I’ve been telling my customers to wait just a little bit longer, I have had the feeling a break through was just around the corner and today I found out I was right.

Well the good news is an Australian university has discovered a way to slash the cost of solar panels, making them about 30% cheaper and about four times more efficient.

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology developed the panels and now Professor Bates and his team have created an Australian based company to produce them and are working on a manufacturing deal with Magna Cosma International who manufacture car parts.

These panels work with special Acrylic lenses which concentrate the solar rays on to moving pv panels which track the sun as it moves across the sky.

The system is able to provide both electricity and heat and uses about 75 % less photovoltaic cells.

This technology will radically reduce the cost of producing solar power, putting it more in line with the cost of producing coal fired power.  Which at current rates in Victoria, Australia is about 20 cents per kWh, whereas typical solar power is at least 70 cents per kWh.

The system will also be able to be used to provide cheaper solar hot water.  Making it much more affordable for those who want to reduce their electricity bills, greenhouse gases and carbon footprints.

If you are a little bit of a handy person, or do it yourself type you might not have to wait for this technology to become available before you can start benefiting from cheap solar energy.  With a little bit of time you can knock up a solar panel yourself for even less than you can imagine.  To find out all the details and watch a demonstration video go to http://kerryann23.earth4.hop.clickbank.net /

Want a stress free mind? Learn spiritual laws to reduce your stress go to http://www.exaltedlilving.com/stress.htm

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• Breakthrough Solar Dye Coating Converts Glass Windows Into Solar Power Plants (3)

The new technology could be in commercial production within the next three years, researchers say. Beyond simply powering individual homes, it could even be used to transform skyscrapers into power plants.

“It makes sense to coat the side of [very tall] buildings with these new panes,” researcher Marc Baldo said. “It’s not far fetched at all.”

Previous research into ways to gather more solar power from individual panels have focused on tracking and magnifying sunlight by means of large collectors. These devices are large and expensive, however, limiting their utility.

The current device merely utilizes existing windows as collectors, funneling the light energy to solar panels in the window frames.

“What we have is a piece of glass, with a very thin layer of paint or dye on top,” Baldo said. “The light comes in and hits the dye … which absorbs it and re-emits the light, but now it’s inside the glass so it bounces along there until it gets to the edge. So you only need to mount the solar cells around the edge.”

Although the dye would change the appearance of the glass, Baldo said, it should not significantly hamper the basic functions of a window.

“The coated glass would let through about 10 percent of the sun to light up the room, and the remainder would be captured and funneled to the edges to solar cells to generate electricity,” he said. “It would look like smoked glass because of the dyes.”

The researchers said that the dyes could also improve the efficiency of existing panels by 50 percent, simply by placing the dyed glass on top of them.

this blog was provided by http://www.naturalnews.com

Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk.

Learn how to work with your chakras for your own personal development system, go to http://www.ancientwisdommodernmind.com/secret.htm

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• Solar Power is getting Cheaper (0)

The silly season is nearly upon us again.  This time of year always seem to involve a mad rush trying to find presents, decorating the house, and buying way too much food and alcohol.

I know I will sound like the Christmas grinch, but Christmas is a time of so much waste and usually not a time we consider the impact we are having on the planet.  So I thought I would put together a couple articles about having a more eco-friendly Christmas, if not totally sustainable at least some thought can be given to our beautiful planet and damage can be minimised while still having a good time.

So what can you do to have a greener Christmas?

Green Shopping and eco-friendly presents

Shop locally

Try to think about what you want to buy for each person before you go out, and if possible buy everything in one trip.

Take your reusable bags with you when you go shopping.

Don’t buy something just for the sake of buying it. 

Consider buying services for gifts like massages, or facials, or get your loved ones car detailed, or house spring cleaned. Or buy tickets to a concert

For those who have everything and know they have everything you can always donate to a charity in their name.  This will bring them good karma – and we can all do with some good karma.  Oxfam and Greenpeace have programs for donating in other peoples names

http://www.oxfamunwrapped.com.au/

http://www.greenpeacegiving.org.au/index.php

If you really feel you must give a gift go for something that is organically made.  Clothing made for hemp are environmentally friendly and very long lasting.

Gifts that help reduce energy use like solar battery chargers can be good, a low flow shower head, flow restrictors for taps, a compost bin or worm farm, etc

You can buy hand made gifts and cards or better yet make them yourself.

Wrapping your presents

Reuse Christmas wrapping paper

Use boxes or bags or baskets that you have around your home to put your presents in, or you could even wrap them in newspaper.

Christmas tree

Don’t leave your Christmas lights on all the time, in fact try not having Christmas lights at all, you tree can still look great without glowing

Do you have a nice tree in a pot you can use as a Christmas tree?  Why not bring it in and put some decorations on it, this will save cutting trees down and then throwing them away or buying a plastic tree.  When I was growing up we had a light pine tree we use to bring inside every year for Christmas.  One day it did get too big and we planted it in the yard, but for years it was our eco-friendly Christmas tree.

Reuse last year’s decorations to decorate your tree, or if you have to get new decorations, have some fun and use natural tree trimming.  If you have kids they can paint pine cones, sea shells, you can string macaroni, and candy canes.  You could also use feathers and bunches of dried flowers.  Go out in nature and see what you can find, or go shopping with an eye out for things you can hang and eat or hang and recycle.  You can have some quality making things with the kids, it will make them feel great and keep them away from their computer games for awhile.

Christmas Dinner

Why not try something a little different for Christmas dinner this year?  Instead of stuffing yourself with ham and turkey and Christmas pudding why not try for something new and light but delicious, you can have a great meal without feeling sick after it.  Look out for my next blog on having a vegetarian Christmas it will taste great, be good for the planet, good for your health and good for your waistline. 

When its all over

Recycle everything you can after the big day, and at the end of the day go for a walk as a family and burn off some of those excess calories, you may even find a park to play in.

  If you haven’t already done so grab your free course on eco-living - just fill in your details at the top left of this page.

Want a stress free mind? Learn spiritual laws to reduce your stress go to http://www.exaltedlilving.com/stress.htm

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Low wattage light globes

I know I know these have been around forever – but have you installed them in your home yet?  If you haven’t you should be ashamed.

They are a really simple way to really reduce your energy usage, yes they do cost a bit more than a regular globe but really not that much more.  They only use about 1/5 of the energy for the same light out put and they will last 10 times longer.  So they will pay for themselves many times over.

I just picked some up two for under $9 so there really is no excuse for you not to grab at least a couple of them.  You may not be able to afford to put them into every socket in your house.  So just start in the areas in which you use the most light, these will be your kitchen and your living areas.  This will give you the quickest return on your money and save the most greenhouse gases.

If you have down lights, I have some good news there are now down light low wattage lights available in some areas.

Ok that’s it for today

 If you haven’t already done so grab your free course on eco-living - just fill in your details at the top left of this page.

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• Tips and benefits of using public transport (0)
• Global Warming – fact or fiction – or does it matter? (2)
• Electric Bikes – Motorised transportation for 5 cents a day (0)

Is the price of petrol (gas) and all the wild weather occurring across the global with its resultant increase in serious discussion on global warming and its consequences making you think twice about going out in your car? 

Or maybe you are still using it as you think there are few alternatives out there and you don’t want to spend your life waiting for a bus.

Ok I should admit up front that I am a self-confessed Greenie, I was raised that way.  I have never owned a car, partly because of the environmental impacts they have but also the running cost of them.  I would just rather spend my money on other things and you don’t miss what you have never had.

But lately I’ve been looking around for some sort of personal transport.  I’m over the bus thing and I’m still waiting for an environmentally friendly car.  So far I haven’t found one I liked and so I went in search of other things.

I need to get to and from work which is about 18km round trip – if I was young and fit I would cycle it, but unfortunately I am neither.  For about 8 months I have been catching buses, I need to get two buses to get there and it just takes too long waiting around for connections and I have to leave work early to make the connection for my last bus home.

Today I took a ride on an electric bike, I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to ride and I had heard that they did not do so well on hills.

I was delighted with the ride, it was quiet and smooth.  It wasn’t very fast, the maximum speed was about 25km/hr and a distance of 50km on a full battery.  You can increase your speed by peddling on this particular bike.  And the best news is that it is classified as a bicycle so here in Australia they don’t need to be registered and you don’t need a license for them.

I tested it out on some hills around here and I did have to help it by peddling but it was easy to peddle, it has 6 gears and I never needed to be in first gear. I was comfortably sitting on the seat going up hills that on a normal bike you would have to stand up and peddle hard.

It will take about 5-8 hours to fully charge the battery and I was told it would cost about 5 cents a day for electricity. I will need to replace the batteries in about 18 months at a cost of about $180. So my total running cost will be $11.50 a month.  It also has side mirrors, turning indicators and a huge head light

I calculated that buying this electric bike will actually put about $70 a week back in my pocket, that is for bus fare, and lost time at work, and while I am waiting for my connecting bus in town I am usually bored and end up going shopping and buying junk I really don’t need.

Update:  It’s a few weeks since I wrote the above and yesterday I purchased the bike.  I am delighted with it.  After it was delivered I planned to go out on a short ride and ended up riding most of the way to work – to check the route and see how long it would take.  As I was peddling on the bike track around the bay, enjoying the sunshine, the seagulls and the boats resting in the bay I had to wonder why I did not make this purchase years ago.  A little later as I went flying past the cars edging there way home in peak hour traffic I also had to wonder why anyone would buy a car when my electric bike is so easy, fun, cheap and faster than a car during peak hour.

Want to find out more about electric bikes or get on for yourself?  If so ckick on the link below and it will take you to one of amazons electric bikes.  If you already have a bike, amazon also has electric bike convertor kits.  Jusr click on the link below and you will find links to different bike and kits

2008 EZIP Trailz Men’s Electric Comfort Bike (26-Inch Wheels)

Happy cycling

 If you haven’t already done so grab your free course on eco-living - just fill in your details at the top left of this page.

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• Global Warming – fact or fiction – or does it matter? (2)
• Tips and benefits of using public transport (0)
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There are still many people out there debating whether global warming is happening and if it is caused by man or natural causes. 

Honestly, we don’t know what is going to happen and how much is natural and how much is caused by man.  We do know that our weather has gone a little crazy and it is predicted that it will get worse.

If man is causing global warming the big culprit, as we all know is fossil fuels and our dependence on them for power and fuel for our cars. 

But fossil fuels cause more problems than just global warming.  There are also problems of air pollution, water pollution, they are non-renewable, cause land degradation when dig up the raw materials, to name a few.

So with all the problems that fossil fuels cause I don’t really care if they are causing global warming or not, it is total insanity to keep using them regardless.  And one day they will run out, and what sort of earth will we be left with? 

The only sane thing I can see, is turning our resources and brain power to clean green renewable energy, such as solar and wind power.  Yes at the moment it is expensive but that is largely because funding for research was slashed by governments about 20 years ago.  We should have been pouring money in to research and development 20 years ago and then by now we would have cheap clean fuel sources readily available. 

Unfortunately we can’t go into the past, so we have to do what we can today.  And that means each and every one of us.  What we do does make a difference and by us doing our bit we do influence those around us. 

I recently came across a book about building your own solar and wind power generators for under $200.  This of course will reduce your greenhouse gas emissions as well as save you on energy bills.  So if you are interested check it out at http://kerryann23.earth4.hop.clickbank.net/

If you don’t want to go as far as building your own power generators you can check out things your can do to reduce your carbon footprint at our many website http://www.coolingourplanet.com

  If you haven’t already done so grab your free course on eco-living - just fill in your details at the top left of this page.

Thanks for reading, see you next time

Kerry

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• Welcome (0)
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 More and more people are starting to use public transport; this is due to increase fuel prices as well as congestion on our roads.  Giving away the convenience of your car can be frustrating to start with.  As I have said else where I did not have a car for 41 years (and I lived in some out of the way places). 

So here are some tips to make your trip on public transport more enjoyable. 

Benefits of using public transport

1). No parking problems or fees or fines for expired parking metres

2). More relaxing - instead of getting caught up in road rage and stuck in traffic jams you can sit back and relax, read a book, watch a movie on your ipod, have a snooze, or just enjoy the scenery as you go past.

3). Cheap – you don’t have to pay for petrol (gas) or parking or parking fines

4). Exercise – you usually have to do a bit of walking to get to a bus stop or train station, this is good for your figure and your health.

5). Traffic jams (at least on trains)

6). Feeling good know that your are doing your bit to reduce your energy usage.

Tips for using public transport

Plan ahead, make sure you know the timetables of all routes you need to take, this way you can save yourself hours of waiting

Take some fruit, it will give you something to eat if you need to wait for a connection and you will not need to spend money on junk food

Wear a good pair of shoes, sometimes you need to walk a bit to get from one form of transport to another.  Or sometimes you may need to stand up.

Give yourself a little bit of extra time just in case there are delays or cancellations

Check out your best options for tickets, is there a daily ticket, a one way ticket a return ticket, an all day ticket. Find out all options and purchase the one best suited to your needs.

Take a book or an ipod, or just relax and enjoy the ride, sometimes you may even want to catch up on some shut eye.

 If you haven’t already done so grab your free course on eco-living - just fill in your details at the top left of this page.

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• Global Warming – fact or fiction – or does it matter? (2)

The time is now for sanity to come back into our world.  We have lived too long without thought for what we do and how we live.  And now it seems the earth is getting tired of our polluting, selfish ways and is letting her objections be known.  This is happening by the increase in natural diasters we are seeing all around the world.

It seems like the earth is saying “enough is enough, right now!” It is predicted that if we don’t act now then things are going to get worse and keep getting worse for many years to come. 

Governments are getting together to see what can be done, but anything happening on a global scale will take time.  And time is one thing we are running out of.  So it is up to you and me and everyone who cares even a little to do what they can today to decrease their carbon footprint and start living more in harmony with the planet.  And what you do does make a difference; every light you turn out that you are not using is decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere.

To live a more eco-friendly life does mean some changes, but they don’t have to be hard or worse.  You may find you start to enjoy life more as you live more in harmony with our earth mother.

This blog is about things you can do to help the earth without sacrificing your standard of living.  And the good news is what is good for the earth is usually good for your health and your hip pocket too.  So it’s a win win win.  I want it to be practical, so if you have any suggestions or any eco-friendly tips you might have please leave us a comment.

I hope you stick around and we can have some fun while doing something good for all.

 If you haven’t already done so grab your free course on eco-living - just fill in your details at the top left of this page.

Regards

Kerry

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• Global Warming – fact or fiction – or does it matter? (2)