Thursday, July 9, 2009

Building A Solar Home And The Benefits

By Tariq Ajram

It has become very popular to build solar powered homes. Several years ago this might have seemed impossible but in fact it is easier than you think.I am sure you have driven by homes with excessively large tinted windows and probably thought how ridiculous but they are smarter than you think. Most homes can be built with a few modifications and the help of a home solar panel kit. You could not only have solar powered lights but heating, solar water and all of your modern appliances and conveniences powered by solar panels. In these tough economic times do you really want to keep feeding the beast that is your local power company. Wouldn't you love to be able to save money and help the environment at the same time? Living off grid is no longer just for hippies.

Here are a few ideas you should consider when building your solar powered home. Depending on what part of the country you live in will determine which side of the house you should put the most windows. Generally it is more common for the sun to rise toward the south side of your home, therefore you would want most of the windows located on the south side of your home. By doing so you will allow the sunshine to flow through your home warming it naturally. Making sure there are not a lot of trees blocking the suns rays is also very important when using solar energy to power your home. Another good tip would be to use lighter colors in decorating your home because they tend to attract the heat more evenly than darker colors.

Home solar panel kits work by collecting heat from the sun and transforming it into energy for your home. This renewable energy works to power your home as well as heat your water. The initial cost for building a solar powered home is a little more than a conventional home, but the savings far outweigh that initial expense. Homemade solar power really is the smarter choice when you consider the outrageous rise in the cost of electric power over the last few years. Living off grid has not only become easier but solar panel kits and other solar products have become more affordable.

Tips for using solar energy to heat and cool your home:

1.) By using ceiling fans, you reduce the amount of time you run your air conditioner.

2.) Ceiling fans also distribute the amount of heat and air more evenly so you do not have hot and cold pockets throughout your home.

3.) The use of metal insulated doors will help retain the heat and also keep out the cold.

4.) You can retain most of the heat inside your home if you will keep the doors shut during the time of day the sun is shining brightest on that side of the house.

The many advantages of building a solar powered home also include the peace of mind that you are building an environmentally friendly home and preserving our natural resources. Another great benefit is being free from the burden of a monthly energy bill, and the constant worry of rising gas and electricity prices. You are taking the first step in creating efficient homemade energy by acquiring a home solar panel kit and building your new solar home.

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1 comment:

Ceiling Fans said...

About using ceiling fans to reduce your cooling bills:

Not all Ceiling Fans are created equal. Some move lots of air, while others move very little. A ceiling fan that moves very little air will not enable you to raise your thermostat enough to save you much energy. Ceiling fans that move lots of air allow you to raise your thermostat by as much as 10 degrees, which can save you up to 40% on your cooling bills. So the performance capabilities of the ceiling fans you install has a direct impact on your potential energy savings.

The EPA (as well as most utility companies) recommends Energy Star ceiling fans because they claim to be (up to) 20% more efficient than other fans. Unfortunately, more efficient does not necessarily translate into more air, nor does "Up To" mean they are all 20% more efficient. It just means they "may" use less electricity to perform the same task. Although this sounds like a good thing, the truth is that some Non-Energy Star ceiling fans move lots more air while only using a little more electricity. Such fans may actually be a better choice because the amount of energy they consume is still a small fraction of what it takes to run your air conditioning. Therefore, the ultimate choice in a ceiling fan would be one that moves the most air while using the least amount of electricity.

Welcome to the Midway Eco, a new environmentally friendly ceiling fan introduced by Emerson Electric that is over 300% more efficient than other Energy Star qualified fans. The Midway Eco is powered by a new super-efficient DC motor that drives aerodynamically designed blades. This combination of innovative technologies has resulted in a new breed of ceiling fans that move substantially more air while using far less electricity.

Read an article about the Emerson Midway Eco Ceiling Fan here.