DIY Solar Panels – the Easy Way

The rising cost of energy forcing many to look for other cheaper source of energy. Solar panels offer cheaper alternative source of energy for saving money, cutting the household electricity bills. But the house owners with cash crunch find them beyond their reach when they consider solar panels installed by the professionals.  Of course it may cost you thousands of dollars if the system is installed by professionals. But you can save much, once you learn yourself making solar panels.

You must be thinking it is not that easy! Be sure that it is not so tough; you don’t need an engineering degree or special skill to make solar panels. Anyone can do it, sparing time in their weekends at a fraction of actual cost.

Another privilege of making solar panel is to have control over the size. That is, you make the panels for your simple appliances like TV, coffee maker, DVD player, computer or anything else or for the whole household consumption. You could even run off the grid supply entirely.

The key to make solar panels at home yourself is having a good manual. Once you have one, you will be surprised to find how simple it is.  Most of the things like plywood, glass sheets or copper wire roles you will find with your local hardware stores. It is quite easy to find photovoltaic cells of inexpensive varieties from local shops or over online stores.

Help of a superior quality manual is most important for making solar panel yourself.  It must provide the proper instructions. It should be written in such a way that even if you’re not accustomed to machineries, you can get encouragement with its guidance. So don’t look for cheaper variety, buy the best manual.

In fact the cost of making solar panels is very low when you make it yourself. So the cost of manual should not bother you.

Eco Friendly Bathroom Ideas

When doing a bathroom renovation consider updating more than just the fixtures and colors – go a step further and think about everything else you can change to make your bathroom more eco friendly.

Sustainable Materials

So many things are now being made from sustainable materials and that includes lumber, even cabinetry. You can also choose to buy towels and linens from the very fast growing bamboo tree – bamboo products are incredibly absorbant and have a natural anti-bacterial quality. If the product you seek isn’t eco friendly already, consider recycled materials such as glass and tile. Even a brand new shower enclosure can be showcased with an eco friendly or recycled material shower curtain.

Low Flowing Water

Taps, showerheads and toilets are all available in a low flow option. Low flow showerheads and faucets are easily available – or put in low flow restrictors yourself. If a new toilet isn’t on your budget, you can save 16% on your water bill by simply filling up an empty 4 litre jug (water, juice, milk etc) with water and placing it in the toilet tank. Eco renovations don’t require all new products, sometimes a bit of DIY handiwork goes a long way.

Eco Lighting

Installing compact fluorescent bulbs is the best thing to do for energy saving on lighting in the bathroom. But you could go further and install a skylight for completely natural light. Compact flourescent bulbs are expensive on the intitial purchase – yet use only use 20 to 30% of the power required to use an incandescent light bulb. Compact fluorescent bulbs also last 8 to 15% longer.

Eco Friendly Paint

Take the opportunity to upgrade the color of your bathroom with eco friendly paint. In addition to soy based paints, there are several other choices including; low VOC paints, clay paints, lime(wash) paints, and even milk paints. Ask at your local paint store for information on which paint may work best for you.

Eco Friendly Home Improvements – Making it Happen

If you’ve been long since hoping to do some updating on your home and are considering eco friendly choices, obtaining a home improvement loan may be the answer to your financial needs to make it happen. Home improvment loans are easier to get than an unsecured or personal loan – with the property itself being security. Add to that the fact that home improvements tend to increase the value of the home.

Consider exactly what you want to update or renovate before approaching your bank about home improvement loans. Being aware of the estimated costs for your improvements and even how your new improved and eco friendly renovation will increase the value of your home. Keep in mind that while unsecured loans require the details of the costs involved, the bank is going to look on a home improvement loan as a secured loan. You’ll be more likely to be approved if you go for this option over an unsecured loan.

Another thing to consider when making eco home renovations are possible green energy tax incentives. Adding solar panels or energy efficient heating and cooling could bring you tax breaks.

Home Improvement for the Techie

Home improvement projects – and pretty much anything else you need to do for home maintenance – just got a whole lot easier. You can now pay for your contractor, lumber delivery or even pizza for lunch with your phone. It’s just a simple sign up process and a download like you would for any Blackberry app – MerchantWare for the Blackberry.

Credit card processing is going green – well, not quite, but doing business this way makes for a smaller carbon footprint. After signing up for an account and downloading the application, you can make secure transactions right on your telephone. The Japanese have already been doing this for years – purchases via phone. And now you can too.

As a merchant, this new option is ideal. If you are on-the-go as a contractor going from site to site, you can simple bill and charge with your phone. With no gateway fees and no expensive third-party licensing, MerchantWare is cost effective and convenient. No need to stop at the office, or meet with the accountant, you can do it all with your smart phone.