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Posts Tagged ‘go green’

By Jason Livingston-the operator of www.GreenLivingRocks.com where you can learn how to make a solar panel, build homemade windmills, and begin living green

There is a lot of talk about solar energy being a solution for the world’s energy problems. But wouldn’t it be sensible to know if there are any dangers or hidden negative issues ahead of starting a large project? Here are 3 things to think about before you spend your money:

1) Toxic materials. Some of the materials used in the newer thin film solar panels are toxic to the environment. Even though this only becomes a problem when you dispose of the solar panels (which probably won’t be for another 20 years or more), it’s imperative to know that the panels will need safe disposal when that time arrives. But new disposal and recycling methods are being researched and developed. Hopefully, they will be in place by the time you need to use them.

2) Innovative Technology. If you read the news about solar energy research, you will be astounded at the number of companies that are developing new systems and products. Solar energy research is a worldwide growth business, with new discoveries being made every month. There is a real temptation to hold off on your solar energy project so you can use the latest technology. But not every experimental product with market potential actually makes it to the consumer. Solar panels are no different than any other new product in the process of research and development. Sometimes the best ideas just don’t work out as expected, or are just too costly to produce. So it’s always a bit of a gamble to wait too long for breakthroughs in new technology. You could be unnecessarily wasting several months or years of using your solar energy system.

3) Old Technology. Are you afraid of buying your solar energy system right before the next new product breakthrough? This dilemma is the other side of the coin from waiting too long for a breakthrough. The fear is that a less expensive and better technology is right around the corner, but you just spent thousands on “old” technology.

You can do a lot to avoid this scenario by doing a little research on the internet or the library. There are professional business journals that have the latest news on industrial R and D (research and development), and forecast when new products will reach the consumer market. But many of these journals cost several hundreds or thousands of dollars for a yearly subscription, so only libraries can afford them. If your library doesn’t subscribe, ask your librarian to get it for you. Then you’ll need to determine whether you want to wait for the newest product, or go with a traditional system that might be more reliable and predictable because it has withstood the test of time.

By Jason Livingston-the operator of GreenLivingRocks.com where you can learn how to make solar panels, make homemade windmills, and go green

You know about the energy benefits that are possible from switching to solar energy from established power-plant energy. Maybe you would like to live off-grid because you care about the environment and desire to reduce your carbon footprint. But there’s a dilemma…you live in an apartment, so you’re not about to invest several thousand dollars into solar panels for your dwelling. What are your options?

Here are three ideas that can help you attain your dream of using solar power:

1) Invest in your own portable solar panels for your small appliances. If you have a window, courtyard, deck or balcony that gets enough sunlight during the day, you can get a portable solar charger that will collect the sunlight and store enough of it to recharge your laptop or power your TV. These portable systems will only provide an hour or two of use, though. And the cost of portable panels isn’t yet cheaper than running your laptop and TV off the grid. But they’re a good backup power source if you live in a place with frequent brownouts. And they’re a wonderful way to keep your rechargeable batteries fully charged.

2) Talk your property-owner into installing a solar panel system for the whole building. You might be able to get together with some neighbors and make a presentation to your landlord. This approach can be especially effective if your apartment building is located in a city or town where solar energy is popular and already being used. You’ll have to gather some facts from the local utility company to find out what their policy is on purchasing back energy from solar installations, and how much money your landlord might save from installing solar panels. Do some research on state and local tax credits for installing solar energy systems. In addition, find out if there are any other apartment complexes in your town (or even neighboring towns) that use solar energy, and ask them how they market that fact to their future renters. The plan is to show your landlord that he can save money on utilities, and decrease vacancies because renters would rather live in energy efficient apartments. With a little research, you can come up with a presentation showing your landlord that solar panels are a good business decision.

3) Make a point of seeking out apartment buildings and complexes that already have solar panels installed. You might be surprised to find out that there are apartment communities in your town that are ahead of the curve on solar energy. This is especially likely if you live in the “Sunbelt” area of the US, or if you live in a progressive-minded university town, or if your state or city offers attractive tax benefits for solar energy installations.

Even if you can’t live your off-grid energy dream at the moment, take heart. Solar energy technology is under rapid development right now around the world. That means your dream of better solar technology for lower prices is not far away.