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Andris E. Cukurs, Chief Executive Officer, North American Subsidiary of Suzlon Wind Energy Corporation was the opening keynote speaker for Darden’s 3rd annual Sustainability and Renewable Energy Forum sponsored by the Darden Energy Club. As CEO for Suzlon Wind Energy Corporation, Mr. Cukurs provides strategic direction for the North American Operations which includes more than 450 employees across 20 offices. Under his leadership the company has becomewind powerity in delivering wind power projects, with cumulative installtions totalling more than 1700 MW in 14 states across the nation. This event is also part of Darden’s Leadership Speaker Series and is introduced by Professor Richard Brownlee. Recorded on October 28, 2009.

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It is easier than you think to live in comfort whilst still keeping your home energy efficient. Some of the ideas are easier than you could imagine. All three are inexpensive to do compared to what you gain in return. So what are the three secrets of an energy efficient home?

Lighting

Are you still using the old fashioned incandescent light bulb? It isn’t the 20th century anymore and the rest of the world has moved on. Get with the times and switch to using energy efficient light bulbs.

Energy efficient light bulbs use 75% less energy than standard light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. A little birdie also told me that dimmable versions are also now available at many major retailers.

Loft Insulation

A good layer of insulation in the ceiling space prevents the loss of heat through your roof. Heat loss occurs through your roof because warm air rises naturally. Insulating your ceiling cavity can reduce your heating costs by up to 15%.

It doesn’t cost the earth to have loft insulation installed. The money you save in heating costs will pay for the insulation many times over in the long-run and reduce your energy usage and carbon footprint.

Heating & Cooling

There are many options for heating your home on a budget, and economically. While it may make sense to buy a $30 or $40 electric oil heater for the winter now, it won’t once the electricity bill lands in the letterbox.

The most energy efficient method of heating on the market today is the heat pump air conditioner. They work in the exact same way as a fridge in that it transfers heat from one place to another using refrigerants. To heat your home, the heat energy in the air outside is first extracted, and then transferred indoors.

A heat pump can deliver up to 4kW of heating for each kW of electricity used. It does this simply by the way in which it works. By using electricity to transfer heat energy from one location to another, it can achieve extremely high levels of heat output for very little running cost.

You can also use a heat pump as an air conditioner during the hot summer months on the days when you just cannot stand the heat whatsoever. Find out what your heating requirements are with a heat pump calculator.

Simple and Cost Effective

The three methods above are cost effective and help save you money in the long term. Stop wasting your hard earned money on your power bills and get yourself some treats instead.

Technorati Tags: Building insulation, efficient, Efficient energy use, energy, Energy Efficient, Heat pump, Home, Incandescent light bulb

Living in a cold climate, and I’m used to high energy bills, but I have to say. I’m not very fond of them. With the economy taking a turn for the worse, money is tight these days, no matter what your profession. Therefore, I started researching ways to live a more energy efficient lifestyle. That’s when I came across Steel Kit Homes. I live in a log cabin, and I was shocked by the comparison of steed framed homes to wood framed homes. Steel frame homes can be substantially more energy efficient than standard wood frame homes.

As I was researching the benefits of energy efficiency, I was also astounded by how harmful the air inside our home can be, and with today’s modern technology such as computers, video games, Ipod’s, and so on. I wasn’t too surprised by learning that 90% of all people spend most of their time indoors. I have to threaten my daughter just to get her to walk the dog, so that wasn’t a big shocker. However, learning that bacteria and mold expansion could be a major factor in homes that are not properly ventilated, sealed, and insulated, was. I am concerned about the quality of air I breathe, and more importantly, that my daughter breathes. I was also amazed by learning that contaminants can be up to five times higher inside a home than outside. Learning that I could control the air quality in my home, by simply making sure my air conditioner filters are cleaned and changed often enough, along with making sure the heating and cooling systems are installed correctly, was a big relief, especially knowing that the air quality raises health worries more commonly in children, the elderly and illness prone individuals. My daughter’s health is a major concern of mine. Therefore, I kept researching, and was deeply disturbed by the statistics. It is a fact, that poor air quality in your home could cause allergies, asthma, seasonal effective disorders, and even several types of cancer. Finding all this out, left me beside myself, but I was at ease, when I kept reading the benefits to Steel Kit Homes. The energy efficiency of kit homes surpasses that of other homes by far. Yes, it is true; steel is a high conductor of heat. However, the strength of steel allows the beams to be closer together, instead of further apart as with wood beams used for homes like mine. This meaning, it cuts down on the air intake seeping into your home.

Not only do Steel Kit Homes provide healthier indoor air quality, but they also cut down on those high energy bills, as I mentioned before. I would much rather spend my hard earned money taking my daughter to an amusement park, then pay those ridiculously high energy costs. Living an energy efficiency lifestyle means saving money. Now that I have done my research, there is no doubt that I will indeed be purchasing a Steel Kit Home, and if you are looking for a healthier way of living, then I suggest you check into it also.

Technorati Tags: Designed, efficient, energy, Homes, Lifestyle, Steel

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Phoebus Energy. The Hybrid Revolution is Here! Transform existing commercial water heaters into a hybrid water heating system which saves 40-70% of annual fuel consumption and reduces carbon emissions by 80-90%.

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Carsten Westergaard [Global Technology Director, Vestas] Abstract: Wind energy is a fascinating collection of multi-disciplinary engineering. Harvesting the wind efficiently, we have to understand the metrological conditions, the climate, and the turbulence induced by the landscape in order predict the lifetime performance parameters. We can design the turbines using all of our knowledge from civil, mechanical and electrical engineering to deliver a cost-efficient energy that can compete with other energy sources in todays modern society. Now, the goal of the United States is to have 20% of the electrical energy generated by wind. We will need to understand the logistic chain and the infrastructure required to install and operate turbines. Vestas currently has a fleet of more than 35000 turbines, and we are installing one turbine every four hours somewhere on the planet. Biography: Dr. Carsten Hein Westergaard earned his PhD in 1994 at the Danish Technical University. His dissertation titled: “PIV measurements of turbulent structures” encompassed optical computing and optical flow measurements. Part of his research was completed with Prof. Ronald Adrian at University of Illinois. He started his industrial career in wind technology as an aerodynamics blade designer. Through the years, he has been working with fluid and structure dynamics in many different industries. Joining Vestas Technology R&D, he started Vestas office on campus of the National Laboratory for …

Technorati Tags: Challenges, energy, Innovations, technology, wind

These days electricity consumption is increasing in every house with a very rapid pace. In the coming years if the ever increasing consumption is not reduced then we can face major electricity crisis. In order to cut down your electricity bills it is very essential for you to install energy efficient lights and bulbs in your house and office. Energy efficient bulbs are gaining rapid popularity because they are highly efficient and they really help you to save a great amount of electricity.

In this article, I would mainly like to tell you about the various features of energy efficient LED lights and bulbs.

1. Durability factor
The full form of LED is Light emitting diodes. These special light emitting diodes are excellent power savers as they emit light in only one direction. These lights are used in various applications in today’s world. One great advantage of the LED bulb is that it is highly durable and they can last for approximately 30,000-50,000 hours. These lights do not have any filament that is why they can not be destroyed under the normal circumstances.

2. Great energy saving capacity
These lights are extremely cost effective and they really help you decrease your electricity consumption. You will see that the normal lights use a lot of energy to warm up the filament but this is not the case with LED bulbs because it coverts all the electric energy that is supplied to them into light energy.

3. No usage of mercury
You will see that harmful metals or mercury is not at all used in the Led bulbs that is why they are extremely safe.

4. Lightening the remote areas
These days special LED lights are being used for lightening the remote areas. LED’s require a very low power that is why they are installed in solar panels to generate electricity in various isolated areas.

5. Cooling capacity
You will see that incandescent bulbs produce 85 btu’s heat per hour whereas the LED bulbs only produce 3.4 btu’s heat per hour. The LED bulbs have a cooling effect on the atmosphere because heat is not built inside them.

6. Instant On and Off capability
LED lights are very safe around children because even if you drop them they would not harm your children. They are very cool to touch as they do not contain any mercury.

So, what are you waiting for, just purchase these great energy efficient lights to reduce your power consumption.

Technorati Tags: Best, efficient, energy, house, Lights, Option

Enhancing the energy efficiency of your homes not only cuts down your monthly energy bills but does a lot of good to the environment as well. Therefore, enhancing home efficiency appears to be a smart move. Professional insulators offer services to gauge the energy efficiency in your house and to recommend appropriate actions.

Home efficiency reports prepared by such professional insulators allow the homeowners to employ various means to increase the Energy Efficiency of their living space. One of the extensively used method of attaining maximum energy efficiency is by installing adequate insulation. Cellulose installation is considered to be one of the best choices due to the various benefits offered by it.

Cellulose is available in a wide variety of forms to suit the type of insulation in a particular space. Loose-fill cellulose is used for filling in the crevices and holes in walls and ceilings. This variant of cellulose is generally used for retrofitting old buildings, and is utilized as an insulation option for new constructs as well.

Applied cellulose or wet spray is used for wall insulation in new buildings. This type of cellulose insulation leads to better sealing and does not require regular maintenance. The problems caused by moisture is taken care of by a moisture retardant chemical that restricts any kind of organic growth on the insulation material.

Stabilized cellulose is another alternative for insulation of ceilings. Extra moisture added to the preparation not only provides for better adhesion to the structure but also reduces the amount of cellulose needed for insulation, thereby preventing any possible fall-off later.

Being a natural plant product, cellulose can be recycled as well. As a result, cellulose insulation is slowly gaining ground as an eco-friendly option. The presence of boric acid, which is added during treatment, makes cellulose insulation fire-retardant, thereby improving its effectiveness.

Cellulose does not pose any health or environmental threats either during installation or later, unlike its synthetic counterparts. Not only this, cellulose is an easily available product, therefore cellulose insulation can be manufactured locally as well. There is no proven side-effect or health hazard that accompany Cellulose Insulation, therefore making it a safe option to opt for.

Therefore, by using cellulose insulation you can increase your savings by enhancing the thermal performance of your house. Not only this, you can also control pests and mold growth. Thus, using such measures you can increase your overall Home Efficiency manifolds.

Technorati Tags: Cellulose, efficiency, energy, Home, Insulation

Legal issues in Energy Policies and Climate Change Deirdre Mulligan [UC Berkeley] Abstract: Although the Smart Grid promises to help meet goals of energy efficiency and renewability, incorporating IT into the electric grid poses new and substantial risks to individual privacy. At the same time, Smart Grid deployment is proceeding along a path that could make it difficult for individuals to control the flow of information about their energy use while also raising barriers in the market for in-home smart devices. The crux of these issues—and the focus of this talk—is the smart meter, which is a linchpin in the Smart Grid strategy in California and nationally. Data from smart meters can reveal intimate details about individual behavior, such as when members of a household are awake, asleep, at home, or away. As the Smart Grid is built out, home energy consumption data will become increasingly attractive to a number of players in the energy market, criminals, and law enforcement officials. Yet there is no comprehensive, consistent legal framework to protect energy consumption data, and California and other states are adopting smart meters have the potential to reveal more and more information over time. Furthermore, these smart meters have embedded gateways for home area networks, a feature that could exacerbate privacy issues while potentially turning the meter into a gatekeeper for smart devices. This talk will explore regulatory and technological alternatives to these …

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As light bulbs and other electronic devices become more energy efficient, a question arises. Will we actually use less electricity? A study undertaken by an LED researcher from Sandia National Laboratories shows that it is likely people will simply ramp up their light bulb usage to match previous levels.

This stems from how ingrained repetitive things can become in us. If someone has been paying $200 a month on electricity and usage of light bulbs and then switches to compact fluorescent light bulbs or installs more efficient heating/cooling which results in a lower bill, that person will probably just end up using electricity more often. They’ve grown accustomed to the price of electricity and when they see the bill is lower, they’re more apt to increase energy and light bulb usage than reduce it because their spending is already adjusted to the higher amount.

Jeff Tsao, the leader of the aforementioned study notes that throughout history electricity usage has remained relatively constant despite advances in technology and energy efficiency. Dating as far back as A.D. 1700 and candle/oil/gas fueled lighting, light and the use of light bulbs has remained more or less a constant fraction of per capita gross domestic product. More light also means more light pollution, which is fast becoming a problem in developed countries across the world. When is the last time you were able to see a night sky full of shining stars?

People’s attitudes toward consumption can also be seen in vehicles. More fuel-efficient vehicles actually entice people to drive more, which can cause the fuel efficiency to be moot and not actually reduce driving or usage of fuel. Because we become so accustomed to our habits we are more likely to think things like “I was already paying this much to drive/use light bulbs this much, now I can pay the same amount but use them way more!” We have to remember that simply owning energy efficient technology is not enough; we have to have more energy efficient thinking as well!

Technorati Tags: Decrease, efficiency, energy, Usage