SEPCO's blog on all things renewable and green

With the pressure on to conserve energy, many companies and local authorities are installing solar powered street lights. These lights not only help save money, but also help reduce the pressure on power generation plants thus helping reduce greenhouse emission production. It also helps reduce pressure on the power grid thus helping divert the energy to other sectors and industries which need it more. When planning to purchase a large number of solar street lights, it’s important to keep certain factors in mind so as to select the right solar street light manufacturer and brands. Below are some of these factors which will help make more informed decisions:

The amount of light required

Street lights are meant to light up large areas thus requiring the solar lights to be bright. It’s important the radius each light eliminates be taken in to consideration thus allowing the distance between lights to be calculated. This makes it possible to determine the number of solar street lights that are required and helps estimate the cost. The larger the radius covered by each light, the fewer the number of solar street lights you need, thus helping reduce solar street light purchase and installation costs.

Solar light maintenance tips

It’s important to keep in mind that street lights are a public utility and therefor tend to be mishandled. This makes it important to select solar street light which is made using strong materials which will prolong the usable life.

Insect and animals management

Keep in mind that the lights tend to be an insect attraction and require to be completely sealed to prevent insects and other animals seeking shelter inside the lights. It’s common to find small animals like rats and squirrels finding their way in to street lights and making themselves at home since the lights provides a source of warmth during the cold winter nights. Also make sure the lights are strong enough to support extra weight. This is because you are bound to find birds perching on the solar street lights which can result in breaking of the lights.

Preventing and avoiding corrosion

The materials used to make the lights also require being corrosion resistant to prevent deterioration over short periods of time. Today, there are several alloys and plastic materials which can be used on the lights to help prevent corrosion. On some parts of the light anti-corrosive materials can be used to coat the metals and prevent any damage from heat and water.

Reduced wiring and maintenance requirements

It’s also important to take the wiring in to consideration to help reduce the maintenance requirements. Today NANO technology has resulted in miniaturizing most electronics including solar street light controls. This means that they have all the required components inside the street light. They have an in-built solar charging unit, battery cells and an automatic light sensor which turn the solar light on and off. Select solar lights which offer a one in all solution thus helping reduce maintenance and repair requirements.

The cost of solar street lighting

When price comes to question, many people will consider just the tag price but with solar street light section several other aspects come in to play. To begin with it’s important to consider the area covered by the lights. Keep in mind that the wider the radius covered results in the requirement of fewer street lights. This makes it important to make the required calculations so as to determine each street lights “light span”. This measurement will help determine the number and eventually the cost of the solar street lights. Also take time to calculate other aspects such as the maintenance and repair costs linked to the solar street lights.

For companies, property developers and local government authorities that purchase a large number of street lights, the above points play an important role towards selecting the right solar light manufacturer, brands or models. Every aspect must be taken in to close consideration to make sure you get the most effective solar street light which delivers abundant lighting and results in the least amount of maintenance requirements.

Every year I post about Earth Hour and every year I join in, but do you? What can we do this year for Earth Hour to make it even better? Check out this year’s video and see some of the amazing things that have been accomplished so far. I’m excited to see what this year will bring.

Maybe turning your lights off for an hour once a year sounds small and minor, but it is the impact around the world that makes Earth Hour such a great movement. It shows your community your dedication to preserving this planet and that you stand for improving our lives.

This year, I’m going to do something more. I’m going to get my neighborhood involved. Passing out flyers and having people over to hang out by a fire is a great way for you to talk about issues affecting our world as a whole and ways that everyone can work together to help fix them. Maybe next year I can do the neighborhood next to us as well.

What about you? What can you do differently? Can you gather your friends and family together? Or what about going to a local Earth Hour event if there is one nearby? There are so many ways you can participate, but make sure you do something and take a stand for something you believe in.

Going green might seem like a complicated, cumbersome ideal that’s just a little too far out of your comfort zone. But it’s not something that has to take a lot of energy if you don’t have a lot to expend. Here are a few simple ways to go green without really trying.

Buy the Right Light Bulbs

This is a simple enough way to go a little greener all over the house. When you need to replace the light bulbs in your home, do yourself a favor and buy the florescent bulbs instead of the standard. They use 75% less energy than the incandescent variety and last much, much longer. They might be a little pricier up front, but they’ll more than pay for themselves—and your home will be a little greener for it.

Watch Water Use

Next time your showerheads need to be replaced, go for the low-flow option. You’ll conserve water in a big way, which will reduce your water bill as well as be environmentally friendly.

Teach your children to brush their teeth with the water off. Letting the water run while they scrub wastes an inordinate amount of water (up to five gallons a day) that could be saved simply by twisting the tap.

Only run the washing machine and dishwasher when they’re completely full. Half-loads aren’t as efficient, and you’ll end up running more loads than necessary.

Turn It Off

When you finish with your electronics for the night, turn them off. Unplug printers, computers, the TV, the DVD player, etc. If you can, plug them all into a power strip and then just switch it off every night before you go to bed. Turning off the devices all the way will prevent phantom power draw.

So instead of just leaving your laptop open and running, put it to sleep if you’re going to be away from it for a while. Turn off your phone at night instead of leaving it on all night to waste battery life. It will hardly take an effort on your part, and it’s just that much greener.                                                   

Permeable Paving

Your house can and should be just as green as your lifestyle. That isn’t to say that you need to install solar panels (although these are getting to be both more plausible and popular) or live in a tree house, but it can still be environmentally friendly. Next time you need to get your driveway repaved, consider forgoing the traditional asphalt or concrete and having permeable paving installed instead by your local paving company. Vancouver and Minnesota residents might need to have their roads repaved more often than cities in warmer climates, but the idea is the same no matter where you live.

Permeable paving is made of substances such as glass or permeable concrete that allow water to filter through it, keeping the surrounding lawns moist. They cool faster and require little maintenance. These materials are a little pricier but might be worth it in your quest for simple ways to go green.

Grow a Garden

This idea takes a little more work, but if you plan on growing a garden anyway, you’re not any worse for wear. If you’ve been toying with the idea of planting a garden and just haven’t gotten around to it, make 2014 the year you try.

Gardens are an excellent way to “go green.” It doesn’t have to take up half your yard—any size, even a few tomato plants in pots, will make your meals a little healthier and reduce your “carbon footprint.”

Slow Down

When you drive, slow down a little. Higher speeds use more gas, so if you can afford to take a little extra time on your morning commute, it might be worth it. Checking the air pressure in your tires on a regular basis will also contribute to better gas mileage, as will keeping your air filters clean. Consider carpooling to work if you can to reduce emissions. None of these changes are life-altering, but the positive benefits add up.

Green Grocery Shopping

When you shop, spend the extra cash to buy natural or organic goods. They’re not as cheap as the produce grown with chemicals and hormones, but raising awareness of the health and environmental benefits of organically grown foods will make a difference.

Bring your own bags to carry your groceries. Reduce your use of paper and plastic bags (that only go straight to the landfills after you trash them at home). You can find cloth bags anywhere—many grocery stores even sell them in an effort to promote greener living.

Remember: your entire lifestyle doesn’t have to change to go green. Just be aware of the little things, and before you know it, you’ll be living just a little greener. 

About the Author: Georgiah Cook has a passion for finance, education, and the environment. She recently had her own driveway repaved, which set her on another “green” streak. For more information, visit Superior Paving. Georgiah also loves biking, hiking, and people-watching at the beach.

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A recent trend has developed in job site security: solar powered security cameras. But solar powered security cameras aren't just small ways to lessen your carbon footprint; the reality is, they can be extremely beneficial for myriad different reasons. Solar powered security cameras are more efficient, more useful, and more convenient.  Need further proof? Here are a few reasons why solar powered security cameras are the way to go for your job site. 

Ease of movement 

Presuming that you hook your solar powered security camera up to a Wi-Fi network, you will be able to run the entire system without cables. This means that, anytime you feel the need to move the location of your camera, you can do so very easily. It won't require the hassle of moving wires and cables, which often have to be installed underground. With a solar powered security camera, you can simply place it where you need it, anytime you need it, and you'll be ready to go.

Added security 

Solar powered cameras actually offer better security than their traditional counterparts. The reasoning is pretty simple:  traditional security cameras require an infrastructure.  In general, they have to be attached to a building, which is insecure for two reasons. First, it limits the amount of places that you can put them.  Usually there are better camera locations closer than the infrastructure; these provide more security, but can't be reached with a traditional, wired camera. And second, security cameras on infrastructures are in plain sight, which allows vandals and thieves the opportunity to work around them, or cut them off. Without wires, you can place your security cameras in trees or bushes or fences, and no criminal will ever know that they are there. 

Save money 

The amount of money saved by switching to a solar powered security system may seem negligible, but take into account the fact that security cameras run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and you'll quickly realize just how much money you can save. The fiscal benefit of switching to a solar powered security camera will add up very quickly.

For these reasons - and others - solar powered security cameras are the new best way to secure your job site. They're more efficient, more cost effective, and more secure than the traditional models.

Attempting to make the world an improved and pollution-free place to live is not a straightforward task, and there are no settled principles. This is one of the tests we confront when making, executing and depending on different sources of energy; since no single source of energy is 100% 'clean'. Nonetheless, year-after-year we continue to make great strides along the difficult road to environmentally responsible energy sources.

As temperatures increases and population gets bigger, it’s clear that green engineering holds the way to the survival of Earth and all the species that live on it. Luckily, innovators all around the globe are endeavoring to create headways that will slow down or perhaps reduce the harm caused due to our over-reliance on fossil-powers.

According to Liberty Power, in a few cases, progress in green technology is dependent upon new discoveries and developments in science, physics and engineering. On the other hand, these advancements have been dead set generally by shift in thought processes. However, the thought of "green’’ is gaining popularity among people.

Several recent innovations are based on a century-old concept: that of using tidal power to generate electricity. Harnessing this renewable resource is rapidly becoming more practical and cost-effective. In the area of solar power, the use of copper-indium-gallium-selenide compounds in solar panels substantially increases the electrical power generating efficiency of these panels, plus the compounds make construction of the panels far easier. Bladeless wind turbine designs, based on the physics of ships sails, are expected to significantly reduce the number of deaths of birds and bats. Wind turbine technology is also continuing to evolve.

Some innovative advancement in green technology are as follows:

Marine Renewable Energy: Marine renewable energy works by harnessing the power of the ocean tides and currents; a continuous source of kinetic energy that can be used to power turbines which in turn produce electricity.

Solar Power: The sun provides enough energy in the form of light to supply the world with much more energy than we currently use globally.  Certain materials produce an electric current when exposed to light, and we can harness that current to generate electricity.

Algae-Based Biofuel: Algae is a simple organism ranging from single-celled to multi-cellular forms, and is typically thought of as a kind of plant due to its ability to perform photosynthesis. Using chemical and mechanical methods, oil can be extracted from algae and converted into fuel that acts in the same way as traditional petroleum fuels

Green Roof: Different countries are rapidly adopting idea of keeping their roofs planted with grass. It not only minimizes the heat effect but also reduce summer air conditioning usage.

With this transformation in green technology it is expected that we would not only be able to generate enough energy to fulfill our needs but also keep our planet safe and healthy.

Author’s Bio: Adam Prattler is an expert in geography and writes from time to time for different information sources. He is also fond of natural beauty so much that he prefers to have fake grass around his house since natural cannot grow.

_{Photo Credit: www.greenerideal.com}

Off grid solar power provides power at night when there is not sun and uses the sun during the day to charge a battery bank. The battery bank is what the device runs on at night, or when the power is needed. As long as power isn’t needed 24/7, off grid solar power is a great and viable choice.

There are ways to do 24/7 power with off grid solar; however, the battery bank and solar needs to be much larger. Since you only want to take your battery system down 20 per cent per day / use to ensure the batteries last, the solar and battery backup needs to be large enough to handle the load for days. This also will allow your off grid solar system to work during times of bad weather.

Sizing the system is a pretty easy task. Take the total load required on an average day and multiply that by the number of days the system needs to operate; typically 5 days is long enough. Add for a little overage, say 20 percent or so for times with bad weather. Finally, find out the number of sun hours you have available in your area in the dead of winter (the shortest day of the year) and you will have the total number of amps you need to run the load for the 5 days.

Find out how many amps are provided by the solar and the amp size of the battery system. You need enough power generated by the solar panel and enough storage in the battery to make sure the system lasts. To find out more about how solar power is generated, check out this video from the DOE:

That’s about how simple off grids solar power is. Making sure you have enough power being generated and stored is the key to making the system last. You can cut corners by lowering the power or sizing for the summer sun hours, but then you will be sitting in the dark when the sun decides to hide behind a storm or in the middle of winter. Best bet; make sure you have sized your system properly to always have the sun shining on you.

Natural sunlight will always be the best light possible; however, LED lights can come very close to the natural sunlight. When LEDs started, the bluish light was very harsh on the eyes, but the technology has come a long way and there are many benefits to using LED lights today.

Most LEDs are running at about 5000 Kelvin for color temperature while the sun runs at about 6500 Kelvin. There are still the standard warm light and soft white colors available if you are not looking for too bright of a light; however, for nighttime outdoor use, as close to daylight will allow you to see the best.

LEDs also provide a much longer light as the LEDs last years, 15 years or more. On top of that, they use a fraction of the power than standard lamp options; granted incandescent lamps are being phased out at this point. The long life and lower power usage provides huge savings over the life of the lamp.

When using solar, LEDs will stay the go to option as they run directly from DC power and do not require any additional equipment to convert the energy produced by the solar panel to operate the fixture. This lowers the usage of the lamp as there is no loss in power for converters or inverters. In the end, this lower the size of the solar power system required to run the light and again saves money.

You have made the final purchase and your solar lights are on their way. Here are some tips before you install the light systems to make sure they stand up to the test of time. Have your lights already installed, these tips can be helpful for making sure your lights are installed properly and will continue to work flawlessly year after year.

1. Read the Installation Instructions Completely

I hate manuals as much as the next person, but reading the installation instructions for your new solar lights before you start to install them can save you time and frustration down the road. There is tons of useful information available on the installation manual and it can make sure the system installation needs are all met.

2. Make Sure the Solar is in the Sun

Well this one is a duh, but I can’t tell you how many times I have seen both large and small solar systems installed in the shade. This doesn’t work and will cause your system to fail in a matter of days. The solar panel needs full sun all day to work properly at night. If there is any shade, the solar panel will not be able to produce the power, to charge the battery, to run the light at night.

3. Follow all the Labels

Check if there are labels on the wires or parts of the system. Read them and follow the directions. Additional labels are added when there are minor changes to the installation manual and will make sure the system is put together properly. Making sure to read all the labels before you connect wires will ensure you don’t overload the system and blow fuses.

4. Keep up Regular Maintenance

Just like your car and house, a solar lighting system requires maintenance, though hardly at all. Replacing the batteries at the end of their life span, cleaning off the panel every so often if you live in a dusty dry area and replacing the lamps / LED fixture at the end of their life will ensure that you will never go a day without light. Plus, by doing regular maintenance on the system will allow you to see if there could be any troubles popping up in the near future due.

So there you have it. No matter if you are using a commercial solar light system or a small landscape light, installing it properly and keeping up with the system will ensure your system will work flawlessly for years to come. Since most commercial solar light systems last 25+ years, make sure you get every moment of light these systems can provide.