What Are Advantages Of Solar Energy And Why You Should Change
There are many different advantages of solar energy and why it would be a great way for you to help out the environment. Not only that but it is going to be something that will save you money in the long run. However, to find out more reasons, keep reading.
The sun is a renewable source; solar energy is going to be around for as long as the sun continues to shine. Yes it is true that at night you will not collect energy, and on cloudy days. But those days that it’s shining brightly you are able to store up energy to use for those other times.
Oil that is used all the time is not a source that is renewable. Taking millions of years in the first place to form, once it’s gone, you have to wait for that much time before you will be able to get it again. Since it’s such a highly used substance the reserves are becoming depleted quickly.
Solar energy is not a polluting thing to use, unlike oil. This would be the biggest and best reason out there for you to take advantage of solar energy. Oil when it’s burnt will release out carbon dioxide that will add greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Or even problems that can come up with oil spills and all the damage they cause.
Those solar cells that you need to use to get solar energy, they take very little time for maintenance, and they last a long time. At first you may have a bit of a cost by getting the solar panels together and the accessories needed. But it’s a cost that will only happen one time. After that you will be making money, because it won’t cost you anything to collect the sun, while the price of oil seems to be going up all the time.
The process of installing products and lights that are run by solar power are simple to do. All it takes is a little bit of wiring, and you really will never find yourself having to dig for a supporting trench.
Look into those ways that you can make your own solar panels to save money. Plus keep in mind that switching a little at first and saving money will help you cover the cost of changing over your whole house eventually.
As you save on those bills you will be able to save up and switch over your full home to the use of solar power.
To learn more ways that you can save the environment with solar energy, check out advantagesofsolarenergy.blogspot.com Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.
Choosing The Right Home Aquaponics System
Aquaponics made the news recently when Good Morning America, the Wall Street Journal, and the LA Times featured the home aquaponics system called “Farm in a Box” by Earth Solutions. If you haven’t heard of aquaponics yet, you’re not alone. It’s still fairly new to the mainstream gardening community, which is why many gardeners are left puzzled, wondering how these aquaponic systems work.
Aquaponics is basically the combination of hydroponics (growing plants in water) and aquaculture (growing fish). It works in a beautiful organic balance: the plants filter the water for the fish, and the fish fertilize the plants. Not only is the system self-contained, but the plants thrive in it.
But even though the premise behind the system is simple, building an aquaponics system can be complicated. It requires an indepth understanding of chemistry, biology, botany, and fluid mechanics, plus some intermediate to advanced level handyman skills. Since many of us lack the expertise or the time to design our own home aquaponics system, we would rather just buy a kit.
While the number of aquaponic kits on the market is still pretty slim, the choices are steadily growing. For right now, one of the best choices available is the Farm in a Box series.
Earth Solutions offers a variety of home aquaponics systems, from the small, indoor Little Tokyo model all the way to the large, outdoor Phoenix model with 200-gallon fish tank and 35-square-foot planting area. Each model comes with decorative stand, rubber lined planting bed, and fish tank, plus all the necessary hardware, such as hoses, pump, valves, and timer. Also included are all the instructions necessary for setup and for care of the fish and plants. The only things not included are the gravel, water, fish, and seeds.
The smallest system, Little Tokyo, is sold online by both Earth Solutions and Home Depot for $249. It’s actually very cute and decorative and takes up very little space. In the bottom is a 10-gallon fish tank, with a 12″x20″ plant bed fitted above. A water pump and timer circulate the water from the fish tank to the plant bed and back. This ebb and flow motion aerates the water for the fish and keeps the system in balance.
All the models in the Farm in a Box series work on the same ebb and flow system as the Little Tokyo. Only size changes from one model to another. Current models include the following:
Little Tokyo ($249) — This is the smallest model mentioned above. It’s a perfect size for home, office, or classroom.
Little Tokyo sans tank ($229) — This is the basic Little Tokyo model, but without the 10-gallon fish tank. If you already have your own fish tank, this might be just the model for you.
Manhattan ($279) — The Manhattan is just like the Little Tokyo, but with a larger 15-gallon tank. The grow bed on top is the same 12″x20″ size.
Charleston ($429.50) — The Charleston uses a 20-gallon fish tank and has a 12″x32″ plant bed. This size tank is suitable for small perch, goldfish, or tropical fish.
San Antonio ($549) — The San Antonio also uses a 20-gallon tank, but has a 14″x42″ plant bed.
Dallas ($799) — The Dallas is still small enough for indoor or patio use, but it’s big enough for the serious organic gardener. The 35-gallon tank is large enough to grow edible fish such as tilapia. And the 24″x42″ plant bed offers four times the growing area of the Little Tokyo.
Phoenix ($1499) — The Phoenix is the largest of all the Farm in a Box models. It is best for outdoor or greenhouse use. This model includes a 200-gallon fish tank, 2 deep water floating rack beds, and 1 gravel ebb and flow bed. Of all the models, this is the best one for edible fish. Earth Solutions recommends tilapia for warmer climates and bass, perch, or catfish for cooler climates.
Farm in a Barrel ($83) — Earth Solutions also carries a simple do-it-yourself system called Farm in a Barrel. It includes instructions for building your own aquaponics system out of a plastic 55-gallon barrel, which you must procure yourself. The instructions cost $35. Valve, hoses, pump, and timer can be purchased separately for an additional $48.
Of course, this group of kits from Earth Solutions is not the only option for home aquaponics kits. There are several systems available online, and that number is growing every month. But at the moment these Farm in a Box kits look like an excellent value, especially for indoor/patio systems. So if you want to “get your feet wet” with aquaponics (pun intended), one of these kits might be just right for you.
Solar Light: The New Technology That Saves You Money
Solar lights have become popular and are lights for today and the future. We have been using energy from the sun for years, but it has only been recently that we can use this power in an efficient way. With solar lights, we are able to take another big step towards keeping the earth cleaner and safer.
Not only is solar lighting versatile, but it is a green way to light your home too. Sunlight is not only sustainable and renewable energy, but we get the energy needed without polluting the earth. We benefit from the sun and can light the outdoors and even the indoors without increasing global warming.
It is important to understand the way that solar lights work. These lights have a little solar panel right on top of the fixture, which is much like the solar panels you see on homes, just a lot smaller. When it is light outside, the little panels collect the energy from the sun. This energy recharges a small battery inside of the fixture. During the day the battery charges, then when it gets dark, the energy is used to light up the LED. This provides light during the dark hours until the sun comes up again.
Today solar lights are used primarily to brighten the outside in our gardens, the backyard, around the pool, and the path to the front door or garage. With this in mind, solar lighting fixtures are available in a vast assortment ranging from functional to decorative. Solar lights can be found to attach up high on a building or to hang from a post or tree shining down to light a wider area. There are many lantern designs to choose from for use closer to the ground rendering a walkway safer to navigate. Would lights on your pool, pond or moat be pleasing? Youll find a floating variety offered as well.
Installing these lights is not complicated at all. You don’t have to deal with wires and no trench digging will be required as well. It’s very easy to place the solar lights around your home. Simply press them into the ground or hang them up. All the lights are independent, since they don’t have to be connected to any wiring. They only need to be in places where they will be touched by the sun.
LEDs are much longer lasting than regular light bulbs and use very little power to keep going. More often than not the LED will last as long as the solar light fixture itself, years. Because LEDs are dimmer than regular bulbs, fixtures are manufactured using reflective surfaces and are available with numerous LED to increase brightness.
The cost of solar light fixtures varies between what might be charged at a home improvement store to what a garden-enhancing boutique might ask. Regardless of what you might pay, solar lights incur no ongoing monthly charges, the sun shines for free. The lights however will impact your power bill if the solar lights replace older lighting that draws on current, in that case your electric bill will shrink a bit.
The advantages of solar lights are many. Even short, gray, winter days hold enough sunlight to fully charge the battery. As long as the sun continues to rise and set the lights will turn on and off automatically. The LED produces no heat ensuring safety around children and pets. During a power outage you may sit outside and read a book or play cards with your neighbors. Solar lights are clearly a benefit to our planet and its the neighborly thing to do!
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