With this in mind, let’s take a look at what it really means to be energy efficient and how, by utilising some simple energy management skills, you as an individual can reduce your monthly bills.

Things that you can do today

• Turn down the water heater to a slightly lower setting
• Insulate your water heater with a blanket
• Change your lights to energy efficient bulbs
• Turn off and unplug equipment when not in use, such as TV’s, coffee makers, phone chargers etc.
• Open curtains on a south facing window in order to let light flood naturally into your home.

Things to do this week

•  Good energy management involves checking for any gaps in the seals around your windows. If found, then some simple sealant should do the trick.
• Check out your heating and cooling systems to see if they are running at maximum efficiency. You might want to get these serviced or at least checked out.
• Install timer switches so that items such as washing machines come on when the electricity is cheaper.
• Check for draughts under doors and windows and buy draught excluder’s if necessary. A simple tip here is by having thick curtain linings attached to your curtains which will reduce draughts caused through ill fitting windows.

Things to do this month

•  An easy way to see if your energy management efforts are making a difference is to go through your latest utility bills and target the area where you think you are losing the most money. Then compare figures against your next bills.
• If you haven’t already done so then insulate your hot water pipes
• If you don’t have one, then look at installing a programmable thermostat which will enable you to regulate the temperature of your home more easily.
• Talk to a professional about an energy management audit to see where else you could be saving money. There are lots of energy audit companies who can check out your house room by room and also look closely at your utility bills to see where the savings can be made.

Things that you can do this year

• Insulate your house including the attic
• Think about replacing ageing and temperamental appliances because even if your equipment may see you through a couple more years, newer models are likely to be far more energy efficient and will easily recompense you for your initial outlay.
• Planting shady trees and shrubs is another simple but effective energy management tip because by doing this, you can reduce the amount of time your air conditioning system is on in the summer and this ultimately means reducing your costs.

If you can look at every aspect of your home from an energy management point of view and take action accordingly, then chances are that you can and will save yourself money on your household bills.

KB Racking is releasing its revolutionary AeroRack model for the Canadian market place at Canada’s largest solar conference next week. The Canadian affiliate of Knubix GmbH Germany, a global leader in flat roof mounting systems, will reveal its ideal-in-class racking system at the CanSIA Solar Canada show. KB Racking can be found at booth #828 in the Toronto Metro Convention Center on December 6th and 7th.

The company’s flagship product, AeroRack, employs a special aerodynamic style that demands practically no ballast. Even with the weight of the solar PV module, the method adds less than 2 lbs per square foot to a roof. The system is designed so that roof penetration is unnecessary. In addition, the mounting uses a patented speedy click approach that makes it quicker to install than conventional mounting systems. KB Racking’s experience with difficult roofs in Europe demonstrates the advanced technique’s effectiveness for Ontario’s structurally weaker roofs. AeroRack has been tested in extreme windy and snowy weather conditions and comfortably exceeds all specifications for the Ontario industry.

The item will be produced in Ontario, utilizing Canadian labour and facilities. This makes it eligible for the domestic content material rules outlined in the Ontario Energy Authority’s FIT program. AeroRack will contribute to the creation of new jobs in Ontario as a result of the Green Energy Act.

A modern day windmill in Ontario

We had been driving by and noticed the new energy savings program they’ve put in place, great job Canada, now if we all jumped on the turbine band wagon, what a great planet this could be. I actually did not believe this photo would get so significantly attention, but it is the sign of the times. Power is a crisis and speaking of power today’s gas price here in Vancouver is .22/litre (lowest grade) as of Apr/08, how considerably is it over there?

The most modern generations of windmills are more properly called wind turbines, or wind generators, and are primarily used to generate electricity. Contemporary windmills are created to convert the energy of the wind into electricity. The largest wind turbines can generate up to 6MW of power (for comparison a contemporary fossil fuel power plant generates among 500 and 1,300MW).

With increasing environmental concern, and approaching limits to fossil fuel consumption, wind power has regained interest as a renewable energy source. It is increasingly becoming far more helpful and sufficient in offering power for many locations of the planet.

One region in which it is becoming rather common is about the midwest of the United States where, due to excellent amounts of wind, turbines have grow to be quite valuable.

Clothesline: environmentally friendly clothes dryer

Image by Peter Blanchard
Everywhere in Ontario it is now legal to hang out your laundry! Awesome! Personally, I discover climate change, energy expenses and the several other effects of wasting resources considerably more shocking than the sight of somebody’s undies! Related news and links: Ontario Clothesline Bans Banned (since April 2008).

There are some basic needs that one need to perform his daily duties, electricity is one of the most important among those needs. During recent years the demand of electricity is increased at an alarming rate, overcoming the supplies of electricity. So it became very important that other energy resources should be explored as a replacement of electricity. What other sources can be best?We have the answer now and that is in the form of solar and wind power.

Extensive researches lead to development of energy through natural resources.

These resources include solar and wind energy. These energies can be stored to a great extent, as they are available everywhere and anyone can make use of them. People can store these resources and use them accordingly. One very important feature of using these resources is that they do not harm environment and climate as much as other energy sources do. Our ozone layer has been damaged due to extensive use of energy resources. But is there any way to prevent it?

Looking at the price will give you an idea whether to build this energy system on your own or to hire someone to make this system available to you. You can create your own system in about 200 Dollars by purchasing the necessary materials for the project.

What’s New With Wind?


Image by mars_discovery_district

Ogilvy Renault presents Cleantech in Canada Breakfast Seminar – What’s New With Wind? Humans have been using windmills since the 8th century AD. As the ‘elder brother’ of renewable energy, wind power is seen as stable, reliable and maybe just a little bit dull. We have assembled an expert panel to find out just how wrong that perception is. Hear about: new technologies that are transforming the wind business challenges and opportunities in building and operating wind energy facilities the impact that Ontario’s new FIT program has on wind power in Ontario and around the world how large global manufacturers view the Canadian wind industry. Industry experts will share their thoughts on key emerging opportunities for cleantech entrepreneurs, investors and government.This seminar series is offered in partnership by industry leaders Deloitte and Ogilvy Renault.

Wind Turbine – CNE Grounds, Toronto


Image by Gemma Grace

Although perhaps not evident here, this 750-kilowatt wind turbine, erected in 1992, is 30-stories tall (1/7th the height of Toronto’s famed CN Tower). With 24-metre-long blades at 27 revolutions per minute it can generate enough power to supply 250 average homes.

Ontarios Electricity Subsidy Undercuts Conservation

Ontario’s Electricity Subsidy Undercuts Conservation

Toronto, June 14, 2011 – Ontario’s Environmental
Commissioner says the Ontario Clean Power
Benefit (OCEB) is a perverse incentive that could
endanger the energy conservation savings the government is hoping to achieve.

In his Annual Energy Conservation Progress Report
- 2010 (Volume One): Managing a Complex Power
System, released right now, Gord Miller says “The 10
per cent rebate on electricity bills is an
artificial subsidy on the price of electricity so
it encourages buyers to use far more.” A study by
energy analysts estimated that the OCEB could
wipe out a third of the planned conservation savings over the subsequent 4 years.

Miller praises the government for introducing
time-of-use pricing that encourages households
and companies to shift their consumption away
from periods of high demand, but noted that cost
subsidies undercut this development. Costs will
necessarily rise since of a backlog of
transmission investments and new generation
projects. “Unfortunately, the government hasn’t
addressed the problem of rising prices in a way
that prioritizes conservation,”says Miller.
“Instead it has continued the failed policy
approach of the past where the government’s only
answer to greater electricity rates is to
artificially lower electricity prices.”

If the government feels the require to aid
customers with the greater energy costs it could
make the benefit a fixed amount, rather of tying
it to consumption levels. “That way,” says
Miller, “the Clean Power Benefit would be less
of a disincentive to electricity conservation.”

Miller is also concerned about delays in rolling
out Ontario’s critical Conservation and Demand
Management (CDM) programs. Among now and 2014,
electric utilities, supported by the Ontario
Power Authority, are supposed to minimize overall
electricity use, as nicely as peak demand.
“Province-wide conservation programs had been all
supposed to begin in January 2011, says the
Commissioner, but the delays mean we will miss opportunities this year.

The Environmental Commissioner is also
questioning a recent choice by the Ontario
Energy Board to freeze conservation budgets for
Union Gas and Enbridge Gas Distribution,
especially at a time when the government has
cancelled its own conservation programs for gas
shoppers. “The Board has too narrow a view about
the advantages that will come with increased
conservation. It is ignoring the avoided
infrastructure costs and decreased greenhouse gas
emissions that will come with reductions in consumption of natural gas.”

To watch the Commissioner’s pre-recorded comments, please pay a visit to:
www.youtube.com/user/EcoComms

For more information, get in touch with:
Maria Leung
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario
416-325-3371 / 416-819-1673
1-800-701-6454
Maria.leung@eco.on.ca

For French language release and bilingual support, please get in touch with:
Jean-Marc Filion, 705-492-6997

The report is accessible for download at www.eco.on.ca

KB Racking is making friends in high places. Ontario Minister of Energy Brad Duguid visited the manufacturer of solar panel racking systems at their booth at the CanSIA Solar Canada 2010 show to congratulate them on the launch of the AeroRack product line. Minister Duguid welcomed KB Racking?s decision to do business in Ontario and spoke with the KB Racking team about how the product will be manufactured in the province.

The Minister was very enthusiastic about our decision to come to Ontario and expressed significant interest in our technology, design and implementation, said Peter Aulich, KB Racking’s product manager. The province’s support for renewable energy is fantastic. We’re excited to be contributing to the Green Energy Act’s target of 50,000 new jobs in the Ontario renewables sector.

KB Racking, the licensed Canadian manufacturer for Knubix GmbH Germany, selected Knubix?s best-in-class design based on its superior performance in Germany. Knubix has successfully maintained a reputation for high quality and excellent service, which KB Racking will continue. The AeroRack non-penetrating system minimizes structural impact to rooftops by adding less than 2 pounds per square foot, and can be assembled significantly faster than traditional solar PV racking systems. KB Racking will manufacture the AeroRack system in Ontario by February 2011. The first delivery is planned for March 15th, 2011.

Wind Farm


Image by Sharon Drummond (AKA dolmansaxlil)

Wind and Solar Power


Image by cachemania

Sources of renewable energy or non-conventional energy are the sun, wind, agricultural residue, firewood and animal dung. Power generated from the sun is recognized as solar power. Power derived from water is referred to as hydroelectricity. Biomass is firewood, animal dung, biodegradable waste from cities and crop residue.

It becomes a source of energy when it is burnt. Geothermal power is power derived from hot, dry rocks, magma, hot water springs and natural geysers. Ocean thermal is energy derived from waves and tidal waves.

Solar Electricity

When it comes to renewable energy, the most effective and helpful is the sun. The sun is obtainable from sunrise to sunset and produces an unimaginable quantity of energy every single and everyday. What solar collectors do is to harness the power from the sun in the form of radiation to be usable forms of energy such as heat and electricity, Solar cells in particular converts the sun’s energy into electricity. With technology getting so advanced, solar cells are taken to a new level. There are recreational vehicles, cell phones and cars.

Solar Heat

Solar heating systems rely on a source of bright light, a surface or liquid that can absorb light and a storage device for the resulting heat generated.

A greenhouse is a excellent example of this impact. Solar heat is by far the cheapest and most practical form of renewable power in the world. Some practical utilizes are water heaters, ovens, cookers and residence heating.

Wind Energy

From times long, long ago, sailing ships depended on the energy of the wind to get across oceans. Likewise wind energy was also used to work windmills for pumping water. Right now, wind power is becoming employed as a clean source of electricity around the planet. Wind farms, as they are often known as can provide sufficient electricity for thousands of homes at a time. The power of wind is utilised to turn turbines, which in turn is connected to an electrical generator and the gearbox inside the generator converts the energy of the spinning turbine into electricity.

Water Power

Hundreds of years ago, waterwheels had been utilised to present power for grain mills and lumber cutting. Hydroelectricity, as it is called these days, produces over 60% of the electricity in Canada and 60% in the United States.

Answer

All provinces use solar power. In fact, every country, state, county, and province in the planet utilizes solar power. Anyplace where there are plants or animals uses solar power. Plants use solar energy to grow. Animals use solar power to see.

Add your own answer in the comments!