How would you like to reduce your electric bill? How would you like to have no electric bill at all? Then let me introduce you to renewable energy.?One of the most reliable sources of renewable energy is solar power.?Unfortunately, to have a solar power system installed professionally is way too expensive for most people, even those who are truly environmentally conscious. In addition, it could take a decade or more before your energy savings match your initial investment.?There is, however, an alternative. Say goodbye to professionally installed solar power and say hello to homemade solar panels. The most cost-effective way to take advantage of the power of the sun is to build solar panels at home.?

Sounds crazy? Not at all. Building your own solar panels is the most cost-effective way to harness the power of the sun. Don’t be frightened by the unknown, this is not as daunting a task as you may think. Actually, with the proper instructions it is easy to do. So easy, your children can even help and you can turn it into an enjoyable family project. Also, the components aren’t complicated at all.

Most of the parts you will need can be found at a hardware store. If you want everything rolled up into a nice neat package, and you have a few extra bucks, you can choose to buy a solar panel kit instead. These kits will contain everything you need to generate your own electricity from the sun.?You can start off by making a few small solar panels which could power some small appliances. Or, you could go full throttle and build solar panels to supplement or even replace your home’s existing power supply. ?

So how do you start? Well first and foremost you need to find quality detailed instructions.?After that you are off to the hardware store to get your supplies. Then, when you have some free time, you start the assembly process and eventually install the system.?If you build solar panels at home you will not only save money but you will also be helping the environment.

Bob Nesheim

Adrian Norman asked:


Staff have plenty to do without another scheme to add to the workload. Energy efficiency is just another fad, it’ll all be forgotten in a couple of months – or will it? Morgan Lovell’s Adrian Norman examines ways of inspiring office staff to become enthusiastic about saving energy.

For many staff having to be energy efficient is just another inconvenient company initiative. But how can you motivate your staff and prove to them that it isn’t all just a fad? The following eight points will guide you towards having staff who are not only enthusiastic about saving energy, but actively seek new ways of making those important energy savings.

1. Have Fun

If it’s plausible, hold a series of ‘awareness workshops’ that give your staff a couple of hours away from their desks, while at the same time encouraging them to learn about energy saving. You could invite some guest speakers, or to make it a bit more fun, show some films on energy saving and climate change. Staff at Morgan Lovell spent a Friday afternoon watching Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth – we got to learn about climate change, started to think about how we could make a difference, and food was laid on. You could even throw in the popcorn.

2. Set the Best Example

The Carbon Trust has produced a downloadable factsheet to guide you around doing an ‘energy walk-round’. Doing a walk-round of your office is a great way of identifying where energy is being wasted, and as they are the users of your building it works even better if you can get your staff involved. And being pro-active yourself will motivate your staff, meaning they are more likely to inform you if they identify a source of wasted energy.

3. Give Them Ownership

It’s important to make your staff feel like the changes being made are brought about by them, that they benefit as well as the business, and of course the environment. As the people who use the office, they are in prime position for identifying energy wastage, and thinking up new ways of saving energy, so encourage them to do this. You have to give your staff something to be enthusiastic about, so why not let them choose where some of the saved revenue goes – a donation to charity perhaps?

4. Give Them Control

In an ideal office environment, staff can have complete control over their environment, such as having local climate control panels. If you haven’t got such a system installed, there are other ways to encourage staff to take responsibility for their own energy usage. Providing ‘task lighting’, such as individual desk lamps (with energy efficient bulbs of course), means staff have control over their individual lighting levels, and so the need for overhead lighting is reduced. And your staff are more likely to take responsibility for their own individual equipment too. There are many studies that back this up.

5. Build a Relationship

It’s hard to understand the connection between turning off a light and saving the planet. People need something that demonstrates how saving energy relates to their everyday activities. For example, rather than saying that lighting an office overnight is a waste of energy, tell your staff that the energy used to light an office could heat water for 1,000 cups of tea. Or hire an electricity-generating bicycle that your staff can try out to see just how much of their energy is needed to power a light bulb. Help your staff to understand the consequences of their actions, and they will be inspired to change the way they do things.

6. That Special Someone

Every office, or department, should have one employee who is recognised as being the person who drives forward the energy saving process. This ‘energy champion’ should take the responsibility for ensuring that everyone is doing their bit to save energy, even going as far as making sure that the cleaners turn all the lights off at the end of the day. Maybe there’s already someone on your staff who seems ideal for the role?

7. Monitor Usage

It makes sense to keep track of how much energy is being used by your office(s), and if possible by the floors within. This should be the responsibility of your energy champion, who could produce graphs that can be distributed or put on notice boards or your Intranet, and will visually demonstrate how your energy consumption is (hopefully) dropping. And you can use this monitoring as an incentive for people to do more to save energy – hold competitions and award prizes to the floor/office which reduces its energy usage the most on a quarterly basis, or treat your whole office if you make a significant energy usage reduction month-on-month.

8. Out of Sight…

It sounds simple, but people need to be reminded occasionally to keep saving energy. A poster campaign can be one of the most effective methods for doing just that. You could put up generic posts about why saving energy is important, as well as stickers and posters on and around equipment and light switches reminding people to be energy efficient. You can design your own, or The Carbon Trust has produced a series of inspiring posters which you can download and print off for free. If you do just a few of the above, then your company will be well on its way to having an energy-saving culture. And remember that you should make it appear to be your staff’s choice to save energy, not something that is forced upon them. It’s about finding what works best for your staff, finding something for them to get enthusiastic about.

Key Points

• Hold awareness workshops

• Lead by example

• Make staff feel that they effect the change

• Let staff control their own usage

• Help staff to understand the consequences

• Appoint your ‘energy champions’

• Use saving energy as an incentive

• Keep reminding staff to save energy

• Develop an energy-saving culture

This article first appeared in FM World, 7th September 2007

To find out more about sustainable office design, see http://www.morganlovell.com



Mariah

Save Energy, your Wallet, and the Environment

by: dappy jonesFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW HOME ENERGY INSPECTION SERVICE IN THE BOISE AREA!

Boise, Idaho – 12 January 2008

OxBow Home Inspections today announced a new energy saving inspection service

for homeowners.

Home Energy Tune-uP®, a CMC Energy Services program for the residential sector, is now available to customers of OxBow Home Inspections. The Tune-uP® energy audit enables homeowners to upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes which lowers their energy bills while at the same time increases their home’s comfort and value. It also enables the homeowner to do numerous good things for the environment. In most homes, the resulting energy savings will exceed the cost of the improvements.

A Home Energy Tune-uP® is easy. Your Home Inspector completes a comprehensive inspection of the home’s energy measures, to include heating and cooling equipment, insulation, windows, the water heater and all major appliances. Then a computerized cost-versus-savings analysis is provided, which details recommended upgrades to meet today’s energy efficiency standards and highlights the resultant energy savings. The report also provides information about low-cost energy efficiency improvements that the homeowner can easily implement. Details can be found at: www.oxbowinspections.com/energyaudit.php

Dappy Jones, Owner, OxBow Home Inspections says: “The demand by responsible homeowners for homes that meet the latest energy efficiency standards has steadily increased. Energy costs are spiraling out of control, and are fuelling this demand”

Inspectors certified by CMC Energy to offer the Home Energy Tune-uP® Audit, can now meet this client demand with ease and expediency.

ABOUT: OXBOW HOME INSPECTIONS

Dappy Jones, Owner of OxBow Home Inspections holds a Bachelor of Science degree and is a certified Energy Inspector/Auditor. Dappy is also a member of The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (NACHI), the National Association of Mold Inspectors (NAMI), the International Code Council (ICC), the International Association of Independent Home Inspectors (IHINA), the International Association of Indoor Air Consultants (IAC2), and the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB). Learn more about all of OxBow’s services by visiting the web site at http://www.oxbowinspections.com

ABOUT: HOME ENERGY TUNE-UP®

Home Energy Tune-uP® is a national service provided jointly by Home Inspectors and CMC Energy Services to help homebuyers and homeowners control their energy bills by improving energy efficiency. The Tune-uP Program is a web-based program designed by CMC Energy Services. The home inspectors examine and measure all energy-related parts of the house, answering over 100 questions in the Tune-uP data collection process. This information is then

analyzed using over 1000 calculations in order to estimate the savings and costs of each measure. The Tune-uP Report also provides information which may be used for financing. With experience since 1977 in over 200,000 homes and approval of our residential software by DOE, we are the premier company to help consumers improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

No fear

Jane Cocker asked:


We all have the ability to save energy, but where to start? In today’s global climate every change enhances our combined efforts against energy loss. Read on for some amazing facts that will change the way you think about energy savings.

FACT: Did you know that one well positioned tree on the side of your house can provide as much cooling during summer as FIVE medium air-conditioned units?

Planting a tree on the southern side of your home (or north if you live in the Southern Hemisphere) will save energy and help our growing Greenhouse Gas problem too.

FACT: One open fireplace (uncovered) will send about eight percent of your heating bill up in smoke during winter!

Holes and draughts account for a HUGE amount of heat and energy loss. Start patching up gaps to begin energy savings right away (and be warmer too)!

FACT: Your television is drawing power right now if it is in Standby or Instant-On mode (up to a third of the power it needs to actually run). The combined energy from these television sets they could power a mammoth-sized nuclear power plant (and the 800,000 tonnes of carbon emissions they produce)!

Turn your television OFF at the power point. Yes, you may have to wait a minute or two before the screen works….but the earth will thank you.

FACT: A conventional electric stove can use up to three times as much energy as a microwave to heat food. If you also use the microwave to defrost your food, double the energy loss here!

Plan meals ahead and let frozen foods defrost in the refrigerator (this can actually help your fridge keep cooler and at a lower setting as well). If you’re reheating a small portion of food, use the microwave instead of the electric cooker.



Rahman

How Solar Pool Heaters Save Energy

by: Trey FuudWith energy prices on the constant rise so many more people are turning to solar power to heat their swimming pools. The fact is that energy prices aren’t going to come down, so a solar pool heater makes a wise long term investment.

There are more then a few things to consider however; if you are thinking of going the solar route for heating your pool and the first one is cost. Conventional pool heating systems can seem quite cheap when compared to a solar pool heater but in the long run the cost will balance out in energy savings.

Installation is a big portion of the expense of a solar pool heater, because they can and do take up a lot of space and that means that they are usually installed on the roofs of buildings. Solar pool heaters will also require that you have an extra powerful pump in your pool house, because the water has to be moved around and pumped up to the heating elements on the roof.

One thing that you have to bear in mind with a solar pool heater is that they aren’t going to work so well on cloudy days. Also they aren’t going to heat your pool as quickly and to the temperature that a conventional pool heater will if you like your pool water steamy hot.

When a solar pool heater is used in conjunction with a solar pool cover though, you can expect your pool to be perfectly warm and comfortable for the majority of the swim season.

One thing that some people do is to have a conventional and a solar pool heater installed in their system and rely on the solar pool heater to bear the brunt of the heating work and use the conventional heater now and again for things like night time parties in the winter.

Lina Adams