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Most people are familiar with the tiny LED light bulbs that have for many years been used to illuminate control panels and are now pervasive in battery torches and decorative lighting. However LED technology has been advancing at such a rapid pace that over just the last few years LED light bulbs have started to appear that offer a highly cost effective alternative to general lighting.

Over the years there has been an exponential increase in the power available from white LED lights while at the same time the production costs have steadily dropped, with the result that LED lamps suitable for general public and domestic use are now a reality.

A crucial feature of LED lighting for many people is their power consumption and longevity. When compared with conventional incandescent light bulbs, LED lights require 10 times less electricity and the bulbs themselves last up to 20 times longer. Also they are very fast to start up, exhibit superb light quality, and don’t contain poisonous mercury – in stark contrast to the current breed of CFL based energy saving lamps.

It’s not all roses and sunshine though; LED light might be extremely bright but it also typically highly directional. This means that while a regular incandescent light bulb will emit light (and considerable amounts of heat) uniformly, an LED will create a narrow, focussed beam that casts a narrow light pool.

This particular quality means that they are ideally suited as spotlights, though unlike a regular spot lamp where reflectors attempt to direct the light in one direction, an LED spotlight actually needs multiple individual elements arranged in a cluster so as to spread the light out a bit.

Presently, the most common use for LED light bulbs in a domestic setting is replacing MR16 and GU10 base halogen lamps. Halogen lighting costs easily ten times more to run than LED equivalents since a 4W MR16 LED bulb is capable of delivering the same level of light as a 35w halogen.

Because the components required for an LED are quite small it also means that these replacement spot lights can be made to exactly the same dimensions as the lamps they are replacing. They will also last a long time and not wear out at the same rapid rate of many halogen lamps; they don’t generate vast amounts of heat and most importantly don’t burn (quite literally) money when in use.

However, there are a few issues worth noting when considering using LED light bulbs as replacements for halogen lamps. For a start most LED lights are not suitable for dimming and in general you are likely to have to provide transformers and dimmers specially designed for LED. Then there is the business of colour temperature. LED lights typically vary between what are described as warm white and cool white; in general most conventional incandescent lights are in the warm range and exhibit appear slightly yellow.

Finally, LED light bulbs are still slightly underpowered and overly directional by comparison with incandescent lighting and the best way to compensate for this is to simply install slightly more light bulbs in order to increase overall luminosity and create a better spread of light.

If you found this article interesting then you’ll also want find out more about domestic LED lighting in general and warm white MR16 LED replacement in particular.

Using our natural resources to produce energy is certainly not a novel idea. A few familiar examples of harnessing nature to power our world are steam power, solar power and hydroelectric power. However, as worries about global warming continue to increase, people are turning to other ways of producing even cleaner energy. One method getting more interest lately is the idea of wind power. Windmills have been used for decades, but now power from wind turbines is starting to become popular. You will have seen this phenomenon in the form of large wind farms.

But can the individual homeowner get in on this trend? Whether or not a wind turbine is right for you depends on your circumstances. Like solar power, wind turbines are easier to implement on a large scale than a smaller, residential scale. It took may years of research and development to make solar panels realistic for homeowners. Wind turbines are on the same path of development.

So how do you know if it’s right for you? First, it’s good to get a basic understanding of how this technology works. A windmill and a wind turbine work on the same principal, but are slightly different in the end. The blades of a windmill turn a shaft that operates something directly, typically a water pump. A wind turbine, on the other hand, converts that wind energy into electrical energy. The wind turns the blades, which turn a shaft, which is connected to a generator that produces electricity. The electricity can then be used for various applications. In concept it’s really just a wind-powered generator.

There are definitely advantages to using a wind turbine. You get very clean energy from an endlessly renewable resource. This is not only great for the environment, but it means you will have no power bills and could live off the grid! Plus, you may be able to sell excess energy back to the power company and make some money!

Unfortunately, however, there are some big challenges you will need to face. You will need to research and see if there are any zoning restrictions. Only a few companies sell quality residential wind turbines, so they are hard to find. You will also need to check with the power company to see if they can buy back wind power.

Also, to make sure you can generate the power you need, you will have to understand the wind charts for your location. You will also need to have the proper amount of acreage and tower height to eliminate wind pattern interference from buildings and things nearby. Because of this, wind power in highly populated areas is unlikely at the present time.

The fact of it is, though, if you really want to use wind energy for your home, it is possible. If you meet the necessary requirements and do your research, it really could turn out to be a viable option for you. When you consider all the clean, free energy you will produce, the investment in time and capital will give you great returns down the line.

If you are not ready to jump in just yet, wind turbine power may still not be off the table for you. The government is giving great incentives to companies that develop technologies for clean energy. Wind turbines are under constant development, becoming quieter, more efficient and more practical for residential applications. You may soon see wind turbines powering homes as often as you see solar power!

So keep checking out what’s available and reevaluating your options. Converting to clean energy will help the planet, and that will ultimately be best for all of us. Considering a wind turbine may turn out to be an important investment in your home and in the future.

One technology seeing resurgence is the use of wind power in the shape of a wind turbine. It’s been used for many decades in windmills, and more recently you’ll find wind turbines being used together in large-scale wind farms.

The green movement has done much for the environment, and it continues to do so through new practices such as rainwater harvesting. Harvesting rainwater is relatively new to the green movement, which states that using rainwater can conserve energy and dependence on local water.

Even simple systems of funneling water into a bucket for watering plants can help the cause. A simple solution would be to set a bucket under a gutter drainage pipe to collect rainwater. More intricate designs might route the water to a covered storage bin for long term periods of time. Farmers have been known to use such processes in irrigation to drastically reduce the price of using local water to keep crops nourished.

You probably wouldn’t think it clean to wash your clothes in rainwater. In some cases it probably wouldn’t be, but with the proper harvesting system and filter it’s never been easier to clean clothes with pure water. A typical wash will take many gallons of water. And while that won’t be a great deal of resources at once, over the course of a year it will save a ton of money and help the environment.

Drinking from a water source that comes directly from rainwater isn’t always safe. But with the right system in place, a filtration system will turn rainwater into a safe to drink liquid that the whole family can enjoy. In essence, it’s very familiar to drinking from a well water source. There are filters and checks to be put into place, but once that is done the savings and environmental impact can be easily seen.

Even some jobs center around the use of rainwater. A good example would be with a firefighter, whom probably fills reserve tanks with rainwater or water from a local water source. It would be too costly for a volunteer fire department to use city water to fill tanks with each simulation or real fire call. Thus, reserve tanks are filled with rainwater, lake water, and pond water if they are available. City water is used as a last resort.

Conserving the use of city water is very important. City water takes much energy and resources to maintain, costs consumers money, and can help some locales out in times of drought. In addition to your own conservation plan, speak with a consultant about perhaps including a rainwater collection system into your own home for use in your everyday life.

In Conclusion

Harvesting water is a fun hobby to take up for a family project. Check out a few books on the subject, find a consultant, and get started in doing your part for the environment. You’ll be glad you did, and not just because of the savings in water bills!

Learn more on green building and Asheville.