Energy saving
Solar charger helps save money
With electric and gas energy prices soaring year after year, it is no wonder that people are looking for alternative sources of energy. With political turmoil in oil producing areas of the world, it makes sense to seek a home-grown conflict-free means of powering our homes, cars and other energy-consuming items.
Solar chargers are a great option for those seeking a way to augment their consumption of traditional energy sources. Solar chargers are also great choices for energy in places where it can be difficult to obtain service through conventional means.
For small vehicles like ATV’s and some automobiles, companies like Sunsei have solar chargers designed to protect and extend the life of the battery. The solar charger protects against battery discharge and the drain that can come from running electronic devices. The solar charger is designed to immediately producing a charge as soon as it is exposed to daylight. This is a big advance over older models which required a time to build up enough energy before being able to provide a charge. With this model of solar charger you can travel to remote locations in a car or ATV and not worry about becoming stranded due to a dead battery.
If you have travelled along farm and ranch land in remote areas, you may have seen solar chargers at work. Typically the panels are large, flat screens that are positioned to take in as much sunlight as possible. Farmers and ranchers use the solar chargers to power gate openers and fence chargers. These solar chargers offer a great convenience because they allow for a powered gate openers or charged fence many miles from the nearest conventional electrical source. And even though there is an initial investment for the solar charger, the farmer or rancher can use them as much as needed without adding to the electrical bill.
The newer models of solar chargers are designed to store energy for use during the dark hours. These solar chargers are more sensitive and are able to generate energy even on cloudy days.
Other models of solar chargers are designed for boats, RVs and remote cabins. With these solar chargers you can bring more of the comforts of home to a remote cabin and enjoying roughing it that isn't all that rough. The solar chargers aren't designed to be strong enough to allow you to have a cabin full of energy-draining electronics, but they can provide lighting and the basic needs of small appliances. Boaters, RVers and cabin dwellers all appreciate that the solar charger is reliable year-round and is a great alternative to conventional noisy, smelly and expensive diesel, gas or propane models of generators.
When installing a solar charger the location is very important. The solar charger should be positioned where it will get the most daily sunshine exposure. It should be positioned in a place that does not fall into shade during the day. The panel should be perpendicular to the midday sun which occurs between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 p.m. Many find that the roof of their cabin or RV is the best place.
The solar charger should be mounted securely to withstand winds. The brackets or poles should be able to fully support the weight of the panel. Connecting multiple panels together is easy depending on the brand selected. Most offer some type of panel-to-panel connection that is like stringing together Christmas lights. The panels are then connected to the solar charger control unit.
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7 Tips on reducing your energy bills
So you want to reduce the energy consumption in your house, but you want to make as few changes to your lifestyle as possible? If so, you're at the right place. Whether you want to help your family budget or want to lessen your impact on the environment, there are quite a few things you can do to reduce your power needs.
Start reducing your bills from looking closely into your heating and cooling systems. Replace them if they are old or in poor condition, or perform regular maintenance if not. Especially, make sure that the air conditioning filters are clean - this is the top one reason for energy loss.
When you're done with the heating and air conditioning, the next step is to make sure your house doesn't have any leaks and drafts. Especially, make sure that your storm windows are in good condition. Use them to reduce the temperature loss. Also, make sure that your doors and windows close tightly. They are major sources of energy loss.
Use the best thermostat you can afford. Also, make sure that you place it properly - far from extremely hot or cold areas. You may also turn it up a bit in the summer and turn it a few degrees down in the winter. You won't notice the change, but your energy bills will fall another bit.
Do not cling to your old appliances - old dishwashers or refrigerators are truly terrible energy hogs. New models with the Energy Star certificate can use even three times as little energy as their older counterparts.
Remember that the water heater is probably set above the recommended 120 degrees. Turn it down or even better, use cold water during laundry if only you can. This will negate the risk of burns and thus get rid of a big problem for every parent.
The "sleep mode" is not the same as turning the appliance down. Perform hard power downs on any electronic appliance in the house when you don't use it. Keeping them on will cost you quite a bit per year. If your appliances have Energy Star features, make sure you enable them. It would be a pity to have energy saving options and never use them.
You can also save a lot of money by installing fluorescent bulbs. They cost a bit more than the standard ones, but they use much less energy and they last twice as long as the old bulbs. In short, they pay off very quickly and can help you reduce your electricity bills by a few hundred pounds.
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