By Greg K. Hansward

There are a number of reasons why someone would want to build their own solar power generator system, common uses include being able to use portable appliances like laptops and radios out and about and if the power ever failed. You can go out to buy a ready made solar generator, but what’s the fun in that if you could make one yourself?

Buying all of the components needed for your solar power generator isn’t difficult. Everything you will need is available from your local electrical store, you should be able to get everything you need for under $400. The exact price will depend on the quality and brand of parts that you use. Solar power generators allow you to use electrical equipment wherever you are in the world, whether you are on a boat or camping outdoors.

Creating your Own Solar Power System

The first component which you need to buy is a small solar panel, one about 12-16 volts will do the job nicely. You should be able to find such a panel for less than $200 at an RV supply store. You should then buy a deep cycle 12 volt battery, you can buy either a gel, or lead and acid battery. I suggest a deep cycle battery if you are planning to use this system for a long time. You should be able to buy such a battery for around $50.

You need to buy a box to protect the battery from the elements, animals and children. You should then purchase a 12 volt DC meter. You also need a DC input, all of these things can be found in your local electronics store. You can then use this system to power small DC appliances such as laptops and PDA’s.

If you want to run AC appliances with your solar power system then you need to invest in an inverter to convert the generated DC current into AC. You should be able to find these inverters in automotive stores, however you should decide how much power you require before buying an inverter. To get an idea of which one to buy add up the number of watts that you intend to use at any one time.

You should connect the meter with the DC input to the battery box, carefully choose insulated wire to attach these together. When connecting anything to a battery make sure you always connect the negative poles first. When connecting the solar panel make sure you do this in the same way.

Once you’ve wired everything together you should shut the lid and aim the solar panel in direct sunlight. Normally batteries that are flat will take around eight hours of sunlight to charge. Nearly flat batteries can charge in as little as 3 hours. Such a system cannot be expected to provide enough power for a whole house, however it can supply enough power for individual small appliances.

Solar power systems are very easy to expand, should you decide you ever need more power you can add extra panels into your array. If you do add more panels you should also consider a circuit breaker to handle this extra load.

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By Sam Greyhawk

Computer technology advances at a very fast rate. Chances are you’ve upgraded or replaced your computer equipment in the last few years. Why am I so confident? The average desktop has a functional lifespan of between two to five years depending on your computing requirements. Similarly, a laptop or notebook have a functional lifespan of between two to five years as well. Most manufacturers usually offer a three year warranty which indicates what they perceive is a reasonable lifespan. Understanding the rate the computer technology improves - while you may have a functional lifespan of up to five years - you will most likely be owning outdated hardware in as little as six months.

Why Should I Recycle my Hardware?

It’s important to try to re-use and recycle everything we can but computers, laptops and their peripherals require special attention. Why? Consider the following facts:

In 2001 “e-waste” was responsible for 70% of the heavy metals and 40% of the lead in all US landfills

It requires 530 lbs of fossil fuel, 58 lbs of chemicals and 1.5 tons of water to make a single desktop PC and monitor

Contained in the 300 million already discarded computers is enough mercury to poison the Great Lakes over eight times

About 400 million pieces of consumer electronics are thrown away each in year in the US

Instead of throwing away your outdated hardware and creating more waste or storing it indefinitely - why not recycle it? If your computer is still functional you can always consider donating it locally to a family member or charity. If you have some technical skills and a DIY attitude you may want to revive an older Windows machine by installing a free Linux based operating system.

If you feel more comfortable donating your machine, then your first step will be finding a suitable new home for your older hardware.

Finding a Charity

Donating to a charity instead of individual will provide you with a receipt that you can use for tax purposes. The following services can assist you with finding a charity in your local area.

Share the Technology (USA)

DonateAPC (UK)

World Computer Exchange (Canada)

Finding a Non-Profit Organization

If you’d like to donate to a non-profit organization then the following service can help you:

Recycles (USA)

Make sure you check each organizations requirements for accepting donations. Some organizations have specific requirements such as restricting computer donations by age.

More Recycling Options

If you can’t find a local charity which is a good match for your hardware you can always consider:

Freecycle

Craigslist

Another option to consider is contacting your local city hall about its recycling policies. Many have designated days for collection computers and other electronics.

Before Donation

Before you donate your hardware you should back up your files just in case you might need them at a later date. To simplify this process you may want to consider an external hard drive or some useful free utilities such as FolderShare.

After backing up all of your data it’s always a good idea to wipe your hard drive clean. While some charities guarantee they will wipe your data, not all do. This includes removing your operating system. You can do this using free utilities such as Active KillDisk or Eraser.

At this point your machine should now be ready for donation.

Revive an older PC/Laptop using Linux

For those with more some technical skill and a DIY mentality then you may be pleased to learn that installing a linux distribution on an aging windows machine will breath new life into it.

Will switching your OS turn your old machine into a state of the art powerhouse? No, but it will provide basic functionality such as web surfing, word processing and email.

If you are interested in installing a Linux based operating system, then I recommend reviewing your options at DistroWatch. If that seems overwhelming due to the volume of choices then consider gOS and Freespire as free options or Linspire as an inexpensive one.

Remember, older PCs and laptops can be useful for charities, schools, family members in need and with a little TLC maybe even yourself.

Sam Greyhawk is an energy efficiency evangelist working with [http://www.coolnsave.com/]Cool-N-Save(tm), an Energy Star Partner, in Huntington Beach, California. Cool-N-Save(tm) is an [http://www.coolnsave.com/]air conditioner mister that can save you up to 30% on your [http://www.coolnsave.com/]AC electric bill.

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By Kim S.

Have you ever wondered what makes real estate properties ‘green’ or ‘eco friendly’? Hopefully I can help you learn how to identify properties that meet some or all of these green qualifications in both construction and operation. Whether you are looking to buy green, or you want to ‘green’ your present home in order to sell it I hope to help you in your endeavor, and especially if you are simply looking to implement easy green features and habits, creating a green home and a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

I definitely know there are countless things I could add to my list here, but for now I want to merely create the mood of what a green home would look like. One thing’s for sure, no matter how green you go, make sure it’s done in a light, joyful way that doesn’t impose on others. We are where we are at any given time in our lives, and there will always be someone greener than us! Green pride, should always be personal.

These green lifestyle choices not only enhance our health, but also our finances! Yeah green, puts green in your pocket!

So what features might make a property green or eco-friendly…

Usually homes are demolished, but do you know they can be deconstructed instead? Antique stores have known for centuries the brilliance of reclaimed and reuse of materials. Certainly a great percentage of a homes materials can come from a pre-used source. I know of one yoga studio that has the most gorgeous wood floors reclaimed from an old Bank of America historic building that was being refurbished. And it was free! Only the cost of removal! What a conversation piece! Just as relevant are materials derived from easily renewable sources, bamboo versus ancient oak trees.

The paint we use, low or zero VOC paint. You know that ‘new home smell’ we all love, usually from a fresh coat of paint? Well that’s the smell of your lungs being poisoned! There are many sources of green power or at least eco choices, such as solar panels for electricity, natural day lighting via skylights and low voltage lighting for the evening. Site orientation makes such a difference, imagine orienting the home toward the sun in colder climates and alternatively catching cool breezes in warmer climates? Not only that but using landscaping to help. Deciduous trees to shade windows in the summer, yet let in warm sun in the winter. Green comes in many shades! Overall, we should seek durable, healthy, sustain-ably sourced ‘green’ building materials, ones that are non-toxic thus helping improve indoor air quality.

In the garden permeable paving helps guide ‘fresh’ water to underground tables rather than run off via drain pipes to the salt water ocean. The use of native, zero or low water use gardens not only replace a strange obsession with antiquated English grass lawns but also encourage native birds and butterflies into your garden! Green landscaping can create a truly magical garden.

Not every green home will embody all features. The hope is that we are making lifestyle choices that are healthier for us, cheaper on a daily basis and kinder to our planet.

I think green, eco-friendly lifestyle choices are not only the logical thing to do, but the financially clever thing to do. I’m no Donald Trump, but if I had two homes, one build in the conventional manner with all toxic formaldehyde off gassing materials, with my kid suffering from asthma, expensive to heat and cool… then across the street is another home for sale, essentially the same design and price except it’s cheaper to run and healthier to live in… what is the choice?

The green one of course! No doubt you would choose the green, eco-friendly home. Ask anyone… Green is the new black! http://green-real-estate-eco-homes-lifestyle.blogspot.com/ http://greenhomesforsaleonline.com/

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