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Thinking About Passive Solar Energy Water Heater?

Dec 16

Posted by Eco Friendly in House and Home | 3 Comments

According to the writers of the home made solar internet site, the renown enjoyed by passive solar water heaters is much larger than you might imagine. Unfortunately not a lot of are conscious of what they are or how they work. You might see a gigantic tank somewhere around the house and not even be aware of the proven fact that it’s a part of a passive heating system. So what’s a passive solar system. ?

Passive solar technologies are systems that are using the power of the sun so as to get energy without adding additional mechanical systems. This is definitely appearing against this if we look at solar technologies that are active. This type of technology will essentially help in changing sunlight into heat that may be utilized for different purposes. The fascinating fact is that additional sources of energy are either not needed or minimally needed. One good example that we are able to mention is solariums built on southern sides of buildings. While we will even make use of passive cooling, this is one system which has the opposed main goal with the use of a similar principle. It is used to reduce cooling needs during summer. Reference home made solar panels

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that a passive solar water heater system is basically an active system. One highly straightforward fact stands around traditional energy use. If it is used to power pumps or fans then we do have one active system. There also are passive systems that use small amounts of typical power sources.

Passive solar water heating technologies will also include different indirect and direct space heating targeted solar gains. Heating systems are customarily based primarily on the use of thermal mass, thermosiphon or perhaps phase-change materials. In a wider spread technologies that are part of passive solar use will also include solar forges and solar furnaces. These systems are to want additional energy sources so that receiver alignment andmirror concentration can be accomplished. We probably did see them to be quite ineffectual over past years. The best way to effect passive solar systems is through the usage of low grade energy needs .

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Recycling Household Items For A Cool Green Craft Project

Jan 20

Posted by Eco Friendly in Hobbies | No Comments

Everyone is looking for ways to reduce, reuse and recycle for their craft project. All you need is some basic art and craft supplies and some imagination and you can turn almost anything into a marketable craft project. There are old items all over your home just waiting to be turned into a cool craft project.

Simple bookmarks can now cost as much as $10 at a bookstore! You can make them yourself by recycling greeting cards you have received. All you need is old cards, some poster board or cardboard, some felt tip markers, and glue.

Cut a strip from the poster board or thin cardboard about 8″ x 2″. Cut strips from the greeting card with the same dimensions and glue them to the cardboard on both sides. If the bookmark is a gift, you can write a message on it. To make the bookmark more durable, cover it with clear contact paper or laminate it.

For added decoration, use a hole puncher to make a hole at the top of the bookmark and thread a piece of bright yarn or ribbon through it. You can use the same process to make beautiful gift tags. Just make the strips shorter!

Your old artificial Christmas tree can be turned into fantastic, special projects that will add beauty to your home. We usually associate wreaths with the holidays but by adding some beautiful dried flowers and colorful ribbon, you can recycle your old tree into a decorative piece of art that you can display in your home all year.

Using tin snips, remove the branches from the center pole. Take a wire coat hanger and bend it into a circular shape but leave the hook intact. The branches will wrap around the coat hanger easily and you can make it as thick as you want.

To cover the wire hook, just wrap it with cloth ribbon and tuck the end into the boughs or tie them in a neat bow. Once you have secured the branches, you can decorate it any way you wish.

You can use hot glue to attach tiny stuffed animals to the boughs for a fun wreath for a child’s room. Or, you can weave silk flowers or artificial berries through the branches for a beautiful hanging in your kitchen or bathroom.

Old clothes are a gold mine if you’re looking for a craft project to work on. If you have kids who love dolls or if you’re a doll collector, then you can turn old clothing into beautiful doll clothes.

Dolls are very popular collectibles, so you can even sell these pieces at craft fair or on Ebay. If you’re looking for new projects for the kitchen, then try turning old sweats into pot holders. For older children who are especially artistic, use a needle and yarn to stitch a face on, and voila!

Being environmentally friendly can be fun as well as responsible. The next time you’re cleaning up the basement or garage, study items before you throw them out and imagine the new projects you could start.

Can that old towel be made into rags for your car? Perhaps an old lamp shade can be transformed into a plant holder. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a craft project and craft fairs to keep you busy. In fact, everything you need is probably right around the house.

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Information on Greenhouse Kits

Nov 10

Posted by Eco Friendly in House and Home | No Comments

Establishing and using a greenhouse for the home is a great way to save on groceries, follow a healthier diet, conserve on energy, and benefit the environment at the same time. But greenhouses don’t grow on trees – they have to be put together. Not everyone has a professional builder in the family, and we don’t all have the budget to hire a specialist.

This is where greenhouse kits come in handy. If you aren’t looking for elaborate design but you need a simple and basic greenhouse for home use, this is a great way to get one set up without a huge investment of money or time.

Greenhouse kits vary widely in their cost and their design. A simple and economical type of greenhouse can be found for under $40.00 or $50.00. This small greenhouse might consist of nothing more than a two-foot square fabric tent where one can house a few plants and give them a longer growing season.

In a similar price range, you might also find a basic enclosure for a greenhouse, which will provide a framework and support that can then be covered in the material of your choice.

Moving up the line, you can find larger set-ups for anywhere between $400 and $900, which would include either glass or fabric walls, and provide sufficient space to grow a full set of vegetables or other plants. Greenhouses from 10 to 20 square feet in size, may cost a few thousand dollars. But this might still be simpler than building the entire structure from scratch.

Once you’ve found and purchased a greenhouse kit, you will need to assemble it yourself. (It is, after all, a kit.) But you will have step-by-step instructions, and all the parts you need, cut and sized to fit, and tested by the manufacturers.

While setting up a greenhouse requires an investment of money and time, you should be able to gradually recoup your investment, providing that you actually utilize your greenhouse. The amount of money that can be saved by growing one’s own food can be easily underestimated – particularly where large families are concerned.

Growing food inside a greenhouse is invigorating, fun, and educational. It can also make it possible for you to grow foods at all times of year, instead of being limited to certain seasons. Going out and buying gardening equipment and seeds can be frustrating when you get so busy with work that by the time you’re ready to work on your garden, it’s too late.

A greenhouse can give you the extra leeway you need, and make it possible to have fresh home-grown vegetables year-round. It might also make it possible for you to grow the plants which normally wouldn’t grow in your region at all. Such as – who knows, habaneros in Maine?

About the author: Megan Barlow helps others understand how they can live cleaner and healthier lives by using green living techniques. To learn more, visit her blogs on Green Building and Living Green.

Original Article: The Different Types of Greenhouse Kits

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