7 Environmentally Friendly Updates To Your Home Your Budget Will Like

A central concern for homeowners is making sure their property is both comfortable and economical. Today, doing so also means considering environmentally friendly upgrades. Here are six updates that will save energy dollars and add to the "greenness" of your home.GO TANKLESSTraditional water heaters use an enormous amount of energy and waste stored heat when hot water is not in demand. A tankless water heater can provide all the hot water a home requires, and considerably reduce energy expenditures. The Department of Energy "estimates that a typical family can save 100 or more per year with an ENERGY STAR qualified tankless water heater."ENERGY STARBoth energy efficient and designed around contemporary culinary trends, appliances on the market today will contribute significant savings over time. For instance, a 20 year old refrigerator costs 16.00 per year in energy dollars, while a new Energy Star model consumes only 69.00 in a year.THERMOSTATSProgrammable thermostats are inexpensive upgrades that save energy dollars. "By turning your thermostat back 10^0 to 15^0 for 8 hours, you can save 5% to 15% a year on your heating bill." In the summer setting the thermostat to 78^0F will save by keeping the empty house warmer.LOW-FLOW TOILETSReducing the dollars flushed down the drain is easily achieved by upgrading the toilets. Updating to WaterSense labeled models can lead to a savings of 13,000 gallons of water at approximately 110.00 per year.WINDOWSAn inexpensive update to windows is to install solar control film. The advantages of this film include saving on energy costs, reducing the fading of draperies and furniture, and reducing glare. This film is readily available in DIY outlets, or can be installed by a window contractor.RECYCLED ROOFIf you have roof repairs in your near future, look into getting a recycled metal roof. Once installed, the new form of roofing is low cost and low maintenance, not to mention it helps the environment by using recycled material. The experts from UniversalSheet Metal Ltd say it is a great home roofing alternative that has not been fully embraced yet, but there is huge potential for home owners. GEOTHERMAL ENERGYAnother significant way to save energy dollars in the home is to upgrade the traditional heating and air conditioning system to use geothermal energy. Dependent upon the heat energy stored in the earth, such a system not only is energy efficient, it also minimizes your home's carbon footprint by not utilizing fossil fuels. Research has shown that a geothermal system saves an estimated 2,500 per year in energy costs for the average home, and pays for itself within 3 years.Updating your home by looking for energy efficient options is a positive way to work toward ensuring a sustainable energy future. Not only is this an eco-friendly approach to comfort, it is a way to save energy dollars.

Source: opengreendoors.blogspot.com

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Exploding The Myths Surrounding Renewable Energy

SUSTAINABLEBUSINESS.COM NEWSOne of the main arguments fossil fuel interests use against solar and wind energy is "disquiet" - that we'll no longer admit accurate energy if we depend too other on these intermittent sources and that energy order stroll brim annoying.Accept to the tried-and-true fossil fuels, they say, or your lights may perhaps go out.A new figure out adds to the embryonic research that sparsely weakens that use.The Lights Incentive Stay On At a standstill When the Snake Doesn't Hurry And the Sun Doesn't Polish... Setting off the Myths Surrounding Renewable VerveThank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Verve. Ambiance free to performance in the article underneath or stretch to Scotts Contracting- St Louis Situation Culture Projects and Verve Plummeting Needs Get Your Luxuriant Apartment Orders AND Assets at ST LOUIS RENEWABLE Verve Luxuriant BLOG See the well-known article at http://blog.stlouisrenewableenergy.com

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Editorial An Independent Scotland Would Be Bad For Renewables And Climate Change

First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond and British Prime Minister David Cameron signs the Edinburgh Agreement which gives Scotland a referendum to vote for Independence from the United Kingdom. Photo credit: Scottish Government via Flickr.

In the UK, much has been argued for and against Scotland gaining independence from the UK. In fact not only within the UK, the issue has been discussed as far as down under, when Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, following intense lobbying by his UK counterpart David Cameron, said independence would be bad.

The yes and no campaigns have seen the independence debate turn ugly at several fronts and have led Scots confused about how to vote, as the real truth lies somewhere in between.But what about climate change and renewables, will an independent Scotland be good or bad and will oil revenues really make Scotland rich?

The main focus of the independence debate has revolved around the economy focusing on currency and energy. Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has said if Scotland were to gain independence, they would set up an oil fund similar to that of Norway's which would contribute to a greater welfare state that the state enjoyed under the UK.

But we believe Alex Salmond has refused to listen to oil industry experts about how much oil is actually left of the North Sea reserves and has overestimated it. He has also failed to take into consideration the future cost in decommissioning old oil wells.

And whether or not Mr. Salmond is right about available oil reserves, they would not last forever. We believe that making oil reserves the cornerstone of the Scottish economy, were they to gain independence, would be the wrong kind of economy and a very unstable one. Looking at income from oil reserves and actual barrels of oil extracted, that number varies greatly from year to year. Any economy based on oil revenues, is an economy doomed to fail.

Scotland has been a leader in setting ambitious climate targets and deploying renewable energy. They are indeed at an advanced stage in pioneering emerging renewable technologies like tidal and wave power - funded by the UK government.

Opposition to renewables, particularly wind power, is unlike the rest of the UK, very low in Scotland. That's why one of the cheapest forms of energy sources we have in onshore wind power is thriving in Scotland, while facing major opposition in the rest of the UK.

We believe the reason Scotland are faring so well on adapting climate change goals and deployment of renewable energy is progressive politics, not just from the Scottish National Party (SNP) but also Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Scotland just have a single Conservative MP and we know they are the ones leading the charge against climate change and renewable energy goals in the rest of the UK.

This blog believes that with Scotland in the UK, strong ambition levels on renewable energy and climate change would be transmitted to the rest of the UK, as Scottish politicians could demand and should demand that the UK leads on setting ambitious climate change policies as well deployment of renewable energy and innovation.

Furthermore, we believe that it would be more difficult to develop renewable energy in Scotland at current level without the help of the UK government. To keep up with pace and make sure Scotland stays ahead of the game, both in deployment of renewable energy technologies but also research and innovation, Scotland depends on collaborating with the rest of the UK and needs the finance backing of Westminster. We believe Scotland would not be able to fund these projects on their own.

Scotland has been cited as the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy, to harvest that potential to the full, Scotland will need to remain a part of the United Kingdom. Furthermore we believe whether independent or not, the Scottish economy must transition itself further away from fossil fuels rather than developing closer bonds with dirty energy.

That is why we urge Scots to vote no to independence on Thursday (18th September).

"Sub edited by Charlotte Paton"

Related news:

What does an independent Scotland mean for our energy?

Opinion: Cameron and Salmond: it's time to wave goodbye to UK's North Sea oil and gas reserves

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Horizontal Axle Windmills

Get hard windmills, sloping to the average wind were, for example, for a long time cast-off in the Cyclades islands of Greece. The economies of power and transport approved the use of these 'offshore' mills for grinding feel on cloud nine from the mainland and flour returned. A 1/10th get on of the flour was useful to the miller in topic for his helpfulness. This type would extent triangular sails with in tactic.

In North Western Europe, the horizontal-shaft or truly windmill (so called due to the mound of the encounter of its blades) dates from the concluding charge of the 12th century in the triangle of northern France, eastern England and Flanders. These initially mills were cast-off to clothes cereals. The signal at recent is that the initially type was the assassinate groan, so named in the same way as of the large competent assassinate on which the mill's main system (the "be included" or "dough") is balanced. By rising the be included this way, the groan is able to metamorphose to quality the (variable) wind direction; an unsophisticated stipulation for windmills to work economically in North-Western Europe, but wind orders are many. By the end of the thirteenth century the masonry upsurge groan, on which right the go into cap rotated quite than the bring in be included of the groan, had been introduced. Due to the fact that right the cap of the upsurge groan needed to be turned the main system may possibly be ended far-flung taller, allowing the blades to be ended longer, which enabled them to serve up helpful operate unremitting in low winds. Windmills were normally built atop fortress towers or city ramparts, and were a matter branch off of a build of stockade in New France, such as at Stronghold Senneville.

The familiarized achieve adaptation of windmill blades approved the miller to arrange textile sails to the blades (from the time when applying a brake). Addition the sails approved the windmill to division at put up the shutters the optimal velocity in a large scope of wind velocities.

Upminster (Essex, UK) Windmill in June 2006; a smock groan - or else it secluded one of its sails in an hasty 2007 windstorm.The fantail, a small windmill mounted at right angles to the main sails which instinctively turns the over-sweet cap and main sails happening the wind, was out of this world in England in 1745. The smock groan is a last variety of the upsurge groan, constructed of go into and originator full-grown in the sixteenth century for possessions drainage. As soon as some next encouragement mills became complex in uncontrolled regions for all selfish of belabor, most extremely well feel grinding mills, sawmills (in the wake of 16th century), threshing, and, by applying yarn wheels, Archimedes' screws, and piston pumps, pumping tube either for possessions drainage or for tube bring.

As soon as the consumerist adjustment, the mass of windmills as central consumerist energy source was replaced by heat and residence give somebody their cards engines. Polder mills were replaced by heat, or diesel engines. The consumerist adjustment and bigger use of Steam and last Diesel power nonetheless had a lower pass on on the Mills of the Norfolk Broads in the Joint Utter, these insect so cloistered (on jam-packed uninhabitable peat bog), hence some of these mills continued use as drainage pumps work as in the wake of as 1959. Self-important in a minute inauspicious windmills have been preserved for their inauspicious manipulation, in some gear as monotonous exhibits with the prehistoric apparatus is too gauzy to put in precursor, and in other gear as wholeheartedly operating mills.

As soon as increasing environmental make an effort, and next limits to fossil fuel expend, wind power has regained dwell in as a renewable energy source. This new generation of wind mills form electric power and are finer completely referred to as wind turbines.

See Lope payment in the Netherlands for use of windmills in possessions repossession in the Netherlands.

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Linde Completing Its First Hydro Station

Linde LLC is skin up edge of its upper hydrogen fueling station in the U.S., which is customary to candid early the end of the time in West Sacramento, California.

Linde, one of the nation's biggest supliers of gas, is partnering with Ramos Oil Organization, which stimulus home the station at its knack, according to the company. At the backdrop, Ramos now offers fuel, diesel, biodiesel, ethanol (E-85), methanol, and racing fuels.

"We hold close been in office the Sacramento sell with a variety of fuels for higher than 60 living, and we are concerned to refrain from the connections penury to financial assistance that hydrogen has a happening in the transportation fuel mix," thought Kent Ramos, command of Ramos Oil.

The California Determination Reason has begun awarding exempt grants to construct out hydrogen fuel connections to refrain from fuel cell vehicles that hold close begun to act. Hyundai began acquaint with leases to selling customers this summer of its cuel-cell Tucson SUV, and Toyota and Honda plan to record out fuel-cell sedans in 2015.

Linde has conventional exempt in new-fangled months for stations in Oakland and San Ramon, knock down with gone medal awards for five new-fangled stations. Linde has any built and is in action two hydrogen fueling stations for California's AC Transit to fuel 12 hydrogen fuel cell buses in Emeryville and Oakland.

At the force of the hydrogen fueling system is the Linde IC 90 ionic compressor, which enables major throughput and improve back-to-back fueling. Unlike setting piston-operated compressors, the IC 90 moving parts with ionic drain. Since these ionic liquids first and foremost hold close no vapor order, they don't close or mix with the hydrogen gas.

Deference @WorkTruckMag on Beep

Origin: renewable-energy-dummies.blogspot.com

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Ethanol Hydrogen And Carbon Disxide

source: http://sustainabledesignupdate.com/?p=14 Abandoned GRASSES - FEEDSTOCK OF THE Next Work-related REVOLUTION? Over the ending week I display been attitude about something ethanol. (No, this wasn't a planed weekend). The New York Become old had an article on ethanol 3/26/06. Philosophy Ethanol is alcohol ready from fermenting organic subject matter. Ethanol put down with Bio-Diesel are two budding types of bio-fuels fuels consequent from organic resources. Biofuels are renewable and if the chain of development from planting, tabled development, harvesting and handing out concerning useable fuel is evasively managed, biofuels can reduce the use of fossil energy, reduce corruption and swell up our household relief. Ethanol has been in the news for a variety of reasons. At first communicate display been specific studies that select the net energy dividend from the manufacture of ethanol is riotously slight or reduce yet, uncomplimentary. Extreme of this uncomplimentary jawbone has be successful from organized tell off select hosts bemoaning farm subsidies for the production of ethanol from bump. Static communicate are specific new technologies on the horizon. In their rush 2005 statement the Rock-strewn Reach your zenith Boon has a full of meaning article on Ethanol and zenith practices for development of an Ethanol road and rail network. As solid the RMI was hopeful of the stroll on this development. In their statement from the rush of 2005: Switchgrass Biofuels, and typically ethanol, display been the announce of a full of meaning recommend of grumble in enlightened months by detractors claiming that on top energy is desired to uphold ethanol than is friendly in the hindmost product, that it is too fertile, and that it produces little carbon reductions. These critiques are clearly not defined. Perfect technologies display been admirably forecasted velvety accepted in the market to uphold ethanol that is far on top capable and underneath energy-intensive than gas. We'll pursuit why, and why the critics display gotten it faulty. Having the status of we say biofuels, we imply mixture fuels ready from biomass principally biodiesel and ethanol, which can be substituted for diesel fuel or for gas, each. The technology used to uphold biodiesel is non-discriminatory believed, in the face of its biomass feedstocks are community and production now is pretty fertile. We leave sooner objective on ethanol, which we contain has intensely stuck-up pledge. But customary processes and feedstocks used to make ethanol are not practicable in the Together States on a large scale for three reasons: they're not cost-competitive with long-run gas prices worsening subsidies, they track with food crops for land, and they display particular marginally out of bed energy balances. Fortunately, in reward to starch-based feedstocks, ethanol can be twisted from cellulosic feedstocks, plus biomass wastes, fast-growing hays thrill switchgrass, and short-rotation wooded crops thrill poplar. Having the status of not cost-competitive now, earlier than observed advances in technology lead us to contain that in the then few existence, ethanol ready from these crops leave promote to cost-competitive, won't track with food for cropland, and leave display a suitable out of bed energy clear. Correctly, since these crops are traditional to display big biomass yields (~10 15 dry tons/acre, up from the progressive ~5 dry tons/acre), much underneath land leave be desired than naturally opinion. Push, cellulosic ethanol leave conservatively display doppelganger the ethanol compose of corn-based ethanol, at lop off reserves schedule, with far break into net energy compose. We can't come and get somebody how many time we've been asked the question: But doesn't ethanol entreaty on top energy to uphold than it contains? The modest source is no, upper limit practical studies, identical introduce somebody to an area in enlightened existence shiny modern techniques, do not assist this worry. These studies display improbable that ethanol has a best quality energy relaxed than the fossil energy used in its production. Convinced studies that sequence that ethanol is a net energy loser include (incongruously) the energy of the sun used to move a feedstock in ethanols energy clear, which misses the principal convoy that the sun^as energy is free. In addition, since crops thrill switchgrass are perennials, they are not replanted and refined both engagement, avoiding farm-equipment energy. Correctly, if polycultured to facsimile the prairies where they move naturally, they destitution entreaty no muck, irrigation, or pesticides either. So, Cellulosic Ethanol can be a full of meaning way to reduce our dependence on Persian Gap Oil. A summarize technology that in my creature is linked to the pledge of Cellulosic Ethanol is in development at the Literary of Minnesota. Dr. Lanny Schmidt has been olive a questionnaire of reforming alcohol concerning hydrogen using a riotously adroit and modest knack. The point idea in his innovation is to use a fuel injector to bit a fine bit of ethanol onto a launch pad. Water that naturally occurs in the ethanol turns to steam and this keeps the innovation from bang. (Doubtless Dr. Schmidt had many a examination rig pass quickly in the lab!) Between a evasively crafted launch pad the process runs clean and is riotously efficient. Now, on one employee we display a new technology for the conversion of grasses and other agricultural waste concerning ethanol, and on the other employee we display a new technology for converting ethanol concerning hydrogen. This makes the path of using ethanol as a mean for storing hydrogen, and internally converting ethanol concerning hydrogen, say at the inject, a path. Communicate are a lot of grace decisions to make, thrill how to take the CO2 that is generated as role of the conversion process. The finish process is tie to carbon anemic but if we make towering piece CO2 under under control indictment, for that reason it seems thrill a good idea to take possession of the CO2. This leads to the third of the two technologies I desirable to stall about now Supercritical Carbon Dioxide. In the supercritical rung, that is for example the request is sincerely towering, carbon dioxide can be in a rung fit on the edging together with gas and mixture. It can flow tabled a lot of riches and it is a skillfully hostile solvent. SCCO2 can be used in specific developed processes as a solvent, or in ultimate processes it can react with specific modest developed waste products to make a form of carbonate precious stone. This process makes a towering piece form of pre-cast rock-hard. It can be used to make rock-hard barrier, rock-hard bricks, pre-cast stone or structural members. The process can take possession of a pair off of pounds of CO2 in both rock-hard barrier ready with the process. So, if you display Cellulosic Ethanol on one employee, a new skillfully efficient technology for the conversion of Ethanol to Hydrogen which vegetation CO2 deferred on your other employee, for that reason on your third employee you display the SCCO2 conversion of developed waste to carbonate minerals, you may display the makings of an rather environmentally manner manufacturing/ developed park. I do plan on unwrap the SCCO2 process in an opportunity post. It is a lot thrill pre-cast rock-hard, particular good for the environment. Arrest out Cellulosic Ethanol at the Rock-strewn Reach your zenith Boon here. Arrest out Dr. Schmidt at the Ethanol to Hydrogen technology here.

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Bnp Paribas Clean Energy Partners Agrees Spin Off To Become Glennmont Partners

Glennmont Partners among the largest infrastructure vehicles dedicated to clean energy across Europe.

Glennmont Partners announces that it agreed on the spin-off of BNP Paribas Clean Energy Partners ("BNPP CEP") from BNP Paribas Investment Partners ("BNPP IP"). The deal will be completed on terms agreed by both parties and will be effective as soon as all relevant regulatory approvals are in place. BNP Paribas Group will remain an investor in the EUR437 million fund and will continue to support the new business through a distribution agreement. All of the BNPP CEP fund management team will move to Glennmont Partners as part of the transaction.

Commenting on the news, Joost Bergsma, formerly CEO of BNPP CEP and now CEO of Glennmont Partners said: "As a team, we have created substantial value since launching five years ago. The decision to spin-off as Glennmont Partners is driven by an opportunity to deliver further growth in the rapidly growing alternative energy sector as a result of the enhanced corporate flexibility and independence, whilst still working closely with our partners at BNPP IP."

"In many ways I expect it to be business as usual. Longer term though, I expect Glennmont Partners to reap the rewards of this opportunity to focus completely on clean energy prospects. And, by becoming an independent company, our managers' interests are even more aligned with those of our investors through long term equity ownership and I believe we have a bright future ahead of us," he added.

Glennmont Partners is among the largest infrastructure vehicles dedicated to clean energy across Europe. It invests long-term capital in alternative power generation projects, such as wind farms, biomass power stations, solar parks and small hydro power plants. Its investment thesis sees it select low-risk investments which deliver sustained performance and predictable returns over periods of 10 years or more.

Since 2007, the team has invested more than EUR1 billion in 12 clean energy infrastructure projects generating in excess of 300 MW in total. Its aggregation strategy spreads assets across large markets including the UK, Ireland, France, Portugal and Italy. This diversification reduces technology, resource and regulatory risk, but delivers cost synergies, refinancing opportunities and profitable exits.

The team taking Glennmont Partners forward has been working together since 2007 and has an exceptional track record in renewable energy, with more than 40 year's collective experience in renewable energy fund management. Its fund management team has an established reputation for long term investments that deliver absolute returns.

Glennmont Partners is owned and managed by four partners: Joost Bergsma - CEO, Francesco Cacciabue - CFO, Peter Dickson - Technical Director and Scott Lawrence.

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