Go Greener Tips

pimg src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/daimler-tesla.jpg //ppOn Tuesday, Daimler bought a nearly 10 percent stake in Tesla Motors for a double-digit million sum. The two companies had already made a deal for Tesla to provide battery packs for Daimler’s all-electric a href=http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2475/69/Smart EV/a, set for release in 2012, but this new partnership will expand that relationship, seeing both companies bringing expertise to the other./ppElon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, said of the deal, Tesla brings expertise in the battery electric front. Daimler brings expertise in everything else. This will be a very productive relationship where both Tesla and Daimler benefit./ppTesla will no doubt look to Daimler for help with the production and launch of the Model S. It’s also possible that Tesla will begin using batteries from Li-Tek, a company that Daimler has a 49.1 percent share in, once they’re available./ppDaimler will be looking to Tesla for all things electric, including charging technology and how to quickly bring an electric car to market./ppIt seems to be a deal that will only be beneficial to both sides. Tesla needs the cash and Daimler needs a cutting edge start-up to help keep its line current./ppThe deal also includes a seat on Tesla’s board for Daimler’s VP of E-Drive and Future Mobility, Herbert Kohler./ppvia a href=http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/05/daimler-tesla/Wired’s Autopia/a/p

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pimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/powermeter.jpg width=468 //ppMost ecogeeks have been anxiously awaiting updates on Google’s smart grid technology, the a href=http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2551/71/PowerMeter/a, which will allow homeowners to track and manage their energy use on their iGoogle homepage and, according to one Google employee who saved $3,000 in one year, significantly lower their energy bills./ppMany other smaller companies have been developing a href=http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2692/74/energy management software/a too, but we all know that Google has a track record of being a game changer and their addition to the market could allow us to see a huge increase in smart meter users and, hopefully, major gains in home energy efficiency./ppThe company has announced which utilities and their lucky customers will be the first to try out the technology on a large scale. If your utility isn’t on the list, Google plans to expand their roll out later this year. /ppHere are the first eight:/pulliGlasgow EPBbr /
Location: Glasgow, Kentuckybr /
Customers: 7,000/libr /liJEAbr /
Location: Northeast Floridabr /
Customers: 417,000/libr /liReliance Energybr /
Location: Mumbai, Delhi and Orrisa, Indiabr /
Customers: 6.8 million/libr /liSan Diego Gas Electricbr /
Location: San Diego County and Southern Orange County, Californiabr /
Customers: 1.4 million/libr /liToronto Hydro-Electric System Limitedbr /
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canadabr /
Customers: 684,000/libr /liTXU Energybr /
Location: Texasbr /
Customers: 2.2 million/libr /liWhite River Valley Electric Cooperativebr /
Location: Christian, Douglas, Ozark, Stone and Taney Counties, Missouribr /
Customers: 40,000/libr /liWisconsin Public Servicebr /
Location: Northeast and Central Wisconsin, adjacent corner of Upper Michiganbr /
Customers: 450,000/li/ulpvia a href=http://www.google.org/powermeter/partners.htmlGoogle/a/p

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If you’re thinking of using solar power for your home’s electricity, you might be curious as to how it works in the first place. Some of these facts will be obvious, and other parts not so obvious.

Basically, the sun contains a lot of energy that it brings to the Earth’s surface every single day. This energy is freely available, and fairly reliable. That means it just makes good sense to put this to use as your source of power as soon as possible!

You might be wondering why we don’t just all use solar power to begin with, if it is so cheap and easy to use. That’s because constructing the solar panels can be a difficult upfront cost to swallow. If this had been made the norm earlier, however, the chances are good the prices of solar panels would be cheaper, and they would be more readily available. Thankfully, if you have the right sources, you can construct the solar panels yourself and literally save thousands of dollars over time on your power bills.

Once you do have solar panels, they will collect the energy the sun puts out. Your solar power source will then convert the energy to give you a electricity. The panels that are used are called photovoltaic cells. These cells are conductors to ease the spread of the electricity.

The combination of the sun’s rays on the conductors causes a chemical reaction to take place. The energy is absorbed and the electrons are able to break free of their atoms to create electricity.

Don’t worry if this all sounds too complicated! It’s a good idea to have a basic understanding of how it works — but all you really need to know is that it does work. This is a far better method of powering your home than using fossil fuels and depending on the local power company!

The next step is making sure you have a good source to purchase solar panels, as well as step-by-step directions for the rest of the materials you will need. Don’t think that this will be too expensive for you to get started with — you can get started with less than $200 for a portable panel. Larger panels will obviously be more expensive, but the cost savings over long term makes it more than worth it.

There’s no doubt about it — the sun contains more than enough energy to go around. It’s time to harness the power of the sun and to make use of it for cheaper, better energy.

Find out more about Renewable Energy eBooks to help you with your renewable energy projects.

In this series, we have briefly discussed the need for renewable energy sources. Many people will choose solar energy as their source — with good reason. However, before you choose for your household, you need to understand what sets solar energy apart from others.

Obviously, using solar energy is excellent for the earth. Using fossil fuels damages the earth as the fuels are gathered, as well as when they’re used. Clearly, this is not sustainable over the long term. It is people like you who will help make the earth a better place to live by using these renewable sources instead!

Another motivating reason is because you are spending a lot on energy bills per month. If you start using solar energy, you’ll be getting energy for free instead! All you need to worry about are the startup costs, and the time it takes to build your own solar energy power system. There are great guides out on the market that can help you with this option — and it is a lot easier than you might be thinking.

Still, there are some times where it is not a good idea for you to think about solar energy. One such circumstance is if you study other renewable sources and find that another fits your needs better than solar. Wind energy is a good example of this. Most people will find that solar energy suits them just fine if they live in areas that are not windy enough.

If you’re a worried that solar energy could not possibly power your entire home, you’re not alone. Many people have this fear because it is so unknown in so many parts of the world. Rest assured that as long as you have enough large solar panels, you can certainly power your entire home! It’s even easier, and cheaper, when you just want to use solar energy for travel purposes, such as with an RV, a boat, or a variety of other reasons.

You owe it to yourself to look into using solar power as much as possible. It is a lot easier to get started than you might be thinking, and it is certainly a lot cheaper and better for the environment. Many of the supplies can even be found at your local hardware store. Others can be found online — making it easier than ever to get started with this renewable energy source.

All you need now are some step-by-step directions and you’ll be well on your way to having free, reliable power without having to rely on fossil fuels and your local power company (or their high bills!).

div class=image style=float: right; padding-left: 8pximg alt=family using bikes height=200 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/amorylovins/amorylovins-34172190-1242927711.jpg?ymfZySBDPvFBQL1d width=300 //divpAmong the many solutions for dealing
with the environmental impacts of transportation, driving fewer miles is by far
the least controversial. After all, who doesn’t want to spend less time in the
car?  Planners and politicians alike find
the safest bet for greening transportation lies in reducing our vehicle miles traveled (VMTs), /ppemImprove
public transportation,/em they say. emDevelop housing near mass transport
nodes. Form carpools at the office./em
These are all effective and viable measures to address the average American
business commute, and we should indeed do all of these things. But what if our business commute isn’t
necessarily where we have the most influence? What if it’s our kids’ activities driving us
to drive more — our child miles traveled (CMTs)?/ppAccording to the a href=http://nhts.ornl.gov/2001 National Household Travel Survey/a, the
average vehicle travels 3,956 miles for family and personal business. In 1969, that average was 1,270 miles. We’ve
tripled our family business mileage, but VMTs for business commuting only
increased 36 percent during the same period. Looks like our family miles are to
blame. /ppWe want to give our children every opportunity for growth
and exploration of their talents, and approximately 80 percent of American
children participate in organized extracurricular activities outside of school.
Most of these activities are not part of an after-school program but require
travel to a separate location for sports, dance, music, and the required
competitions and performances that accompany these commitments. That translates into a lot of mileage
traveled and time in the car, or too often the 8-seater SUV — with only 2 or 3
seats occupied./ppAside from keeping our children in a shoebox, there are a
number of valid solutions to this dilemma:/pullistrongUrban planning/strong — Get these
kids out on their bikes. Provide safe
bike routes connecting schools, parks, libraries, and small commercial centers
likely to host dance classes and other activities for children./libr /liMake this effort a strongcommunity-based
contest or pledge/strong — Children can get involved by calculating fuel savings
and reducing their carbon footprints./libr /listrongSchool district policies and public/private partnerships/strong — Lease space
within schools to extracurricular activity providers, and offer ongoing classes
and activities immediately after school. Bring back school-affiliated K-8 sports teams, or partner with community
sports leagues to use school fields for practice after classes let out./libr /listrongSelf-assessment/strong — Read emLast
Child in the Woods/em by Richard Louv, and talk to your kids about how much
they actually get out of their extracurricular activities. How much time do they really have in their
schedules for creative play?/libr /listrongPublic transit/strong — Provide
free passes for kids, and create programs to teach them how to use the bus or
train systems safely and effectively. This can embed lifetime habits for using mass transit and create a
sustainable future for these services./libr /listrongCarpooling/strong — Put those
8-seaters to good use, and go out of your way to organize shared rides on the
first day of practice or class. Maximize
the benefit by asking each driver to both drop off and pick up, so that by
sticking around and watching, they can spend time with their child and avoid
round-trips by separate drivers. /libr /listrongEconomic development and arts funding/strong — Municipalities can provide
incentives for arts organizations that locate near public schools or provide
supervised walking or shuttles from school to extracurricular activities. Music, dance, and visual arts are big players
in the distances we spend transporting our children./li/ulpThe answers will not be found in a single solution, but
certainly the challenge of reducing child miles traveled can be part of urban planning and school board conversations as
easily as it can be part of the family dinner conversation. /pbr /pemElaine Gallagher
Adams is a senior consultant on Rocky Mountain Institute’s a href=bet.rmi.orgBuilt
Environment Team/a, and Hiroko Kawai is a principal on Rocky Mountain
Institute’s a href=move.rmi.orgMobility and Vehicle Efficiency Team/a. a href=http://www.rmi.org/Rocky Mountain Institute/a is an independent,
entrepreneurial nonprofit think-and-do tank. We drive the efficient and
restorative use of resources. Sign up for a href=https://nc.rmi.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=186tab=3RMI e-lerts here/a. /em/p

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div class=image style=float:right;padding-left:8px;img alt=Woman at Farmer’s Market / iStockPhoto height=300 src=http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/the_conscious_consumer/the_conscious_consumer-215610443-1242850176.jpg?ymBefSBDWYoxW6Tq width=200//divpRising temperatures are a reminder that summer is just around the corner. It’s true that the costs of travel, hosting backyard barbecues, and staying cool can all add up. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to get out and have some summer fun./ppJust keep these cash-saving tips in mind as you make your plans. And in this case, there’s an added bonus because what’s good for your wallet is also good for the planet./ppstrongTravel at off-peak times./strong Flying at less crowded times is not only a great way to save money on a plane ticket, but it can be less of a hassle, according to a new a href=http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/solutions/cleaner_cars_pickups_and_suvs/greentravel/getting-there-greener.htmlUnion of Concerned Scientists’ travel guide/a, which is chock full of many useful tips. Chances are you won’t hit traffic going to the airport (so you’ll save money on gas), and you’ll experience fewer delays (which can waste fuel and produce even more carbon pollution). /ppOff-peak also applies to car travel, says Aaron Huertas, at UCS. With less traffic on the road, you can maximize your miles-per-gallon by avoiding traffic jams./ppstrongShop at the local farmer’s market./strong There’s a long list of reasons why it’s a good idea to eat local foods that are in season. They are fresher, taste better, and don’t need to travel as far as the produce in a typical grocery store. Buying directly from a local farmer often costs less. And replacing packaged foods with fruits and veggies is also better for your pocketbook, a href=http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/organic-food-tips-47-040801your health, and the planet’s/a. Find nearby farmers’ markets at a href=http://www.localharvest.org/LocalHarvest/a. Find out a href=http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmiles/what’s in season/a where you live right now, and a href=http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_cheapskate/5/learn-to-cut-your-food-bill-25.htmlget more tips/a for cutting your food bill./ppstrongFind creative ways to stay cool./strong Movies are a common escape when temperatures rise because of the allure of free air-conditioning. But the price of movie tickets (and snacks) can add up quickly. Consider spending some time at the library reading your favorite magazines and books (for free) while soaking up the cool air. Or find out when nearby museums offer free or reduced admission. a href=http://green.yahoo.com/blog/the_conscious_consumer/14/how-to-program-your-thermostat.htmlTurn your AC up/a to 78 degrees when you’re at home and raise it even more when you’re out or sleeping./ppstrongLine dry clothes./strong Summer is the perfect time to give your dryer a break. It’s better for your clothing (which will likely last longer if you’re not constantly over-drying it) and your wallet (since a href=http://green.yahoo.com/blog/amorylovins/22/nine-no-cost-ways-to-reduce-your-home-energy-use.htmlyou’ll save around $43.60/a by air dying your clothes for the entire season)./pstrongVisit yard sales instead of going to the mall./strong It’s cheaper to buy used stuff, and it’s better for the environment since it keeps perfectly good things out of landfills and resources aren’t needed to make new products from scratch. Better yet, turn your trash into a treasure by hosting your own garage sale. It’s a great way to earn extra cash for even more fun summer activities and get rid of all the clutter you’ve accumulated.p /ppemEnvironmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green’s users. Send Lori a a href=http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/green/forms/consciousconsumerblog.htmlquestion or suggestion/a for potential use in a future column. Her book,/em Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life emis available on a href=http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Green%2C%20Greener%2C%20Greenest%3A%20A%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20Making%20Eco-Smart%20Choices%20a%20Part%20of%20Your%20Life:3005209514;_ylt=AsLkIJyzfMD4G3Gl2OYYt_gbFt0A?clink=dmps/lori_bongiorno/ctx=mid:1,pid:3005209514,pdid:1,pos:1,spc:14489115,date:20081009,srch:kw,x:Yahoo! Shopping/a and a href=http://www.amazon.com/Green-Greener-Greenest-Practical-Eco-Smart/dp/0399534032/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1228865081sr=8-1Amazon.com/a./em/p

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The first step you must consider before you even begin to think about going off the grid and using renewable sources of energy to power your home, is to first estimate how much energy you use so you can figure out the size generator you will need.

The good news is that most of this information can be found on your monthly power bill. You’ll be able to determine how much energy you have used in the last month, as well as your average usage per month. Many utility companies include graphs so you can see how your usage has differed across different months of the year. This accounts for changes in the season, and changes in your usage patterns.

It is most important to pay attention to your highest month. That’s because whatever renewable energy source you choose, you need to be sure it can handle your highest need for energy.

The next thing you need to do is learn more about building solar panels or wind power generators. Then you can determine the size of the system you’ll need to build or purchase, and see what your costs will be. Purchasing these systems can be quite expensive (though they pay for themselves in the long run over continuing to pay monthly for electricity bills), but they are worth it in the long run.

If you consider yourself to be handy, you might want to build solar panels or a wind power generator yourself. This might sound scary, but if you have clear directions it will likely be a lot easier for you to get started with. Luckily, there are some guides out on the market now that can be incredibly useful for you.

Once you have the right guide, you can start to determine the size you’ll need and how much you might want to spend. Portable power generators that you build can cost as little as $200. It easily, and quickly, pays for itself. Obviously, the more power you need, the bigger solar panel or wind generator you’ll need.

Figuring out your power consumption is one of the first steps for a reason. Different households use different amounts of power, so it’s best to determine this in advance to see if it will be feasible for you to invest in renewable sources of energy for your home. If you’re like most families, you’ll find that this will quickly pay for itself over time, and you’ll feel much better about the power you use. This will save you money, and it is a much friendlier method for the earth!

pimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/aralsea.jpg width=468 //ppIn a series of dramatic photos, NASA has been able to a href=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/aral_sea.phpcapture the disappearance/a of the Aral Sea from space. In the 1960s, Russia diverted water from several major rivers to irrigation projects for growing cotton and other crops. The result has been the complete destruction of one what was once the fourth largest inland sea in the world./ppNASA’s ability to document this entirely unprecedented event is not only fascinating, but it’s a lesson to how quickly entire ecosystems (and the societies that rely on them) can collapse. The Aral Sea was once surrounded by villages that relied on the Aral Sea’s fisheries. Those towns are now all but deserted, and fishing boats sit on dry land./ppNext time some nutjob tells you that humanity is too insignificant to really destroy the environment in significant ways, just send them to a href=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/aral_sea.phpthis page/a./p

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pimg height=183 src=http://l.yimg.com/a/feeds/us/grn/green_ecogeek/aralsea.jpg width=468 //ppIn a series of dramatic photos, NASA has been able to a href=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/aral_sea.phpcapture the disappearance/a of the Aral Sea from space. In the 1960s, Russia diverted water from several major rivers to irrigation projects for growing cotton and other crops. The result has been the complete destruction of one what was once the fourth largest inland sea in the world./ppNASA’s ability to document this entirely unprecedented event is not only fascinating, but it’s a lesson to how quickly entire ecosystems (and the societies that rely on them) can collapse. The Aral Sea was once surrounded by villages that relied on the Aral Sea’s fisheries. Those towns are now all but deserted, and fishing boats sit on dry land./ppNext time some nutjob tells you that humanity is too insignificant to really destroy the environment in significant ways, just send them to a href=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/aral_sea.phpthis page/a./p

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Have you considered using renewable energy? You have heard all the buzz and now it is really something that many people are beginning to become more and more interested in. The reasons are clear — we absolutely cannot rely on fossil fuels for the world’s energy much longer! Not only are they becoming more expensive, they’re also damaging to the earth in more ways than one.

Due to economics it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to afford rising oil prices these days. It doesn’t matter whether you are in one of the poorest countries in the world, or in one of the most affluent — people are having trouble paying for fossil fuels. That’s not even to mention the fact that the methods of getting these fossil fuels can be quite damaging to the earth, and to the workers who get the fuel. Once the fuel is used, it can sometimes be damaging to the environment.

Fossil fuels are becoming so harmful to the world, in fact, that there are wars being fought over them. People are needlessly giving up their lives in order to provide these fossil fuels for the world’s energy. Unfortunately, there is no clear way to stop this problem except for finding different sources of energy.

There are two renewable sources of energy that are your best bets these days. It’s actually not as difficult to implement as many people believe it to be — these sources of energy renew time and time again. We are talking about the sun, and the wind!

The sun is probably the most commonly thought of source, and solar panels are even popular in some products that can be purchased today. The sun comes out reliably each morning, and it can be an excellent way to gather energy for your entire home, or for travel.

If you live in a windy area, you can certainly make use of the wind in order to produce energy. This energy can also be used to power the electricity in your home.

While many people are intrigued about these renewable sources of energy, it’s surprising that more people have not hopped on board. Luckily, with the introduction of certain products that make it easy to get started creating solar panels and wind power generators, the movement to create cheaper, better, energy for power is rapidly catching on.

Make it your mission to become a part of this movement so you can live “off the grid.” The cost of getting started with sun or wind energy is very small compared to what many people are paying for their monthly energy bills! It’s time to take action, and make use of renewable sources of energy instead.