Showing posts with label EcoFriendly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EcoFriendly. Show all posts

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Easy Eco-Friendly Ways To Light Your Home

With so many options now available, going green in your home is not only easy these days, but also easier on your pocketbook. With green lighting options galore, there's no reason anymore to not take advantage of the latest green advancements.

Go Fluorescent

One of the easiest, cheapest, most efficient and cost saving ways to green up your home is to switch your lighting to a green friendly lighting option. #1 of these options is to replace your current incandescent light bulbs with new compact fluorescent light bulbs. By doing this in all lamps and lighting in every room of your home, you'll save a substantial amount of money every year on electricity cost alone. You'll also have to replace your lightbulbs much less often since compact fluorescent light bulbs last much longer than incandescent bulbs, thereby saving you some work and maybe even some pain along the way.

Consider LED's

The main strength in choosing LED lights instead of traditional incandescent light bulbs is that LED lights use much less power, therefore they last much longer. Due to their length of reliability, LED's don't need to be changed as often. In some cases, this factor in itself can be result in substantial cost savings. For example, on a highway barricade, you need some lights on top of barricades to let drivers see the barricade at night. In this case, using LED's for those lights would save alot of money, since workers would not need to go out and replace the bulb very often, if at all. In fact, in many cases the LED barricade light would last for as long as it is needed or even longer at the site and never need to be replaced. The cost savings in man hours and labor driving to the site and replacing the bulb is significant, especially if the application is in a remote or rural area.

Go Solar

For many lighting uses, solar is a great option. Nowadays, solar outdoor lights are commonplace, where driveway, pathway. patio, fountain or garden lights have solar panels on their tops which store solar energy during the day and then when it gets dark, the lights automatically turn on, using only the stored energy from the sun. Using these types of outdoor lights can save money and virtually eliminate the need for maintenance. There are even solar powered outdoor Christmas lights, great for use especially in southern climates where you still get plenty of winter sun.

Take Better Advantage Of Natural Light

In some rooms of your home, it's sometimes more efficient to simply open your drapes wider or choose drapes, curtains or blinds that let more light in. In addition, you can choose to install skylights in areas of your home that get alot of daytime traffic but get little light. Just installing one skylight in a staircase or a dark hall can save you money by causing you to turn on the lights in the day less often but also make your home safer.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Solar Fountains - Rhythmic, Stimulating & Eco-Friendly

Nothing can beat the charm of the tranquility presented by the sound of falling water, chirping birds and the lush green nature. With time and space restriction a major disadvantage faced by the modern apartment living conditions, the enjoyment of the lovely sound of nature typically calls for a break to your normal routine. But new technologies has made the dream of bringing a bit of nature closer to you through the launch of solar fountains that can be made to blend with any décor - be it your home or working space.

Shopping for a solar fountain is very easy. Go for one of the classic or the contemporary designs that can guarantee quality and durability. Depending on the décor of the place, shop for antique material types like the stone types or aged bronze or contemporary ones made of smooth ceramic. From simple designs to abstract and multi-tiered, these solar fountains can accent the exquisiteness of the surroundings.

With more advancements made in the field of solar energy, today the presence of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) make it possible to power the fountains effectively even in temperatures varying from 149 degrees F to as low as 77 degrees F. The normal hassle of electrical installation is not required. With the addition of a few light bulbs, it can add more charm to the environment.

These fountains are eco-friendly using the natural way to operate it. The water fountains placed in the garden or indoors, through the production of the negative ions can help in the healthy growth of the plants. With the continuous movement of water guaranteeing rich oxygen supply, it maintains the right atmosphere for the beautiful water creatures and plants, if installed in a pond. The constant movement of the water can also prevent the breeding of mosquitoes that tend to flourish in waters that are stagnant. But, make sure to clean the presence of algae and others with a non-toxic cleaner. Going for solar-powered birdbaths can take you one step closer to the nature with the continuous chirping of the birds bringing music to your ears.

The solar fountains can be placed even in rooms which enjoy little sunlight by positioning the solar panels under the sun or, many include an AC adaptor for use indoors. The absence of distracting wires when placed in a sunny corner does not pin down its placement to areas with electric outlet. A solar fountain placed in a location that boasts of direct sunlight creates more water pressure for a better effect. If you want to place your solar fountain away from direct sunlight, go for one with solar panels attached to cords that can be discreetly placed under direct sunlight.

In short, one can say that the solar fountains offer low-cost solution to enjoy a stress-free ambience.