Solar energy is free and eco friendly. It’s beyond doubt that more and more people are going for this mode of power generation since it makes sense money wise as well as it’s quite helpful in your effort to conserve the ecosystem. Once you have made up your mind to install solar power panels in your home or office, there are certain points that you need to keep in mind and vividly discuss them with your solar provider. Here in this article we have enlisted five such highly valuable queries that you need to discuss with your service provider.

Who are their clients?

This point is quite important since there are numerous companies working in solar power field and you need to make sure that the company you are dealing with is reliable enough. If the company is able to provide a list of their customers then chances are pretty high that this company is in business since long time and they have commercial and technical qualities to win your work. And yes, you can always call couple of their customers and get the feedback.

Check out their warranties policy

Though solar power is free and easily available but the installation of solar power generation equipments is quite pricey. The system generally starts from $10,000 and can go up to $50,000 for high capacity installation. If you have decided to invest this much amount, you need to make sure that what kind of after sales services they will provide if there is any fault in the systems. Clearly discuss that what all is covered under warranty and how long they will take to revert back in case of system failures.

Solar panels make and manufacturer

Solar panels are the heart and soul of any solar power generation system. If the company uses low quality solar panels then chances are pretty high that the power output will be less then expected. Always make sure that the solar panels that the company is using are of high quality and are from reputed manufacturer. This will not only ensure optimum power output but will also be a deciding factor in recovering your investments in the power generation equipments.

How to monitor the energy output?

This is again an important point in solar power systems installation process. You need to make sure that they install a local energy meter with which you can monitor the amount of energy that will be produced by the systems. Not only this will ensure that you always know about the system’s efficiency but it will also be an indication if there is any failure or malfunction.

What kind of preventive maintenance is required?

Although the solar power generation equipments needs very little in terms of maintenance but still it’s wise to clear it out with the company. Please make a note of any special instructions that you may be required to follow in order to keep the systems in good health.

Skin is one of the most important organs in human body. A person’s health is clearly visible by the way his/her skin looks and feels. There is no doubt that you need to take proper care of your skin in order to stay healthy and fit. Several chemical based creams and solutions are available in the market for your skin care but most of them are found to be harmful in long run due to the presence of harsh ingredients.

The best way to take care of your skin it to go natural and organic. Here in this article we have assimilated few important tips that you can incorporate in your lifestyle to get lively and glowing skin that you always wanted to have.

Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking right amount of water is the key to get that radiating skin you always dream about. Typically, you should drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water everyday to keep your body and skin hydrated. Not only for skin, water is an essential component for proper functioning of various other body systems such as circulation, digestion, etc. Drinking enough water helps you get rid of the toxins present in the body by various means and makes your skin hale and hearty.

 Get Enough Sleep

As per the research findings it’s evident that the maximum amount of skin cells regeneration happens when you are asleep. Regeneration is the process where in the new skin cells are formed and dead skin cells are eventually scraped off by various methods such as bathing, brushing, etc. Though the amount of sleep that is required by different people varies but ideally you should get at least 7 to 8 hours of sound sleep.

Control Your Stress Levels

Stress is harmful not only for your overall being but for your skin as well. If your stress levels are high or you are suffering from anxiety or depression, then your skin takes the beating. In such cases your skin starts looking dull and is typically deprived of the essential nutrients that your skin needs. In order to control your stress levels you can try joining yoga classes or take meditation lessons so that your skin is in good shape all the time.

Smoking and Alcohol

Every body knows that smoking and alcohol consumption is bad for a person’s overall health. Smoking causes wrinkles to appear in your skin quite early and causes your blood vessels to shrink due to which your skin is deprived of the essential nutrients, which results in premature aging. Smoking puts severe strain on your skin and can be a primary reason for several other diseases, which you can simply evade by quitting this nasty habit. Drinking high amount of alcohol is equally bad and can cause itching and skin dryness.

Proper maintenance of the mower is important. You can do this by regular oil and filter changes and tune ups. Ensure that the blades are sharp. A quieter and cheaper option is electricity powered mowers. There are two varieties: plug-in models and battery-powered movers. Also there are no emissions to worry about.  There are a lot of choices, if you want your lawn-mower to have no negative impact on your environment go for the push-reel mover. No air pollution, no fuel consumption and hardly any noise. They are also inexpensive compared to the others.

• It might sound hardcore but it will be the most useful thing you’ll ever do. Study and analyse the soil in your lawn. The nutrients and minerals are not the only thing you should be worried about; the soil also needs proper amount of air and water. Yes.  Aeration keeps the soil healthy along with the correct use of fertilizers. Do remember that top-dressing is an important part of the process. Compost is the top contender as the dressing.
• There are scores of tasks that you can undertake to improve the quality of the soil thereby ensuring that your lawn has a strong foundation. When starting anew scrape up the ground, place the seeds and rake the soil. Maintain the right level of moistness until the seeds take life. Use the right kind of organic pesticides if you are afraid of the seasonal pests and their larvae. Going organic is a wiser option. If you encounter problems related to your lawn; weeds, pests or more serious problems, they can be dealt by opting for a more environment friendly option.
• Do not spray pesticide. Stay off chemicals. Really, keep away from them. They are bad for you, unhealthy for the soil, and polluting to the planet. And occasional heavy watering is preferable than frequent light watering. It is much better to water your lawn early in the morning. Night-watering tends to weaken the grass.
• Try and remember to make use of natural fertilizers. Grow less grass and more shrubs. Choose local plants and shrubs instead of grass; it will not only save water but make your lawn beautiful.
• Now, let’s talk about the equipment. The Gas powered lawn mower. It will not only give rise to air pollution but also make lot of noise and increase expenses. If your lawn is not a huge one, do it yourself. A little exercise will do you no harm. A little bit of sun and sweat is good for health.

Though the quality of work rendered may suffer but you can get that much needed dose of exercise.

Unmanageable, bulky grass can be a problem and the weeds could be an issue. You will have to spend more time for the same thing. There are also solar-powered or robot-managed lawn mowers in the market.

If you find any machinery in your car giving you trouble, get it checked immediately. It will not only add years to the life of your car but also ensure less pollution. Modify your driving-style not only your car-machinery .It will be easy on your wallet as well as your planet. Remember, the bigger the car the more fuel it needs.

• Go lighter to go green. Reduce the load in your car. Not surprisingly, the lesser the amount of load your car carries the lesser it pollutes the environment. So take some time to clean out your car and get rid of the unnecessary and unwanted things. Do you have a rack on your car? Do you use that rack? No. Take it out.
• Take a dip in the carpool. Car pooling is a great way to save fuel, reduce traffic, while hanging out with your buddies. You also get to make new friends, plus it saves you a lot of money by reducing fuel and maintenance cost.
• If you are big on numbers you would be glad to know that you could save up to 40% on your fuel budget by going green. Better fuel economy of your car also means lending a hand towards helping your nation’s economy; oil is an imported commodity and it’s expensive. Your country has to purchase oil from foreign resources and your efforts will go a long way to save your nation’s currency.
• Your car’s tyres can tire out your wallet too. Not many people realize this. Regular tyre maintenance is the sure shot way to save some dough. The inflation level in your tyre should be correct; under inflation or over inflation is not healthy for your tyres. Under-inflation is worse for obvious reasons. Learn the exact amount of air that should be in your tyres. There are different kinds of tyres. Find the one that suits your needs and your car.  Check your car manuals or talk to your mechanic.
• It’s not only your car that needs to be tweaked and modified but also your attitude needs a little bit of a makeover. Try to be sensible while driving; so you don’t have to accelerate or brake hard unnecessarily which uses a lot of energy, and energy in this case is nothing but fuel. Whether you are starting a car or bringing it to a halt; be wise and do it slowly. When you do it too fast the car has to use lot of energy thereby wasting precious fuel. You should try coasting or cruising as much as possible. Maximum efficiency is achieved at 60miles/hr and going beyond that negatively impacts the car’s fuel economy.

Take your car out only while travelling long distances as maximum energy is consumed when the car is fired up.

You can also think about using alternative fuel (biodiesel or ethanol) or buying a fuel-efficient car like a Toyota Prius or a Honda Fit. Using public transport is also a great way to opting for a greener lifestyle and saving money.

Adopting green business practices is so popular these days. As per the latest research it has been established that customers are ready to pay 25 to 40 percent extra for a product that follows green and environmental friendly practices. Here in this article we have covered 6 numbers of popular “Go Green” practices that a business can safely adopt to increase profitability and in effect save the precious environment from ill effects.

• Always use environment friendly packaging materials for your products and mention it on the label as well. This will ensure that customers are well informed about your intentions to go green. You can choose from a number of environmental friendly packaging materials available nowadays.

• Use compact fluorescent lamps in place of regular incandescent bulbs to decrease your energy requirements. Use dimmers or motion sensing lights in your office so that they are lit only when somebody is present in the room or workplace. You will be amazed to know that if you incorporate these simple practices then you can virtually cut your energy requirements by half and save lots of money on bills.

• Always remember to switch off electronic equipments and devices when leaving office especially on weekends. In idling or standby mode also these machines consume a lot of power. You can just choose to hibernate and switch off your computer systems if you do not wish to shut them down so that you have the choice to resume your work as and when required. Also please note that laptop/mobile phone chargers consume significant amount of power when they are left in the power socket without any charging process taking place. Switch them off as soon as you are done with charging.

• Make your office a paperless workplace by using more of electronic communications methods such as emailing, messaging and web conferencing. Install and use a printer that can do double side printing so that less paper is consumed on each printing task. Use of electronic fax in place of conventional paper based fax has also been found to be an effective practice to save paper and trees.

• Encourage your employees to take part in car-pooling when they commute to office. Employees can also use their bicycles instead of car when commuting to office. This will not only make them physically fit but will save a lot of gas in return. Encourage this practice by giving your employees rewards in the form of prizes or cash.

• Allow other healthy practices such as telecommuting and work from home. Just think of the amount of energy saved if each employee works from home at least one day in week. This practice not only saves of gas bills but also has been found beneficial in increasing employee’s productivity.

Traveling is always fun. Ask anybody what do they like most and the chances are pretty high that traveling might be one of the answers. But the big question is that are we taking proper care of our ecosystem when we travel or at least are we aware how we can contribute to “Go Green” efforts. This article discusses certain important points, which should be kept in mind if you wish to become green-minded traveler.

• Efforts to go green start from the place where you start your journey i.e. your home. Before departing make sure you have switched off all the lights, electrical equipments and removed chargers from the charging points. You can also use timer devices to control the electric lights in your home when you are away to ward off the burglars. Also make sure that thermostat is set at around 60 degrees to conserve power and prevent water pipelines from bursting.

• Make sure that you pack as much little belongings as possible when you go for a trip. The reason behind is that the heavier you pack, more fuel will be required to transport the luggage from one place to another. Moreover you will also feel lighter when you carry your luggage from one place to another.

• When you are in the new city or country make sure you use their local or public transport to go from one place to another. This will not only save money for you but will also ensure that you leave small carbon footprint in terms of fuel consumption. If it’s absolutely essential to hire the cab, make sure you choose the smallest size that suits you. In any case you can also use bicycle or solar powered cycle rickshaw for small distance commutation.

• If you go for a camping trip, you should be careful not to litter. The chances are pretty high that you may not find any dustbin in vicinity to dispose off the garbage. In such cases it’s advisable to store the garbage and bring it back to hotel for proper disposal. The idea while camping is pretty simple – leave the place the way it was when you arrived.

• At many tourist spots water is a scarce commodity and is considered quite precious. You need to be aware of this fact and use as much less water as possible. As far as laundry is concerned, wash you dirty clothes keeping in mind that you need to wash only those clothes, which are really dirty. If you wore a shirt for an hour or two then you might want to wear it again before washing.

• Always stay in hotels and resorts that are environment friendly. For example if a resort does rainwater harvesting then it should be a good choice for you to stay.

A disappointment might be in store for those who are setting up solar energy panels in their homes or organizations. The construction of solar panels is unfortunately dependent on the energy source that it is trying to eliminate. Hence, you might not expect the repayment of fossil fuel debt before 2020.

Firstly, let’s look at the creation of photo voltaic solar cells that power these panels. The silica rock is melted at 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit under high voltage of electricity. This electricity is dependent on coal based power plants. The energy associated with the transportation and installation of the panels shall also be counted in the same. Most of these energies originate from traditional power sources. Thus, the panels need to pay back all the energies used in creating them.

An extensive study by Stanford University suggests that the solar cells are poised to just surpass the energy mark. Till 2015, the energy debt clearance will continue till some real output comes after a further five years. Michael Dale, the person behind the assessment process, has stated in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, “Despite its fantastically fast growth rate, PV is producing – or just about to start producing – a net energy benefit to society.”

The data suggests that five years back 75 percent more energy was consumed for solar cell production when compared to what it takes at present. Thus, the PV industry experienced an energy deficit with the dawn of the new millennium that continues even now. The team believes that locations matter a lot. Currently, the localization are huge hindrance. Take Germany, for example, which holds a hefty 40 percent share of solar energy market, does not receive optimum sunlight. The deserts located Southwest in the United States and the Middle East receive much more sunlight and will prove to be better alternatives if we wish to pay back the energy of fossil fuels faster than the current estimation.

So, it is widely hoped that despite the usage of non-renewable energy sources by solar panels, Solar Energy is likely to clear the fossil fuel debt by 2020!

With each passing day, we’re witnessing researchers and scientists coming up with technological innovations with a sure aim to make our lives easier and greener than before. A mechanical shark powered by human power might be a reality by next year if the team working behind its creation gets proper funding to turn the dream into a reality. The young undergraduate team of University of Warwick comprising of eight students have come up with initial renderings and a prototype of a submarine dubbed HPS Shakespeare. This beast will enter the upcoming European International Submarine Race competition, which is scheduled to be held from 7th to 11th July 2014.

Cole Soutter, Ben Tomita, Hasan Bagash, Moyses Ferreira, Jamie Smith, Till Pinto, Jacky Wong and Richard Woodward have contributed under the guidance of Dr Ian Tuersley toward the creation of HPS Shakespeare. The team has collaborated with their competitors at Bath University so that they get mutual benefit. The Sub Aqua Society at the University of Warwick has been giving assistance in the diving principles. The primary aim of the team is to beat the record set by past champion Montreal Team of 8.09 miles per hour. In addition, they wish to bag the coveted additional prizes for top speed. The machine will be evaluated on three primary parameters: speed, design and performance. To squeeze out the best, students from various engineering background are working together on this project.

“Warwick’s engineering students have done very well in other, similar competitions in recent years and we are hoping for a good result with this as well,” claims Dr Ian Tuersley when asked about the performance of his students. Cole Soutter sums up their effort with a parting note of optimism, “We hope our entry emerges victorious in the race and in at least one of the award categories for speed, agility and innovation.”

The growing pollution all around the world elucidates the fact that we are facing a major environmental crisis. Burning fossil fuels, combustion of lead based fuels, oil spills and plastics are very much contributing to the pollution levels. The toxic fumes and water are not only destroying the environment but also turning into a major health hazard. Looking over the destruction of the environment, many campaigns have already been launched to spread awareness among people. Small schoolchildren have launched one such campaign at the Stepney City Farm. As part of this project, kids collected plastic bottles and used them to build a greenhouse. This eco-friendly idea is a unique and promising step towards inspiring kids to take up issues like recycling and waste management. Kids from four different primary schools in Tower Hamlets have collected around 2,000 plastic bottles for the greenhouse.

As plastics are non-biodegradable material, it is quite impossible to decompose them because of which they are one of the main causes of land and water pollution. The burning of plastics is quite responsible for the production of toxic materials, so the idea of making something environmental friendly with the help of plastic bottles is quite fascinating.

The children chose the Stepney City Farm as the ideal destination for building the greenhouse. This project is mainly contributed to encouraging kids toward environmental protection and awareness and as they worked in a farm and learned some new things, which further made them well connected with the place. With learning, they also enjoyed work and kept coming back to the work. The construction of the greenhouse was completed on March 22^nd of this year and it was unveiled in front of 150 people. The finished product is quite beautiful and to add some extra greenery, now the kids will sow seeds and grow plants in the greenhouse.

Zhang and his team of Virginia Tech researchers suggest an economically cheaper alternative that can replace our fossil fuel awes. The associate professor of biological systems engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering, Y.H. Percival Zhang goes on to say, “Our new process could help end our dependence on fossil fuels” So, how did they manage to find an answer to the problem that can potentially untangle the energy crisis of modern world? Read on to know about it.

Plant cell walls are a rich source of xylose, containing as much as thirty percent of it. Theoretically, it was previously impossible to convert this simple sugar to ample amount of hydrogen. The team toiled for seven long years to genetically modify enzymes and combine them. They isolated thermo stable enzymes from extremeophilic organisms and utilized them in mild conditions in reactors to achieve highly purified hydrogen. A mixture of isolated enzymes can be produced almost three times faster than by microbes that utilize xylose and a polyphosphate.

However, biomass rings a bell about ethanol and butanol which have been utilized most thus far for hydrogen generation. However, unlike their efficiency that has been below 100 always, the team has managed to obtain efficiency exceeding hundred for the very first time. With commercial hydrogen production slated to generate $100 billion revenue and high carbon dioxide emissions as well, the traditional method is undoubtedly expensive and polluting due to high cost associated with the bioprocessing and low output. With this discovery, the editors of chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie, International Edition have published the same in the current issue.

As Zhange puts it, “We think this discovery is a game-changer in the world of alternative energy.” We can’t help but agree.