Eco Friendly House And Garden

Stop waiting for other people to embrace green energy - use it in your own home!

When most people think about green energy and alternative energy, they tend to associate it with the whole country.  They assume that it is up to the government to make energy suppliers produce energy in an eco friendly way – and then we can buy it from them.

However, eco friendly technologies are becoming so mainstream now that they are lowering the costs of supply and fitting to a price that many homes can now afford – and even offering grants to even more families to help them make the change.

And why should we wait for someone else to make significant changes to our energy consumption when we can easily do it ourselves and rest a bit easier knowing that we have made a serious difference to our impact on climate change.

As it is, enough people are still buying non-renewable energy to make it ‘worth while’ still creating – even though it is wasteful, expensive, non-renewable and damaging to the environment.

However, if we all started heating our homes and water ourselves with solar energy, heat pumps and biomass boilers – then they would soon be running a non-viable company – and would have to make some serious changes to stay in business.

Our Alternatives:
Depending on where you live or where your business is located, you could be supplying yourself with enough energy to heat and/or cool your buildings without having to use a single volt of electricity.  You would be free from the grasp of energy companies – who we all know can change their prices as and whenever they want to!

photo credit: Dave Dugdale

By creating your own energy from solar panels for example – you will not have to pay a penny for your heating or hot water when the conditions are right.  And you won’t have to worry about turning down your thermostat even 1 degree if all your heat is coming from the ground underneath your garden or from the pile of burning biomass in your boiler! 

You can be a warm as you like – and have no huge bills to pay at the end of the month!

Your Next Step:
It is no longer a choice for just eco warriors – alternative energy and self supply are becoming standard fare for most homes and businesses, with serious financial benefits not to be sniffed at.

And of course don’t forget the huge impact of your green business credentials – your eco advantage as a result of producing and using your own green energy.  Especially if you are burning your own business waste in your own biomass boiler!

Yes, there are some installation costs to consider – but the positives far outweigh this initial outlay.  If you are only thinking about the actual cost comparison (installation compared to actual energy savings) - then you are forgetting about the cost of climate change and the risks of energy price peaks.

Yes, you will still need to use electricity from other sources in times of high demand – but you will see huge savings in time, energy and money for your home or business once installed.

The biggest benefits will be for those who take on the most appropriate alternative energy supply for their needs – and do it sooner.

So, consider your needs and consider the alternatives!

A Story of what Man leaves behind, he says……

It wasn’t about eco friendly anything really – however, it covers some very interesting points.

Yes, it covered how all our impact in most areas would cease for the better immediately – zero carbon emissions, no more deforestation or over fishing etc, but it also highlighted what would happen to the things that we need to manage – like nuclear power plants, dams, exotic species, farm animals and pets!

If we don’t keep working with these – they will go astray, and can’t work or survive on their own!

I was gripped throughout the book (although it’s not a read cover to cover in one go type of book), not just by it’s attention to detail regarding individual people and actions – but by the wealth of natural forests and habitats that I never knew existed and now want to learn more about!

The Book Itself:
We have created so many things that are durable that they won’t be going anywhere fast!  And infact some could threaten the very planet after we are gone!

The book assumes that humans literally vanish in a second and leave the world right as it is in that instant., so factories still running, shops still open, communities still farming – then we go.

The author – Alan Weisman doesn’t even entertain for a minute that there will be any surviving humans, and even if there were – it wouldn’t be anything like the BBC drama Survivors.

There are things out there that just can’t be controlled without the skilled people who work with them now.  Yes, the electricity and water stopped and the stores closed – but what about that nuclear reactor still burning away?  What about oil pumps sucking out millions of gallons or flammable and toxic oil above the surface?

And all the plastic we have ever made is still out there – it never goes away – it’s just getting smaller and smaller. So if it’s a bag for example floating in the sea, it get eaten by a turtle (aling with other plastics and so the turtle dies; however when the turtle has decomposed or been eaten, the bag becomes released again. Then the bag is in smaller bits floating on the sea so it gets eaten by and kills an albatros, who then dies – and then when they get eaten, the bag bits come out again, and gets smaller. Then it gets eaten again and again and again through the food chain – forever it would seem!

He tells us that there are patches of woodland dotted around the world that are so old that they defies everything we now know about woodland management. 

One on the Polish-Belarus border hasn’t been affected by humans since the dawn of time – literally.  It is called the Bialowieza Puszcza and means ‘forest primeval’.  There are a whole host of ancient – and giant – species of trees a whole host of rare and unusual native European mammals including the lynx, wolf, bear and even the wisent – a European bison!

There is also an ancient forest right in the heart of the Bronx, New York.  There is a patch of historic woodland that was there when the first Europeans came over to the state – and there is stays!  The rest of New York has been deforested and flattened while this pocket of history goes on!

Result: 4/5
It’s a really good place to start if you are trying to think of a reason to reduce your waste (big section on plastics), change your habits (farming and food waste) and cut your energy uses (power sources).

Basically, it can make you think hard and fast about what we are doing to the very planet we depend on, whether we are here or not!

After reading this book, you need to look at the trail of every item you hold in your hand that day, whether it’s food, an electrical item or clothing and ask yourself the following questions:

• Where was it from, and what did it take to make it and get it here?
• What does it actually do to improve your life (if at all) and why do I need this exact thing over the alternatives?
• And, where does it go after it leaves my hand?  And is that a good place????????

So, go out to the book store or library at read this book!

ISBN: 978-0-7535-1357-6

So, you have read about the benefits of having a residential wind turbine to create your green energy – but are you going to buy a ready-made one or build your own?

Well, I have found a few helping hands for you if it’s the build your own option, from people who have been-there-and-done-that. Obviously every household has different energy needs and hopefully there will be something here for everyone.

The following ebooks can be downloaded straight to your home computer, so no need for all that paper or books to be made and posted out to you – you just read the information and only print the essential pages that you need!

Right, lets get going:
Green Energy 4 A Green Earth: Simple secrets to building your own wind turbines and also solar power energy. All this from a man with over 30 years electrical experience! Click Here!

Energy2Green: This is a really easy to follow and well laid out guide to making your own ‘windmills’ where you can start creating energy straight away – and therefore saving money! Filled with testimonials about it’s easy and effective techniques – you can get your wind turbine started for as little as $200 rather than costly ‘ready-made’ wind turbines. Click Here!

Homemade Wind Generator: from a couple who did it themselves and who are now live ‘off-grid’ and generating all their own energy – and if you are quick – they are currently offering you all their wind energy advice for just $10! They also offer other information about solar energy and building your own gas-free car! Click Here!

If you are still not sure about building your own wind turbine, and don’t mind paying the extra for peace of mind and for an instant result – then try a quick look at these 2 sites for ideas and prices:

In the UK: The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) offer small windchargers starting from as little as £300 – and many books as well. You will of course need to check the type of turbine you will need for your individual energy needs, as the smallest one may not power a larger or more energy consuming environment!. Orders over £40 in UK are free – but higher prices for worldwide delivery.

In the US: There are a whole load of energy companies that sell small residential wind turbines and this extensive list will certainly set you on the way to your purchase – US Small Wind Turbines

Finding a local manufacturer will also cut down on transport costs – as if you fly one from coast to coast it would take ages to ‘earn back’ the energy from the journey with just your wind output!

Let me know how it goes!

Small Scale Wind Turbines – Are They Worth It?

The simple answer is ‘yes’ of course they are – but the reason many people don’t buy and install large or small scale wind turbines is because too many reports base their decision on whether they are ‘cost-effective’ rather than whether or not they save ‘energy’.

This slightly detracts from the idea that we as a society are all supposed to be ‘saving energy’ and turns it into whether or not you personally are ‘saving money’.

If you genuinely want to live a more sustainable life then you should either buy or build your own wind turbine to reduce your dependence on fossil fuels – and help reduce the need (or excuse) for the government to build new coal-fired power stations.

I am well aware that there a financial constraints for all areas of our lives – including kids, holidays and mortgages – but if you have made a conscious effort to reduce your energy consumption then a wind turbine will of course take ages to ‘earn it’s cost back’ – as you are using less energy!

Wind turbines are more ‘cost effective’ if you use a lot of electricity on washing, drying, console games and heating and plan to continue to do so – as you will see the savings rack up a lot faster than those who are more energy-conscious.

So in my book, if you want to have an eco-friendly house – the cost shouldn’t be the main issue.

So, How Do Wind Turbines Work?
It all depends on something we have a lot of – and it’s free and carbon, nitrogen and methane free!

Wind turbines – as their name suggests – harness the power of the wind (which is free and ever coming) which in turn, rotate specially shaped wind turbine blades. This rotation transfers the energy from the blowing wind down into a turbine which changes it into another energy – electricity.

Depending on the size of the turbine and the strength and continued blowing of the wind you will produce more or less energy. I have seen small wind turbines on canal boats and residential wind turbines on garage roofs and sides of houses, larger ones in stables and in gardens, and of course ginormous wind turbines in large scale establishments or in wind farms.

Now, you can use that energy as it is created and store ‘spare’ energy to use later in special batteries or, you can let excess electricity be pumped back into the National Electricity Grid – and get paid for it!

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Wind Energy:
Depending on how fussy and detailed you want to be with your own argument, there are a few for either side.

Advantages:

• Cutting your Carbon Footprint – wind energy is green and renewable.
• Cutting your energy costs – wind energy is free.
• Cutting your reliance on large companies – no need to pay for their advertising!
• Becoming more self-sufficient – you can use as much or as little as you want.
• Saving the environment – you are no longer digging up the earth or the ocean floor.
• Living a sustainable lifestyle – you are only creating and using what you need.
• Being generous and sharing – you can offer/sell someone else any excess ‘free’ energy!
• Voting with your feet – you will be telling the government and larger energy companies that you no longer believe that their policies and actions are acceptable and that you would rather ‘step away’ than fund their activities.

Disadvantages:

• Not 100% energy cover – depending on your location, you may need top-ups from elsewhere.
• Costly initial expense – some wind turbines are expensive to buy or install.
• Planning permission needed – you may need to apply to your local council for permits.
• Ongoing maintenance – it won’t be expensive, but will need regular checking.
• Interested neighbors – you may find them staring at your wind turbine as they pass by, or keep asking you lots of questions about it all the time!

Join me in a few days time for my next article, which will have details on several small wind turbines that you could use in your garden or on your roof, and also some information on building your own wind turbines!

See you there.