See our sister sites @

southwestfloridaboatsforsale.com
traversecityboatsforsale.com

Green Building
With rising utility costs dominating recent headlines, many Americans are looking for ways to trim their monthly bills by making their homes and businesses more energy-efficient. One way to accomplish this is to implement "green building" principles into the construction of homes and businesses. Quite simply, green building is an effort to develop more energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally-responsible buildings. Strategies used by today's green building practitioners look at every phase of the construction and operation of buildings, whether they are focused on indoor air quality or waste reduction. By incorporating various green building principles into a structure, the average home or business can save as much as 50 percent on their utility costs according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The benefits don't end there though, as green building also benefits society at large by reducing the environmental impact of a structure. For example, according to the Department of Energy, if just one in 10 households incorporated energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, we could prevent more than 17 billion pounds of air pollution - which is equivalent to removing more than 250,000 cars from the road. In addition, green buildings require less maintenance and repair, reduce short and long term costs, promote health among occupants and improve worker satisfaction.

Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is an important energy technology for many reasons. As a solar energy technology, it has numerous environmental benefits. As a domestic source of electricity, it contributes to the nation's energy security. As a relatively young, high-tech industry, it helps to create jobs and strengthen the economy. As it costs increasingly less to produce and use, it becomes more affordable and available.
And there are many more reasons, as we shall see. Few power-generation technologies have as little impact on the environment as photovoltaics. As it quietly generates electricity from light, PV produces no air pollution or hazardous waste. It doesn't require liquid or gaseous fuels to be transported or combusted. And because its energy source - sunlight - is free and abundant, PV systems can guarantee access to electric power.

Benefits of ENERGY STAR
Qualified New Homes

LOWER OWNERSHIP COST:
 Compared with standard homes, ENERGY STAR qualified homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating-delivering thousands in annual savings. Over the average 7 to 8 years you may live in your home, additional savings on maintenance can also be substantial.

BETTER PERFORMANCE:
 Properly installed  deliver better protection against cold, heat, drafts, moisture, pollution, and noise. An energy-efficient home helps ensure consistent temperatures between and across rooms, improved indoor air quality, and greater durability.

SMART INVESTMENT:
 By the end of the decade, more than 2 million homes are expected to earn the ENERGY STAR. The trend is clear. By choosing a home with the ENERGY STAR label, you can be confident that it will have an increasingly valued feature when the time comes to sell.

Qualified Homes
Homes that earn the ENERGY STAR must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ENERGY STAR qualified homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). ENERGY STAR qualified homes can include a variety of effective insulation, high performance windows, tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling equipment, and ENERGY STAR qualified lighting and appliances.


Wind Turbines
are a clean and efficient method of turning raw kinetic wind power into electric power. Wind turbines can be connected directly to machinery for mechanical energy or they can be connected to power generators and can create electricity. These three bladed structures, mounted on high poles or towers, are typically pointed into the wind using computers and sensors. As you consider your investment in a wind turbine generator, consider a hybrid power system using solar electric panels as well. Depending on where you live the seasonality of wind speed and the amount of sunshine produced in the warm summer months, you may find that you'll reap more benefits from using all of your natural resources to power your home rather than just one or the other.

Solar Roofs
(Skyline Systems) SolarRoofs manufactures a new generation of light-weight, easier to install solar water heaters. The unique Patented design is the results of 27 years of installation experience in the solar water heating industry. SolarRoofs.com's collectors weigh as little as 19 pounds and feature a high quality "Black Crystal" all copper absorber and an attractive skylight appearance. It is the only collector available in optional architectural colors. SolarRoofs systems require no soldering and are so complete, no other parts are required to complete the solar loop. This saves a great deal of time and cost in the installation process.

Solar Water Pumps
Solar water pumps are used throughout the world for a number of innovative applications. If you are in a remote area and the cost of running traditional water piping is cost prohibitive, a solar water pump may be the right solution for your water supply needs. Additionally, if you are looking to install a solar hot water heating system in your home, you can't do it without the right solar water pump. Solar water pumps are used for livestock, crop irrigation and even simple domestic water supply where a home or town is remote and off the water pipeline. there are a few choices of surface pumps or submersible pumps for water supply needs and circulating pumps for home or space solar water heating systems.

Inverters
To begin with most inverters are installed and used in conjunction with a battery bank of some sort. Batteries are the heart of an inverter-powered electrical system, storing power for use on demand. The most basic way to draw electrical power from a battery is direct current (DC) at the nominal voltage of the battery. Your car radio, for example, uses 12 volts DC (12V DC), the same voltage as your car battery. Many off-grid electrical systems (those not powered by electricity from a utility company) use 12-volt DC power to run simple loads such as lights.