Monthly Archives: August 2011

August 13th, 2011
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Green Power Energy Source – 2 Alternative Energy Sources

By Miller Britzke

In this article I want to talk about two alternative energy sources. One being solar or sunlight and the other being wind. Using a green power energy source can be beneficial in a couple of ways with one being the savings it can have on our planet. If we can do anything to help our planet especially for the future of our children. You can use it year round also. After all, this is our home. Another benefit, especially in this new area of going green and rising prices in just about anything we do or purchase is the amount of energy you can save. Not only will this have an instant savings but in the long run it really is going to have an impact on how much extra money you can save.It is nice to see that our governments are now starting to use this resource. We should have been using it or implementing it years ago. After all the technology was there.

The first method I want to talk about is using our sunlight to reflect into solar panels to generate electricity. This especially works well in the winter time as the snow helps reflect the light into the panels resulting in higher heat. This electricity is made into DC (direct current)and then transformed into AC or alternating current by means of converters. Using solar you can generate electricity to power anything from your boom box to running your whole house. You can eliminate your whole electric bill. These are very simple to build yourself. You can literally make or put the panels together yourself or buy them whole. Learn to build them yourself and you can save even more. You can pick up great guides on how to do this yourself. Check out at the bottom in my resource box.

The second method I would like to talk about is wind power. This method of green power works along the same lines of creating the electricity or DC current but with the difference of course with wind instead of sunlight being the energy source. The wind and air turn a set of blades which then turns a turbine creating the current. These two are simple to set up yourself. Again you can pick up a guide and have your own up in very little time and cost to you.

Those are two green power energy sources that you can use to both help the environment and have a huge impact on how much money you can save. Especially in the long run. As you can see using both solar and wind as alternative energy sources can have a huge impact. I hope this article sparks some interest in helping you create some home made energy. Who knows, you may make your electric meter spin backwards and your electric company will be paying you. This does really occur. Not to mention the fun it is. Visit my author section on finding greenpower-energysources and my blog with updated green power information.

About the Author: For my reviews of the top green power products for 2010 and 2011 visit my website at Green Power Energy Source. Visit my blog for the most updated info at Green Power Energy Blog

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August 13th, 2011
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Federal Energy Tax Credit and Other Benefits of Energy Efficient Windows

By John O’Brien

If ever there was a good time to take advantage of a federal energy tax credit with energy efficient windows, this is the time to do it.

Not only will Uncle Sam reward you with an energy savings tax credit up to $1,500 but you also may qualify for an additional $500 rebate from participating energy companies. If you live in the Boston area or other Northern climate, you will appreciate how much energy efficient windows can save you on your heating bill. Energy Star windows, doors and skylights that qualify for this tax credit have been proven to reduce energy bills by an average of 7-24 per cent. This means that if you were replacing single pane windows, annual energy savings for an average home would be $126 to $465 and would approximate $27 to $111 when replacing double-pane clear glass windows.

Qualifications for federal energy tax credits …

Not all energy efficient windows qualify for this federal energy tax credit. In fact, not all Energy Star rated products qualify. Of the ENERGY STAR windows, doors and skylights that meet the requirements, energy efficient windows and doors must have a U-Factor rating and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient equivalent to or less than .30. They also must be installed no later than December 31, 2010. The federal energy tax credit applies to the cost of the windows and doors only. Installation costs are not included in this program.

The federal energy tax credit applies to a homeowner’s principal residence only and not all homeowners are guaranteed to qualify. It is suggested that you see your tax representative for details on reliability. If you do qualify, your tax savings from the federal energy tax credit for energy efficient windows and doors can reduce your tax liability dollar-for-dollar up to $1,500. Those who purchase $5,000 of qualifying windows, doors and skylights, receive the maximum tax credit of $1,500. This amount is then subtracted from your tax liability or the amount of tax that is owed or added to a tax refund.

Additional savings from participating energy companies …

During the 2009 calendar year, certain utilities rewarded homeowners with additional rebates for energy efficient replacement windows for their existing primary residence. The eligibility was based on the window U-factor and applied to homeowners who were residential customers of a participating utility. It is quite likely that such programs will be continued during the 2010 calendar year.

More reasons to consider energy replacement windows and doors …

If you’re not excited enough about energy savings tax programs and saving on your energy bills, consider the comfort factor when you upgrade your windows and doors. Those of you in Boston MA know precisely how unpleasant it is when cold air penetrates windows and doors and leaves you feeling chilled to your bones. Even layers of clothing and use of a portable space heater fail to surround you with warmth and comfort during cold drafty weather. Replacing your windows and doors with energy efficient products can however, do the job quite nicely as they keep you feeling warm and comfortable and without being bundled up like an Eskimo.

Need more reasons to change those old drafty windows and doors? Energy efficient windows, doors and skylights will significantly add to the beauty of your home’s exterior and interior. They are easy to clean and maintain. And when it comes time to sell, your home will be more attractive to buyers. This can produce quicker and easier sales and a higher selling price.

Proper installation is key to your energy savings with energy efficient replacement windows.

Not all contractors are alike and many are not specialists as window installers. A lack of proficiency can mean that you eliminated every bit of your energy savings and comfort value from replacing your windows. Don’t let this happen to you. Make sure you choose a contractor who is a specialist in installing energy efficient windows. Rather than buy from the local home improvement store, choose to work with a company that has expert installers and a reputation for excellent, honest, dependable and reliable customer service backed by a guarantee. This doesn’t necessarily mean you will need to pay top dollar either. In fact, if you look carefully in the Boston MA area, you will find at least one exceptional specialist contractor who will save you money, provide you with products that will qualify for energy tax credits and assure installation that will keep you snug and warm in your home all winter long.

About the Author: John O’Brien of MASTERCRAFT is a licensed and insured contractor / Installer in the Greater Boston and the South Shore, Massachusetts area since 1986, providing roofing, siding, windows, bathroom remodeling and trim services. Learn more at www.mastercraftnewengland.com or call: 781-829-2222.

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August 13th, 2011
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Save Energy and Money With an Energy Efficient Washing Machine

By Richo Randelle

Saving money on energy can be tough, especially when energy prices are on the rise. Today, more than ever we all need to watch our wallets and make savings wherever we can. If your family needs to cut back on its use of energy one of the first places you should look is your home appliances. Home appliances can use a great deal of energy, and replacing those old inefficient washers, dryers and other appliances with new and more energy efficient models can save you a bundle on electricity and water costs. We live in a world of scarcity and rising fuel cost, so an eagle eye can make all the difference. In fact energy efficient appliances can more than pay for themselves over time, and the special tax breaks for buying energy efficient appliances can make these purchases even wiser.

Buying an energy efficient washing machine is one of the best ways to save both money and energy in the long run. But it is important to shop wisely when looking for an energy efficient washer as there are many pitfalls that you don’t want to fall into. Some important things to look for when shopping for a new washing machine include:

- Look for a front loading washing machine. While front loading models are generally more expensive to buy, they also tend to have larger load capacities than top loading models. There is often a misconception that the opposite is true, but this is not always the case. Top loading machines in launderettes are the exception to the rule, not the rule itself. Since washing only full loads is one of the best ways to save energy and money, this greater load capacity can save you a bundle.

- Look for a washing machine with a faster spin speed. Aside from making less noise for less time, a faster spin speed with a more powerful motor will siphon more water through the washer and reduce the necessary drying intervals.

- Avoid washing machines with a central agitator. A central agitator can waste a great deal of energy. That is why many newer model front loading washing machines are designed without one.

- Look for a washing machine with an automatic load size sensor. This is becoming the standard and most top brands now offer multiple models with load size sensors. This will help your washing machine make more efficient use of both energy and water.

Flashing lights, buttons and dials are all well and good and can provide that illusion that your getting real value for money, but often the feature that these operate are not used. Looking for these features will help you find the most energy efficient washing machine for your home. Since these vital appliances are responsible for such a large percentage of the average home’s energy use, buying the most energy efficient washing machine you can find can have a big impact on your monthly energy costs. Add to that the benefit that you reducing your carbon footprint and doing a little more to save the environment and you can immediately see the it makes sense to opt for an energy efficient washing machine.

About the Author: Richo Randelle is an expert advisor on home cleaning appliances including washing machines and dishwashers.

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August 13th, 2011
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Energy Conservation – Simple Tips That Will Reduce Your Energy Bill

By Hans Dekker

There are many good reasons to conserve energy. If we use less gas, oil and electricity we will save money, and the pollution associated with extracting and using fossil fuels will decrease. Reducing greenhouse gas production may help to reverse global warming. In a nutshell – conservation of energy has both personal and societal benefits.

Most people are concerned with making their money last longer and energy conservation can help by reducing our energy costs. Homeowners can do many things to cut down on their energy needs. Perhaps the best thing they can do to is to install better insulation to retain warm and cool air.

Heating and air conditioning are the biggest energy consumers of the average household. Much of the heat and cool air escapes because of poorly insulated roofs, walls, doors, and windows. In fact in a lot of cases heating and cooling is responsible for around 50% of your energy costs. Improving insulation will result in greater conservation of energy and lesser energy costs. Small changes in this area can result in dramatic reduction in your monthly payment to your utility company.

Old cooling and heating appliances should be replaced with newer models which are more energy efficient. Other large appliances like refrigerators can also be replaced with newer models that are designed to conserve energy. Always make sure you read the energy label, if you do, you will often find that a cheap product in fact can be expensive in its every day use because of its energy consumption.

Traditional light bulbs are inefficient because much of the energy they consume is converted to heat. Replacing all your incandescent bulbs with compact florescent bulbs will provide the same level at light with less energy consumption. Even though the cost of these bulbs is greater than traditional bulbs, they last up to 20 times longer, resulting in significant overall savings.

Using alternative energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines can greatly reduce the amount of energy needed from traditional sources. The electricity produced by these devices can be fed back into the local power grid if it is not immediately used by the household. This reduces the power bill even further (the power meter runs backwards) while supplying clean power to your community.

Conservation of energy is not just for homes, cars and trucks are available with more energy efficient engines and some can run on alternate power sources such as hydrogen or electricity.

Conservation of energy is something that everyone can contribute to. By being careful in how we use our resources we are building a society for our children and grandchildren.

About the Author: Hans is author of http://www.alternative-energy-guide.com/ You will find more tips and information at the Alternative Energy Guide

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August 13th, 2011
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Investing in an Energy Monitor Can Save You up to Fifteen Percent on Your Energy Costs

By Brandy Blair

An energy monitor for the home provides accurate, immediate readouts of how much electricity is being consumed in the home. Some of the more advanced models not only measure the amount of power used, but they also translate this into a dollar and cents display that will show the homeowner how much money individual appliances are costing the home.

Additionally, certain models are now emerging on the market that also estimate the greenhouse gas emissions that various appliances are responsible for generating.

Even the most rudimentary power monitors have demonstrated an impressive ability to help reduce needless power consumption. Statistics have shown that they have helped homeowners reduce electrical spending by up to 15 percent.

More sophisticated types of monitors measure the power that is used by the entire home. Other, simpler, and more affordable monitors track the electrical usage of individual appliances.

Whole house energy monitors can be connected to a home power supply by one of four methods. They can clamp to the electric main. They can connect to the electrical meter through a sensor array or an optical port.

There are also models that directly communicate with a form of smart meter. Others tie directly in to the electrical service panel of the home.

From this position, a whole house power monitor gathers data and relays it to a remote display unit. The connection to the power grid and the remote display can be maintained by a wire, a cable, or operate wireless via radio waves.

In the newest models, too, there are now online, real time feeds capabilities that relay the information gathered to a personal computer, laptop, or smart phone. Communication between the connection array and the display is maintained by cable, wires, or radio waves.

A whole house energy monitor does more than simply look at how much power the entire house is consuming. It can be very specific and precise in its measurements, and it can be programmed to monitor any device in the house.

For example, a resident can track the energy used by a particular light in a room. When the light is turned off, the difference in power consumption can then be used to determine if the light is truly energy efficient and warrants a replacement.

Not everyone can afford to invest in a whole house energy monitor. For these individuals, it is better to start saving money somewhere than to do nothing at all.

There are very simple and affordable power monitors that can plug into individual wall outlets. Various appliances can then be plugged into these smart power strips, as many people call them.

The energy monitor then tracks the amount of power that the device consumes while it is operating. This information is fed to the display. Some models track the amount of electricity alone. Others calculate how much money the device is costing the resident.

One added benefit of the power monitors is the kill switches that are built into them. Many appliances never go off, but rather go into a standby mode that can still drain power from the wall. Shutting off the power at the monitor, however, puts an immediate halt to this wasted consumption.

About the Author: If you need natural gas in atlanta MXenergy has natural gas rates that are competitive. For more information on electricity in tx from this energy supplier visit the main mxenergy site.

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August 13th, 2011
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The New Austrian Energy Group Open a Round of Smart New Energy Revolution

By Himfr Tian

From the Canadian (Mark Kerbel) simple electrical control systems to the U.S. “smart grid,” the introduction of creative energy in the future want to practice, technology and the concept of human development often unexpected dimensions. The Expo Hall, the new pan-Austrian group will bring its network of smart appearance and new energy concept has become the focus of public concern, the U.S. intelligence network stands in the eyes of the world is no longer thriving.

Chinese old saying of “proper way” in low-carbon action has been most vividly in the exhibition play. Here, visitors can see not only track the direction of light irradiation of sunflower-shaped solar panels, there is a full-scale “algae-to-liquid” device.

Perhaps you will be greatly surprised, eyes in a transparent, light green liquid pipeline can of carbon dioxide for food, after handling every level, the final conversion to biodiesel.This is China’s clean energy innovation from the company demonstrated the new Austrian technology group. Austrian group also adopted a new interactive touch screen display to visitors – the pan can network. Pan-network platform to reflect the energy of innovation, both to improve energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption, to achieve carbon dioxide emission reduction, or even “zero carbon.”

Proposed the concept of the current environment, China and the world’s energy situation is a “good medicine” These innovative new energy technologies will bring a new industry – smart new energy. So smart new energy is what? He is not an abstract concept, simply, is that the system energy efficiency technology and IT technology coupled to a smart new energy systems industry. Energy industry is to combine it with the IT industry to make a different energy to a unified platform on the basis of mutual transformation of people’s different needs and distribution.

In another way, smart new energy industry, renewable energy not only innovative, but also energy efficient and clean use of traditional, more importantly, to the intelligent management of energy resources in order to achieve more efficient use of energy, to carbon dioxide emission reduction. To put it simply, the future, “my home’s energy output my remote control”, to the high and low power consumption.

Some experts said in an interview, “energy intelligence to speed up the process, they are bound to be asked to intelligence operation between the various energy sources. Pan to network emerged in this context, it is the product of the times.”

Previously the industry has a perception that the financial crisis appears to be triggered by U.S. subprime mortgage crisis, there is also the deep reason technology. Imagine, if no new scientific and technological revolution (such as new energy, bio-technology, outer space, a breakthrough in the theory of relativity), the world economy will be slowing down.

Fourth scientific and technological revolution will also take full account of human factors, by the end of 2006, the U.S. “Time magazine” Person of the Year for 2006 was awarded the “YOU”, on behalf of the millions of individuals, declare the “era of individual consumption,” the advent of. The originator of Neurophysiology, Sir Charles Sherrington also believes that the fourth field of scientific and technological revolution the revolution must be conscious.

This can be attributed to pan to network tasks: the material into energy, then transformed by information systems to people’s everyday lives, this will be the initial stage of low-carbon society, it means to lead low-carbon technologies start to real change in the daily lives of ordinary people.

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August 13th, 2011
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Wind Turbine Energy, A Clean, Cheap and Safe Way to Produce Energy

By Elaine Shay

Wind has been considered as a downside of regions, a factor that conspired against urbanization, highlighting destructive power of the wind. But more recently, technology has provided a whole new outlook on the wind. Regions with steady regular wind have proven to be the most suitable ones to produce a new way of cheap and clean energy: wind energy. You can read more information about it by reading the article below.

Wind energy can be “harvested” with the use of wind turbines. Wind turbines are roughly structures with big propellers that take advantage of the constant movement of the propeller, generating energy. In the same way mills took advantage of wind, typically to extract water from the soil, these new wind turbines generate electricity in an efficient way. Technically, it can be said that they convert the free everlasting kinetic energy of the wind into electricity. No chemistry is involved, because it is simply an ingenious device that transforms energy into usable ways.

A Wind Turbine Energy consists mostly of three main components: the rotor blades, the shaft and the generator. A lot can be said about the design of the blades. They need to be aerodynamically shaped, so as to make the most of the wind, with the least loss of energy. This includes careful consideration of the materials blades are made of. At first, wood was the preferred material. Later on light metals were used, like aluminum. The most suitable is carbon fiber, an extremely light material, amazingly resistant. The shaft is connected to the rotor. It transfers the movement to the rotor, which has one end attached to a regular electric generator. Here is where the electric energy is produced. This is a very simple, yet very effective mechanism. Electricity will be produced as long as the blades spin.

The generator works using the properties of electromagnetic induction. The core of the generator is made of magnets, that when moved constantly close to a conducting material –copper wires, most typically-, produce a difference of electric tension –voltage. Magnets have this amazing property: to release electrons: energy.

Windmills are used in areas where traditional wiring is not present, for instance in rural areas. In 1930, 600.000 windmills provided water and electricity to many rural areas in the United States. By 2006, new windmills were developed that could produce up to 4 mega Watts of electric power, enough to supply energy to a small neighborhood with one single mill. The new wind turbines have a completely different design from traditional mills, the axis being placed vertically, instead of horizontally. This new layout helps maximize the power of rotation of the wind. This design is called VAWT.

The size of the Wind Turbine Energy mills is highly relevant. The bigger the mill is, the most energy it can produce. The drawback is that bigger structures require bigger parts that will necessary gain in weight. That is why new materials such as carbon nanotubes and glass fibers are so effective when designing mills.

About the Author: Are you looking for more information regarding Wind Turbine Energy? Visit http://www.creategreenenergy.us today!

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August 13th, 2011
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Home Made Energy Versus Earth 4 Energy – The Complete Review

By Jack Stevinson

Create your own Home Made Energy

Have you ever thought of creating your own electricity? I realize it seems a bit daunting at first. After all we are talking about electricity which is both invisible and can be quite dangerous. However with the right instruction it is perfectly possible for the average DIY person to build a solar panel or a windmill or both and for a lot less money than you might imagine.

The main reason more of us have not installed solar panels for instance is down to the cost of installation and it is true that investing in a professional job is expensive and rarely offers a good return on investment.

What Do These Home Made Energy Guides Do?

The idea behind these guides is to show you in detail how to create your own renewable energy source using either solar energy, wind power or a combination of both.

Both of these home made energy guides offer comprehensive instruction and blueprints into how to achieve energy independence from the big power companies.

If you really take it on board you can create a surplus of energy and sell it back to the grid. Now that would be great, don’t you think?

What Does It All Cost?

Well both “Home Made Energy” and “Earth 4 Energy” claim a construction cost of under $200 and after doing some checking, this would appear to be fairly accurate.

The cost of a professional installation would be several thousand dollars. This makes the return on investment very quick using the home made energy or earth for energy system.

There are many guides available now, all claiming to show you the best way of producing your own electricity. However after extensive research we have discovered that the majority of these guides are little more than thinly disguised copies or clones of Earth4Energy which was I believe the original.

Which Is The Best Guide?

This is of course a matter of opinion. However, after going through both “Home Made Energy and “Earth4Energy” along with a couple of other imitators, here are my findings:

“Home Made Energy ” is okay. It does show you what you need to do but to be honest it is written in fairly simple terms and is not really comprehensive. I did wonder if it was a poorly written copy of the far superior “Earth4Energy”. “Earth4Energy” is well written; it is comprehensive and really does show you everything you need to complete your project. There is a DVD video as well as the digital e guide and even a blueprint and guide to making portable units suitable for camping or an RV for example.

Are They Worth The Purchase Price?

At the time of writing both guides can be purchased for around $47. I would have to say this is very good value for money. Even if you only replaced a small part of your energy requirements it would take very little time to recoup your investment.

Support

Both “Earth4Energy” and “Home Made Energy” offer full support via email along with a 60 day money back guarantee. (Excellent)

About the Author: If you would like to learn more about how to build your own solar and wind powered generators, using one of these guides A free in depth review is available here at Home Made Energy Review Well worth a read. A terrific product review site with loads of in depth and unbiased reviews is available at Does It Work? Don’t waste any more money. Check it out today..

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August 12th, 2011
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How To Make Free Energy And Conserve Purchased Energy For The Coming Winter Months

By Woody Wilson

Winter power bills will double or triple your summer energy budget. You can save 20% to 80% of your cost in just one week. New amazingly simple home-made-energy is available for $100 to $200.

Follow these 12 free and easy steps and save over 25% of your winter energy budget. Add just one more step and save up to 80%.

12 Step for Energy Conservation:

1. Change the filters on your air-conditioner and heater every 30 days To keep the systems working properly and help keep the indoor air clean.

2. Clean the coils on the back of your refrigerator every 4 to 6 months.Put some inexpensive weather stripping around doors and windows if they’re Not shutting tightly.

3. Keep the thermostat at the best energy-saving levels during the cooling And heating seasons. The recommendations for maximum energy savings are 78 Degrees in summer and 68 degrees in winter. Every degree you can raise that

Setting higher in summer or lower in winter can save from 2 to 10 percent on Heating and cooling costs, so it can make a big difference.

4. Turn off lights, fans and other appliances when you leave any area.

5. When you arrange your furniture, be careful that it does not block vents Or heaters.

6. Unplug appliances and electronic products that are not used often. Battery Chargers, power adapters, computers in standby and older TV can consume 2 to 5% Of your budget because they are not truly turned off.

7. Ask your landlord to fix even small water leaks. Hot water can be as Expensive as electricity, and small leaks add up to big energy-wasters. Also Clean the aerators in your faucets and shower heads occasionally to minimize Water use and the energy used to heat it.

8. Keep your refrigerator at the proper settings – usually 37 degrees for The refrigerator and 0 for the freezer. Use a thermometer to verify that the Settings are correct. Research shows that a full refrigerator keeps the cold In longer when doors are opened, so fill jugs with water if there isn’t enough Food to keep the unit full.

9. Replace incandescent bulbs with ENERGY STAR-rated compact fluorescent lamps. They’ll last longer and use much less energy to operate, plus they don’t put Out the heat that the traditional bulbs do.

10. Keep the blinds and drapes tightly closed during summer days to keep the Heat out, and open during winter days to allow the sun’s warmth to get Indoors.

11. Use cold water for washing and rinsing clothes. You’ll save the energy Used to heat water and the clothes should get just as clean.

12. Finally, check the setting on your water heater. Most come from the Factory pre-set at 140 degrees – far more than you need and enough to cause Serious burns. Lower it to around 122 degrees which will be adequate for most Home needs.

13. Build 70 watt Solar panels for $98 or 450 watt Wind Turbine generator for $140 Or made a Magnetic generator for $100. Construction can be done in a weekend to a week.

This is Important ~

If you seriously want free energy at home and you are willing to build a device yourself to save cost, you need a guide.

These new guides have all the development worked out and offer step by step instruction. This will save you both time and money. Usually you can be operational in less than a week. All of these guide are written for the layman without high technical requirements. Material and tools required are common around the house items. The first model that you make is like training. Once you make your first, you can make another bigger and more powerful.

About the Author: If you want my critical review of two of the best guides click hereResidential Energy Kit by Woody Wilson Woody Wilson’s background: Marketing Major with honors; US Navy Electronics and Computer expert; Bio-Medical Field Engineer; Salesman; Applications Programmer; US Coast Guard Merchant Marine Captain and all around handyman.

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August 12th, 2011
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Save Money By Making Your House Energy Friendly! Get An Energy-Efficient Mortgage!

By John R. Blakefield

Did you know that you can save money by having an energy efficient house? And you can facilitate this by getting a loan to improve the energy usage of the house. It is known as an Energy-Efficient Mortgage or EEM and many lenders offer them to home buyers with energy conservation in mind. You can check with banks and other institutions who can help guide you in the right direction in finding this great opportunity.

In order to qualify for an EEM, you must have your house rated for its energy usage. This energy rating evaluates the entire structure as a whole and does not consider who is living in it, meaning the assessment is not based on personal behavior. The energy rating literally assesses the amount of energy used based on the type windows that are installed in the home, the amount and type of insulation, as well as the appliances your home uses. It even looks at the type and quality of major energy users such as cooling and heating systems. The better quality the structure and the least amount of air leakage in ducts, the better the energy rating the house will get.

Before you get your house rated for energy usage, be sure to ask the lender what type of energy rating they want to you to get. A very common rating is the Home Energy Rating System or HERS, and you can find companies or individuals who can diagnose a house and give it this rating. The person who does the rating is either a certified rater or energy auditor who uses information gathered from the house, inputs it in a computer program, and then produces a report. This report is used to rate the house and give it a score from 1-100. There is then a scale of 5 stars that correspond to the amount of points the house has earned.

Not only does this report assess the current energy uses of the house, but will also give suggestions on ways to improve the energy usage of the home by making the necessary improvements on the house. It can go as far as to detail the estimated cost, savings, and break even point for each improvement.

The lender, however, may prefer you to use alternative energy audits that will determine the same type of information that the lender will use to assess the amount and terms of the EEM.

In order to qualify for an energy improvement through an EEM, the improvement must be cost-effective which means that the monthly savings on the utility bills that are generated by the improvement must be greater than the added monthly cost of the energy mortgage. Also, your total savings must be greater than your total costs.

What the EEM is achieving is the ability for a home owner to take out a loan in order to make the necessary home improvements that will save more money than the loan costs itself. There will be considerable long term savings as well, after the loan costs and savings break even.

Actually getting the EEM is like getting a normal mortgage, just there is some additional paperwork and of course information used to determine the loan amount and terms. A facilitator can assist you with making the EEM process run smoothly, making sure everything is completed and filed in a timely manner and taking some of the work off the shoulders of both the home owner and lender.

The home owner has between about 90 and 180 days to have the improvements made to the home. The loan amount, usually about 150% of the total cost of improvements, is placed into an escrow account by the lender and the lender pays the contracting company directly if so requested. This leaves the home owner out of the transaction so he or she will not be responsible for the transaction itself.

An EEM is not only environmentally friendly, but pocket book friendly as well. At the same time that a home owner is saving money, energy is being conserved that could be used elsewhere. The government is in full support of the EEM and will even help finance the energy audit up to $200. This energy audit that determines the house energy rating can cost anywhere from $100 to $350, $200 being the average.

So you think your home could be more energy efficient? And that your energy bills could be much lower than what they are? Consider an Energy-Efficient Mortgage and begin taking steps to getting your home retrofitted for a new life of energy conservation and more money in the wallet. Not only that, you get to experience a more efficient and comfortable home after all the necessary improvements are complete.

About the Author: John R Blakefield is a mortgage and real estate specialist. For more information, articles, news, tools and valuable resources on home mortgages or investment loans, refinancing, debt solutions, visit this site: http://www.scourtheweb.com/mortgage/.

Source: www.isnare.com

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