TalkElectricNG:
[/quote][quote author=TalkElectricNG post=55708795]Do you use prepaid meter at home? Does your prepaid meter run out fast? Do you wish to increase the length of time it takes before you go to refill your prepaid meter card? Then this piece is ideally for you.



BE CONSERVATIVE

Turn off appliances not needed at any particular point in time. Sometimes we tend to leave our Tvs and other appliances on standby mode. While this may be a trendy thing to do, it is not a good energy conservation principle.In some homes the accumulation of appliances on standby mode could be enough to power a small fridge. By turning appliances not needed on at a particular point in time you simply save electricity by doing so.



WATCH OUT FOR EFFICIENCY

Buy only energy efficient appliances. Appliance A and Appliance B could be the same thing but their energy consumption may not be the same. This is usually reflected in their prices. Conventionally the more the energy efficiency of an appliance, the more expensive it is. However, the money pays back itself from the energy consumption. Always look at the wattage or power of the gadget and see if it is worth buying.



GO FOR DIGITAL INVERTER TECHNOLOGY

For appliances with compressors, look out to see if it is inverter compliant. It is usually written on the surface of some products like washing machine and refrigerators. For ACs, LG has led the way in this technology with their innovative LG Inverter V Gen Cool cooling unit. Inverter compliant compressors save more energy.



INSTALL A SOLAR WATER HEATER

If you use hot water regularly. It will save you more energy and hence less energy bill if you install a solar water heater once and for all and not heat your water using electricity. Solar water heaters are very efficient as they turn 80% radiation into heat. Once installed you will be using free energy to heat water. The cost of heating water from public utility daily in 5-12 months is enough to install a solar water heater. This simply implies that they are very cheap to install.



LED TVs ARE LIT

Replace the LCD tvs at home with LED tvs. LCDs consume as much as 3 times the energy an equivalent LED tv will consume. The beauty of LED is that you can even control and set the power consumption to lower levels yourself using the ecological friendly mode. They save a lot of energy.



Increase thermostat of the fridges.

Just like a house, a refrigerator will use less electricity if its thermostat is re-set to a higher (warmer) temperature. Owing to the singgle-evaporator design of most refrigerators, a change of temperature in the

freezer compartment generally results in a temperature change in fresh-food compartment Grimes et al.
Grimes examined the impact of compartment temperature on energy use on 1977-vintage automatic defrost refrigerator. Energy consumption rose 26% from the warmest acceptable to the coldest possible settings. A
more recent study of nine large, 1993-vintage US refrigerators found 6.5%increase energy consumption for 1
degree centigrade reduction in freezer


Switch to LED bulbs.


LEDs save more energy than the ring like white energy saving bulb. By now we no longer talk about the incandescent bulbs but for the sake people who do not know. Incandescent yellow bulbs consume a lot of energy. Two 60w bulb is equivalent or even more than an efficient 6 feet standing fridge. We place emphasis on LED bulbs because they are the most energy saving bulb in the market. This piece is a detailed explanation of how LEDs save energy more than the other types of bulbs available in the market.



EXPLORE FREE ENERGY IF YOU ARE GREEN

Use appliances in the middle of the day when you’re generating more solar energy. For example use appliances such as your dishwasher and washing machine during the middle of the day rather than in the evening. The reasons are obvious. You can turn of the input into your inverter to have the inverter supply power to these loads using your sun energy. By doing so, power consumed by such appliances will not read on your pre-paid meter. You would have saved yourself a lot of money by doing so.



CONTROL THE THERMOSTAT OF WATER HEATER MANUALLY

Another good money saving tip that you can do is to turn down the thermostat of your water heater. The truth is you are not always washing your hands and taking a bath all the time. You can reduce the thermostat to 120 degrees lower. You can do this after everybody in the house has taken their bath or when going to bed. This is a huge money saving technique.



PROVIDE GOOD INSULATION AT HOME

One of the most beneficial saving energy techniques you could use is to reduce the power consumption of your home or building. How can this possibly be done? By the use of ceiling insulation that is installed by experts in the field of insulation, you will reduce the energy needed to keep your home or building at a comfortable temperature which in turn leads to less strain on the heating and cooling systems which saves you money and increases your chance of saving energy and the environment. Using this saving energy technique will eradicate the single largest contributor to global warming while putting money back in your pocket! It’s a win win situation.



CLEAN THE AIR CONDITIONER FILTERS REGULARLY

Air conditioners consume a lot of energy if the air filters are dirty. They tend to work more when these air vents are dirty. It is a good practice to clean these air filters at least once in every month. In climes or periods when the environment is really dusty, it is advisable to do so twice a month. A lot of energy will be saved by doing so.



In conclusion, as energy prices continue to escalate, it is best to control the amount you pay on energy bills by investing in energy efficient appliances.


READ OTHER RELATED TOPICS

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/05/how-to-protect-your-home-appliances-from-electrical-power-surges68/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/06/need-know-energy-saving-bulbs/

TalkElectricNG:
Do you use prepaid meter at home? Does your prepaid meter run out fast? Do you wish to increase the length of time it takes before you go to refill your prepaid meter card? Then this piece is ideally for you.



BE CONSERVATIVE

Turn off appliances not needed at any particular point in time. Sometimes we tend to leave our Tvs and other appliances on standby mode. While this may be a trendy thing to do, it is not a good energy conservation principle.In some homes the accumulation of appliances on standby mode could be enough to power a small fridge. By turning appliances not needed on at a particular point in time you simply save electricity by doing so.



WATCH OUT FOR EFFICIENCY

Buy only energy efficient appliances. Appliance A and Appliance B could be the same thing but their energy consumption may not be the same. This is usually reflected in their prices. Conventionally the more the energy efficiency of an appliance, the more expensive it is. However, the money pays back itself from the energy consumption. Always look at the wattage or power of the gadget and see if it is worth buying.



GO FOR DIGITAL INVERTER TECHNOLOGY

For appliances with compressors, look out to see if it is inverter compliant. It is usually written on the surface of some products like washing machine and refrigerators. For ACs, LG has led the way in this technology with their innovative LG Inverter V Gen Cool cooling unit. Inverter compliant compressors save more energy.



INSTALL A SOLAR WATER HEATER

If you use hot water regularly. It will save you more energy and hence less energy bill if you install a solar water heater once and for all and not heat your water using electricity. Solar water heaters are very efficient as they turn 80% radiation into heat. Once installed you will be using free energy to heat water. The cost of heating water from public utility daily in 5-12 months is enough to install a solar water heater. This simply implies that they are very cheap to install.



LED TVs ARE LIT

Replace the LCD tvs at home with LED tvs. LCDs consume as much as 3 times the energy an equivalent LED tv will consume. The beauty of LED is that you can even control and set the power consumption to lower levels yourself using the ecological friendly mode. They save a lot of energy.



Increase thermostat of the fridges.

Just like a house, a refrigerator will use less electricity if its thermostat is re-set to a higher (warmer) temperature. Owing to the singgle-evaporator design of most refrigerators, a change of temperature in the

freezer compartment generally results in a temperature change in fresh-food compartment Grimes et al.
Grimes examined the impact of compartment temperature on energy use on 1977-vintage automatic defrost refrigerator. Energy consumption rose 26% from the warmest acceptable to the coldest possible settings. A
more recent study of nine large, 1993-vintage US refrigerators found 6.5%increase energy consumption for 1
degree centigrade reduction in freezer


Switch to LED bulbs.


LEDs save more energy than the ring like white energy saving bulb. By now we no longer talk about the incandescent bulbs but for the sake people who do not know. Incandescent yellow bulbs consume a lot of energy. Two 60w bulb is equivalent or even more than an efficient 6 feet standing fridge. We place emphasis on LED bulbs because they are the most energy saving bulb in the market. This piece is a detailed explanation of how LEDs save energy more than the other types of bulbs available in the market.



EXPLORE FREE ENERGY IF YOU ARE GREEN

Use appliances in the middle of the day when you’re generating more solar energy. For example use appliances such as your dishwasher and washing machine during the middle of the day rather than in the evening. The reasons are obvious. You can turn of the input into your inverter to have the inverter supply power to these loads using your sun energy. By doing so, power consumed by such appliances will not read on your pre-paid meter. You would have saved yourself a lot of money by doing so.



CONTROL THE THERMOSTAT OF WATER HEATER MANUALLY

Another good money saving tip that you can do is to turn down the thermostat of your water heater. The truth is you are not always washing your hands and taking a bath all the time. You can reduce the thermostat to 120 degrees lower. You can do this after everybody in the house has taken their bath or when going to bed. This is a huge money saving technique.



PROVIDE GOOD INSULATION AT HOME

One of the most beneficial saving energy techniques you could use is to reduce the power consumption of your home or building. How can this possibly be done? By the use of ceiling insulation that is installed by experts in the field of insulation, you will reduce the energy needed to keep your home or building at a comfortable temperature which in turn leads to less strain on the heating and cooling systems which saves you money and increases your chance of saving energy and the environment. Using this saving energy technique will eradicate the single largest contributor to global warming while putting money back in your pocket! It’s a win win situation.



CLEAN THE AIR CONDITIONER FILTERS REGULARLY

Air conditioners consume a lot of energy if the air filters are dirty. They tend to work more when these air vents are dirty. It is a good practice to clean these air filters at least once in every month. In climes or periods when the environment is really dusty, it is advisable to do so twice a month. A lot of energy will be saved by doing so.



In conclusion, as energy prices continue to escalate, it is best to control the amount you pay on energy bills by investing in energy efficient appliances.


READ OTHER RELATED TOPICS

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/05/how-to-protect-your-home-appliances-from-electrical-power-surges68/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/06/need-know-energy-saving-bulbs/

TalkElectricNG:
[/quote][quote author=TalkElectricNG post=57231017]Has Nepa ever brought light and some appliances in your house got damaged? Has it happened to some one you know. This pieace explains in details what power surges which causes it are and how you can prevent them

What are power surges?

Power surges are very brief, usually lasting millionths of a second. They can vary in duration and magnitude, varying from a few hundred volts to several thousand volts.

Power surges damage appliances installed in home hence they can be very harmful. They can result from thunderstorms, intense heat, irregular or erratic power supply and also more importantly unstable distribution. Unstable distribution will increase the chances for surges to occur and the sad part of it is distribution companies can find it difficult to regulate distribution.

No matter where you live, your home experiences power surges. Electrical devices handle specific voltage level for which they are designed. Unfortunately, in cases where these devices are subject to higher voltages than they are designed for, damage will occur. Generally speaking the greater the voltages, and the longer the period over which they occur, the greater the chances damage will most likely occur.

To prevent these surges from occurring and possibly damage things at home, it is up to the ;you the consumer to to this.

Solution

Unplug devices not in use

The simplest and easiest way to deal with power surge problems is to unplug appliances not being used at any particular point in time. Usually in our homes we have the bad habit of leaving plugged in so many devices even though not being used.

There is absolutely no need leaving in power tools, washing machines or microwaves plugged in when we don’t need them. Since the refrigerators are required to always be on, we can do ourselves a lot good by reducing chances of surge occurring through the habit of switching off.

UPGRADE INADEQUATE WIRING

If you have an older home, inadequate wiring could be the cause. Some very old Electrical systems in homes will not handle large-capacity refrigerators, entertainment systems and computer equipment.

Some visible signs of inadequate wiring are frequent blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers, or lights that flicker or dim when the refrigerator or another large appliance kicks on.

Don’t ignore these symptoms – they’re a signal that something is wrong, and the problem may become a fire hazard.

FIX OVER LOADED CIRCUIT

If your home is modern , be careful the electrician you use for your house wiring ,you may have a problem with an overloaded circuit. Look out for two (or more) large appliances drawing power from the same circuit, especially in the kitchen. The easier way is to have a single circuit for each appliance if possible.

Another trouble spot might be a circuit with many smaller devices, such as a family room filled with computer and entertainment equipment.

Tell your electrician to establish dedicated circuits for each large appliance, and to divide rooms with multiple devices into separate circuits.


READ MORE BELOW

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/05/how-to-protect-your-home-appliances-from-electrical-power-surges68/

other related article

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/05/impact-of-trumps-paris-agreement-pull-out-on-africa/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/27/led-lights-advantages-and-features/


http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/26/solar-frequently-asked-questions/

TalkElectricNG:
[/quote][quote author=TalkElectricNG post=57230764]Has Nepa ever brought light and some appliances in your house got damaged? Has it happened to some one you know. This pieace explains in details what power surges which causes it are and how you can prevent them

What are power surges?

Power surges are very brief, usually lasting millionths of a second. They can vary in duration and magnitude, varying from a few hundred volts to several thousand volts.

Power surges damage appliances installed in home hence they can be very harmful. They can result from thunderstorms, intense heat, irregular or erratic power supply and also more importantly unstable distribution. Unstable distribution will increase the chances for surges to occur and the sad part of it is distribution companies can find it difficult to regulate distribution.

No matter where you live, your home experiences power surges. Electrical devices handle specific voltage level for which they are designed. Unfortunately, in cases where these devices are subject to higher voltages than they are designed for, damage will occur. Generally speaking the greater the voltages, and the longer the period over which they occur, the greater the chances damage will most likely occur.

To prevent these surges from occurring and possibly damage things at home, it is up to the ;you the consumer to to this.

Solution

Unplug devices not in use

The simplest and easiest way to deal with power surge problems is to unplug appliances not being used at any particular point in time. Usually in our homes we have the bad habit of leaving plugged in so many devices even though not being used.

There is absolutely no need leaving in power tools, washing machines or microwaves plugged in when we don’t need them. Since the refrigerators are required to always be on, we can do ourselves a lot good by reducing chances of surge occurring through the habit of switching off.

UPGRADE INADEQUATE WIRING

If you have an older home, inadequate wiring could be the cause. Some very old Electrical systems in homes will not handle large-capacity refrigerators, entertainment systems and computer equipment.

Some visible signs of inadequate wiring are frequent blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers, or lights that flicker or dim when the refrigerator or another large appliance kicks on.

Don’t ignore these symptoms – they’re a signal that something is wrong, and the problem may become a fire hazard.

FIX OVER LOADED CIRCUIT

If your home is modern , be careful the electrician you use for your house wiring ,you may have a problem with an overloaded circuit. Look out for two (or more) large appliances drawing power from the same circuit, especially in the kitchen. The easier way is to have a single circuit for each appliance if possible.

Another trouble spot might be a circuit with many smaller devices, such as a family room filled with computer and entertainment equipment.

Tell your electrician to establish dedicated circuits for each large appliance, and to divide rooms with multiple devices into separate circuits.


READ MORE BELOW

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/05/how-to-protect-your-home-appliances-from-electrical-power-surges68/

other related article

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/05/impact-of-trumps-paris-agreement-pull-out-on-africa/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/27/led-lights-advantages-and-features/


http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/26/solar-frequently-asked-questions/

TalkElectricNG:
Has Nepa ever brought light and some appliances in your house got damaged? Has it happened to some one you know. This piece explains in details what power surges which causes it are and how you can prevent them

What are power surges?

Power surges are very brief, usually lasting millionths of a second. They can vary in duration and magnitude, varying from a few hundred volts to several thousand volts.

Power surges damage appliances installed in home hence they can be very harmful. They can result from thunderstorms, intense heat, irregular or erratic power supply and also more importantly unstable distribution. Unstable distribution will increase the chances for surges to occur and the sad part of it is distribution companies can find it difficult to regulate distribution.

No matter where you live, your home experiences power surges. Electrical devices handle specific voltage level for which they are designed. Unfortunately, in cases where these devices are subject to higher voltages than they are designed for, damage will occur. Generally speaking the greater the voltages, and the longer the period over which they occur, the greater the chances damage will most likely occur.

To prevent these surges from occurring and possibly damage things at home, it is up to the ;you the consumer to to this.

Solution

Unplug devices not in use

The simplest and easiest way to deal with power surge problems is to unplug appliances not being used at any particular point in time. Usually in our homes we have the bad habit of leaving plugged in so many devices even though not being used.

There is absolutely no need leaving in power tools, washing machines or microwaves plugged in when we don’t need them. Since the refrigerators are required to always be on, we can do ourselves a lot good by reducing chances of surge occurring through the habit of switching off.

UPGRADE INADEQUATE WIRING

If you have an older home, inadequate wiring could be the cause. Some very old Electrical systems in homes will not handle large-capacity refrigerators, entertainment systems and computer equipment.

Some visible signs of inadequate wiring are frequent blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers, or lights that flicker or dim when the refrigerator or another large appliance kicks on.

Don’t ignore these symptoms – they’re a signal that something is wrong, and the problem may become a fire hazard.

FIX OVER LOADED CIRCUIT

If your home is modern , be careful the electrician you use for your house wiring ,you may have a problem with an overloaded circuit. Look out for two (or more) large appliances drawing power from the same circuit, especially in the kitchen. The easier way is to have a single circuit for each appliance if possible.

Another trouble spot might be a circuit with many smaller devices, such as a family room filled with computer and entertainment equipment.

Tell your electrician to establish dedicated circuits for each large appliance, and to divide rooms with multiple devices into separate circuits.


READ MORE BELOW

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/05/how-to-protect-your-home-appliances-from-electrical-power-surges68/

other related article

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/05/impact-of-trumps-paris-agreement-pull-out-on-africa/

TalkElectricNG:
[/quote][quote author=TalkElectricNG post=57677863]Clean energy will replace fossil fuel in the near future. It existed years back and today is continually improved upon.

In a sense, the fossil fuels are a onetime gift that lifted us up from subsistence agriculture and eventually should lead us to a future based on renewable resources and clean energy.
— Kenneth Deffeyes

The fuel in the earth will be exhausted in a thousand or more years, and its mineral wealth, but man will find substitutes for these in the winds, the waves, the sun's heat, and so forth. (1916)
— John Burroughs

"By definition we must move towards renewable energy. How can people argue against that? To argue that is to say that eventually we will run out of energy and die or civilization will collapse."
—Elon Musk

The amount of energy the sun generates is enough to power the whole world on a 24 hr basis but harnessing this energy in the most efficient way is the task scientists are to undertake. Lately a lot of incredible innovations on clean energy are going on. TalkElectricng will like to share some of them with our esteemed readers.


Tesla roof tiles


Residential solar roof tops have been in existence for so many years and still hold a large chunk of the market space in terms of clean energy power generation. However they have their drawbacks. A couple of home owners complain about how they spoil the design architecture and aesthetics of their houses. Notwithstanding the fact that solar roof top over the years have dropped in prices and provided good Return on Investment, Mr Elon Musk had a proposition.

With the question "Would you like a roof that looks better than a normal roof, lasts twice as long, costs less and by the way generates electricity?' It's like, why would you get anything else?" The founder of Solar city and Tesla battery came up with a game changing idea-Solar roof tiles.

The roof tile technology made from glass and solar cells is unique. The solar cells are embedded in the tiles. Panasonic makes a very robust solar cell that generates power for up to 30 years. What the company has kept a little bit of a secret is the inter connection technology of the tiles.

Elon Musk once said that the electric architecture of the solar roof system was proprietary to Tesla and they didn’t want to go into details about it, but they did briefly discuss the development of the system

The clean energy enterpreneur said that making the connectors robust involved “a shocking amount of technology”:

“This is a connector that has to last for more than 30 years. It has to be weatherproof, heavy rain, snow, slush, salt, water leaking – it’s like connector hell.”

The roof tile went on sale in America on the 10th of May 2017. Tesla opened up its online store and is taking US$1,000 deposits for two of four options unveiled in October: a smooth black glass; and textured-glass roof tiles. From most viewing angles, the slick shingles look like standard roof materials, but they allow light to pass through from above onto a solar cell embedded beneath the tempered surface. The first installations began in the United States in June. However orders from all over the world began too for 2018 installations

For more questions on how these roof tiles work you can visit Tesla or Solar City websites or you can read more about it here.


Solar paint

Researchers have developed a solar paint that can absorb water vapor and split it to generate hydrogen – the cleanest source of energy.

A silica gel like compound makes up the paint component. Works also as moisture absorbent and keeps food ,medicine and electronics dry

But unlike silica gel, the new material, synthetic molybdenum-sulphide, also acts as a semi-conductor and catalyses the splitting of water atoms into hydrogen and oxygen.

Lead researcher Dr. Torben Daeneke, from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, said: “We found that mixing the compound with titanium oxide particles leads to a sunlight-absorbing paint that produces hydrogen fuel from solar energy and moist air.

“Titanium oxide is the white pigment that is already commonly used in wall paint, meaning that the simple addition of the new material can convert a brick wall into energy harvesting and fuel production real estate.

“Our new development has a big range of advantages,” he said. “There’s no need for clean or filtered water to feed the system. Any place that has water vapor in the air, even remote areas far from water, can produce fuel.”

His colleague, Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh, said hydrogen was the cleanest source of energy and could be used in fuel cells as well as conventional combustion engines as an alternative to fossil fuels.

“This system can also be used in very dry but hot climates near oceans. The sea water is evaporated by the hot sunlight and the vapour can then be absorbed to produce fuel.

“This is an extraordinary concept – making fuel from the sun and water vapor in the air.”


Actuators

They work by translating the revolutionary motion of a motor into linear movement. Actuators enjoy a long life, and generally do not require maintenance as they have few moving parts. So using actuators is another way in which solar energy is more efficient because it allows freestanding panels to track the sun as it moves across the sky to maximize solar gain.


Energy storage

To date, one of the biggest impediments for solar energy is that the sun doesn't always shine. Large-scale energy storage is gaining traction by the day. It means that towns and cities can store solar gain during the day for use at night. And some of the ideas for solar storage are pretty innovative!

Compressed air: Using abandoned mine shafts or salt caverns to pump gas into during daylight hours. Use the compressed air at night to drive turbines and generates energy.

Pumped Hydro: Another way to store energy is to pump water uphill into a large storage reservoir during the day. Release the water at night to flow downhill where it drives turbines.

Molten Salt: Grid production of excess required energy led to innovation. Heat molten salt to temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit from excess energy. The heat from the molten salt creates steam which drives turbines and generates energy in increased electricity demand.

READ MORE

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/19/clean-energy-innovations-of-the-future/

other related topics

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/25/top-reasons-why-solar-batteries-fail/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/16/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-green-energy/

TalkElectricNG:
Clean energy will replace fossil fuel in the near future. It existed years back and today is continually improved upon.

In a sense, the fossil fuels are a onetime gift that lifted us up from subsistence agriculture and eventually should lead us to a future based on renewable resources and clean energy.
— Kenneth Deffeyes

The fuel in the earth will be exhausted in a thousand or more years, and its mineral wealth, but man will find substitutes for these in the winds, the waves, the sun's heat, and so forth. (1916)
— John Burroughs

"By definition we must move towards renewable energy. How can people argue against that? To argue that is to say that eventually we will run out of energy and die or civilization will collapse."
—Elon Musk

The amount of energy the sun generates is enough to power the whole world on a 24 hr basis but harnessing this energy in the most efficient way is the task scientists are to undertake. Lately a lot of incredible innovations on clean energy are going on. TalkElectricng will like to share some of them with our esteemed readers.


Tesla roof tiles


Residential solar roof tops have been in existence for so many years and still hold a large chunk of the market space in terms of clean energy power generation. However they have their drawbacks. A couple of home owners complain about how they spoil the design architecture and aesthetics of their houses. Notwithstanding the fact that solar roof top over the years have dropped in prices and provided good Return on Investment, Mr Elon Musk had a proposition.

With the question "Would you like a roof that looks better than a normal roof, lasts twice as long, costs less and by the way generates electricity?' It's like, why would you get anything else?" The founder of Solar city and Tesla battery came up with a game changing idea-Solar roof tiles.

The roof tile technology made from glass and solar cells is unique. The solar cells are embedded in the tiles. Panasonic makes a very robust solar cell that generates power for up to 30 years. What the company has kept a little bit of a secret is the inter connection technology of the tiles.

Elon Musk once said that the electric architecture of the solar roof system was proprietary to Tesla and they didn’t want to go into details about it, but they did briefly discuss the development of the system

The clean energy enterpreneur said that making the connectors robust involved “a shocking amount of technology”:

“This is a connector that has to last for more than 30 years. It has to be weatherproof, heavy rain, snow, slush, salt, water leaking – it’s like connector hell.”

The roof tile went on sale in America on the 10th of May 2017. Tesla opened up its online store and is taking US$1,000 deposits for two of four options unveiled in October: a smooth black glass; and textured-glass roof tiles. From most viewing angles, the slick shingles look like standard roof materials, but they allow light to pass through from above onto a solar cell embedded beneath the tempered surface. The first installations began in the United States in June. However orders from all over the world began too for 2018 installations

For more questions on how these roof tiles work you can visit Tesla or Solar City websites or you can read more about it here.


Solar paint

Researchers have developed a solar paint that can absorb water vapor and split it to generate hydrogen – the cleanest source of energy.

A silica gel like compound makes up the paint component. Works also as moisture absorbent and keeps food ,medicine and electronics dry

But unlike silica gel, the new material, synthetic molybdenum-sulphide, also acts as a semi-conductor and catalyses the splitting of water atoms into hydrogen and oxygen.

Lead researcher Dr. Torben Daeneke, from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, said: “We found that mixing the compound with titanium oxide particles leads to a sunlight-absorbing paint that produces hydrogen fuel from solar energy and moist air.

“Titanium oxide is the white pigment that is already commonly used in wall paint, meaning that the simple addition of the new material can convert a brick wall into energy harvesting and fuel production real estate.

“Our new development has a big range of advantages,” he said. “There’s no need for clean or filtered water to feed the system. Any place that has water vapor in the air, even remote areas far from water, can produce fuel.”

His colleague, Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh, said hydrogen was the cleanest source of energy and could be used in fuel cells as well as conventional combustion engines as an alternative to fossil fuels.

“This system can also be used in very dry but hot climates near oceans. The sea water is evaporated by the hot sunlight and the vapour can then be absorbed to produce fuel.

“This is an extraordinary concept – making fuel from the sun and water vapor in the air.”


Actuators

They work by translating the revolutionary motion of a motor into linear movement. Actuators enjoy a long life, and generally do not require maintenance as they have few moving parts. So using actuators is another way in which solar energy is more efficient because it allows freestanding panels to track the sun as it moves across the sky to maximize solar gain.


Energy storage

To date, one of the biggest impediments for solar energy is that the sun doesn't always shine. Large-scale energy storage is gaining traction by the day. It means that towns and cities can store solar gain during the day for use at night. And some of the ideas for solar storage are pretty innovative!

Compressed air: Using abandoned mine shafts or salt caverns to pump gas into during daylight hours. Use the compressed air at night to drive turbines and generates energy.

Pumped Hydro: Another way to store energy is to pump water uphill into a large storage reservoir during the day. Release the water at night to flow downhill where it drives turbines.

Molten Salt: Grid production of excess required energy led to innovation. Heat molten salt to temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit from excess energy. The heat from the molten salt creates steam which drives turbines and generates energy in increased electricity demand.

READ MORE

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/19/clean-energy-innovations-of-the-future/

other related topics

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/25/top-reasons-why-solar-batteries-fail/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/16/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-green-energy/

TalkElectricNG:
[/quote][quote author=TalkElectricNG post=55929431]Do you use prepaid meter at home? Does your prepaid meter run out fast? Do you wish to increase the length of time it takes before you go to refill your prepaid meter card? Then this piece is ideally for you.



BE CONSERVATIVE

Turn off appliances not needed at any particular point in time. Sometimes we tend to leave our Tvs and other appliances on standby mode. While this may be a trendy thing to do, it is not a good energy conservation principle.In some homes the accumulation of appliances on standby mode could be enough to power a small fridge. By turning appliances not needed on at a particular point in time you simply save electricity by doing so.



WATCH OUT FOR EFFICIENCY

Buy only energy efficient appliances. Appliance A and Appliance B could be the same thing but their energy consumption may not be the same. This is usually reflected in their prices. Conventionally the more the energy efficiency of an appliance, the more expensive it is. However, the money pays back itself from the energy consumption. Always look at the wattage or power of the gadget and see if it is worth buying.



GO FOR DIGITAL INVERTER TECHNOLOGY

For appliances with compressors, look out to see if it is inverter compliant. It is usually written on the surface of some products like washing machine and refrigerators. For ACs, LG has led the way in this technology with their innovative LG Inverter V Gen Cool cooling unit. Inverter compliant compressors save more energy.



INSTALL A SOLAR WATER HEATER

If you use hot water regularly. It will save you more energy and hence less energy bill if you install a solar water heater once and for all and not heat your water using electricity. Solar water heaters are very efficient as they turn 80% radiation into heat. Once installed you will be using free energy to heat water. The cost of heating water from public utility daily in 5-12 months is enough to install a solar water heater. This simply implies that they are very cheap to install.



LED TVs ARE LIT

Replace the LCD tvs at home with LED tvs. LCDs consume as much as 3 times the energy an equivalent LED tv will consume. The beauty of LED is that you can even control and set the power consumption to lower levels yourself using the ecological friendly mode. They save a lot of energy.



Increase thermostat of the fridges.

Just like a house, a refrigerator will use less electricity if its thermostat is re-set to a higher (warmer) temperature. Owing to the singgle-evaporator design of most refrigerators, a change of temperature in the

freezer compartment generally results in a temperature change in fresh-food compartment Grimes et al.
Grimes examined the impact of compartment temperature on energy use on 1977-vintage automatic defrost refrigerator. Energy consumption rose 26% from the warmest acceptable to the coldest possible settings. A
more recent study of nine large, 1993-vintage US refrigerators found 6.5%increase energy consumption for 1
degree centigrade reduction in freezer


Switch to LED bulbs.


LEDs save more energy than the ring like white energy saving bulb. By now we no longer talk about the incandescent bulbs but for the sake people who do not know. Incandescent yellow bulbs consume a lot of energy. Two 60w bulb is equivalent or even more than an efficient 6 feet standing fridge. We place emphasis on LED bulbs because they are the most energy saving bulb in the market. This piece is a detailed explanation of how LEDs save energy more than the other types of bulbs available in the market.



EXPLORE FREE ENERGY IF YOU ARE GREEN

Use appliances in the middle of the day when you’re generating more solar energy. For example use appliances such as your dishwasher and washing machine during the middle of the day rather than in the evening. The reasons are obvious. You can turn of the input into your inverter to have the inverter supply power to these loads using your sun energy. By doing so, power consumed by such appliances will not read on your pre-paid meter. You would have saved yourself a lot of money by doing so.



CONTROL THE THERMOSTAT OF WATER HEATER MANUALLY

Another good money saving tip that you can do is to turn down the thermostat of your water heater. The truth is you are not always washing your hands and taking a bath all the time. You can reduce the thermostat to 120 degrees lower. You can do this after everybody in the house has taken their bath or when going to bed. This is a huge money saving technique.



PROVIDE GOOD INSULATION AT HOME

One of the most beneficial saving energy techniques you could use is to reduce the power consumption of your home or building. How can this possibly be done? By the use of ceiling insulation that is installed by experts in the field of insulation, you will reduce the energy needed to keep your home or building at a comfortable temperature which in turn leads to less strain on the heating and cooling systems which saves you money and increases your chance of saving energy and the environment. Using this saving energy technique will eradicate the single largest contributor to global warming while putting money back in your pocket! It’s a win win situation.



CLEAN THE AIR CONDITIONER FILTERS REGULARLY

Air conditioners consume a lot of energy if the air filters are dirty. They tend to work more when these air vents are dirty. It is a good practice to clean these air filters at least once in every month. In climes or periods when the environment is really dusty, it is advisable to do so twice a month. A lot of energy will be saved by doing so.



In conclusion, as energy prices continue to escalate, it is best to control the amount you pay on energy bills by investing in energy efficient appliances.



READ OTHER RELATED TOPICS

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/05/how-to-protect-your-home-appliances-from-electrical-power-surges68/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/06/need-know-energy-saving-bulbs/

TalkElectricNG:
[/quote][quote author=TalkElectricNG post=57198359]Has Nepa ever brought light and some appliances in your house got damaged? Has it happened to some one you know. This pieace explains in details what power surges which causes it are and how you can prevent them

What are power surges?

Power surges are very brief, usually lasting millionths of a second. They can vary in duration and magnitude, varying from a few hundred volts to several thousand volts.

Power surges damage appliances installed in home hence they can be very harmful. They can result from thunderstorms, intense heat, irregular or erratic power supply and also more importantly unstable distribution. Unstable distribution will increase the chances for surges to occur and the sad part of it is distribution companies can find it difficult to regulate distribution.

No matter where you live, your home experiences power surges. Electrical devices handle specific voltage level for which they are designed. Unfortunately, in cases where these devices are subject to higher voltages than they are designed for, damage will occur. Generally speaking the greater the voltages, and the longer the period over which they occur, the greater the chances damage will most likely occur.

To prevent these surges from occurring and possibly damage things at home, it is up to the ;you the consumer to to this.

Solution

Unplug devices not in use

The simplest and easiest way to deal with power surge problems is to unplug appliances not being used at any particular point in time. Usually in our homes we have the bad habit of leaving plugged in so many devices even though not being used.

There is absolutely no need leaving in power tools, washing machines or microwaves plugged in when we don’t need them. Since the refrigerators are required to always be on, we can do ourselves a lot good by reducing chances of surge occurring through the habit of switching off.

UPGRADE INADEQUATE WIRING

If you have an older home, inadequate wiring could be the cause. Some very old Electrical systems in homes will not handle large-capacity refrigerators, entertainment systems and computer equipment.

Some visible signs of inadequate wiring are frequent blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers, or lights that flicker or dim when the refrigerator or another large appliance kicks on.

Don’t ignore these symptoms – they’re a signal that something is wrong, and the problem may become a fire hazard.

FIX OVER LOADED CIRCUIT

If your home is modern , be careful the electrician you use for your house wiring ,you may have a problem with an overloaded circuit. Look out for two (or more) large appliances drawing power from the same circuit, especially in the kitchen. The easier way is to have a single circuit for each appliance if possible.

Another trouble spot might be a circuit with many smaller devices, such as a family room filled with computer and entertainment equipment.

Tell your electrician to establish dedicated circuits for each large appliance, and to divide rooms with multiple devices into separate circuits.


READ MORE BELOW

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/05/how-to-protect-your-home-appliances-from-electrical-power-surges68/

other related article

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/05/impact-of-trumps-paris-agreement-pull-out-on-africa/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/27/led-lights-advantages-and-features/


http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/26/solar-frequently-asked-questions/

dami2boi:


Nice one Op, it really educative thank you

TalkElectricNG:
Has Nepa ever brought light and some appliances in your house got damaged? Has it happened to some one you know. This piece explains in details what power surges which causes it are and how you can prevent them

What are power surges?

Power surges are very brief, usually lasting millionths of a second. They can vary in duration and magnitude, varying from a few hundred volts to several thousand volts.

Power surges damage appliances installed in home hence they can be very harmful. They can result from thunderstorms, intense heat, irregular or erratic power supply and also more importantly unstable distribution. Unstable distribution will increase the chances for surges to occur and the sad part of it is distribution companies can find it difficult to regulate distribution.

No matter where you live, your home experiences power surges. Electrical devices handle specific voltage level for which they are designed. Unfortunately, in cases where these devices are subject to higher voltages than they are designed for, damage will occur. Generally speaking the greater the voltages, and the longer the period over which they occur, the greater the chances damage will most likely occur.

To prevent these surges from occurring and possibly damage things at home, it is up to the ;you the consumer to to this.

Solution

Unplug devices not in use

The simplest and easiest way to deal with power surge problems is to unplug appliances not being used at any particular point in time. Usually in our homes we have the bad habit of leaving plugged in so many devices even though not being used.

There is absolutely no need leaving in power tools, washing machines or microwaves plugged in when we don’t need them. Since the refrigerators are required to always be on, we can do ourselves a lot good by reducing chances of surge occurring through the habit of switching off.

UPGRADE INADEQUATE WIRING

If you have an older home, inadequate wiring could be the cause. Some very old Electrical systems in homes will not handle large-capacity refrigerators, entertainment systems and computer equipment.

Some visible signs of inadequate wiring are frequent blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers, or lights that flicker or dim when the refrigerator or another large appliance kicks on.

Don’t ignore these symptoms – they’re a signal that something is wrong, and the problem may become a fire hazard.

FIX OVER LOADED CIRCUIT

If your home is modern , be careful the electrician you use for your house wiring ,you may have a problem with an overloaded circuit. Look out for two (or more) large appliances drawing power from the same circuit, especially in the kitchen. The easier way is to have a single circuit for each appliance if possible.

Another trouble spot might be a circuit with many smaller devices, such as a family room filled with computer and entertainment equipment.

Tell your electrician to establish dedicated circuits for each large appliance, and to divide rooms with multiple devices into separate circuits.


READ MORE BELOW

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/05/how-to-protect-your-home-appliances-from-electrical-power-surges68/

other related article:

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/05/impact-of-trumps-paris-agreement-pull-out-on-africa/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/27/led-lights-advantages-and-features/


http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/26/solar-frequently-asked-questions/

TalkElectricNG:
Has Nepa ever brought light and some appliances in your house got damaged? Has it happened to some one you know. This pieace explains in details what power surges which causes it are and how you can prevent them

What are power surges?

Power surges are very brief, usually lasting millionths of a second. They can vary in duration and magnitude, varying from a few hundred volts to several thousand volts.

Power surges damage appliances installed in home hence they can be very harmful. They can result from thunderstorms, intense heat, irregular or erratic power supply and also more importantly unstable distribution. Unstable distribution will increase the chances for surges to occur and the sad part of it is distribution companies can find it difficult to regulate distribution.

No matter where you live, your home experiences power surges. Electrical devices handle specific voltage level for which they are designed. Unfortunately, in cases where these devices are subject to higher voltages than they are designed for, damage will occur. Generally speaking the greater the voltages, and the longer the period over which they occur, the greater the chances damage will most likely occur.

To prevent these surges from occurring and possibly damage things at home, it is up to the ;you the consumer to to this.

Solution

Unplug devices not in use

The simplest and easiest way to deal with power surge problems is to unplug appliances not being used at any particular point in time. Usually in our homes we have the bad habit of leaving plugged in so many devices even though not being used.

There is absolutely no need leaving in power tools, washing machines or microwaves plugged in when we don’t need them. Since the refrigerators are required to always be on, we can do ourselves a lot good by reducing chances of surge occurring through the habit of switching off.

UPGRADE INADEQUATE WIRING

If you have an older home, inadequate wiring could be the cause. Some very old Electrical systems in homes will not handle large-capacity refrigerators, entertainment systems and computer equipment.

Some visible signs of inadequate wiring are frequent blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers, or lights that flicker or dim when the refrigerator or another large appliance kicks on.

Don’t ignore these symptoms – they’re a signal that something is wrong, and the problem may become a fire hazard.

FIX OVER LOADED CIRCUIT

If your home is modern , be careful the electrician you use for your house wiring ,you may have a problem with an overloaded circuit. Look out for two (or more) large appliances drawing power from the same circuit, especially in the kitchen. The easier way is to have a single circuit for each appliance if possible.

Another trouble spot might be a circuit with many smaller devices, such as a family room filled with computer and entertainment equipment.

Tell your electrician to establish dedicated circuits for each large appliance, and to divide rooms with multiple devices into separate circuits.


READ MORE BELOW

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/05/how-to-protect-your-home-appliances-from-electrical-power-surges68/

other related article:

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/05/impact-of-trumps-paris-agreement-pull-out-on-africa/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/27/led-lights-advantages-and-features/


http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/26/solar-frequently-asked-questions/

TalkElectricNG:
Do you use prepaid meter at home? Does your prepaid meter run out fast? Do you wish to increase the length of time it takes before you go to refill your prepaid meter card? Then this piece is ideally for you.



BE CONSERVATIVE

Turn off appliances not needed at any particular point in time. Sometimes we tend to leave our Tvs and other appliances on standby mode. While this may be a trendy thing to do, it is not a good energy conservation principle.In some homes the accumulation of appliances on standby mode could be enough to power a small fridge. By turning appliances not needed on at a particular point in time you simply save electricity by doing so.



WATCH OUT FOR EFFICIENCY

Buy only energy efficient appliances. Appliance A and Appliance B could be the same thing but their energy consumption may not be the same. This is usually reflected in their prices. Conventionally the more the energy efficiency of an appliance, the more expensive it is. However, the money pays back itself from the energy consumption. Always look at the wattage or power of the gadget and see if it is worth buying.



GO FOR DIGITAL INVERTER TECHNOLOGY

For appliances with compressors, look out to see if it is inverter compliant. It is usually written on the surface of some products like washing machine and refrigerators. For ACs, LG has led the way in this technology with their innovative LG Inverter V Gen Cool cooling unit. Inverter compliant compressors save more energy.



INSTALL A SOLAR WATER HEATER

If you use hot water regularly. It will save you more energy and hence less energy bill if you install a solar water heater once and for all and not heat your water using electricity. Solar water heaters are very efficient as they turn 80% radiation into heat. Once installed you will be using free energy to heat water. The cost of heating water from public utility daily in 5-12 months is enough to install a solar water heater. This simply implies that they are very cheap to install.



LED TVs ARE LIT

Replace the LCD tvs at home with LED tvs. LCDs consume as much as 3 times the energy an equivalent LED tv will consume. The beauty of LED is that you can even control and set the power consumption to lower levels yourself using the ecological friendly mode. They save a lot of energy.



Increase thermostat of the fridges.

Just like a house, a refrigerator will use less electricity if its thermostat is re-set to a higher (warmer) temperature. Owing to the singgle-evaporator design of most refrigerators, a change of temperature in the

freezer compartment generally results in a temperature change in fresh-food compartment Grimes et al.
Grimes examined the impact of compartment temperature on energy use on 1977-vintage automatic defrost refrigerator. Energy consumption rose 26% from the warmest acceptable to the coldest possible settings. A
more recent study of nine large, 1993-vintage US refrigerators found 6.5%increase energy consumption for 1
degree centigrade reduction in freezer


Switch to LED bulbs.


LEDs save more energy than the ring like white energy saving bulb. By now we no longer talk about the incandescent bulbs but for the sake people who do not know. Incandescent yellow bulbs consume a lot of energy. Two 60w bulb is equivalent or even more than an efficient 6 feet standing fridge. We place emphasis on LED bulbs because they are the most energy saving bulb in the market. This piece is a detailed explanation of how LEDs save energy more than the other types of bulbs available in the market.



EXPLORE FREE ENERGY IF YOU ARE GREEN

Use appliances in the middle of the day when you’re generating more solar energy. For example use appliances such as your dishwasher and washing machine during the middle of the day rather than in the evening. The reasons are obvious. You can turn of the input into your inverter to have the inverter supply power to these loads using your sun energy. By doing so, power consumed by such appliances will not read on your pre-paid meter. You would have saved yourself a lot of money by doing so.



CONTROL THE THERMOSTAT OF WATER HEATER MANUALLY

Another good money saving tip that you can do is to turn down the thermostat of your water heater. The truth is you are not always washing your hands and taking a bath all the time. You can reduce the thermostat to 120 degrees lower. You can do this after everybody in the house has taken their bath or when going to bed. This is a huge money saving technique.



PROVIDE GOOD INSULATION AT HOME

One of the most beneficial saving energy techniques you could use is to reduce the power consumption of your home or building. How can this possibly be done? By the use of ceiling insulation that is installed by experts in the field of insulation, you will reduce the energy needed to keep your home or building at a comfortable temperature which in turn leads to less strain on the heating and cooling systems which saves you money and increases your chance of saving energy and the environment. Using this saving energy technique will eradicate the single largest contributor to global warming while putting money back in your pocket! It’s a win win situation.



CLEAN THE AIR CONDITIONER FILTERS REGULARLY

Air conditioners consume a lot of energy if the air filters are dirty. They tend to work more when these air vents are dirty. It is a good practice to clean these air filters at least once in every month. In climes or periods when the environment is really dusty, it is advisable to do so twice a month. A lot of energy will be saved by doing so.



In conclusion, as energy prices continue to escalate, it is best to control the amount you pay on energy bills by investing in energy efficient appliances.



READ OTHER RELATED TOPICS:

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/05/how-to-protect-your-home-appliances-from-electrical-power-surges68/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/06/need-know-energy-saving-bulbs/

TalkElectricNG:
Clean energy will replace fossil fuel in the near future. It existed years back and today is continually improved upon.

In a sense, the fossil fuels are a onetime gift that lifted us up from subsistence agriculture and eventually should lead us to a future based on renewable resources and clean energy.
— Kenneth Deffeyes

The fuel in the earth will be exhausted in a thousand or more years, and its mineral wealth, but man will find substitutes for these in the winds, the waves, the sun's heat, and so forth. (1916)
— John Burroughs

"By definition we must move towards renewable energy. How can people argue against that? To argue that is to say that eventually we will run out of energy and die or civilization will collapse."
—Elon Musk

The amount of energy the sun generates is enough to power the whole world on a 24 hr basis but harnessing this energy in the most efficient way is the task scientists are to undertake. Lately a lot of incredible innovations on clean energy are going on. TalkElectricng will like to share some of them with our esteemed readers.


Tesla roof tiles


Residential solar roof tops have been in existence for so many years and still hold a large chunk of the market space in terms of clean energy power generation. However they have their drawbacks. A couple of home owners complain about how they spoil the design architecture and aesthetics of their houses. Notwithstanding the fact that solar roof top over the years have dropped in prices and provided good Return on Investment, Mr Elon Musk had a proposition.

With the question "Would you like a roof that looks better than a normal roof, lasts twice as long, costs less and by the way generates electricity?' It's like, why would you get anything else?" The founder of Solar city and Tesla battery came up with a game changing idea-Solar roof tiles.

The roof tile technology made from glass and solar cells is unique. The solar cells are embedded in the tiles. Panasonic makes a very robust solar cell that generates power for up to 30 years. What the company has kept a little bit of a secret is the inter connection technology of the tiles.

Elon Musk once said that the electric architecture of the solar roof system was proprietary to Tesla and they didn’t want to go into details about it, but they did briefly discuss the development of the system

The clean energy enterpreneur said that making the connectors robust involved “a shocking amount of technology”:

“This is a connector that has to last for more than 30 years. It has to be weatherproof, heavy rain, snow, slush, salt, water leaking – it’s like connector hell.”

The roof tile went on sale in America on the 10th of May 2017. Tesla opened up its online store and is taking US$1,000 deposits for two of four options unveiled in October: a smooth black glass; and textured-glass roof tiles. From most viewing angles, the slick shingles look like standard roof materials, but they allow light to pass through from above onto a solar cell embedded beneath the tempered surface. The first installations began in the United States in June. However orders from all over the world began too for 2018 installations

For more questions on how these roof tiles work you can visit Tesla or Solar City websites or you can read more about it here.


Solar paint

Researchers have developed a solar paint that can absorb water vapor and split it to generate hydrogen – the cleanest source of energy.

A silica gel like compound makes up the paint component. Works also as moisture absorbent and keeps food ,medicine and electronics dry

But unlike silica gel, the new material, synthetic molybdenum-sulphide, also acts as a semi-conductor and catalyses the splitting of water atoms into hydrogen and oxygen.

Lead researcher Dr. Torben Daeneke, from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, said: “We found that mixing the compound with titanium oxide particles leads to a sunlight-absorbing paint that produces hydrogen fuel from solar energy and moist air.

“Titanium oxide is the white pigment that is already commonly used in wall paint, meaning that the simple addition of the new material can convert a brick wall into energy harvesting and fuel production real estate.

“Our new development has a big range of advantages,” he said. “There’s no need for clean or filtered water to feed the system. Any place that has water vapor in the air, even remote areas far from water, can produce fuel.”

His colleague, Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh, said hydrogen was the cleanest source of energy and could be used in fuel cells as well as conventional combustion engines as an alternative to fossil fuels.

“This system can also be used in very dry but hot climates near oceans. The sea water is evaporated by the hot sunlight and the vapour can then be absorbed to produce fuel.

“This is an extraordinary concept – making fuel from the sun and water vapor in the air.”


Actuators

They work by translating the revolutionary motion of a motor into linear movement. Actuators enjoy a long life, and generally do not require maintenance as they have few moving parts. So using actuators is another way in which solar energy is more efficient because it allows freestanding panels to track the sun as it moves across the sky to maximize solar gain.


Energy storage

To date, one of the biggest impediments for solar energy is that the sun doesn't always shine. Large-scale energy storage is gaining traction by the day. It means that towns and cities can store solar gain during the day for use at night. And some of the ideas for solar storage are pretty innovative!

Compressed air: Using abandoned mine shafts or salt caverns to pump gas into during daylight hours. Use the compressed air at night to drive turbines and generates energy.

Pumped Hydro: Another way to store energy is to pump water uphill into a large storage reservoir during the day. Release the water at night to flow downhill where it drives turbines.

Molten Salt: Grid production of excess required energy led to innovation. Heat molten salt to temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit from excess energy. The heat from the molten salt creates steam which drives turbines and generates energy in increased electricity demand.

READ MORE

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/19/clean-energy-innovations-of-the-future/

other related topics:

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/25/top-reasons-why-solar-batteries-fail/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/16/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-green-energy/

TalkElectricNG:
Do you use prepaid meter at home? Does your prepaid meter run out fast? Do you wish to increase the length of time it takes before you go to refill your prepaid meter card? Then this piece is ideally for you.



BE CONSERVATIVE

Turn off appliances not needed at any particular point in time. Sometimes we tend to leave our Tvs and other appliances on standby mode. While this may be a trendy thing to do, it is not a good energy conservation principle.In some homes the accumulation of appliances on standby mode could be enough to power a small fridge. By turning appliances not needed on at a particular point in time you simply save electricity by doing so.



WATCH OUT FOR EFFICIENCY

Buy only energy efficient appliances. Appliance A and Appliance B could be the same thing but their energy consumption may not be the same. This is usually reflected in their prices. Conventionally the more the energy efficiency of an appliance, the more expensive it is. However, the money pays back itself from the energy consumption. Always look at the wattage or power of the gadget and see if it is worth buying.



GO FOR DIGITAL INVERTER TECHNOLOGY

For appliances with compressors, look out to see if it is inverter compliant. It is usually written on the surface of some products like washing machine and refrigerators. For ACs, LG has led the way in this technology with their innovative LG Inverter V Gen Cool cooling unit. Inverter compliant compressors save more energy.



INSTALL A SOLAR WATER HEATER

If you use hot water regularly. It will save you more energy and hence less energy bill if you install a solar water heater once and for all and not heat your water using electricity. Solar water heaters are very efficient as they turn 80% radiation into heat. Once installed you will be using free energy to heat water. The cost of heating water from public utility daily in 5-12 months is enough to install a solar water heater. This simply implies that they are very cheap to install.



LED TVs ARE LIT

Replace the LCD tvs at home with LED tvs. LCDs consume as much as 3 times the energy an equivalent LED tv will consume. The beauty of LED is that you can even control and set the power consumption to lower levels yourself using the ecological friendly mode. They save a lot of energy.



Increase thermostat of the fridges.

Just like a house, a refrigerator will use less electricity if its thermostat is re-set to a higher (warmer) temperature. Owing to the singgle-evaporator design of most refrigerators, a change of temperature in the

freezer compartment generally results in a temperature change in fresh-food compartment Grimes et al.
Grimes examined the impact of compartment temperature on energy use on 1977-vintage automatic defrost refrigerator. Energy consumption rose 26% from the warmest acceptable to the coldest possible settings. A
more recent study of nine large, 1993-vintage US refrigerators found 6.5%increase energy consumption for 1
degree centigrade reduction in freezer


Switch to LED bulbs.


LEDs save more energy than the ring like white energy saving bulb. By now we no longer talk about the incandescent bulbs but for the sake people who do not know. Incandescent yellow bulbs consume a lot of energy. Two 60w bulb is equivalent or even more than an efficient 6 feet standing fridge. We place emphasis on LED bulbs because they are the most energy saving bulb in the market. This piece is a detailed explanation of how LEDs save energy more than the other types of bulbs available in the market.



EXPLORE FREE ENERGY IF YOU ARE GREEN

Use appliances in the middle of the day when you’re generating more solar energy. For example use appliances such as your dishwasher and washing machine during the middle of the day rather than in the evening. The reasons are obvious. You can turn of the input into your inverter to have the inverter supply power to these loads using your sun energy. By doing so, power consumed by such appliances will not read on your pre-paid meter. You would have saved yourself a lot of money by doing so.



CONTROL THE THERMOSTAT OF WATER HEATER MANUALLY

Another good money saving tip that you can do is to turn down the thermostat of your water heater. The truth is you are not always washing your hands and taking a bath all the time. You can reduce the thermostat to 120 degrees lower. You can do this after everybody in the house has taken their bath or when going to bed. This is a huge money saving technique.



PROVIDE GOOD INSULATION AT HOME

One of the most beneficial saving energy techniques you could use is to reduce the power consumption of your home or building. How can this possibly be done? By the use of ceiling insulation that is installed by experts in the field of insulation, you will reduce the energy needed to keep your home or building at a comfortable temperature which in turn leads to less strain on the heating and cooling systems which saves you money and increases your chance of saving energy and the environment. Using this saving energy technique will eradicate the single largest contributor to global warming while putting money back in your pocket! It’s a win win situation.



CLEAN THE AIR CONDITIONER FILTERS REGULARLY

Air conditioners consume a lot of energy if the air filters are dirty. They tend to work more when these air vents are dirty. It is a good practice to clean these air filters at least once in every month. In climes or periods when the environment is really dusty, it is advisable to do so twice a month. A lot of energy will be saved by doing so.



In conclusion, as energy prices continue to escalate, it is best to control the amount you pay on energy bills by investing in energy efficient appliances.


READ OTHER RELATED TOPICS:

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/05/how-to-protect-your-home-appliances-from-electrical-power-surges68/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/06/need-know-energy-saving-bulbs/

TalkElectricNG:
Has Nepa ever brought light and some appliances in your house got damaged? Has it happened to some one you know. This pieace explains in details what power surges which causes it are and how you can prevent them

What are power surges?

Power surges are very brief, usually lasting millionths of a second. They can vary in duration and magnitude, varying from a few hundred volts to several thousand volts.

Power surges damage appliances installed in home hence they can be very harmful. They can result from thunderstorms, intense heat, irregular or erratic power supply and also more importantly unstable distribution. Unstable distribution will increase the chances for surges to occur and the sad part of it is distribution companies can find it difficult to regulate distribution.

No matter where you live, your home experiences power surges. Electrical devices handle specific voltage level for which they are designed. Unfortunately, in cases where these devices are subject to higher voltages than they are designed for, damage will occur. Generally speaking the greater the voltages, and the longer the period over which they occur, the greater the chances damage will most likely occur.

To prevent these surges from occurring and possibly damage things at home, it is up to the ;you the consumer to to this.

Solution

Unplug devices not in use

The simplest and easiest way to deal with power surge problems is to unplug appliances not being used at any particular point in time. Usually in our homes we have the bad habit of leaving plugged in so many devices even though not being used.

There is absolutely no need leaving in power tools, washing machines or microwaves plugged in when we don’t need them. Since the refrigerators are required to always be on, we can do ourselves a lot good by reducing chances of surge occurring through the habit of switching off.

UPGRADE INADEQUATE WIRING

If you have an older home, inadequate wiring could be the cause. Some very old Electrical systems in homes will not handle large-capacity refrigerators, entertainment systems and computer equipment.

Some visible signs of inadequate wiring are frequent blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers, or lights that flicker or dim when the refrigerator or another large appliance kicks on.

Don’t ignore these symptoms – they’re a signal that something is wrong, and the problem may become a fire hazard.

FIX OVER LOADED CIRCUIT

If your home is modern , be careful the electrician you use for your house wiring ,you may have a problem with an overloaded circuit. Look out for two (or more) large appliances drawing power from the same circuit, especially in the kitchen. The easier way is to have a single circuit for each appliance if possible.

Another trouble spot might be a circuit with many smaller devices, such as a family room filled with computer and entertainment equipment.

Tell your electrician to establish dedicated circuits for each large appliance, and to divide rooms with multiple devices into separate circuits.


READ MORE BELOW

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/05/how-to-protect-your-home-appliances-from-electrical-power-surges68/

Related articles:

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/05/impact-of-trumps-paris-agreement-pull-out-on-africa/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/27/led-lights-advantages-and-features/


http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/26/solar-frequently-asked-questions/

TalkElectricNG:
Has Nepa ever brought light and some appliances in your house got damaged? Has it happened to some one you know. This pieace explains in details what power surges which causes it are and how you can prevent them

What are power surges?

Power surges are very brief, usually lasting millionths of a second. They can vary in duration and magnitude, varying from a few hundred volts to several thousand volts.

Power surges damage appliances installed in home hence they can be very harmful. They can result from thunderstorms, intense heat, irregular or erratic power supply and also more importantly unstable distribution. Unstable distribution will increase the chances for surges to occur and the sad part of it is distribution companies can find it difficult to regulate distribution.

No matter where you live, your home experiences power surges. Electrical devices handle specific voltage level for which they are designed. Unfortunately, in cases where these devices are subject to higher voltages than they are designed for, damage will occur. Generally speaking the greater the voltages, and the longer the period over which they occur, the greater the chances damage will most likely occur.

To prevent these surges from occurring and possibly damage things at home, it is up to the ;you the consumer to to this.

Solution

Unplug devices not in use

The simplest and easiest way to deal with power surge problems is to unplug appliances not being used at any particular point in time. Usually in our homes we have the bad habit of leaving plugged in so many devices even though not being used.

There is absolutely no need leaving in power tools, washing machines or microwaves plugged in when we don’t need them. Since the refrigerators are required to always be on, we can do ourselves a lot good by reducing chances of surge occurring through the habit of switching off.

UPGRADE INADEQUATE WIRING

If you have an older home, inadequate wiring could be the cause. Some very old Electrical systems in homes will not handle large-capacity refrigerators, entertainment systems and computer equipment.

Some visible signs of inadequate wiring are frequent blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers, or lights that flicker or dim when the refrigerator or another large appliance kicks on.

Don’t ignore these symptoms – they’re a signal that something is wrong, and the problem may become a fire hazard.

FIX OVER LOADED CIRCUIT

If your home is modern , be careful the electrician you use for your house wiring ,you may have a problem with an overloaded circuit. Look out for two (or more) large appliances drawing power from the same circuit, especially in the kitchen. The easier way is to have a single circuit for each appliance if possible.

Another trouble spot might be a circuit with many smaller devices, such as a family room filled with computer and entertainment equipment.

Tell your electrician to establish dedicated circuits for each large appliance, and to divide rooms with multiple devices into separate circuits.


READ MORE BELOW

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/05/how-to-protect-your-home-appliances-from-electrical-power-surges68/

Related articles:

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/05/impact-of-trumps-paris-agreement-pull-out-on-africa/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/05/27/led-lights-advantages-and-features/


http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/26/solar-frequently-asked-questions/

TalkElectricNG:
Clean energy will replace fossil fuel in the near future. It existed years back and today is continually improved upon.

In a sense, the fossil fuels are a onetime gift that lifted us up from subsistence agriculture and eventually should lead us to a future based on renewable resources and clean energy.
— Kenneth Deffeyes

The fuel in the earth will be exhausted in a thousand or more years, and its mineral wealth, but man will find substitutes for these in the winds, the waves, the sun's heat, and so forth. (1916)
— John Burroughs

"By definition we must move towards renewable energy. How can people argue against that? To argue that is to say that eventually we will run out of energy and die or civilization will collapse."
—Elon Musk

The amount of energy the sun generates is enough to power the whole world on a 24 hr basis but harnessing this energy in the most efficient way is the task scientists are to undertake. Lately a lot of incredible innovations on clean energy are going on. TalkElectricng will like to share some of them with our esteemed readers.


Tesla roof tiles


Residential solar roof tops have been in existence for so many years and still hold a large chunk of the market space in terms of clean energy power generation. However they have their drawbacks. A couple of home owners complain about how they spoil the design architecture and aesthetics of their houses. Notwithstanding the fact that solar roof top over the years have dropped in prices and provided good Return on Investment, Mr Elon Musk had a proposition.

With the question "Would you like a roof that looks better than a normal roof, lasts twice as long, costs less and by the way generates electricity?' It's like, why would you get anything else?" The founder of Solar city and Tesla battery came up with a game changing idea-Solar roof tiles.

The roof tile technology made from glass and solar cells is unique. The solar cells are embedded in the tiles. Panasonic makes a very robust solar cell that generates power for up to 30 years. What the company has kept a little bit of a secret is the inter connection technology of the tiles.

Elon Musk once said that the electric architecture of the solar roof system was proprietary to Tesla and they didn’t want to go into details about it, but they did briefly discuss the development of the system

The clean energy enterpreneur said that making the connectors robust involved “a shocking amount of technology”:

“This is a connector that has to last for more than 30 years. It has to be weatherproof, heavy rain, snow, slush, salt, water leaking – it’s like connector hell.”

The roof tile went on sale in America on the 10th of May 2017. Tesla opened up its online store and is taking US$1,000 deposits for two of four options unveiled in October: a smooth black glass; and textured-glass roof tiles. From most viewing angles, the slick shingles look like standard roof materials, but they allow light to pass through from above onto a solar cell embedded beneath the tempered surface. The first installations began in the United States in June. However orders from all over the world began too for 2018 installations

For more questions on how these roof tiles work you can visit Tesla or Solar City websites or you can read more about it here.


Solar paint

Researchers have developed a solar paint that can absorb water vapor and split it to generate hydrogen – the cleanest source of energy.

A silica gel like compound makes up the paint component. Works also as moisture absorbent and keeps food ,medicine and electronics dry

But unlike silica gel, the new material, synthetic molybdenum-sulphide, also acts as a semi-conductor and catalyses the splitting of water atoms into hydrogen and oxygen.

Lead researcher Dr. Torben Daeneke, from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, said: “We found that mixing the compound with titanium oxide particles leads to a sunlight-absorbing paint that produces hydrogen fuel from solar energy and moist air.

“Titanium oxide is the white pigment that is already commonly used in wall paint, meaning that the simple addition of the new material can convert a brick wall into energy harvesting and fuel production real estate.

“Our new development has a big range of advantages,” he said. “There’s no need for clean or filtered water to feed the system. Any place that has water vapor in the air, even remote areas far from water, can produce fuel.”

His colleague, Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh, said hydrogen was the cleanest source of energy and could be used in fuel cells as well as conventional combustion engines as an alternative to fossil fuels.

“This system can also be used in very dry but hot climates near oceans. The sea water is evaporated by the hot sunlight and the vapour can then be absorbed to produce fuel.

“This is an extraordinary concept – making fuel from the sun and water vapor in the air.”


Actuators

They work by translating the revolutionary motion of a motor into linear movement. Actuators enjoy a long life, and generally do not require maintenance as they have few moving parts. So using actuators is another way in which solar energy is more efficient because it allows freestanding panels to track the sun as it moves across the sky to maximize solar gain.


Energy storage

To date, one of the biggest impediments for solar energy is that the sun doesn't always shine. Large-scale energy storage is gaining traction by the day. It means that towns and cities can store solar gain during the day for use at night. And some of the ideas for solar storage are pretty innovative!

Compressed air: Using abandoned mine shafts or salt caverns to pump gas into during daylight hours. Use the compressed air at night to drive turbines and generates energy.

Pumped Hydro: Another way to store energy is to pump water uphill into a large storage reservoir during the day. Release the water at night to flow downhill where it drives turbines.

Molten Salt: Grid production of excess required energy led to innovation. Heat molten salt to temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit from excess energy. The heat from the molten salt creates steam which drives turbines and generates energy in increased electricity demand.

READ MORE

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/19/clean-energy-innovations-of-the-future/

Related topics:

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/25/top-reasons-why-solar-batteries-fail/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/16/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-green-energy/

TalkElectricNG:
Recently Nigerian Electricity regulatory Commission mandated customers who have not been given prepaid meter to stop paying for electricity bill and gave conditions before you can pay. They also directed you on what to do if you are disconnected for refusing to pay.

Continue Reading:
http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/13/nerc-orders-customers-without-prepaid-meter-to-stop-paying-bills/

Do you think this new order will fly? Will the Discos comply? What will you do if you refuse to pay and they disconnect you?

TalkElectricNG:
Clean energy will replace fossil fuel in the near future. It existed years back and today is continually improved upon.

In a sense, the fossil fuels are a onetime gift that lifted us up from subsistence agriculture and eventually should lead us to a future based on renewable resources and clean energy.
— Kenneth Deffeyes

The fuel in the earth will be exhausted in a thousand or more years, and its mineral wealth, but man will find substitutes for these in the winds, the waves, the sun's heat, and so forth. (1916)
— John Burroughs

"By definition we must move towards renewable energy. How can people argue against that? To argue that is to say that eventually we will run out of energy and die or civilization will collapse."
—Elon Musk

The amount of energy the sun generates is enough to power the whole world on a 24 hr basis but harnessing this energy in the most efficient way is the task scientists are to undertake. Lately a lot of incredible innovations on clean energy are going on. TalkElectricng will like to share some of them with our esteemed readers.


Tesla roof tiles


Residential solar roof tops have been in existence for so many years and still hold a large chunk of the market space in terms of clean energy power generation. However they have their drawbacks. A couple of home owners complain about how they spoil the design architecture and aesthetics of their houses. Notwithstanding the fact that solar roof top over the years have dropped in prices and provided good Return on Investment, Mr Elon Musk had a proposition.

With the question "Would you like a roof that looks better than a normal roof, lasts twice as long, costs less and by the way generates electricity?' It's like, why would you get anything else?" The founder of Solar city and Tesla battery came up with a game changing idea-Solar roof tiles.

The roof tile technology made from glass and solar cells is unique. The solar cells are embedded in the tiles. Panasonic makes a very robust solar cell that generates power for up to 30 years. What the company has kept a little bit of a secret is the inter connection technology of the tiles.

Elon Musk once said that the electric architecture of the solar roof system was proprietary to Tesla and they didn’t want to go into details about it, but they did briefly discuss the development of the system

The clean energy enterpreneur said that making the connectors robust involved “a shocking amount of technology”:

“This is a connector that has to last for more than 30 years. It has to be weatherproof, heavy rain, snow, slush, salt, water leaking – it’s like connector hell.”

The roof tile went on sale in America on the 10th of May 2017. Tesla opened up its online store and is taking US$1,000 deposits for two of four options unveiled in October: a smooth black glass; and textured-glass roof tiles. From most viewing angles, the slick shingles look like standard roof materials, but they allow light to pass through from above onto a solar cell embedded beneath the tempered surface. The first installations began in the United States in June. However orders from all over the world began too for 2018 installations

For more questions on how these roof tiles work you can visit Tesla or Solar City websites or you can read more about it here.


Solar paint

Researchers have developed a solar paint that can absorb water vapor and split it to generate hydrogen – the cleanest source of energy.

A silica gel like compound makes up the paint component. Works also as moisture absorbent and keeps food ,medicine and electronics dry

But unlike silica gel, the new material, synthetic molybdenum-sulphide, also acts as a semi-conductor and catalyses the splitting of water atoms into hydrogen and oxygen.

Lead researcher Dr. Torben Daeneke, from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, said: “We found that mixing the compound with titanium oxide particles leads to a sunlight-absorbing paint that produces hydrogen fuel from solar energy and moist air.

“Titanium oxide is the white pigment that is already commonly used in wall paint, meaning that the simple addition of the new material can convert a brick wall into energy harvesting and fuel production real estate.

“Our new development has a big range of advantages,” he said. “There’s no need for clean or filtered water to feed the system. Any place that has water vapor in the air, even remote areas far from water, can produce fuel.”

His colleague, Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh, said hydrogen was the cleanest source of energy and could be used in fuel cells as well as conventional combustion engines as an alternative to fossil fuels.

“This system can also be used in very dry but hot climates near oceans. The sea water is evaporated by the hot sunlight and the vapour can then be absorbed to produce fuel.

“This is an extraordinary concept – making fuel from the sun and water vapor in the air.”


Actuators

They work by translating the revolutionary motion of a motor into linear movement. Actuators enjoy a long life, and generally do not require maintenance as they have few moving parts. So using actuators is another way in which solar energy is more efficient because it allows freestanding panels to track the sun as it moves across the sky to maximize solar gain.


Energy storage

To date, one of the biggest impediments for solar energy is that the sun doesn't always shine. Large-scale energy storage is gaining traction by the day. It means that towns and cities can store solar gain during the day for use at night. And some of the ideas for solar storage are pretty innovative!

Compressed air: Using abandoned mine shafts or salt caverns to pump gas into during daylight hours. Use the compressed air at night to drive turbines and generates energy.

Pumped Hydro: Another way to store energy is to pump water uphill into a large storage reservoir during the day. Release the water at night to flow downhill where it drives turbines.

Molten Salt: Grid production of excess required energy led to innovation. Heat molten salt to temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit from excess energy. The heat from the molten salt creates steam which drives turbines and generates energy in increased electricity demand.

READ MORE

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/19/clean-energy-innovations-of-the-future/

Related topics:

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/25/top-reasons-why-solar-batteries-fail/

http://talkelectric.ng/2017/04/16/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-green-energy/

TalkElectricNG:
Recently Nigerian Electricity regulatory Commission mandated customers who have not been given prepaid meter to stop paying for electricity bill and gave conditions before you can pay. They also directed you on what to do if you are disconnected for refusing to pay.

Continue reading:
http://talkelectric.ng/2017/06/13/nerc-orders-customers-without-prepaid-meter-to-stop-paying-bills/

Do you think this new order will fly? Will the Discos comply? What will you do if you refuse to pay and they disconnect you?