Healthy Homes of Rochester

I searched for a while for a portable radio for an emergency if the power went out to have around our home. I found a few options available. Then I came across an emergency radio which is powered by solar or by a crank. Yes, you read that right! I was very excited when this item arrived. It works great. I love how the emergency radio can run on solar power or by cranking it. I use it outside on my patio when I want to relax in the sun. It is nice that I am also living a greener life by not using batteries or electricity. This item is a hit with me.
It is just another idea to save our planet and save money.
Below is the link the same type of emergency radio that I have. Hope this makes your searching easier.

Another great product suggestion by the Fixie Chick
Thank you for reading.

What’s Green with the Fixie Chick

by Brenna Hartmann

We have all been learning about the need for energy independence and how solar energy plays an important roll in the sustainable and renewable energy market.

I once read an article about the country Germany, and how most residential buildings are solar powered.  Not only do these homeowners incur ZERO electricity costs, but they actually get paid by the utility for energy they  “over-produce” and sell. I thought that was pretty smart and I wanted to find out how I could pay zero dollars for electricity AND make money on excess energy the sun can produce and I can sell! 

That led me to have a certified renewable energy company come out to my home to perform what is called a “Solar Site Analysis”.

The whole process took about two hours. The first step was to set up a small device known as the “solar pathfinder” on the south side of my home.  This would be the most logical place to install a solar device on my home. A “solar pathfinder” is basically a high-tech sundial that the auditor carefully positioned outside my home.  The auditor then photographed the data presented on the pathfinder.  As I understand it, the pathfinder measures the shade in this particular area of my property. The shade will determine the ‘loss’ of solar power at different times of the day and months of the year.

Next, the photograph was digitally inserted into the auditors computer program, the data was processed and calculated, and turned into a “solar site analysis report”.

Once the report was completed, the auditor sent the report data  to a NYSERDA (New York State Energy And Research Development) program that is able to calculate a “solar electric system costs and savings” report.

This report features estimated annual results along with a net system cost.  Additionally, it calculates state and federal government incentives. Ultimately, the final printed report shows all of the above plus the total cost for the solar system and the estimated return on investment.

To learn how you can have your own Solar Site Analysis Performed and what government incentives are available, contact  NYSERDA (New York State Energy And Research Development) 1-866-NYSERDA.

Edison’s invention is about 100 years old. It’s about time we thought about using something a little more up to date.

Actually Edison didn’t invent the light bulb. He improved it, devising one in 1879 that burned for 40 hours, achieving 1,220 hours a year later (a number a little better than modern incandescent bulbs, 750-1,000 hours). GE patented tungsten-filament bulbs in 1906.

But all these still require a source of electricity. Batteries made the situation better, but they still have to be replaced periodically. They’re also not great for certain applications, such as the lawn where sprinklers can get them wet.

Enter: solar-powered lawn lights.

Though the initial cost is sometimes a bit higher than other lawn lamps, they make up for it in several ways. Since they’re stand-alone units, no wiring is required. No need to dig trenches and plug into the house current. They also outdo battery-powered units because, as noted, there’s no risk of internal decay. They’re well sealed.

With that degree of independence and functionality, solar lawn lights can be placed anywhere. If you later decide to expand the lawn, adding more is a snap. Just shove them into the new ground and you’re good to go. Ditto, if you decide to turn part of the yard into a walkway or patio. Pulling up solar-powered lawn lights entails no risk of hitting the wires and no need to re-wire an existing design.

That flexibility makes it ultra-easy to move lights. It makes it just as easy to replace them. They can last for 10,000 hours or more (that’s almost three years if they burn 10 hours a night, every night). But ultimately the batteries will need to be replaced. That’s super easy since you just pull one up and insert the new ones. With the rate at which people move houses today, they may well last as long as you own the house.

The Ni-Cad or NiMh batteries used in these units today have little or no ‘memory’ so they’ll recharge fully over and over again, even when the light doesn’t run out of power before dawn arrives. That can be an issue in certain Northern climates where, during the summer, there’s only a few hours of darkness.

By the same token, there may not be enough sunlight hours to fully recharge the batteries. The lights may not burn all night. But many people set a timer on wired lights to turn off well before dawn. So, as with any option, solar lighting is an individual choice.

There’s no need to turn them off and on, or even to set a timer. Sensors cause them to charge as long as there’s sunlight and to come on when the ambient light dips to levels at dusk. Most modern solar lamps will produce almost 7 watts for 8-10 hours. They can achieve that because most use highly efficient, low wattage consumption LEDs instead of incandescent bulbs.

They’re a great option, durable and attractive. Give solar lawn lights a try. We have included a few popular choices below.