New Laws on Energy Efficiency Standards Encourage Upgrading Your Air Conditioner and Furnace (HVAC)

You might not know it, but something changed in 2006 that will affect the choice of products available to you when it comes time to replace your Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment. Don't worry, this affect on the equipment available to you is a good thing. The U.S. government has mandated that the energy efficiency of all HVAC systems installed after January 23, 2006 must meet certain minimum benchmarks. The benchmarks referred to are the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) and Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE).

In the years prior to this mandate being enacted, many air conditioners only had a SEER of 10, and furnaces had AFUE percentages of as low as 50%. New air conditioners must now have a SEER of at least 13 and furnaces have to achieve an AFUE of 80% or more. That is an increase in efficiency of 30% from air conditioners that were 10 SEER, and an increase of 38% for a furnace that had an AFUE of 50%.

\"Energy Efficiency\"

Now, the government is not going to make you go replace your old system to meet the new standard-it only applies to new HVAC installation. If you have one of these older, less efficient systems you may continue to operate it as long as you please, but why would you want to? Many of the systems available today are actually much more efficient than the government has mandated, giving you the potential of substantial savings on utility bills.

New Laws on Energy Efficiency Standards Encourage Upgrading Your Air Conditioner and Furnace (HVAC)

For an average home, the lower utility bills alone could save a household about 0 a year. But there is more-the IRS is providing tax incentives for homeowners who upgrade their home's energy efficiency to meet the government's requirements for the program. This means meeting higher benchmarks for energy efficiency, but these are easily attainable with the equipment available today.

There is something else to consider. It is going to become more expensive to service your older air conditioner. It most likely uses a CFC or HCFC refrigerant, and these have been essentially banned. In fact, after 2010 these will be highly restricted, and your HVAC service company will only be able to purchase these refrigerants at a premium. It will be very expensive to use these to service your old air conditioner. There are replacement refrigerants available, but they are incompatible with older systems and can only be used in newer systems designed for them. You do not want to be stuck in one hot Atlanta summer with an old, inefficient air conditioner that doesn't work and can't be serviced, do you?

Given potential utility savings and tax incentives, plus the issue of sheer serviceability, there is plenty of reason to install a newer, more environmentally friendly system. But, it's also the right thing to do. Heating and cooling amount to approximately 50% of a home's energy use, so by acting to minimize this slice of your energy use, you are taking action to reduce the size of your footprint on a heavily trampled planet.

New Laws on Energy Efficiency Standards Encourage Upgrading Your Air Conditioner and Furnace (HVAC)

Bardi Heating and Air conditioning is an Atlanta air conditioning repair specialist and a trusted name in the heating and air conditioning business. To learn more their services please visit http://www.bardi.com

Building a Magnet Motor to Generate Electricity

Lowering or even eliminating their power bill has been on the minds of millions. With the arrival of the magnet motor, the time has come when anyone can be energy efficient.

Magnet motors are not only affordable, they are effective and can be used by anyone. Many individuals are already learning how to build this amazing system.

\"Energy Efficiency\"

Here are some of the benefits:

Building a Magnet Motor to Generate Electricity

1. The energy provided is clean and renewable.
2. Your property value increases with the installation of a magnet motor.
3. For only a couple hundred dollars, the cost of building materials, your house can be run with free energy.
4. It may interest your power company to buy energy from you.
5. The upkeep of this system is minimal.

People interested in building a magnet motor first try to find a place they will put it. Due to the small size of these motors, they can be installed in a garage or even inside the home.

Many find that the garage is the best place to both protect it from weather and other factors that can cause damage. There is no waiting for the sun or wind.

It is possible to buy a pre-made magnet motor, however, the cost may be prohibitive. In this case, doing it yourself is the smarter way to go. Learning how to do-it-yourself will save you money in the long run.

To accomplish this properly, you will need a step by step plan. The following is a step by step plan that builds you a motor and saves you thousands.

Building a Magnet Motor to Generate Electricity

Find out more about the new energy focus, the permanent magnetic generator. Acquire wealth of information on how magnetic generators work, benefits and many other informative tips on saving electricity. Find out how you can use the earth for energy today; Master the true knowledge of generating free energy.

Windmills For Home - How Yard Decorations Can Reduce Your Electric Bill

Windmills For Home-They Don't Have To Be Just Decorations

I started using windmills to scare away deer and crows from my vegetable garden. Then I realized I could use that small windmill to power a marine battery and charge up my electric fence. Then three years later I now have three homemade wind turbines. That garden windmill started my whole adventure to supplementing 48% - 100% of my household electricity, and I'll never go back to the way things were.

\"Energy Efficiency\"

Watching That Little Windmill Spin

Windmills For Home - How Yard Decorations Can Reduce Your Electric Bill

Three years ago I would have never thought that a little homemade windmill on top of a garden post would spawn an interest in homemade energy. The whole project was inexpensive, except for a battery mistake, and easy to do. I guess I owe the corn chewing crows and the spinach munching deer thanks. That small windmill still sets a top a garden post, but now it's put to work. It has three bigger cousins who work for me full time too, and I'm eternally grateful for the money they all have saved me, and it's a pure joy to watch them. So why not go from just a yard decoration to something that works for you.

Even Small Windmills For Home Decorations Can Become Generators

Sure it may take a little ingenuity, but even small decorative windmills can become generators that are perfect for charging small batteries for yard lighting. Couple the batteries with some LED lighting and you have a free lighting system that never goes out, even if you have a power outage. That's pretty darn resourceful and a neat idea too. Imagine a power outage in the neighborhood and your yard is lit up, that's kind of a funny thought. How about a trickle charger for you lawnmower battery over the winter, or perhaps a battery backup for under sidewalk heating?.. Ok, that would take a bigger generator, but you can clearly see how this spawns other ideas, and can become quite addictive when put into action. Building wind generators and putting them to work is just plain good ol, DIY fun.

Try Converting A Small Home Windmill - You Might Just Like It

Windmills For Home - How Yard Decorations Can Reduce Your Electric Bill

Here is more information on my Windmills For Home Use.

I learned how to make my smaller home windmills here

Vertical Axis Windmills - A Home Windmill Design That is Quiet and Efficient

The vertical axis windmill may be just the breakthrough needed to make real progress toward bringing wind generated electricity to the average home owner. It is no secret that the cost of just about all forms of energy has been rising at an unprecedented rate. Yet, we are surrounded by so much clean, free wind energy that just goes to waste day after day.

Homemade power plants for generating electricity, whether using vertical axis windmill designs or the more familiar horizontal axis type, are not exactly a new concept. But, one of the biggest reasons that they have not been utilized by more homes is that they are just too expensive. New commercial systems can cost from ,000 to well over ,000 to purchase and install.

\"Energy Efficiency\"

The Make-Your-Own-Windmill Movement Solved The Price Problem

Vertical Axis Windmills - A Home Windmill Design That is Quiet and Efficient

Along came inexpensive and sometimes even free materials including the Low cost DC motors necessary for generating power. This, along with good windmill plans for making simple but effective horizontal axis windmills, has forced the cost down to about 0 with an investment payback range from only a few weeks to a few months. (Horizontal axis windmills look like a large airplane propeller).

Horizontal Axis Home Windmills Are Effective But With Some Public Relation Problems

These horizontal wind turbines are very effective for taking a huge chunk out of electric bills but there are still a few nagging problems that have been left for vertical windmills to solve. Windmills sometimes face resistance in neighborhoods where the homes are relatively close together. So much so that in some cases zoning boards have disallowed these projects. The typical worries have to do with noise, appearance and blade safety in high winds.

Vertical Axis Windmill Designs To The Rescue

The vertical axis windmill is designed so that its wind catching blades spin around an axle that is vertical as opposed to the popular horizontal airplane propeller style of windmills. The Advantages Of The Vertical Windmill Design Over The Horizontal Axis type are as follows:

1. The vertical windmill generates more electricity with less wind. It can be 50% more efficient in generating electricity because it captures wind from all directions with out having to shift to face a change of wind direction.

2. Quieter

3. Safer in high winds

4. More esthetically pleasing because the blades can be designed artfully for blending into the surrounding environment

5. Birds are much less likely to fly into this windmill design

6. Easier and safer to maintain because the electrical generator is located at ground level.

7. Solves many of the typical residential windmill concerns in neighborhoods with homes located relatively close to each other.

It all Starts With A Clear Plan

There has never been a better time for building a home windmill. The need to slash the cost of electricity has never been at such a high level. The necessary strong but light-weight technology in the form of inexpensive or even free materials is readily available. And importantly, there are now some excellent illustrated instruction manuals written by authors willing to share their successful hands-on experience in building horizontal or vertical axis windmills.

Vertical Axis Windmills - A Home Windmill Design That is Quiet and Efficient

Be sure to read my detailed reviews of some of the top homemade windmill plans. Learn which guides are excellent and which ones to avoid. Just follow these links: http://www.wind2electricity.net/Home-Made-Power-Plant-Review.html and http://www.wind2electricity.net/Earth4Energy-Review.html

10 Benefits of Solar Energy

Benefits of Solar Energy:

1. Solar energy is renewable. We never have to worry about running out of sunlight or using it all up. The sun is a consistent power source meaning it's always going to be there every day.

\"Energy Efficiency\"

2. Solar energy is environmentally friendly. Compared to fossil fuels which release greenhouses gases, carcinogens and carbon dioxide, solar cells don't release anything into the air.

10 Benefits of Solar Energy

3. Solar panels are extremely reliable. There are no moving parts so you don't have to worry about replacing anything. In fact, most people generate electricity for 1000s of hours with little or no maintenance.

4. Solar cells make no noise while collecting energy. There are no other renewable energy sources that are completely silent.

5. In the long run, solar electricity is cheaper than buying it from the power company. There is a start up cost, but then it starts paying for itself. Once you break even, everything after that is profit. Compare this to paying a monthly bill and getting no return on investment.

6. There is a huge variety of solar panel systems available. Some can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and some cost just a couple hundred. This means anyone can get into solar, there's an entry point for just about everybody.

7. You're not required to connect to the power grid. You can be completely self-sufficient and live off-the-grid. Imagine never paying another monthly bill or hook-up charge.

8. Sell excess electricity. If you build a large enough solar panel system, you can make your electric meter spin backwards! Most power companies will gladly buy or credit you for this excess electricity. Contact your local power companies for more details.

9. Government tax credits. Most governments will provide some kind of tax credit or incentive for people purchasing solar energy systems. On average, rebates usually cover 20-30% of the system cost. Contact your local representatives for more details.

10. Solar technology is constantly improving. Solar installations are increasing by an incredible 50% every year, most of which are small homemade systems. Learn how to make your own solar panels and use the benefits of solar [http://www.squidoo.com/renewableenergyforhome] energy to your advantage.

10 Benefits of Solar Energy

Click here [http://www.squidoo.com/renewableenergyforhome] to see my reviews of solar power guides. See which are the best value and which ones are a waste of money.

Convert Your Home to Solar Power Using a Government Grant

In this modern era with global warming and green house gases on the rise, it's important that one takes note of the importance of renewable energy resources to reduce carbon emissions and further harmful effects upon the environment. What could be a better way to do this than to start with your own home?

Governments around the world are offering grants, tax breaks, and concessions to those who are willing to convert their homes to use solar power. But sometimes it's hard to find what's currently being offered and how to get them. The best place to start is the "Database of State Incentives for Renewable and Efficiency" website. The site provides a map of the United States which allows you to click on the state in which you live, and a host of further links will be presented that will outline the incentives or grants that are being offered at individual state levels, as well as the federal level. Before you start the renovation or implementation of a solar power system, check out this site first. It will show you what you're entitled to and what money you can save. This is the first step to understanding how to get a solar power grant.

\"Energy Efficiency\"

Some of the issues that will be presented will be:

Convert Your Home to Solar Power Using a Government Grant

The policy or incentive type, whether it be a tax credit, net metering, or similar program. What sectors are entitled to the benefits, whether it is residential, government or commercial premises. A summary of the grant or incentive. Who is actually offering the grant (state or federal) A link to the website in charge of the offering of the grant or incentive. For what purpose the grant is being offered for, whether it is for the installation of solar power, wind energy, insulation, etc.

Both state and federal governments offer grants, and hopefully this article will point you in the right direction so you can receive them. The benefits can be quite numerous, with the possibility of receiving thousands of dollars or the complete purchase and installation price of renewable energy sources. Both state and federal governments are constantly increasing their offerings to encourage people to go green in order to reduce carbon emissions across the nation.

Convert Your Home to Solar Power Using a Government Grant

I encourage you to visit my Solar Power Grants website for further information and resources.

Building Solar Panels - Where To Buy Solar Cells

One of my biggest problems when I was building my very first solar panel was where to find solar cells at a reasonable price. I had recently learned that you could build a solar panel for hundreds of dollars less than buying them the only problem was I couldn't find any solar cells.

After I could days of searching I found a couple websites that sold solar cells... the only problem was they were in the /watt range which definitely isn't cheaper than buying a brand new panel! I was pretty depressed at that point.

\"Energy Efficiency\"

We had just recently built a wind generator and I had been wanting to upgrade the hub so I went to our favorite place (eBay) and was looking around for one. After I found what I was looking for I figured I should try a shot in the dark and see if anyone on eBay was selling solar cells. It was probably the happiest moment of my life! There were over 50 auctions of people selling solar cells for under .50/watt (the price has since gone down to under /watt). I quickly ordered 36 so I could start building our first solar panel. The great news is these guys usually throw in a couple extra just in case a couple break during shipping (solar cells are pretty fragile).

Building Solar Panels - Where To Buy Solar Cells

How is it that eBay was offering such cheap prices on cells? Well, cells have a grading system (Grade "A", "B", "C" etc.). The cells I had been looking at were Grade "A" cells which means they are perfect. The auctions on eBay were for Grade "B" cells. Before you start thinking these aren't that great you should know that Grade "B" simply means there's tiny defects in the cell. Nothing major and it doesn't affect the power output. Once your solar panel is built you can't even notice these defects.

If you're just starting your journey to building your first solar panel I strongly suggest you check out eBay. They've got the best prices and you can't even tell the difference when the panel is finished.

Building Solar Panels - Where To Buy Solar Cells

I built my own solar panels and a wind generator and saved well over ,000. I get a cheque from the power company because I produce more energy than I use. If you'd like to learn how you can do the same check out Buy Solar Cells.

How Do Windmills Generate Electricity?

Do you wish to learn how windmills generate electricity, and how you can use them to run your home? As the natural resources needed to create electric power are decreasing every day along with rising electric bills, alternatives like wind and solar energy have started getting a lot attention. It is much more beneficial to create electricity from these renewable sources compared to using fuel.

1. How Do Windmills Generate Electricity?

\"Energy Efficiency\"

Windmills are able to convert mechanical energy into electric energy. Mechanical energy is created when wind blows against the blades of the windmill which then begins to rotate because of the difference in air pressure. Each windmill will have many huge blades that generate a lot of power when rotated.

How Do Windmills Generate Electricity?

Inside the windmill, there is a shaft that is connected to the blades and the generator. The generator is the device that converts the mechanical energy created by the blades into electrical energy for use in the home.

2. Can You Really Run your Home with Windmill Generated Electricity?

Many people still consider this a myth and refuse to believe that this is possible as they are not convinced that it is energy efficient to do this. However, there are already guides and video tutorials online that show people how to run their homes with wind turbines and solar panels. I know that they work because I have purchased them and am running my own home with windmill generated electricity today.

3. How Do You Run your House with Windmill Generated Electricity?

To do this, you should learn how to build your own wind mills. You will be pleased to find out that they are really easy to do and do not require more than 0 to get started. I managed to find all the necessary hardware parts at my nearby store and managed to complete it within a day.

How Do Windmills Generate Electricity?

Want to learn how to build Windmills to Generate Electricity for your home? Download the Best Step-By-Step Home Energy Guides at http://www.renewableenergysystemreview.com first!

The author has managed to reduce his energy bill by more than 80% by building his own renewable home energy system. Check out his website above to find out how to do it!

Free Plans to Build a Windmill

Are you looking for free plans to build a windmill? The internet is full of valuable resources, and by reading this article you're heading in the right direction. Building your own windmill to generate your own electricity is a great way to reduce your utility bills, and also to help the environment. This article outlines some of the advantages, and also some of the other options related to building your own renewable energy system.

First of all, it is important to keep in mind that windmills aren't the only homemade energy options available to DIY enthusiasts. it is just as simple to build a homemade solar panel as it is to build a wind turbine. In many cases, a combination of both systems is the most effective in generating more than enough electricity for the home. It is important to keep your options open in this regard.

\"Energy Efficiency\"

In order to build a good quality, effective, and aesthetically pleasing windmill or solar panel, it is imperative to have a proper instruction manual. Obviously, if you've got a degree in engineering you could make do without detailed schematics, but the majority of people don't have this kind of knowledge. The internet is full of inexpensive and instantly downloadable guides that detail every aspect of DIY windmills and solar panels. At the end of this article is a link to a site with the best online guides available.

Free Plans to Build a Windmill

Once you've obtained a guide and set up your system, there are a number of ways to run your homemade "power plant". The simplest way to get good use out of your system is to connect only part-time appliances to your homemade energy grid. Microwaves, toasters, electric water boilers, and poll heaters are some great examples. This leaves more important things like refrigerators and air conditioning units on the normal power grid, so they don't drain your self generated system.

If you want to generate all of your electricity from homemade renewable energy sources, you will probably need to hire a qualified electrician to run the system into the AC breaker panel. This is very dangerous and sometimes illegal, so you must check out your local laws and regulations. Again, all of the information required to run your entire home off renewable energy can be found in a good quality online guide.

Setting up a complete home renewable energy system take some time and a lot of hard work. however, this pays off a lot over the years, especially considering the rising costs of electricity from the power stations. By generating your own electricity at home, you can even sell your unused electricity back to the power company. This can make for a nice amount of extra income.

Free Plans to Build a Windmill

If you're serious about reducing or eliminating your energy bills with free, renewable energy, check out this Renewable Energy Systems website for some practically free plans to build a windmill.

How Much Solar Power? Determining How Many Watts Your House Needs

Once you've decided to add a system of solar photovoltaic power panels to your house or business or determined that it's time to expand an existing system, the next question is: how much wattage do I need?

To find this out, you will need to know how much power you consume (or how much you plan to consume, for new buildings or for additions that will require lots of power - like a woodworking shop or a hot tub) and how much sunlight you receive throughout the year.

\"Energy Efficiency\"

Assuming that you've been at your location for at least a year (so that you have a good feel for your electric needs for each season), take each electricity bill and write down the number of kilowatt-hours (kw-h) that were billed and the number of days in the billing cycle. Then, divide the number of kw-h by the number of billing days to get the average kw-h per day. To make things simpler, some people just assume 30 days for each billing cycle (and not all power companies report the billing days). That's how many kw-h your system will need to generate each day to meet your power needs. Once you've done this for the entire year's worth of bills, you'll know both your average daily consumption and your peak consumption. You may choose to size your system based on either value. If you use the average value (and assuming your power company allows you to sell power back to them, you should definitely check on this first!), then some days you'll make extra power and sell it back to the power company and some days you'll be buying power, but over the course of a year, your net electric bill should be close to

Now, to get the wattage of solar panels that you need, you'll need to know how many hours of direct sunlight that your system will receive. If you've been at your location for several years already, you might have a good idea how many hours of direct sunlight your building receives, either seasonally or on average throughout the year. One way to determine how many hours of sunlight you receive is to take observations several times a day as to whether the portion of your roof where the solar panels are to be installed is sunlit. If you do this every day for a year, you'll have a good idea of how many hours of sunlight your solar panel will receive on a seasonal basis. There are a few problems with this approach: it's very time consuming as it requires you to take measurements throughout the day nearly every day; there will be some days when you just can't take the measurements (you're out of town, working and cannot get to the house to observe the roof, clouds are obscuring the sun, etc.); and, unless you have a solar panel system that tracks the sun, the number of hours of sunlight your roof receives is not the same as the hours of direct sunlight, since much of that light will probably not be coming in at right angles to your roof throughout the year.

Another way to estimate the number of hours of direct sunlight you receive is to assume a value or to use a rule-of-thumb. Often, 5 hours direct sunlight on average throughout the year is assumed. Although this is a fairly common assumption, you might end up disappointed if your solar system generates less power than you anticipated because you get fewer average hours of sunlight than this.

A third method is to look up an average regional value. The Florida Solar Energy Center presented a study in August 2004 at the ACEEE 2004 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings titled "Geographic Variation in Potential of Rooftop Residential Photovoltaic Electric Power Production in the United States." This study simulated the power generation of a 2 kilowatt (kw) photovoltaic rooftop system for 236 locations throughout the US. Depending on the location, they found that this 2 kw rooftop system would generate between 5 and 8.5 kw-h per day on average throughout the year.

Using the rule-of-thumb, a 2-kw system receiving direct sunlight for 5 hours per day would expect to generate 10 kw-h per day on average throughout the year. From the Florida study, the same system would be expected to generate only 5 - 8.5 kw-h per day throughout the year.

How you proceed depends on your goals. If your goals are to offset your electricity cost, then any of the approaches will provide an estimate of the number of hours of direct sunlight that you receive. However, if your goal is to become energy independent, then using the results of the Florida simulation would provide a more conservative value that would be more likely to provide a system sized for your needs. Take the results of the simulation and a few of your own observations (whether you have a lot of tall evergreen trees on the south side of your house that block a majority of the winter sun, etc.) and you should be able to estimate the number of hours of direct sunlight that you receive.

For example, if you've decided to use the average power consumption value and you use 600 kw-h per month and your billing company doesn't report the number of days per billing cycle (assume 30 days per month), then you consume 20 kw-h per day of electricity (600 kw-h divided by 30 days per month). Using the Florida simulation data and assuming you live in Western Kentucky, you receive approximately 3.5 hours of direct sunlight per day (from the graphic, estimate a value of 7.0 kw-h divided by 2 kw - the study is based on a 2 kw system). Then, your system would need to be sized for approximately 5,700 watts.

. If you use the peak number, then you should be selling power back to the power company almost every day, but your system will cost more than if you sized the system based on the average power consumption.

How Much Solar Power? Determining How Many Watts Your House Needs

How Much Solar Power? Determining How Many Watts Your House Needs

Daniel Peplinski

[http://www.Earthsolarpanel.com/]

http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/publications/html/FSEC-PF-380-04

Gas Fireplace Inserts Can Help Energy Efficiency

While we all enjoy the beauty and sounds of a wood burning fireplace, nothing compares to the efficiency of a gas fireplace. They also provide a cleaner burning fire, they are safer to use, and easier to work with.

The question I hear a lot is, "How can I have a gas fireplace, mine is wood burning?"

\"Energy Efficiency\"

Well, there is no need to rip out your existing fireplace and spend thousands of dollars. The answer is to install a gas fireplace insert.

Gas Fireplace Inserts Can Help Energy Efficiency

In simple terms, a gas fireplace insert will fit inside your existing fireplace and change it over to gas. You have the option of installing it directly in the fireplace or getting a ready-made factory unit.

As far as costs go, a gas fireplace insert can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.

The design aspects are numerous. These inserts can come with brick and tiles already set in place, or they can be empty, allowing you the opportunity to add your own distinct design. To make things even easier, some units give the ability to simply slide tiles in place without having to permanently install them.

The biggest reason for installing a gas fireplace insert is of course, the energy savings. While a wood burning fireplace looks great, it is not efficient in heating a room without a blower. In fact, they actually suck the warm air out of the room and up the chimney.

A gas unit will allow you to add a metal grille to aid in heating your room. If you only use your fireplace for an occasional fire, you won't need a grille.

So, don't think it will cost thousands, or require you to tear out your existing fireplace to change over to gas. With a gas fireplace insert you can do it quickly and affordably.

All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active and do not edit the article in any way.

Gas Fireplace Inserts Can Help Energy Efficiency

Terry Edwards is the owner of Fireplaces A-z, a website providing great information about fireplaces and fireplace accessories. You can learn more about Gas Fireplace Inserts as well as much more information on all types of fireplaces at http://www.FireplacesA-z.com