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More Winter Energy Saving Tips

Posted by & filed under Energy Saving Tips .

Energy Saving TipsWindows and doors

  • Keep doors and windows closed as much as possible. That includes overhead doors on attached garages.
  • Install do-it-yourself plastic-film storm windows. Find them at a local hardware store.
  • Seal off unused rooms (as long as the room is less than 100 square feet and isn’t the room where the thermostat is located). Close the floor or wall registers and return air vents, and keep the doors closed.
  • Open south-facing window curtains, drapes and blinds during the day. Close window coverings at night to keep the heat in.
  • Weatherstrip and caulk windows. Check window frames for cracks and fill them with caulk that contains silicon. Putty-like “rope caulk” can help seal large cracks and save you up to 5 percent on your energy bill.
  • Check all exterior doors for air leaks and weatherstrip and caulk as needed. A one-eighth-inch gap around a door is equivalent to a 6-inch-square hole in the side of your house and causes a lot of energy loss. You can check doors two ways:
  • Have someone stand on the other side of the door and shine a flashlight around the door’s perimeter. If you can see light through the cracks, your door needs sealing.
  • Hold a piece of paper between the door and the frame and shut the door. If you can pull the paper out without tearing it, you should weatherstrip around the door.

Water heater

  • Make sure the water heater is set no higher than 125 degrees.
  • Drain off a bucket of hot water from your water heater annually to remove sediment that will interfere with the heater’s long-term use.
  • Install a water heater blanket if your water heater is older than 5 years.
  • Insulate the pipes around the water heater with inexpensive, easy-to-install pipe insulation. This is particularly helpful if the water heater is in an unheated space.

Fireplace

  • Never use a traditional fireplace for supplemental heating. A fireplace sucks heated air out of your home to fuel the fire and exhausts it through the chimney, and then your furnace has to turn on to replace that warm air.
  • Close the fireplace damper and seal the opening shut when not in use.

More ways to save on your winter utility bill

  • Get your furnace inspected and tuned up by a heating professional.
  • Have your home properly insulated and weatherized.
  • Measure your attic insulation. If you have less than 7 inches of insulation or if it is less than R-38 (the current requirement for new homes), consider upgrading your insulation with spray-foam or batt insulation.
  • Look for places where air may be leaking through the insulation – you will be able to tell because there will be dirty spots or holes in the existing insulation. Seal the holes by stapling a piece of plastic sheeting over them and caulking around the edges of the plastic.
  • Additional insulation can be blown into walls, and there are even options for insulating flat roofs, crawl spaces and floors.
  • Replace any broken window panes and repair any large holes in attics, crawlspaces, or basements.
  • Seal exposed ductwork. Ductwork sealing can help your system run more efficiently, and also ensures that heated or cooled air gets to where you want it to go. Instead of duct tape, use mastic (available at hardware stores) to seal ductwork. Mastic provides a better seal and lasts longer.
  • Replace older or loose fireplace dampers. Have a sheet-metal insert installed, which will prevent some heat loss and help reflect heat from the fireplace back into the room.
  • Consider converting your traditional fireplace to a more efficient pellet or wood-burning stove. Determine your payback time before investing.

Energy Saving Heating Tips For The Winter

Posted by & filed under Energy Saving Tips .

Winter in the desert

The cold months are upon us.  Heating & Air Conditioning account for approximately 43% of your annual electricity usage, so now is the perfect time to start using these do-it-yourself energy savings tips to help lower your winter utility bills that can equal some serious savings on your power and gas bills this winter.

You can also contact us to schedule a FREE Energy Evaluation to determine your home’s total energy usage picture.  We will be more than happy to evaluate your home to let you know of any areas of high usage and investments you should take to ensure your home is at its peak energy efficiency!  Our trained energy consultant will go over all their findings with you and will be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have.  To schedule a FREE Energy Evaluation, please call us at (702) 463-0244 today to get started.

Heating Tips:

  • Install a programmable thermostat and set it to lower the temperature at night and whenever the house is unoccupied. Lowering your thermostat by 10 degrees at night can reduce your heating bill by 10 to 20 percent.
  • Make sure your programmable thermostat is:
    • Installed properly.
    • Programmed appropriately – a programmable thermostat only saves energy when it is programmed.
    • Not located in an unheated space, a poorly-sealed or seldom-used room, or in direct sunlight near a heat source. The thermostat should be able to sense the average temperature in your home. If it is not in the right place, contact a heating and air conditioning professional about having it moved.
    • Lower your thermostat and wear socks and a sweater in doors. Lowering the thermostat by just one degree Fahrenheit can reduce energy use by 3 percent.
    • If you have a forced air furnace, inspect your filters at the beginning of the heating season and monthly during the season. Clean or replace them if there is significant dust build up.
    • Get a humidifier to add moisture to the air. The air inside your home can be very dry, especially in the southwest. Moister air feels warmer, so a humidifier can help you feel comfortable even though your thermostat is set at a lower temperature.
    • Install foam insulation gaskets behind electric outlets and switch plate covers.

 

Increase the Safety and Efficiency of your Heating System This Winter

Posted by & filed under HVAC .

Winters are notorious for the problems they cause every year. Before using your HVAC system to heat your room in the winter, be sure to get a heating repair and evaluation and ensure that there are no problems with your system. Safety should always be the first priority, followed by energy efficiency and savings.Increase the Safety and Efficiency of Heating System

An evaluation of your furnace and heating system will reveal any flaws and problems in your heating system, ensuring your safety for the coming year. If any problems are brought to your attention, they can be taken care of immediately, before something goes seriously wrong. With this information, you can call for furnace or heating repair in Las Vegas to remedy the situation as quickly as possible, allowing you to have a safe and worry-free winter.

Evaluating your furnace and heating system can also increase its efficiency. The most common problem heating systems face is leakage. If the pipes of your heating system allow the treated air to leak into areas where it is unneeded and unused, not only is the heated air wasted, but extra stress is inflicted on the system—and your check book. Also, air from vents and pipes often travels to the attic or basement, where a continuous stream of warm air may be unnecessary. This can be remedied by sealing the pipes wherever there is a leakage. A specialized heating repair service, like those at http://www.service1stenergysolutions.com/, can make your system run like a charm.

Another problem affecting the efficiency of your heating system could be a malfunctioning furnace. Over time, a furnace slowly loses the ability to produce hot air the way it did when it was new. With an evaluation, you can find out the state of your furnace and get any problems fixed through a furnace repair service in Las Vegas.

By increasing the efficiency of your heating system, you will enjoy a better performance from your heating system and a more comfortable home. The efficiency will translate into a smaller bill, as you will no longer be paying for wasted air or a malfunctioning furnace to guzzle energy in its struggle to perform. With a safe and efficient heating system, you can make this winter more comfortable without burdening your pocket.

Residents of Las Vegas can apply for financing through their investment, making it easier on a hardworking family to increase the efficiency of their home’s heating system. The leading partner of our firm offers financing terms with low rates of interest for durations of up to 20 years. These low interest rates apply to solar panel financing, HVAC financing, and other services.

With financing, you only have to pay a very low monthly amount to cover the costs of your project—a down payment is not even required. The funding process is quick and the interest rates are very low, making a safe and efficient heating system available to every family. This financing option is also ideal for the purchase of new equipment that may be required to fix a problem in the system. The entire process is covered by the financing option.

Get your tune-up through and have your heating system fixed without worrying about huge expenses or a stressful winter. With a low-cost, low-stress solution to your heating system problems, you can be sure of a happy furnace this winter. And a happy furnace makes a happy home.

Save Energy This Winter

Posted by & filed under Energy Saving Tips .

If summer in Las Vegas can be intolerable, winter is no vacation either. With cold drafts blowing through the house and the winter chills setting in, your HVAC system will be running on full blast. However, heating services during the winter can easily burn a huge hole in the average house owner’s pocket. We are here to offer you energy efficient solutions to keep your wallet happy this winter.Save Energey

Habits at Home:

All energy efficient solutions have to be preceded by energy efficient habits. If you integrate some basic energy saving habits into your daily routine, you will very quickly see a drop in your electricity bills at home.

  • Turn off electrical appliances and lights when you leave a room. There are so many people who just walk out without bothering to do this. When you leave lights on in empty rooms, you are paying for electricity that benefits no one.
  • Use CFL lighting rather than the usual tube lights and lamps. They are more energy efficient and offer more power for the money that you pay.
  • Any heavy appliances, such as a washing machine, should be used during non-peak hours, especially during the summer.

Besides these energy saving tips, by ensuring that your HVAC system is properly maintained, it will work as efficiently as possible.

Reduce Leakage:

In the winter you will be using your heater and furnace constantly to escape the chill. However, before you start using your furnace, make sure that the system undergoes an evaluation for energy efficiency. We offer services for Las Vegas furnace repair to ensure that your system is restored and functioning as efficiently as possible. Find out more at http://www.service1stenergysolutions.com/.

After the evaluation, you can identify any problem spots in your HVAC system and use our heating service to fix the issues. Perhaps the most common problem is leakage in your system. Most houses are not really built to be energy efficient. The builder usually includes the bare minimum to make your house a comfort zone in extreme weather. Thus, many home owners find that the air from their HVAC systems escapes into other places, such as the attic, where it is not needed.

Leakage of air into unwanted spaces plays a huge role in reducing the performance of your heating system. By putting a heavier load on your heater and furnace it increases your expenditure on heating, sometimes by significant amounts. Use our heating service to seal off any holes or vents that are reducing the efficiency of your HVAC systems.

Fire in the Winter

Another hazard that must be avoided is the possibility of fire in the ducts and the house. Using furnaces during the winter can lead to a fire if safety precautions are not taken beforehand. Thus, it is absolutely crucial to get your air and heating systems checked to prevent a fire from breaking out in your house from excessive heating or improper arrangement of equipment. This process also helps to ensure that your furnace is functioning as efficiently as possible during the cold winter months, rather than sucking your wallet dry. With Las Vegas furnace repair, you can fix any problems with your furnace and check for the possibility of fire from regular use of the service.

A combination of energy saving habits in the house and the Las Vegas furnace repair and heating services that we offer will surely bring down your bills this winter, all the while ensuring that you and your family are comfortable in your home.

Stable Solar Power for Children in Haiti

Posted by & filed under Solar Electric, Solar Energy .

Original Article Can Be Found Here: http://www.power-eng.com/news/2012/06/17/stable-solar-power-for-children-in-haiti.htm

Stable Solar Power for Children in Haiti

 

ROCKLIN, Calif., and ONTARIO-Last week SMA America joined representatives from NRG Energy, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and the Solar Electric Light Foundation (SELF) on a charity mission to Haiti to install a 53 kW solar PV array at the Zanmi Beni Home for Children. The project site is in Santo, Haiti, a town located northeast of Port-Au-Prince.

Zanmi Beni is a project of Partners in Health and its Haitian sister organization Zanmi Lasante. It is designed to provide long-term care to children affected by the devastating earthquake in January 2010. Installing a PV system for the Zanmi Beni Children’s Home will provide these children – many of whom have disabilities – with better, safer living conditions in their everyday lives. Solar power is also an economical option for the home due to Haiti’s traditionally high energy costs and unreliable grid.

“This has been an exceptionally rewarding project and SMA was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the NRG and the Clinton Global Initiative to help improve the lives of these children with solar power,” said Jurgen Krehnke, president and general manager of SMA America and president of SMA Canada . “We were glad to supply the inverters for this system and to have some of our experts donate their time to travel to Haiti and help install the system.”

SMA America supplied six Sunny Boy 9000 TL-US transformerless inverters, six Sunny Island 5048-US battery backup inverters and a Multicluster Box for the installation. The inverters will work with 236 Trina PA05 solar panels to create a hybrid off-grid/on-grid PV system with battery backup. This will allow Zanmi Beni to run most, if not all, of its load from solar electricity, resulting in the stable supply of clean, safe energy. This is one of many projects in progress to help Haiti rebuild from the 2010 earthquake and create a renewable energy infrastructure in the nation.

“In a country of many needs, the orphans of Zanmi Beni stand out as deserving special help,” said David Crane, NRG Energy’s CEO. “NRG was pleased to bring the light of solar power to the children but we could not have done so without the capable assistance of our partner SMA and their state-of-the-art Sunny Boy system.”

The UL listed Sunny Boy 9000 TL-US installed in the system in Haiti features SMA’s H5 topology, which results in efficiencies up to 98 percent and unmatched energy production. SMA’s transformerless inverters are lighter weight and offer higher efficiencies and enhanced safety features to provide optimum value.

SMA’s Sunny Island 5048-US enables off-grid operation with a battery bank. The Sunny Island is a self-sufficient AC voltage grid that meets SMA’s highest quality standards. Each Sunny Island is equipped with best-in-class grid and battery management functions, including monitoring. As system manager, it collects real-time data and makes intelligent decisions based on battery state of charge, state of health, electrical loads and generation capacity. At times when the batteries are discharged and there is little generation capacity, it can activate a backup energy source (such as a generator) or switch off certain consumption loads.

The Multicluster Box, paired with SMA’s US series of Sunny Islands, is an off-grid AC distribution hub that manages a variety of renewable and combustion generation sources for large-scale Sunny Island Multicluster systems. It simplifies the installation of off-grid PV systems, providing superior design flexibility and making rural electrification simple and scalable. It is ideal for installations up to 110 kW.

About SMA:
The SMA Group generated sales of (EURO)1.7 billion in 2011 and is the global market leader for solar inverters, a key component of all PV plants. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 20 countries on four continents. The Group employs more than 5,500 people worldwide, plus a number of temporary employees that varies on a seasonal basis. SMA’s broad product portfolio includes a compatible inverter for every type of module on the market and for all PV plant sizes. The product range includes inverters both for grid-connected PV plants and for off-grid systems. SMA can therefore provide an ideal inverter solution for all plant sizes and types. Since 2008, the Group’s parent company, SMA Solar Technology AG, has been listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (S92) and also in the TecDAX index. In recent years, SMA has received numerous awards for excellence as an employer and in 2011 and 2012 achieved first place in Germany’s nationwide Great Place to Work® competition. www.SMA-America.com

Service 1st Energy Solutions is proud to offer SMA products as a solar option to our customers.