3rd January, 2010 - Posted by admin - Comments Off
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3rd September, 2010 - Posted by admin - Comments Off
A new proposal by the European Union could lead to a decrease in gas and electricity prices. The European Union wants to split up the energy giants to increase competition within the industry and give the customers more choice. Certain countries have opposed the breaking up of multi-national companies such as E.ON, RWE, EDF and Gaz de France.
The cost of electricity bills has increased over the past few years but this proposal is an attempt to bring the costs down. Britain and Sweden are leading a group of countries that are backing the proposal to separate the major players in the market and governmental officials have backed the idea which strengthens their argument.
This is obviously good news for customers as this will enable more competition, and more competition means cheaper prices as companies compete for customer’s business. This is, however, bad news for the leading energy providers who have seen a drop in profits already. E.ON, the world’s largest utilities company saw profits miss projected targets. They blame the loss on increasing purchase prices of gas and electricity.
It is unknown whether the proposal will be passed or not, an 8 country opposition lead by France and Germany have tried to propose another way of increasing competition but it is unclear as to their plans. Britain and Sweden are amongst a group of countries trying to push the proposal through.
We all want to be able to find cheap electricity and gas prices and if this new proposal comes to fruition, we may get what we all want. However, as we wait and see whether it gets approved or not, shop online and get the best deals around by comparing the leading providers.
A new proposal aims to bring the price of utilities down and as the price of our electricity bills have increased recently; this could not be better news. Find cheap electricity and gas prices online and compare the leading providers.
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30th August, 2010 - Posted by admin - Comments Off
Might the most fuel-efficient vehicles in mass production–powerful hybrids, such as Toyota’s Prius, that can run on either gasoline or electricity–already be destined for the science museum?
That’s the argument that French carmaker Renault is making at the Mondial de l’Automobile, the giant auto show running.Renault says that it is engineering a pair of battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs), to be produced starting in 2011, that it claims will be cheaper to build, cost markedly less to power, and produce far less carbon dioxide. Renault’s vision for electric cars is small vehicles principally designed for commuting. At the Paris show, Renault unveiled a concept car showing the design of a compact EV commuter car: an EV version of its Kangoo utility van, with startling acid-green windows to minimize air conditioning and a lithium-ion battery that carries the van 160 to 200 kilometers on an average charge. That range “really covers the usage by our customers, who are using their cars only for commuting and maybe short trips during the weekend,” says Renault EV project director Serge Yoccoz. As a result, he predicts that such EVs could capture from 10 to 15 percent of the European car market as early as 2015. (Hybrids currently command just 2 percent of auto sales worldwide.) Renault won’t be the first to test the commuter market with battery EVs. Mitsubishi Motors announced in Paris last week that it will begin testing its i-MiEV minicar in Europe next month with a view to commercial sales by 2010.
Daimler, meanwhile, said that a battery version of its popular Smart Fortwo, in testing in London since last year, will be sold starting at the end of 2009.Renault says that EVs are a necessity because hybrids cannot deliver the level of gasoline use and emissions reductions that governments and customers are demanding of automakers. The EV is the breakthrough required because, according to Renault, driving the EV Kangoo displayed in Paris generates zero carbon dioxide when charged with renewable energy, and no more than 60 grams per kilometer when charged on today’s coal-heavy power grids; when charging in France, carbon-dioxide emissions would be somewhere in between because nuclear power provides 80 percent of France’s electricity.
On this spot there’s a new scenario about electric transaxles for electric vehicles, with the new website www.ac-transaxles.com. Any of those scenarios compares well with the more than 130 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer coming out the tailpipe of Renault’s diesel-fueled Kangoos, which are relatively efficient vehicles for their class.Lithium batteries for Renault’s first round of products, at least, will come from a joint venture of Japan’s Nissan, with which Renault is partnering on EV technology development, and NEC.
Newer lithium technologies have eclipsed the performance of the joint venture’s manganese-based lithium-ion chemistry, but Yoccoz says that the Nissan-NEC process is one of the cheapest. With the new transaxles the vehicles efficiency will grow, and will permit longer drive with a load of battery.
For more info please visit www.ac-transaxles.com, where you can find information about high ratios transaxles for electric vehicles.
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26th August, 2010 - Posted by admin - Comments Off
We’ve all been hit in the pocket by rising electricity costs, at work and at home. The price of electricity is beyond our control, but it’s within our power to curb the amount of energy we consume. By following our power saving tips, you’ll be helping to reduce the impact on our fragile natural environment and preserve our planet’s resources.
First off, if you’re not using Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), you should be. Compact fluorescent lamps use only about a third as much electricity as standard incandescents. According to some experts, if you substitute compact fluorescent bulbs for a quarter of the incandescents used in high-use areas, you can cut the amount of electricity you use on lighting by half. I have CFLs in every fixture in my house, except for the fridge, oven, microwave and two fluorescent tube fixtures that are built in.
Use task lighting instead of area lighting. If you’re doing something at a fixed location, such as your desk or workbench, you don’t need to have the entire room brightly lit. Use an LED task light, one of the excellent units, or some similar small fixture to put light only where you need it. A 25 or 40 watt CFL can provide ambient light in the room, and you’ll reap the savings.
Use appliances that are efficient and no larger than needed to do the job. For many cooking tasks, a microwave oven will do what you want to do and save a lot of energy doing it. If all you’re doing is heating up some fish sticks, don’t heat the huge oven in your range, just use the toaster oven. Save heating that big space for something that won’t fit in the toaster oven. It saves money to make two and freeze one for later. You can save even more money by not preheating your oven, just let the food bake a little longer.
You’ll use a lot less energy in the winter if you put a programmable thermostat on your heater and let the temperature in the house drop quite a bit at night. In winter, set the thermostat to 21 degrees C when you are awake and 17 degrees C when you are asleep. In summer, set the thermostat to 26 degrees C and use a ceiling fan to cool your place. When the temperature outside falls to at least two degrees lower than the temperature inside, you should “vent” your home – that is, open your windows to let cool air in.
You might give some thought to a “ solar clothes dryer” like Grandma used to do – using indoor or outdoor clotheslines to dry your clothes. It’s low maintenance, no moving parts and the sheets flapping in the breeze give the puppy something to play with. It’s not for everybody, but if you don’t mind going back a few years, the initial cost is lower and the energy use much less than an electric or gas dryer. Doesn’t work well on rainy days though. Not using an electric clothes dryer can save $50 per year.
One last thing you must do to save money on your electric bill is to eliminate phantom loads. What, you ask, is a phantom load? A phantom load is any device that is consuming energy when you think you’ve turned it off. It all started with “instant on” televisions back in the vacuum tube days. When you “turned off” the TV, the tube filaments still had power applied to them, and were costing you money. When you turned the TV “on”, you were only turning on the high voltage and the warm tubes went to work instantly.
It’s even worse today. Anything that has a remote control is a phantom load. Think about it. There has to be a circuit inside there waiting to get the wake-up call from the remote control. The clocks on VCRs, ranges, microwaves and other gadgets are all phantom loads. And they are costing you money.
The way to cure phantom loads is to put the devices on a switched outlet or a power strip. Or simply unplug them. Unplug your toaster, coffee maker, hair dyer, some televisions, and power strips. It is good to note that some appliances have memory stored in the IC chips within the units. If you do unplug these units you may loose stored information. One of the really nice aspects of energy conservation is that you get to choose how much you want to save. It’s up to you which, if any, phantom load devices you leave connected when you’re not using them. Just balance convenience against savings.
You now possess the knowledge to cut your monthly electric bill. It is difficult to say how much you can save by making these ten simple changes, but here is an example: A friend of mine, living in an apartment at the time, followed these same recommendations and saw a 30% reduction in his bill the first full month. It can be done. And you can do it.
There are many reasons to lower your electricity consumption: saving money now, preparing for future rate hikes, helping to improve air quality and limit global warming, or just reducing waste. With increases in the price of electricity and gas bills, these methods help you try and get cheaper bills and save money.
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22nd August, 2010 - Posted by admin - Comments Off
electric vehicle (also called PHEV) is a car that has batteries that can be recharged through a conventional outlet. PHEVs have both traditional internal combustion engines and batteries that can fully power the car by themselves. The advantage of PHEVs is that when they run on their electric charge only it is estimated they cost about 20-30% of what they would running on gas. Not only does this benefit the consumer, it is also great news for the environment, as these cars reduce air pollution and the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
The future is bright for plug in hybrids. The first PHEVs by large commercial carmakers will be produced in 2009, with even more companies entering the market in a large way in 2010. Even today its possible to have a PHEV if you already have a conventional hybrid vehicle through the use of easily obtained conversion kits. In fact, the Prius you saw today may be a converted PHEV!
Plug-in hybrids are often driven in what is called charge-depleting mode at first, exclusively running from cheaper and cleaner battery power. At a certain level of the battery’s depletion, the internal combustion engine kicks in. More advanced PHEVs may be able to use what is called blended mode, driving in different modes depending on the maximum energy efficiency that can be achieved on a long trip. As of now it is unclear what the all electric range will be for new PHEVs, but it will be easy to tell: It is likely that PHEVs will come in denominations such as a “PHEV-50″ indicating a 50 mile all-electric range.
In parts of Europe recharging spots in parking areas are being installed. These are pay-per use outlets for use by people who drive PHEVs and want to get a full charge for their ride home or to their next destination. In fact, a major car maker has plans to install an electric recahrging spot infastructure in parts of Europe for its fleet of PHEVs. It is possible that as PHEVs get more mainsteam, many hotels and places of business may have recharging stations in their parking lots as well
Despite the fact that carbon emissions are produced when electricity is created, PHEVs are still much less polluting than conventional cars and even regular hybrids. If clean coal, nuclear, or other clean means of producing electricity become more widespead, this difference will be even more pronounced. In addition, PHEVs help create a more efficient and distributed use of electricity production, because they are often recharged during off peak periods (e.g. at night). Finally, a little known but powerful potential use of PHEVs is as a source of emergency power for the home.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are soon to become available in the mass commercial market, and could be a significant means for the reduction of our dependence of fossil fuel, our contribution to global warming, and the financial stress on people who have to fill their tanks with gas. For these reasons we can all hope that PHEVs develop into a preferred and widespread means of transportation.
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18th August, 2010 - Posted by admin - Comments Off
UK homeowners frequently strive to run an energy efficient household. Energy efficiency is proven to save time, money and lend a helping hand to the environment. Even the government is showing concern. Building Regulations now contain set standards to which all heating and hot water systems must comply. The current state of the economy and rising prices provide additional incentive toward efficiency. Homeowners are finding it harder than ever to pay for all their bills.
Climate change is making energy efficiency even more important. With the number of natural disasters attributed to climate change increasing, the public is beginning to take notice. Homeowners often wonder what they can do to improve the current situation. There are a number of simple adjustments that can be made to make your home as energy efficient as possible. Ensuring that the home has high-efficiency heating and hot water systems is a good first step. The consumer should be aware of the many options available to them.
High efficiency condensing technology can prove extremely worthwhile. When faced with the decision to replace or repair their boiler, consumers are often unsure of what to do. They should be supplied all the facts so that they can make the choice that is best for their home. It is common for the homeowner to depend on the installer to provide guidance. Therefore, the installer plays quite a large part in this whole process.
Boilers are often expensive. When consumers consider this and the additional installation fees, they usually choose to just repair their current boiler instead of investing in a new high efficiency boiler. This can prove to be a costly mistake. Older boilers can be repaired but their level of efficiency can never be improved. A faulty boiler just creates problems and produces unnecessary expenses. The cost of repair and running of older boilers is usually higher that the price of total system replacement.
If costs don’t persuade you then, maybe the impact your choice has on the environment will. Homes in the United Kingdom are responsible for 21% of all carbon dioxide produced. Heating and hot water systems make up 80% of that number. Energy efficiency lowers bills in addition to helping the UK attain its goal of decreasing carbon emissions by 2010. Heating and hot water makes up well over half the cost of a typical fuel bill. High efficiency boilers can cut bills by up to 30% and save the typical home 200 a year.
There are a number of makes and models to suit your needs. Key features include cast aluminium-silicon heat exchanger, brass waterset, efficient pump, and a concealed system connection that enhances performance of the product. A centrally located telescopic flue kit with preformed connections and pre-fitted mains electrical lead makes installation even faster and cheaper. The spacious interior and drop-down controls make service of the appliance easier than ever. There is also the option of buying an RF, radio frequency, version that gives the user total control at the touch of a button. Warranties vary model to model but commonly provide a 10 year parts warranty on the heat exchanger and two-year parts and labour warranty on the entire product.
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14th August, 2010 - Posted by admin - Comments Off
Knowing about RC cars is very essential before stepping into the racing world. If you are still an amateur, you might crib on the fact that you aren’t able to choose the best electric powered RC car. You need an assistance to choose the best suitable car to pose against your rivals and this isn’t easy as it might sound.
Electric RC cars are the ones which run on batteries. The electric batteries are in the form of battery packs. You have a choice while choosing the battery. The ‘ready to run’ or the batteries which you need to built it yourself are available. The ‘ready to run’ batteries are preferred as the work load becomes very minimal.
Nitro RC cars are the ones which are tougher to maintain and they are quite expensive. RC cars that run on battery packs are easier to purchase. It is specifically designed for amateurs or beginners. However, RC car fanatics who are quite experiences use these cars for variety and comparison purposes.
RC electric cars are user-friendly and they are available cheap in the market. This is their main advantage. The difference between the prices of a gasoline powered RC car and an electric RC car goes up to a hundred dollars.
1. How do you choose an electric RC car?
You will have to think about a lot of things before committing to an RC car. The budget and capability are the main factors. Choose the RC car which will be worth the buy ad not empty your pocket.
Electric car kits are available for on-road as well as off-road performance. Color, style and sizes vary. The manufacturers offer different features for very RC car they produce. Make sure you buy the best one in terms of budget, capabilities and needs.
The ‘ready to run’ kit can facilitate youngsters and novice people. They are all sold prepared and there is no necessity to bother about assembly and other parts. The package will contain receive, servo, radio, motor and electronic speed control. So there is no need to worry after buying this kit.
If you have a liking for the engineering of the car, you should back yourself up and build yourself a kit. You make sure that the parts are in the kit and you buy them separately.
2. Where do you purchase?
The usual RC car shops can be accessed by beginners. It is always better to seek the advice from experts in this arena. If you have decided to make your transaction online, be sure you interact with a loyal pro. Buying online could be cheaper and also you have the luxury to choose from wide range of cars and its parts.
While buying, you should compare the price and the quality of it. Take the discounts which come your way.
3. Tuning and Racing
To achieve more power and speed, tuning can be employed. It must be coupled with a proper break to produce the best performance. If the braking system is up to the mark, it reduces wear and tear and also produces less heat. If you wish to break-in, all you have got to do is allow the motor to run with wheels off the ground. Draw radio control by ¼ of the way. The whole thing should be practiced for five minutes. After five or more substitutions of brushes, it is advisable to replace the motor.
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10th August, 2010 - Posted by admin - Comments Off
Knowing about RC cars is very essential before stepping into the racing world. If you are still an amateur, you might crib on the fact that you aren’t able to choose the best electric powered RC car. You need an assistance to choose the best suitable car to pose against your rivals and this isn’t easy as it might sound.
Electric RC cars are the ones which run on batteries. The electric batteries are in the form of battery packs. You have a choice while choosing the battery. The ‘ready to run’ or the batteries which you need to built it yourself are available. The ‘ready to run’ batteries are preferred as the work load becomes very minimal.
Nitro RC cars are the ones which are tougher to maintain and they are quite expensive. RC cars that run on battery packs are easier to purchase. It is specifically designed for amateurs or beginners. However, RC car fanatics who are quite experiences use these cars for variety and comparison purposes.
RC electric cars are user-friendly and they are available cheap in the market. This is their main advantage. The difference between the prices of a gasoline powered RC car and an electric RC car goes up to a hundred dollars.
1. How do you choose an electric RC car?
You will have to think about a lot of things before committing to an RC car. The budget and capability are the main factors. Choose the RC car which will be worth the buy ad not empty your pocket.
Electric car kits are available for on-road as well as off-road performance. Color, style and sizes vary. The manufacturers offer different features for very RC car they produce. Make sure you buy the best one in terms of budget, capabilities and needs.
The ‘ready to run’ kit can facilitate youngsters and novice people. They are all sold prepared and there is no necessity to bother about assembly and other parts. The package will contain receive, servo, radio, motor and electronic speed control. So there is no need to worry after buying this kit.
If you have a liking for the engineering of the car, you should back yourself up and build yourself a kit. You make sure that the parts are in the kit and you buy them separately.
2. Where do you purchase?
The usual RC car shops can be accessed by beginners. It is always better to seek the advice from experts in this arena. If you have decided to make your transaction online, be sure you interact with a loyal pro. Buying online could be cheaper and also you have the luxury to choose from wide range of cars and its parts.
While buying, you should compare the price and the quality of it. Take the discounts which come your way.
3. Tuning and Racing
To achieve more power and speed, tuning can be employed. It must be coupled with a proper break to produce the best performance. If the braking system is up to the mark, it reduces wear and tear and also produces less heat. If you wish to break-in, all you have got to do is allow the motor to run with wheels off the ground. Draw radio control by ¼ of the way. The whole thing should be practiced for five minutes. After five or more substitutions of brushes, it is advisable to replace the motor.
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6th August, 2010 - Posted by admin - Comments Off
Residential wind generators have risen in popularity in the past few years. Using power from the wind, wind turbines turn the wind into electricity. These results in a lower electricity bill for the consumer and also the power companies in some instances will buy back excess power that the wind turbines produce that is not used. Harnessing the power of the wind for electricity is good for our environment, wind power is clean power. Wind is also a resource that is renewable and reduces our dependence on un-renewable sources of energy. Wind power is a plus for man and planet.
Harnessing the wind with the use of residential wind generators has really risen in popularity over the past few years. In a midst of a tough economic environment, and growing concerns about the welfare of our planet, many are looking for a cleaner, cheaper source of energy. Wind power is that cleaner, cost effective alternative source of energy that is a good for the consumer and also good for our planet. Wind is a resource that I don’t see our planet running out of any time soon. Wind is also a resource that with a residential wind generator all people have access to, some people more than others depending upon their location.
So how does a wind generator work? It’s actually pretty simple, as the wind blows and turns the turbines, electricity is produced. The wind turbine sits upon a tall tower where it collects the kinetic energy from the wind. The kinetic energy from the wind is turned into electricity; it’s as simple as that. Also if a wind turbine produces more electricity than the residence uses then the power company buys the excess electricity from the resident. An addition to being cost effective, harnessing the power of the wind of the for our electricity needs is good for the planet. Wind is a clean source of energy and does not release any carbon emissions into the air.
With worries that we are depleting our planet of non-renewable resources of energy, wind power is a welcome alternative. For people that are into the “green movement”, this is something that they can get into to further the cause.
For the person who is considering going with a residential wind generator, there are a lot of options to choose from. There are the companies that manufacture wind turbines and install them, or companies that sell you the kit that you assemble yourself. Some of these wind power systems can cost from $1000 to around $6000 dollars depending upon which company an individual decides to go with.
There are also a lot of build it yourself manuals that claim that you can build your own wind power generator for $100 to $200 dollars. A person that is considering going with wind power should really do their due diligence, research all their options, and make an educated decision about what wind power system that they are going to use. A residential wind generator could indeed prove to be a wise investment, not only for the consumer but for the entire planet. I believe it is definitely something worth looking into.
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2nd August, 2010 - Posted by admin - Comments Off
RC Helicopters, one of mankind’s the most fascinating invention, grab people’s attention wherever they are flown. Not surprisingly, RC Helicopters earned its place as one of the most intriguing hobby to pursue. This fact probably came to be because of the addictive, gripping and exciting nature of this leisure pursuit. To add to that, the models themselves represent the finest modern day miniature technology can offer.
Not long ago, very few have ever had the pleasure of getting a taste of flying these amazing machines. For a simple reason – once upon a time they cost way too much to buy and way to expensive to maintain. Alas – many thought this hobby would be and forever remain amongst one of those exclusive to the rich. Also, some people did not like the smell of gasoline exhaust or the loud noise of the engine. Fear not! Those days are gone!
Most people can now very easily afford to fly RC helicopters thanks to the tremendous improve of batteries, motors, and general electronics in the past few years. These innovations result in a new field of RC – electric RC helicopters – which at the same time opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. These include flying helicopter indoors and right at your own backyard while at the same time causing absolutely no pollution and much less noise. Moreover, maintenance costs which used to scare most people now shrink down so low that it won’t hurt your wallet in any way.
Recent technologies also allow these new breed of RC to be built much smaller than their predecessors. This not only fulfills many people’s childhood dream of indoor flights, it also makes for easy transporting. Not that it has to be carried very far since it can be flown right at your house. The need for tedious maintenance greatly decreased as well. You can forget hauling around heavy flight box full of equipment. If any repairs became necessary, it can usually be carried out in full with nothing more than a screw driver. Often times repair can be made using bare hands.
Reliability of these electric machines improves greatly when compared to the gas versions because they use electrical motors instead of nitro engines. Electric motors come much cheaper, much less tedious, and much less dirty. Unlike gas engines, electric motor almost never cuts out like an engine does. This means no more stalled engine in mid air!
Don’t think for one second that electric flights won’t last long. Modern RC models use Lithium Polymer batteries. These types of batteries will allow electric flights to last as long as – or longer – than gas-powered flights. Moreover, when running out of gas, nitro helicopter engines will suddenly cut out. On the other hand, their electric brothers will slowly power down, providing ample time to safely land.
Beginners will find that it’s now much easier to get a hang of this hobby. Whereas nitro helicopters can easily draw buckets of sweat from learning pilots, these new electric ones prove much easier to master. No longer are six channels required to fly, now helicopter pilots can start learning at only 2, 3, and 4 channels. Some models even use two main rotors that turn in opposite directions, eliminating the need for a tail rotor. This means one less channel to worry about while learning. And what’s more, most of these beginner helicopters fly right of the box. No more spending weeks trying to assemble complicated kits.
On the other hand, for experienced pilots, high-end modessuch as Align’s T-Rex 450 and T-Rex 600 offers high performance 3D crafts that will excite even the most avid pilots.
Where once flying a small model helicopter around in your own home was once a far-fetched dream, electric RC helicopters has made that dream a very vivid and extremely enjoyable reality!
Interested in the amazing hobby of Electric RC Helicopters?Tara Soonthornnont is an Electric RC Helicopter enthusiastwho maintains a website dedicated to it.Check Out http://www.electric-rc-helicopter.com
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