Solar Living News

Most homeowners understand that outdoor solar lighting is a great option to support environmental awareness and as a means of saving money by preserving electricity. These elements obviously support one another as the utilization of the sun to power your outside landscape lighting saves electricity and hence show on your power bill each and every month.

Maybe less obvious to most is another feature solar powered garden lighting brings to your home, added safety and security. This could prove to be the most beneficial aspect brought to you courtesy of solar powered home lighting. At no additional charge, outdoor solar lighting can help protect your home and most importatnly your family from possible unwanted intruders. Your home will always appear to be occupied and busy after the sun sets thanks to the glow of your yard. This is a perimeter feature that may have potential burglars thinking that your home is not such an easy target.

Furthermore, you and your family will be able to freely navigate throughout your yard with reduced risk of tripping or other hazards that may reveal themselves without the presence of night time lighting. A subtle but noticeable glow throughout your yard courtesy of solar powered landscape lighting certainly brings out the beauty and character of your home and garden and provides just one more deterrant from possible intruders.

As you plan your outdoor landscape lighting layout, you can place a variety of solar powered lights around your home to improve safety. Of course there is no guarantee that your home will always remain safe, lighting is a great perimeter deterrent from potential burglars. Adding a home alarm with your landscape lighting obviously adds safety and security to your

There are plenty of ways home and business owners can save money by making a few simple adjustments and taking advantage of cost saving opportunities available with green products. Not only are you playing nice with the planet, you will save money on your power bill every month. One adjustment comes in the form of those cool little curly light bulbs called the CFL or Compact Fluorescent Lamp. The old outdated and power draining incandescent bulbs have been around since Edison introduced them to the world but out with the old and in with the sheik new curly CFLs.

The old incandescent worked when electricity heated both sides of a carbon filament resulting in a light emission. A CFL bulb operates in a completely non related manner. The CFL is actually a closed glass tube with a fluorescent coating which glows when electrical current connects to the argon and mercury vapors inside the tubing.
True, incandescent bulbs are much cheaper upfront than the CFL bulb. However, using traditional bulbs will cost you much more in the long run with any significant use.
Incandescent bulbs wear out much quicker and they require substantially more electricity to operate. To compare, a CFL bulb, with average use will save you over $25 throughout its lifetime and will not need to be replaced unlike incandescent bulbs. The CFL will pay for itself in less than half a year.

It is also very interesting to view the electricity outputs for the CFL compared to the incandescent bulb. The same light emission for a 40-watt incandescent can be achieved with just 9 watts for the CFL bulb. You can replace a 100-watt incandescent with a 23 to 30 watt CFL.

This is a great way to conserve energy indoors and the same practices can be apply outside your home as well. As an alternative to electrical in-line systems you can easily install outdoor solar powered landscape lighting to save money and energy as well. These lights use Light Emitting Diodes (LED) that are completely poered by the sun.

Indoor or outside you can start your environmental and cost savings plan by simply changing your bulbs. Your wallet and your world will smile a little brighter.

There are great benefits to homeowners who decide to install outdoor garden lighting. Home beautification during evening and night time hours along with higher levels of safety and security helps families and visitors navigate throughout the yard after the sunsets while giving potential intruders a reason to stay away.
After determining that outside landscape lighting is right for you then you will have to make a decision about the type of outside lighting you would like to display around your yard. Solar or electric or maybe you may want a combination of both. You can review the pros and cons of each type and decide which best fits your needs and your budget.

Light emitted by electrical outdoor lighting systems is brighter and remains more constant compared to solar powered landscape lights. However, be aware of their Total Cost to own should you choose electrical lighting. After purchasing electrical in-line systems also remember you will pay for the electricity to power them each month. In additiona to the light fixtures themselves, a transformer is needed for the 12v systems often adding an additional cost of $200 to your investment.

Many people who choose this system will favor a low voltage system to reduce the power consumption for these lights. Also installation time required for this landscape lighting style and accessibility to an outside power source need to be major planning considerations. Outdoor solar powered lighting is not limited to these considerations providing that there’ access to direct sunlight. Solar lights can be installed just about anywhere around your landscape as they are individually installed and of course do not require any electrical power source.

For more information about outside solar powered landscape lighting and other energy savin information check out http://www.solarselectives.com

This is a truly remarkable story that does include alternative energy but even more importantly the human spirit. Last week the BBC News Africa as reported by Jude Sheerin, found a truly amazing Malawian teenager by the name of William Kamkwamba who is inspired by global green energy efforts and climate change campaigns and now is featured in a new book. William literally saved his father’s farm and home village of Masitala by building two functioning windmills out of scrap and debris.

At age 14 William had to quit school and return to Masitala as his parents were unable to afford the $80 annual tuition. He has always dreamed of bringing water and electricity to his village and thwarting the hunger that has become so prevalent in his region.
After one of Malawi’s worst droughts in 2002, resulting in the death of thousands of people William and his family were on the brink of starvation. Now unable to attend school he continued to study by using his village library. William was intrigued by science and one day his life and the lives of many others changed when he located a used book containing the picture of a windmill.

William told BC news that: “I was very interested when I saw the windmill could make electricity and pump water. He thought this could make a difference with hunger and decided to build one for himself.

Now 22 years old, William concocted a turbine from spare bicycle parts, a tractor fan blade and an old shock absorber. He also used and fashioned blades from plastic pipes that were flattened by being held over a fire. It took several months of backbreaking work to complete his turbine project. The end result was a 16 foot high wooden tower resembling an oversized tinker toy creation.

But what appeared to be a novelty and was quite a curious structure to neighbors, soon turned from amusement to amazement when William scrambled up the windmill and hooked a car light bulb to the turbine. As the blades began spinning just like designed the bulb then began to flicker to life and a crowd of villagers went wild.

Later his original windmill capacity was upgraded to 48-volts and anchored into concrete after its original base was chewed away by termites. Then he built a new windmill, dubbed the Green Machine, which turned a water pump to irrigate his family’s field.
The popularity and amazing results of William’s story has led to great responses around the globe. He is often at guest speaking arrangements and is attending a prestigious school in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This is a great example of human dedication and the power to succeed. It also demonstrates how natural resources can be utilized to enhance civilization through application and determination. For more articles and information about solar energy and clean energy resources please visit http://www.solarselectives.com a great resource for outdoor solar powered landscape lighting.