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!

There are still more tips coming to me for your horse, pony or stable yard!

It is so easy to see a new top tip when you walk through the yard – either by doing something yourself or seeing someone else doing it.  Sometimes, your friends might be doing something that saves then time or money or just because it’s easier – but it could be a great eco friendly tip!

1) Learn to sew!  Putting patches on elbows, new hems on your rugs and darning your woolly socks together can all make your existing clothes last longer!  You don’t need to look perfect at the yard – especially if it’s cold or raining!  Making your clothes last longer means you get to spend your money on more exciting things! 

2) Go solar-powered for those little things like the stable radio – or you can get wind-up versions too.  Maybe buy a solar powered ‘travel charger’, so while you are mucking out – your mobile phone could be charging itself up naturally!  And make sure your lighting is powered by a green energy supplier!

3) Make sure you always muck out your horsebox or pony trailer as soon as you arrive at your destination to prevent the damp bedding soaking into the wooden floorboards.  Obviously, the longer you let the moisture soak in, the more damage it can do – and the shorter the lifespan of your trailer!

4) Learn to make your own equipment if possible, like feeding a piece of reused foam through the headband of a head collar to act as a poll guard.  This way you get to use all your old bits and bobs from around the house – and the stores don’t need to keep making more of everything!

5) If your horse eats it’s fresh bedding (or you want to make your bedding last longer) - you should mix in some of the old bedding when mucking out.  Not only will this mean that you need less bedding each time – but your horse should stop eating the wrong materials – and prevent wasted vets fees and your time!

6) Also to save vets visits, wasted treatments and last minute panics – keep a record of your horses medical information.  For example knowing the temperature of your horse before and after exercise, in summer or in winter can mean that you know for definite when there is something wrong.  Saying that your pony is ‘really hot’ isn’t the best way of judging for treatments and medication!  So if you have a definite record beforehand – you will be sure when something is wrong or when something is just the ‘top end of normal’.

7) And again – store your feed and medicines in metal dustbins or other suitably waterproof and pest-resistant containers.  That way you will keep things vermin-free as well as avoiding leaks and breakages.  This all adds up to less wasted products, no contaminated feeds and no poorly ponies - there really is no need to waste time, energy or money ever again!

8.) Use a left-over piece of plastic drainpipe to put over the top of a stable door to prevent your horse crib-biting.  By cutting it into 2 pieces, you could rest it over the top of the door to stop it being destroyed!  Not only will this stop you having to repair or buy a new door eventually – but can’t hurt the horse either!

9) Depending on the size of your own land – why not fence off a small area and grow your own hay.  Either feed as hay or make it into haylage instead.

10) Or why not go organic – and grow your own horse veg!  A few lines of carrots, some turnips, garlic and even an apple tree don’t need a lot of room – and could mean fresh organic and local veg for your pony (and you!).

Well, what do you think of those then?  Any help to you – I hope so.

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.