breaks and highway spending that aims to bring down the 9.7 percent unemployment rate.

But Republicans seeking to wrest control of Congress from the Democrats have scored political points by expressing concern that what Obama frames as job creation efforts are overspending to expand the reach of government.

The White House must also placate investors nervous about deficit spending as it seeks to stimulate job growth.

Some of Obama's priorities -- notably healthcare and financial regulation -- have been stalled since his fellow Democrats lost their 60-seat "supermajority" in the U.S. Senate in January.

(Writing by Patricia Zengerle and Steve Holland; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Obama cuts to home energy assistance to have devastating consequences

The Obama administration’s plan to introduce a major cut in funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will have a devastating impact on the lives of working families throughout the United States.

Obama has slashed funding for LIHEAP down to $3.3 billion in his proposed budget for the fiscal year 2011. This represents a 35 percent reduction in funds allocated to the program, which had been budgeted for $5.1 billion in the previous year. The cut comes at a time when demand for assistance is at a record high due to soaring levels of unemployment in the US.

A new survey of state energy officials released in February shows that demand for home energy assistance is set to reach record levels for the third year in a row. According to LIHEAP’s Winter Application Survey, 8.8 million households are expected to require energy assistance this year. This marks a 15 percent increase in demand from the previous year’s record of 7.7 million households in need.
Applications for assistance have been increasing at an alarming rate with at least 10 states reporting an increase of 25 percent or more. The situation in Mississippi, which has the highest poverty rate in the country, is especially dire, with a staggering 68 percent increase in applicants since last year. In that same time, Washington state has seen an increase of 42 percent; Michigan, 38 percent; Nevada, 34 percent; and New Jersey, 31 percent.

The Obama cuts to LIHEAP will cripple a program that has already been overwhelmed by demand and has proven inadequate in meeting the social need for energy assistance. A significant number of those who are eligible for LIHEAP assistance in the US do not receive it. In Michigan, where a series of deadly house fires have taken the lives of Detroit residents struggling to cope without utilities, 1.7 million households were eligible for assistance through LIHEAP in 2009, but only 640,000 received it.

Similar circumstances can be found in states throughout the nation. Among the worst cases can be found in Louisiana, where 635,874 households were eligible for LIHEAP assistance in 2009, but only 21,000 received aid; and in Washington state, where 900,000 households were eligible but only 104,400 received aid.

In some cases, LIHEAP agencies have been completely depleted of funds. In Idaho, the Community Action Partnership Association, which processes the state’s LIHEAP applications, was forced to close the program three weeks early because overwhelming demand for assistance had completely exhausted its funds.
Mary Chant, the executive chair for the Community Action Partnership Association, said in a statement, “This year was an incredibly difficult year for tens of thousands of Idaho families. We could have easily served twice as many as we did if more funding had been available.”

A further reduction in already inadequate assistance funds will only ensure a greater number of illnesses and deaths among the most vulnerable members of society—including the elderly, the disabled and children—who are exposed to extreme temperatures because their households are unable to afford utilities. Deadly house fires can also be expected to rise as those struggling without utilities attempt to stay warm with space heaters or provide light with candles.

Those who somehow manage to scrape by will do so at the expense of other basic needs. Choosing between paying for food, utilities, medication or other forms of health care has become a way of life for millions in the US.

The dangers presented to poor and working class households by the LIHEAP cuts are also not confined to the winter months. The program also provides assistance with cooling costs during the summer. Hundreds already die each year in sweltering homes without access to air conditioning during heat waves that bring temperatures above the 100 degree mark. These deaths can also be expected to increase.

Adding to the risk of death and illness in the spring and summer months, it is often the case that utility companies, prevented by state laws from disconnecting power to homes during the winter months, prepare mass shutoffs during the spring. Utility customers are then forced to pay off outstanding balances before the power is restored. Many simply cannot afford the burden and will go without power.

A prime example of this is currently under way in Iowa, where demand for LIHEAP assistance is up 12 percent from last year. On Thursday, it was reported that 89,536 residents in Iowa are facing imminent utility shutoffs. Under that state’s Winter Moratorium Law, utility companies are prevented from disconnecting heat and electricity from customers who have been unable to pay their bills between November and April. The moratorium will end on April 2, and thousands will now lose their power. Jerry McKim, the LIHEAP director in Iowa, has warned that April could see a record-setting 100,000 utility shutoffs in the state.

There are currently 221,344 residents in Iowa, or 7.4 percent of the population, who are overdue on their accounts. They owe a combined $35.76 million to utility companies. These circumstances are repeated across the country.

The lives of hundreds of thousands across the US will continue to be placed in danger by utility shutoffs this year. The cuts made to LIHEAP by the Obama administration will only prevent an ever-greater number of those who are vulnerable to shutoffs from defending themselves against the loss of some of the most elementary requirements of human life.

Friday, July 16, 2010

How to Lower Home Energy Bills

We are blessed with the discovery and proper utilization of energy around us. There are several sources of energy that makes our living easier. Energy lights up our home every night, keeps us warm during cold winter, allows us to be entertained, and makes our living pleasant no matter what time of the day. And with all the other uses of energy from the moment we check our clocks in the morning to keeping us warn as we rest during the night, all of us would agree that it would be so hard to live without it.

We can say that we have sufficient energy supply for a lifetime but that does not mean that we are not going to conserve it. After all, technology has its price. And that price is something we have to pay with cash.

And if coping with electric bill is your problem every time you see your bills, here are the ways on how to lower them:

· Provide good roof coating

A good roof coating deflects heat. And so, insuring that the roof receives a good coating would mean insuring you that your house would maintain good temperature on the inside.

· Keep your attic well ventilated.

Your attic is one of the more important parts of your house when it comes to the cooling system. The attic is your first and probably the most effective part of your house the keeps the whole house cool. But, in order for your attic to do its main purpose, make sure that it is well insulated.

Provide vents where the heat can come out during summer. Your attic door must also be sealed to ensure that the air from our house does not go through it and vice versa. The attic door can be sealed with weather strippers.

· Securing all the leaks.

Leaks contribute to high cost of home energy. Why? It is because air from your house can easily come out from these leaks. And the air from the outside can easily enter the house. Both increase the workload of your heating and cooling system.

You have to remember that air moves according to air pressure and temperature. Since the temperature of inside your house is most of the time different from the temperature outside, air moves freely from these leaks. Making sure that the leaks are sealed would mean less work on your heating and cooling system and lower electric bills.

Leaks would come from fireplaces, ducts, doors, ceilings, floors, walls, windows, plumbing penetrations, electrical outlets, fans, and vents.

· Reducing the thermostat

One degree centigrade is equivalent to 5% electric bill savings. Therefore, keeping your thermostat low will save you a lot of money. A total saving would also come from switching your thermostat further low when you are not home or if you are sleeping. The ideal temperature during winter is not higher than 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

· Limiting the use of water heater

The second largest electric consumer next to your heating and cooling system is your water heater.

When you wash you clothes, you don’t need to heat the water up. Just use the water from the faucet. This will save you by as much as 90% in washing machine energy consumption.

· Use energy efficient material around your home.

There are commercially available materials that would significantly contribute to the reduction of the cost of home energy. One of these is energy efficient windows that deflect the outside temperature (whether during winter or summer) from entering your home.

· Use your appliance efficiently

It is pretty basic for all of us to turn off televisions, air conditioning, stereos and other electronic gadgets when not using them. However, most still disregard this. The reality is; we can save a lot if we only learn how to turn them off if not in use. Also, small things such as iPod chargers, cellphone chargers, digital clocks, lights and other things that seem to consume small electric current that remain plugged day in and day out contribute to your electric bill. Making sure you unplug them would certainly lower down your monthly electric consumption.

You have the details. All you have to do is to make sure you follow them all.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Product

There are some products that are here to make your home more clean, efficient energy use, environmentally friendly and make you more comfortable being at home.

Items here have passed through a series of tests that make it more secure, convenient and energy efficient.







All the products above is very useful if you want a house in an efficient and energy saving.


All you can do yourself without the participation of other people, really cheap.

You can compare prices and benefits of these products are comparable in search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN, Alexa and other search engines.


Take advantage of all that is natural for energy efficiency in your home and start enjoying it for all costs related to energy consumption will by itself decrease after you use the product.


Start enjoying the environmentally friendly energy starts from your home, for the future of a better world.

 

Monday, June 28, 2010

Making Your Mobile Home Energy Efficient

If you were living on a mobile home temporarily or permanently, you surely would want to cut down your electric consumption just like others who would like to cut down theirs.

Here are several ways in making your mobile home energy efficient :

·    Improving the roof paintjob

In the hot and humid months of June, July, August, and September, mobile homes tend to heat up. This is because mobile homes are not built with much ventilation. On regular homes, large attics the separate the outside from the inside keep houses cool. Vents on these attics further contribute to reduction of heat penetration to the house. The space separating the roof of a mobile home and the ceiling is not enough to keep the inside cool. As a result, air conditioning system works harder during hot summer days. Thus, consuming more energy. To lessen the heat penetration to the home, cool roof coating can be done.

Do this when it is not raining since cool roof coating is water-based.

Repainting the roof of your mobile home to deflect the heat that can potentially penetrate to the inside.

·    Providing better roof insulation

Many people, even a mobile home contractor would suggest that you couldn’t do anything to improve the insulation of your mobile home. To tell you honestly, they are totally wrong. You can access the roof cavity from the edge of the roof that is connected with the wall or from the directly through the rooftop. Doing so will save you as much as 15% of your total cooling system consumption.

You can do this on your own or find someone who knows how to do this.

·    Maintaining a good air conditioning

Air conditioning occupies the biggest chunk of your electric bill. This is why you need to make sure that you get the most out of it. To so this, check your air conditioning system regularly. You can start with the air duct. Make sure that the air duct is sealed. Any small leak would let the outside air to enter, thus making the air conditioning to work harder.

Your mobile home’s air duct is usually located underneath. You may want to skirt your mobile home to the ground of few inches from the ground to protect the duct during winter and summer. Skirting would also provide additional protection from your pets to destroy the duct.

·    Air sealing your mobile home

The best way to keep the air outside from entering is to seal every spaces of your mobile home. Windows, doors, and other openings can be sealed by weather stripping, a rubber sealant that keeps that interior airtight.

Doing this will let the air from coming out of the mobile home.

·    The mobile home location

Sitting your mobile home under the shade would let you save from air conditioning. Since shades draw away heat even before it reaches the roof of your mobile home, your air conditioning will not be forced to cool the interior.

·    Ensuring the water heater

The water heater takes 14% of your total energy consumption. This is the second largest energy consumer next to the air conditioning system. If your water heater is located outside the compartment, it surely takes additional energy load since the heat is lost because of the outside air. You cannot cover it of course for safety purposes. Instead, you can use insulation jacket. This will keep the heat inside the tank.

The thermostat dictates the energy consumption of the water heater. If you have less water demand, 120 degrees Fahrenheit is sufficient enough. For larger water consumption, 140 degrees Fahrenheit is usually required.

·    Windows

Proper selection of shutters, shades, and drapes is important to keep the heat inside or away from the mobile home. But, you have to use them properly. Close them during the night to keep the cool air from the outside away and open it during the day if you are not using air conditioning. Use thick shutters, shades, or drapes during winder to keep to cool air from coming in. 

Consider all these to make sure you maximize the use of power in your home. In turn, you will save money on electric bills. 

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Clients

Items referred to in this blog is addressed to individuals in the list below :

1. Having concern for the environment.

2. Having a concern for improving the level of oxygen in the air.

3. Having a desire to stop global warming.

4. Having a desire to prevent climate change.

5. Having a desire to save more energy efficient manner.

6. Have to use alternative energy to substitute fossil  energy.

7. Having the desire to make the future better world .

If you are one of the individuals who are above you can start buying and using renewable alternative products that can replace fossil energy is not renewable.

More information about renewable energy products that can be found on the site google, yahoo, MSN, Alexa and other search engines.