Monday, August 31, 2009

Free Energy Device - Build Your Own and Save Money Today

Free energy is the buzz word of the twenty first century. Going green is no longer a movement for those wanting to just save the planet, but also for everyone who is looking to save money too. As this movement has gained momentum, build your own free energy device plans and instructions are being released on the internet.

Taking advantage of these instruction manuals requires a little DIY experience but for any do it yourself enthusiast, it is an exciting time to learn about technology that has until recently been unavailable.

The three free energy device instruction manuals that you can find online include:

1. Magnetic Energy Generators
2. Solar Panels
3. Wind Turbines

Magnetic energy generators are the latest technology to be modified for domestic use. This technology has been around for a few decades, but until recently it was too difficult to manufacture at home. With a boom in the diy industry a lot of the components that are used in manufacturing the magnetic energy device is now easily found at your local hardware store. The device generates more energy than it needs in order to operate resulting in free, clean, endless energy.

Solar panels and wind turbines have gained popularity for many years. The cost of purchasing solar panels, however, has not come down and it is worth the investment to build your own. Having built your own solar panels, you are able to manufacture more as the need arises and you are able to install and maintain them, cutting your investment cost down even more.

Whatever your choice, generating your own free energy is a great way to increase the value of your home while saving money.

Types of Solar Panels

Solar panels utilise the free, natural, renewable resource - solar energy and installing solar panels will reduce your energy bill, your carbon footprint and your dependency on fossil fuels and utility companies.
In this article we will discuss the various types of solar panel systems that you can install on your property. The systems in this article include water heating systems, evacuated solar tubes and PV electric solar panels.

Water Heating Solar Panels

These solar systems work all year round and heat your domestic hot water. A hot water tank or a conventional boiler is used to heat the water even further if required or if there is low solar energy. It is recommended to install a super efficient hot water tank to fully receive the benefits of solar water heating systems and if you have a combination boiler without a hot water tank then solar water heating may not be compatible.

With water heating solar systems it is possible to save over half a ton of CO2 emissions, dependant on the fuel you will be replacing e.g. gas and up to £100 on you water heating bill. Water heating solar systems generally provide higher annual outputs than evacuated tubes.

Evacuated Solar Tubes

These systems are also for heating your water, but use a different technology than the described above. These use glass solar tubes, rather than the flat glass, and because they are tubes they have the ability to absorb 360 degrees of solar energy, which gives a more even output of power throughout the day.

PV Solar Panels

These systems generate electricity from daylight through a process called photovoltaic's. The "photo" refers to light and "voltaic" refers to electricity. Although these solar panels generate their electricity from light they can still work on cloudy days as the photons penetrate through the clouds. If you want to fully benefit from solar energy then PV solar panels are what you need. Using these panels you can get a Feed-in Tariff where you get paid for every unit of electricity you generate even the ones you use. Because of the feed-in tariff your energy bills will be reduced by up to 100 percent.

Not only will feed-in tariffs benefit you from your PV solar panel installation, the systems can also increase the value of your property. Furthermore the average household uses 3000 kWh per year, so if you install a small 1kW system you will save 25% of your electricity over the year because a PV system generally would generate 750 kWh/year per kW installed.

Types of Solar Panels

Solar panels utilise the free, natural, renewable resource - solar energy and installing solar panels will reduce your energy bill, your carbon footprint and your dependency on fossil fuels and utility companies.
In this article we will discuss the various types of solar panel systems that you can install on your property. The systems in this article include water heating systems, evacuated solar tubes and PV electric solar panels.

Water Heating Solar Panels

These solar systems work all year round and heat your domestic hot water. A hot water tank or a conventional boiler is used to heat the water even further if required or if there is low solar energy. It is recommended to install a super efficient hot water tank to fully receive the benefits of solar water heating systems and if you have a combination boiler without a hot water tank then solar water heating may not be compatible.

With water heating solar systems it is possible to save over half a ton of CO2 emissions, dependant on the fuel you will be replacing e.g. gas and up to £100 on you water heating bill. Water heating solar systems generally provide higher annual outputs than evacuated tubes.

Evacuated Solar Tubes

These systems are also for heating your water, but use a different technology than the described above. These use glass solar tubes, rather than the flat glass, and because they are tubes they have the ability to absorb 360 degrees of solar energy, which gives a more even output of power throughout the day.

PV Solar Panels

These systems generate electricity from daylight through a process called photovoltaic's. The "photo" refers to light and "voltaic" refers to electricity. Although these solar panels generate their electricity from light they can still work on cloudy days as the photons penetrate through the clouds. If you want to fully benefit from solar energy then PV solar panels are what you need. Using these panels you can get a Feed-in Tariff where you get paid for every unit of electricity you generate even the ones you use. Because of the feed-in tariff your energy bills will be reduced by up to 100 percent.

Not only will feed-in tariffs benefit you from your PV solar panel installation, the systems can also increase the value of your property. Furthermore the average household uses 3000 kWh per year, so if you install a small 1kW system you will save 25% of your electricity over the year because a PV system generally would generate 750 kWh/year per kW installed.

How to Build Solar Power Yourself for Less!

Thinking about changing your house over to solar power? Good choice! Making a decision to go with a renewable energy source is the first step, and it's a big one, but now you have to learn how to build solar power for your own personal use. Allow me to explain the broadstrokes, and don't worry, it actually isn't that difficult...assuming you have the right information.

Before you begin your project, decide on your individual goals regarding solar energy. Do you want to run a few appliances and reduce your electric bill or do you want to completely eliminate it by creating a self-sustaining solar power home? Different goals require different levels of commitment and your expense will vary depending on what you hope to do. Figure out your goals and then you can plan exactly what you'll need to do to achieve them.

How to Build Solar Power Step #1

Materials:

The first things you'll need are a parts list and the proper materials. You can head over to your local hardware store to buy everything. All the items necessary to build a solar power system are readily available and inexpensive. Most likely, you'll already have many of the tools you need at home, but if you don't own them it's a good bet someone you know will. Before laying out any money, have a poke around your garage, shed or basement, you might already have some of the materials on-hand.

The great news is you can buy everything you require for under $200 and because you'll be doing the work yourself there won't be expensive labor costs.

How to Build Solar Power Step #2

The Build:

The solar cells are the little engines that come together to create power. Link these together to create a solar panel and you have the main component of your solar power system. You can buy solar cells or make them at home. They can be had in bulk, for very little on various online auction sites.

Hint: If you do buy cells make sure they're tabbed, it'll eliminate a lot of hassle.

Once you've linked your cells together they work as a team to generate electricity. You'll have to do some soldering but it's not hard to get the hang of. Be sure that all your cells are of the same size because your solar panel will be limited by the smallest cell in the group.

Next you'll have to put together a box to contain your solar panel. Make sure when you place the panels they aren't jammed against the sides of the box. Panels can grow and shrink depending on the weather so you'll prevent cracking with this small but necessary step. Before placing your panels, line the base of the box with a non-conductive material. Something like pegboard should do the trick nicely. When attaching your panels, glue each cell in the middle with silicon caulking, once again this it to prevent cracking should the cells expand or contract.

Now place plexiglass onto the exterior of the box you've built. This material stands up well in the elements and will allow the sun's energy to penetrate your panel.

Hint: Pre-drill holes in the plexiglass before screwing it onto the box. It will probably crack apart otherwise.

How to Build Solar Power Step #3

Installation:

After you've completed the build, you must connect your solar panels to a charge controller, and then to a battery bank. The battery bank is connected to a inverter to convert the D/C electricity generated by your panel to A/C, which is used by most household appliances.

Hint: Before installation, test everything is working as it should.

How Do Photoluminescent Exit Signs Work and Why Are They Valuable?

Photoluminescence is a complex word that describes a rather simple phenomenon - a product's ability to produce light without the aid of commercial power sources such as electricity and batteries. In scientific terms, this phenomenon occurs when an object absorbs photons from ambient light and then re-emits the photons in darkened surroundings, creating a lighting effect that ranges from ambent to bright depending on the object's absorption ability. From a quantum mechanics viewpoint, the object moves from a high energy state to a low energy state, re-emitting the photons until it loses its light.

These objects are often called "self-sustaining" because they produce their own energy, a perfect example of which can be found in the most commercially popular of all such products - photoluminescent exit signs.

Companies that are committed to going green and saving money have popularized these safety signs in the corporate sector. The exit signs play a role in the U.S. General Services Administration's plan for sustainable design principles, which seeks to minimize non-renewable energy consumption. The signs are also a part of Victoria, Australia's Department of Sustainability and Environment's plan to pursue environmentally friendly urban construction. In addition to preserving non-renewable energy, the signs are bright, recyclable, non-toxic and, unlike traditional safety signs, non-radioactive.

The significance of the exit signs to companies that are going green is obvious, but even for companies that have yet to go green, switching from incandescent safety signs to signs that are more energy efficient reduces operating costs. Incandescent exit signs burn 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Add in the cost of replacing light bulbs, back-up batteries and repairing faulty wiring and, for a large corporation, and the cost difference can amount to thousands of dollars a year. In addition to being maintenance free, the safety signs have an average life span of 25 years.

In trimming power usage and maintenance costs, tritium, compact fluorescent and LED exit signs are also cost effective solutions to incandescent safety signs, but the last two are not maintenance free and all three have a shorter life span than photoluminescent signs. The average lifespan for tritium exit signs is 10-20 years, while the life span of LED and compact fluorescent signs is roughly eleven years and roughly six years, respectively. Photoluminescent signs are also easy to move if egress paths change, whereas LED and compact fluorescent signs require re-wiring. Compared to the competition, the exit signs are the soundest long-term environmental and monetary investment.

According to a popular photoluminescent safety sign company, the ten-year operating cost for one if its exit signs, including labor and installation, is $111.00. Comparatively, the ten-year operating cost of a tritium exit sign is estimated at $190.00, while the ten-year operating cost for individual LED, compact fluorescent and incandescent exit signs rises to $370.00, $894.00 and $1,465.00, respectively.

Most companies that sell photoluminescent safety signs sell other self-sustaining signage as well, including fire hose and fire extinguisher signs, stairwell signs, direction arrows and photoluminescent marking tape for identifying pathways in darkened surroundings.