The Eco Realtor

I am a big talker and doer when it comes to the environment. I believe that with what we know today, it would be disrespectful and completely unconscious to not make decisions based on the environment and what we know, especially considering that there are many choices available today. We all need guidance, so here are a few tips for you realtors to make a big impact.

1. Drive a hybrid. Because 33% of CO that is being produced is from transportation (Sources of CO in he US as of 2004). This conscious change in vehicles would make the biggest impact of all. We spend A LOT of time in our cars and when you are in the market for a new one...think green. For all you show-off realtors who need to have the best of the best, hybrids are very trendy and hip. The choices that are coming out for 2009/2010 are swanky. Google "new hybrids" and you'll see.

2. Recycle and reuse. How many listings do you print off that you end up not using or even keeping? Lots! Please recycle. Or better yet, turn them over and re-print on the good side. I do it all the time. It's my copy and when it is noticed by the buyer, I can brag how I am saving the environment. You'll be saving some coin in your pocketbook too.

3. Use electronics. Instead of driving all over to get signatures, please fax, scan, or email. As long as you pick up the originals in the end, it all works out. You'll not only save emissions from driving, money for gas, but your time as well. Another great electronic device is the PDA (or Blackberry, iPhone...whatever works for you). You'll be saving a lot of trees and you can sync it with your computer making you more organized.

4. Encourage your work to go eco. If they don't already recycle mention it every time you go in. They'll get the idea. Ask to receive notices by email and not by paper. Ask them not to put junk mail into your mail box. Tell them about natural cleaning products. If that doesn't motivate them, donate some!

Love your work and your environment. Passion goes a long way and so does thinking (and doing) about what type of impact your have. Or....just ignore the environment, it will go away.

Energy Trends For the Future

When it comes to energy efficiency, money is definitely the name of the game. This factor is what makes energy efficiency and maintenance efforts pay off. Information about costs is an important part of reporting accomplishments to other people. When you are able to track costs, it reveals pricing trends and helps with cost projections necessary to prepare budgets.

These current and projected future prices of energy are then used as the basis for determining whether potential energy efficiency policies will be cost effective. To give everyone in your organization a complete picture of the need for energy investment, any dollar savings figures you use should include actual costs, as well as avoided ones. You will also want to give management some information about what the dollars saved could be used for, such as buying or updating equipment, adding more services, etc.

Benefits to the Environment

Better energy efficiency is a cost-effective way to lower emission rates generated from burning fossil fuels. This added benefit should be very clearly pointed out in your energy management program. You may determine that it is worthwhile for your organization to track the lower level of emissions achieved when energy conservation practices are improved. When management is supportive of using energy resources more efficiently, they are probably very environmentally conscious. Your efforts to increase energy efficiency will likely gain even more support if they can be documented and shared with others in your organization (and possibly the public).

Standard procedures for calculating lowered emissions levels for specific fuels are becoming more available. Contact the Environmental Protection Agency, your state energy or environmental office, or your utility to learn more about making these types of calculations.

Matthew Shields

Energy Expert

Residential Solar Panel

Residential solar panels gained a lot of popularity in the recent years. The main reason is that they are quite efficient alternative to regular energy sources and thus can cut home utility bills by thousands.

In essence solar panels are made of solar cells that collect sun emission and than transform it into energy that can be used for any household. Many people use them just for home heating as well as producing hot water, while other also use panels to produce electricity.

Why people consider installing panels in their homes? Here are the main benefits:

Earth friendly: Residential solar panels use solar energy to create electricity, heat water or heat your home. In that sense they are totally environmentally safe because they do not use any fuel and thus cause no pollution.

User friendly: A less known fact is that it is quite easy to manufacture solar panels for your household needs by yourself. All kind of panels are very easy to install too. Moreover the maintenance of both DIY and ready made residential solar panels is quite easy and it requires neither a lot of time nor money.

Cost effectiveness: Alternative energy sources require only an initial investment that pays quickly over time. By using solar panels as an alternative to other energy supply you are likely to cut your utilities bill more than half per month.

Perfect for remote areas: Residential solar panels are perfect for energy supply in remote areas that stand out of the main electricity grid. Thus they are perfect for any mountain or agricultural regions.

Noise free: Unlike windmill generators that produce a lot of noise, solar panels are completely noise free. For that reason they are preferred alternative of wend power generators.

Don't take living space: As residential solar panels need sun to generate energy, they are usually installed on the roof of a building. In that sense they don't really take any vital living space.

The only real disadvantage is that solar panels do not work during night or during cloudy weather. However in most cases the energy collected during the day is enough for an average household of four people and their needs.

If you are really interested to create electricity at your backyard using solar power, Earth4Energy is a guide that explains step by step method to create electricity using Solar Panels. One can easily start creating electricity from Solar Power, by taking help of the guide.

Check out Earth4Energy Review

Solar Panels For the Home

I get these 2 question all the time from my readers and subscribers..."how much can I really save by having my own solar panels for the home", and "can I really build my own solar panels". If you're keen to know the answers to these, read on...and learn what 90% of other people looking to cut their electricity bills don't know about.

How Much do I Really Save?

An all-important question that many are asking...Well, take a look at these sums I'm doing for you. The figures are going to shock you...

Say, you're currently paying $300 a month for your energy bills...a typical amount for the average family. This means you're forking out $3600 of your hard-earned money every year that is wired straight to the power companies. Certainly a quick way to empty your wallet!

Now watch this.

Multiply that figure by 10 years...you get a whopping $36,000. Literally by turning on the lights in your home, you become forty grand poorer over the next decade! Think about it, suppose you live in your house for 40 years...that's a whopping $144,000 down the drain!

And here's the real kicker...factor in the rate of inflation, and you could be hit back by half a million in cold hard cash in 40 years time! These are staggering numbers, even more so in this time of economic recession.

With your own home solar panels, you can easily save up to 80% of your monthly energy bills.

Can I Really Build My Own Home Solar Panels?

Glad that you ask! Indeed you can. If anything, the tens of thousands of households who have already done so bears testimony to this fact!

Building solar panels for the home need not be a daunting task. What you need to get started are instructions that will help you through the entire process of building your own DIY solar panels. Look, if you're really serious about starting this energy saving project, look no further than the Internet. The technology behind this has now been made available to people like you and me, and you can easily find good quality guides, manuals and videos that are almost 'fool-proof' for anyone willing to put on some elbow grease to do a little DIY work.

For a low cost investment (typically 50 bucks or less), you can get a really good DIY instructional package that even recommends places where you can get the parts and components on the cheap. For around 200 bucks - a wise one-time investment that won't break the bank - you can get your very own DIY solar panels up and running in a weekend.

Take some time to do a little research online, and see which guides/manuals best suit your needs and budget. The best thing is, many of these products come with technical support, so that if you need any help, they are just an email or phone call away. The best DIY guides are those that come with a money-back guarantee...so if it doesn't work for you, you don't pay a dime. That's quality assurance at its best!

Why not take a little time to learn how to build your own solar panels for the home? It's just about the best thing you could do to help your family budget, and save the environment at the same time!

Want to build your own home solar panels but don't know where to start?

Fret not! Many people just like you have successfully built one on their own to DRASTICALLY cut their monthly electricity consumption. They are already shaving $1000s off their energy bills every year. If you need STEP-BY-STEP guidance in installing one, I have reviewed the Best Online Guides on Home Solar Panels for your convenience. These highly recommended guides provide EASY-TO-FOLLOW instructions that will help you save money in no time.

Dave Keller is a Renewable Energy Specialist who takes pride in helping the average consumer save on their energy bills using simple DIY devices... and give power companies a run for their money! For a candid review of the best-selling guides, go to his website at http://www.HomeSolarPanels4u.com now.

You Too Can Build Solar Panels

Yes, it's possible for you to build solar panels to help reduce your carbon footprint, and wean you off of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are finite, and at the rate that we're consuming them, they won't last long. Anyone with a little bit of intelligence can figure out for themselves that carbon based pollutants are negatively impacting our climate. As a result, more and more environmentally conscious people, such as you, are looking towards renewable energies.

However noble your motives are, the fact remains that building solar panels is a costly endeavor. Professional installation of a solar panel system for your home can cost thousands of dollars. There is a way for you to do your part to save the environment, but not have to break the bank in doing so. How is this possible? It's simple--you can build your very own solar panels at home.

There are a myriad of useful resources out there that can help you build your own solar panels. But for the most part, what you'll find are instructions for building solar panels that are way too small to power anything but a small lamp, or simple appliance. If your goal is to run your household on solar energy, this simply will not do.

The larger commercially available solar panel kits can produce the wattage that you're after, but they're extremely costly. What you'll want to do instead is create your own solar panel kit, and at the fraction of the cost.

There are resources available that you can use to help you build your solar panels without breaking the bank. In fact, there are instructions for building solar panels with simple supplies you can acquire at your local hardware store. You can even build the panels in a single weekend and in the comfort of your home workshop.

Generally speaking, building solar panels is so easy that children can do it, even teens, and of course, you. Soon, you'll be on your way to your own solar power system, and you won't have to spend thousands of dollars to do it.

If you are looking to build your own solar panel you need the right guide. There are plenty of resources available to help you through the process. You can even involve your entire family and friends, and everyone can share in the pride of knowing they're all doing their part to save the environment. All the components are relatively inexpensive, and easy to acquire, and you'll be able to build the solar panel system to suit your home's unique needs.

Congratulations on making the choice to build your own solar panel. Now, you need the complete step-by-step fully illustrated manual that will have you generating your own electricity for less than $200.

You can get it by visiting http://renewableenergyathome.info today!

How Can Going Back to School Be Green?

Pupils and teachers alike are probably trying not to think about going back to school as the long summer holidays have only just begun, but as it is actually only a matter of weeks away, we have been thinking about how you can stay green as the new academic year approaches.

Firstly there is the equipment and kit that is invariably required whether you are teaching or learning. Many of these requirements are similar from primary school up until university so keep reading whichever type of educational establishment you work or study in. Stationery is a good start, much of which can be bought made from recycled materials. And when it comes to paper, remember to use both sides whether writing or printing. Also plan ahead with regards to lunches and invest in a lunch box rather than using plastic bags every day. If you need new school uniform check whether your school offers second hand clothes and donate your old good quality ones.

With regards to getting to your school or college, try to walk or cycle whenever possible, or use public transport if it is too far. Alternatively, set up a car sharing pool to reduce car use and save money.

Once you are there, you could think about how to make your school or college greener. Why not set up some eco-iniatives with colleagues or peers? You could become a Fairtrade school, set up a recycling scheme or move towards using renewable energy.

Ultimately, going back to school is just one more part of our lives where we can easily make a difference to our carbon footprint by making small changes to the purchases we make and actions we take. So as you start making plans for the next school year, think about how these could be a little greener.

Hayley Jones is the Web Marketing Director of UK Energy Saving, http://www.uk-energy-saving.com

Efficiency and the Credit Crunch

You probably think that these two items, efficiency and credit crunch have little in common, but you would be wrong. Any downturn in the economy will put some businesses over the edge into insolvency but a sound business can, with some help, often capitalise on the opportunities available.

Here are a few ways to increase efficiency as well as saving money:

• Look at your expenditure on energy - you have been meaning to replace those tungsten light bulbs with the more efficient energy saving bulbs - do it now;


• Look at windows and doors - is there a draught coming through? - buy some draught excluders and you will save on heating;


• Get people to dress for winter - summer clothes are for summer;


• Get people to boil only enough water for hot drinks to serve immediate needs;


• Check the office thermostat - one degree down will save a considerable amount of money without freezing everyone;


• Look at your energy supplier - can you get a better deal?


• If you use a company car or your own car to visit customers, plan your route to minimise the distance and combine visits if possible;

There are other ways to increase efficiency:

These include working from home if possible, video conferencing instead of face to face meetings and better planning of schedules.

If cash-flow is a problem and your Bank won't help then ask your suppliers if you can extend your credit terms.

Order only what you need, buffer stocks are costly in terms of space used and cash tied up.
And finally get someone who is not involved in your business to review your systems. A consultant may cost you a few hundred pounds but may identify improvements that will help you through then tough times. Remember a good consultant will be able to advise you on best practice and will be up to date with the latest technology and methods.

ISO9001, the Quality Standard can guide you to accepted best practice

ISO14001, the Environmental Standard can help you reduce pollution and save energy.

There are many more efficiency savings but using just these few can have a significant effect on your business.

Chris Eden FIBC, MISSA, ACQI is a director of Quality Matters Limited an established independent management consultancy based in Essex, UK which specialises in ISO14001 Environmental Management consultancy.