Commercial fishing continues in the Gulf as the oil slick continues to spread. But how do we know the fish we eat is safe? It appears the nose knows as seafood inspectors learn how to sniff out tainted product from oysters to shrimp and fish. (June 7)
Posts Tagged ‘energy’
Nose Knows: Seafood Sniffers Smell Out Oily Fish
Tuesday, June 8th, 20105 Tips For Building Your Own Wind Power Generator For Your Home!
Friday, February 26th, 2010
By : Klara Rowan
We’ve all heard about alternative energy sources and that we need to start looking for alternatives to current fuels such as coal and oil. The advantages and benefits far outweigh the negatives associated with using a windmill to generate electricity for your home. It’s actually pretty easy to build your own windmill power generator for your home but you’ll need to know several tips to get you started first. One of the best features of using wind power to supply power is that it is a renewable and clean resource and doesn’t have any byproducts or negative effects on the environment when using it.
Another feature is that once you have a system set up and working it costs nothing to keep running and any initial setup costs you have will be easily recouped by how much money you save every month in your electric bill. There are a few choices you have in how to make and setup your own wind power system.
You can either buy a commercially made wind generator, which can cost up to $10,000 depending on which type you pick, or make your own out of easily available supplies if your handy around the house. If you choose to make your own windmill you could probably make one that can generate 800 – 1200 watts for less than $200.
There are many do it yourself kits and easy to read construction plans available online that you can use to build your own wind generator when you are ready. The best part of using wind generators is that they will supply power all day and night as long as you have a slight breeze, and then you can run any appliance in your home using a inverter. The energy is collected from the blades of the windmill turning, then it goes to the generator and battery system you have built, which converts the power to AC current that we use in our homes.
To build your own windmill from the ground up you need to make sure you follow a guide that is written by someone with real experience in making and using wind power systems like these. Most online guides that you follow will show you the exact materials you will need.
Here’s a short list of things you need to look for when searching for the right guide for you:
1. The most important thing is that you have to be able to understand the instructions and blueprints provided.
2. I recommend that it have a high power output (1000 watts and above) so you can use it to make as much free electricity as possible.
3. It must be strong enough to withstand your normal weather conditions. (I live in a area that gets heavy snow in the winter and my first windmill I built collapsed in the middle of winter from the heavy snow.)
4. Be sure to find an ORIGINAL and proven system that has been tested by many others.
5. The author should have great after sale support in case you have a question or get stuck.
6. The cost to assemble your system should be relatively inexpensive. If you are making it yourself to save money you shouldn’t be spending more than a few hundred dollars on materials.
Using these points I’ve listed above, you should have no problem building your own wind power generator and start saving money every month on your power bills.
Author Resource:-
Clara Rowan is a part-time Ph.D student from Houston University and doing thesis on how to use solar energy for home use. Her forte is her passion in studying free solar technologies and writes about it for general awareness. She writes on blog http://free-home-solar-energy.blogspot.com solar energy for general information.
What Does Deregulation Mean?
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010Submitted By: Brooke Drake
I’ve heard a lot of talk in the past regarding deregulation in Texas and to be honest, I never really knew what that meant. Even though I have lived in Houston for the majority of my life, I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I never paid much attention to things like the electricity market or even the oil and gas market. I know a little bit about these industries on a high level, but have no real clue about anything in detail. So when I heard that Texas had become deregulated, I had no idea what that meant. The only things that came to mind were questions. What is the difference between regulation and deregulation and quite frankly, why should I care? How does that impact me? This is what I found.
Before Texas electricity became deregulated, it was regulated by the state government. The electricity rates were set by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), and there was only one provider of the electricity service in each market. That single company was responsible for generating, transmitting, distributing and selling to the consumer. With there being only one company that provided electricity for each city that basically created a monopoly. And from what I’ve seen in life and when playing the board game – when one person owns everything they often times don’t act in the best interest of others.
Why change what had been “working” for many years? Well, back in 1999, the Texas Legislature thought that by passing a deregulation law, they could get rid of electric company monopolies and reduce government control of electricity rates. The idea was that multiple Retail Electricity Providers (REPs) would create competition, and competition would drive energy prices down. So it made sense theoretically, and the bill passed.
Since then, the majority of Texas has become deregulated except for about 25% that stayed the same. Since it passed, it allowed consumers to choose where they buy their power (just like they can choose their long-distance phone company). This allowed for competition for the retail component of your electricity service and spurred the creation of multiple REPs. You can find a current list of providers on a website called PowerToChoose.org. Also on that website you can do some price comparisons between various retail electricity providers in your area.
So was the change to deregulation worth it? The jury is still out, but the consumer has experienced immediate results that have altered buying habits and energy consumption. Early results include increased consumer protection through the elimination of monopolies and the emergence of competitive forces. Additionally, deregulation has created jobs through the start-up of multiple REP’s, including Bounce Energy (www.bounceenergy.com). On the flip side, for the majority of the time Texas has been deregulated, electricity prices have actually gone up, not down. In fact, Texans are consistently paying rates higher than the national average. Some even argue that large corporations are relocating manufacturing facilities to other states to take advantage of lower electricity costs. It is hard to judge whether this is the impact of deregulation, or market prices in general, but should be noted.
One thing is for sure: stakeholders will continue to argue the merits of deregulation for years to come. Less government control can be viewed as a positive force towards innovation and growth or a negative breeding ground for greed and fraud (see mortgage/banking industry). Lawmakers, consumers, providers and professors will debate the good and the bad, which hopefully will lead us to a refined policy that benefits all involved. For now, I will exercise my power to choose green energy, excellent customer support, and at competitive rates through Bounce Energy.