DIY Ways To Cut Your Electricity Costs on Lighting

By Steve Brodie

This DIY cut monthly electricity costs article is just the beginning when it comes to easy ways to save you money on your power bills. You could get yourself some new green products or even take you and your family on a mini vacation.

The abbreviation CFL stands for Compact Fluorescent Lamp, sometimes known as a circular fluorescent bulb. CFL and incandescent bulbs each generate light in different ways.

Since Thomas Edison's invention of incandescent light bulbs they have pretty much worked the same way. Light is produced after electricity is connected to both sides of the carbon filament causing it to get hot. CFLs and normal fluoro tubes contain a closed glass tube with a fluoro coating that glows when current is applied to the argon and mercury vapour inside.

Although you may have heard how these bulbs work, no matter how cheap they are, if you are turning them on more than about twice a year you are wasting your money. Green products will help you save money. Compared with an incandescent bulb the newer Energy Star CFL bulbs can save around 75% in costs. In a period of 6 months A CFL bulb will pay for itself and save you about $30 per bulb over the period of its lifetime!

The CFL bulb has come a long way these days giving us a much wider choice of light spectrum that is omitted. The mood of the rooms in your house, office or any other rooms can be greatly changed. The CFL color choices vary from a daylight blue to a warm yellow. Choosing a warmer colored light would be the right choice if you prefer incandescent bulbs. Some people are sensitive to bright white light so it's a good idea to remember that when choosing bulb colors, the bluer lights can create this harshness.

If you see a K on the bulb packaging, that K or Kelvin rating, will give you the "temperature" of the bulb. A Kelvin rating of 2700K-3000K means it's a warm/yellow bulb. If you're looking for a cool white bulb look for a rating of 3500K-4100K. And if you wanted the Daylight Blue bulb look for a Kelvin rated bulb of 5000K-6500K.

Use 9-13 watt CFL bulbs if you want to replace 40 watt incandescent bulbs. Use a 13-15 watt CFL to replace a 60 watt incandescent. Replace a 75 watt incandescent with an 18-25 watt CFL. And to replace 100 watt incandescents use 23-30 watt CFLs.

Please remember to recycle all compact fluorescent bulbs. It's forbidden in some states to throw away old mercury bulbs with the normal solid waste trash. They do this as about 5 milligrams of mercury is in each CFL bulb.

When you want to recycle your used CFL green products, places like ACE Hardware, Orchard (OSH), IKEA and Home Depot will accept and properly dispose of the used CFL bulbs.

If you are wanting decorative lights, consider Energy Star qualified light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. They produce the same amount of light as an equivalent incandescent bulb and use up to 90% less energy! It takes the same amount of energy to power up one 7 watt incandescent bulb as it does to power up to 140 LEDs!

Give the CFLs a try for inside and the LEDs for the outside. The bulbs will help the environment and keep lots of money in your pocket at the same time.

About the Author:

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The Connected Green Collar Jobs Online

By Jessica H. Skymore

The continuing development of green collar jobs is already hitting the marketplace with great vigor. Enthusiastic new graduates or those looking to transition from one job to another are heading into the green job employer database. The competition is heating up as there are many would be professionals lining up to take on the difficult job of binding the needs of the planet, humans, and resources into one workable situation. Decreasing oil dependence, alternative energy, and hybrid vehicles are just the beginning of creating a truly clean energy world.

Start by knowing your options. While there may very well be a sudden rush to hire individuals qualified to run environmentally sound projects, you need to know whether you're in the running. There are also more options than most people realize and many are not new green collar jobs. Research, forestry, and conservationism are far from new jobs. Each requires its own level of education and preparedness.

Environmental law, education, and environmental engineering jobs are opening up their markets for qualified candidates in a hurry. With a desperate need to take some drastic action right now, these jobs are going to continue to open up over time.

Take the time to find out what each company that is currently hiring in your field of interest will demand for prerequisite education or experience. Many hopefuls are trying to slip in through the back door without even checking the current state of the requirements. This simply overloads the administration with an onslaught of pointless applications. Landing green collar jobs takes more than an interest in the field or the condition of the planet.

Many of the available green collar jobs do open up an easy transfer from a similar position with another company. If you're in the equivalent position with a desire to switch to a company with environmentally friendly acts, consider yourself lucky as you may very well be able to make a strong lateral move.

Once you have determined where you fit on the scale of education and experience, it's time to make sure you get your resume details together. Include everything that is relevant including your volunteer experience and active roles you take in organizations. The resume you put together is going to be the mouth piece of your skills.

There are places where the green collar employer can look over resumes from those who want to become green collar workers. The simple application boards help the averages increase. Every employer needs a great employee. Every potential employee requires a good job offer. Green collar jobs and their employers are listed on these sites.

These boards are great for connection between company and applicant. The need to fill the available green collar jobs is still quite high and the number of qualified applicants is not quite so high. The continuation of the field's development means that there will be a continued growth rate of jobs as well as new job openings that need to be filled in the future.

About the Author:

About the writer: Jessica H. Skymore is an green job expert that specializes in helping companies develop alternative energy jobs. Her site helps thousands of people locate green collar jobs each day.

Problems With Power Generating Wind Mills?

By Matt Gladen

Wind energy is created through the use of a wind energy system, usually a wind turbine. Wind turbines convert wind energy to electricity through the use of an electrical generated connected to a propeller type rotor, or vertical slotted spinning cylinder. Example: The wind blows moving the propeller or cylinder, as the cylinder rotates it is powering the electrical generator which is creating electricity to be used. This manner of electricity generation is becoming more popular because of new financial incentives and new technology making it possible for even rural homes, farms, industrial and business complexes to take advantage of wind energy benefits.

Not long ago, wind turbines were only available to utility companies who would frequently purchase large plots of land and erecting hundreds of giant wind turbine systems to power small communities. Currently, wind turbines are available in many sizes with various power ratings, and are being used more commonly to power rural homes, farms and even industrial complexes. Wind generators as small as fifty-watt (for a boat or cabin) through utility scale with outputs of several megawatts are currently being manufactured.

Wind energy exists anywhere there is wind, but wind turbines work best in locations that have consistent wind speeds of 8-50 mph. Residential wind turbines have been installed in at least 47 of the 50 states, mostly in the Northeast and Midwest. Farmers, manufacturers in rural areas, rural office parks, and even rural residences frequently find themselves located in areas that are able to use wind turbines to produce electricity. Wisconsin is among the best states for rural property owners to consider the use of wind turbine systems.

Residential and agricultural style wind turbines work in conjunction with local utilities to ensure there is never a shortage or lack of power and help you profit if you are generating more electricity than you are using. The typical wind energy system on a residence or farms is set up as the primary electricity producer meaning that when the wind is blowing you are generating your own electricity. If you are using more electricity than you are generating, you buy the remaining energy you require from the utility company. When you are generating more energy than you are using, you are able to sell the surplus back to the local utility; in some areas your power meter actually runs backwards.

Some say that wind turbines produce obtrusive noise that effects wild life and hurts the quality of residential life, but noise measurements of wind turbines have proven sound levels too low to have any effect on wild life. While small wind systems do make some noise, most people do not find the noise levels obtrusive or even noticeable in many situations. Some opponents of wind turbines also consider the units an "eye sore", but the systems are becoming more accepted with many considering landscapes containing wind energy systems to create a calming effect.

Electric wind power for home use has become even more of a reality for homeowners, farmers and manufacturers as more financial assistance has become readily available. Tax credits, grants, and financing are helping interested property owners erect wind power generators for reduced costs that can often be recovered in only a few years, allowing you to profit from the wind system for the remaining lifespan of the system (most systems last 25+ years).

Determining if your property and energy consumption are well suited for a wind turbine is easy. Full service installers typically will assist you in all areas including: site assessment and feasibility studies, financing and grant writing, zoning application, wind turbine instillation, and maintenance. Most Wind Installers offer a free initial consultation.

About the Author:

FESCO Direct Clean Energy Division is a full service wind energy system installer covering the entire midwest. FESCO Direct offers new and refurbished wind energys in varioussizes at reasonable prices. Learn More about wind energys here.

Small Scale Wind Energy Discovered

By Dale Green

Due to the depletion of the conventional sources of energy, we are now faced with the challenge of harnessing wind as a renewable sources of energy. However, this is not as tough as it sounds since history tells us that our ancestors were experts in using wind energy for water and to convert crops into grains.

The vertical wind power that most companies are now talking about was initially used by Egyptians about 3,000 years ago to turn wheat into flour. Now some companies are planning to use these vertical windmills for homes on a small scale. These are particularly helpful in places which don't have a constant flow of wind or where the direction of the wind keeps changing.

The turbine used in this endeveours does not endanger the bats or the birds since it has a different kind of rotation and design. Moreover, in such cases, a windmill of a mere capacity of three kilowatts is sufficient for the power generation for one house. Unlike the horizontal ones, its also not noisy, does not require a lot of area or height!

For the art lover in you, some of these designs are just awesome. One model, in particular, can be found at various locations in the UK where popularity is gaining. Mercedes-Benz is working with manufacturers right now to set up charging points next to these vertical towers. It is hoped that power generated will provide enough power for 30,000 miles of driving per year for its new line of electric care, Smart fortwo.

A 500 watt unit is also installed in the garage of Jay Leno along with a bigger 10kw model in his garage which measures about 17,000 square feet. Though, these days the preliminary investment and installation charges are astronomical ($20,000), slowly as the demand for these units will increase, most residential owners will be able to afford these units. Many of Jay Leno's practically applied ideas can be found at the Popular Mechanics website.

Apart from the residential complexes, hotels are also using this vertical turbine on their rooftops across the world from New Zealand to London. In a recent event, independently tested model in Utah was unveiled at Washington in US Botanical Garden and received a lot of critical acclaim. Most of these units are smaller than six feet and are being hailed for a myriad of possibilities that they have opened up.

Another version of the vertical windmill that is based on sailing engineering. The vanes on the turbine are covered in solar cells so together, solar and wind work as one in creating all of the power you may ever need. Patents and awards have been market for the past decade and new operations are moving worldwide. If you are sold on the idea of wind or solar but didn't want a monster of a turbine close by or your rooftop covered in expensive, heavy solar panels, this combination could work for you.

With a deeper exploration of the utilization of energy and delving more into the history, it's clear that this technology is bound to work. A lot of websites constantly keep informing you of the recent inventions. Germany is a well known giant in the promotion of wind energy apart from other international sites. You can choose from a lot of practical choices from the alternative energy resources available in the market.

About the Author:

Learn How to build a wind generator then you will know How to build a wind generator by clicking on this link.

Solar Energy Jobs Increasing and Available

By Jessica H. Skymore

The solar energy jobs have skyrocketed by a 25% margin since 2001. The need for alternative energy has spread world wide and the availability of alternative energy jobs have been coinciding with these needs. By 2010 many in the industry expect the needs to increase to incorporate 100,000 new jobs. This is good news for the environment as well as for those seeking the green employment that contributes positive energy to the world.

Over the next few years there is no doubt that the increase in alternative energy jobs will continue to not just rise, but leap high off the percentages page. We need immediate solar energy resources to implement and we need continuing research and development to make solar power more accessible to everyone. Well placed solar energy sources can help increase the effectiveness of the coastal wind turbine efforts. Together the two alternative energy sources can reduce the country's emissions output by a significant margin.

The growing demand for alternative energy jobs is reflected in the progress we have made over the past few years. While there has always been a need for solar research, there has been only a small need for individuals who are able to construct solar and wind energy platforms, install solar panels, work with the power companies, and help educate the world on the progress. Solar energy jobs are going to be one of those in demand and high increase job markets.

While we can definitely be proud of the increase in solar energy jobs throughout the United States, our increase has yet to match the increase of many European countries. They are outperforming us on available solar energy job availability as well as wind turbine construction. The competitive nature of the figures has nothing to do with rivalry, but a hands on study of how we have progressed in alternative energy jobs. While our efforts are more than reasonable for such a short period of time, we need a stronger movement to get things moving in the right direction.

The clean energy jobs that are being created today are the jobs that will help the planet recreate its entire energy system. We will have new ways to heat homes and keep the lights on. We will have reduced energy bills and more efficient energy use. We will effectively clean up the planet one solar panel at a time.

There is no doubt that solar power can take away a huge dependence on traditional oil and gas resources, which decreases political stress while increasing eco friendly practices. The progress through this single generation toward solar power is really quite amazing.

Sometimes in order to get the alternative energy job that you have your eye on, you will need to gather some experience and the right education. Sometimes you can pick up an internship or an alternate position while you are finishing up your education.

Some students are offered a transfer to help fill in the voids in the industry. While this can mean losing college credits it also pretty guaranteed you a job before as well as after college. Those who apply and are selected are definitely in a unique position. The transfer can be hard on you but the experience is once in a lifetime.

About the Author:

Writer Jessica H. Skymore is a green collar job career counselor . She specializes in placing americans in energy conservation jobs.