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Going “green” is a hot topic in the world we are living in today. One of the main green energy topics is that of renewable energy. Knowing what renewable energy is can help in understanding why it can play an important role in green energy solutions.

Renewable energy is simply energy that is generated from natural resources that are naturally replenished. These natural resources include things like sunlight, rain, geothermal heat, wind and tides. These energy sources are taking over for the fossil fuels, such as oil, coal, and natural gas that have been used as energy sources over the past centuries.

One of the main reasons why many people are considering the change to renewable energy sources is the depletion factor. Renewable energy sources can be used for a long period of time without any worry of the power supply depleting. Compare this to resources such as oil, which depletes significantly the more that you use it, and it is easy to see why renewable energy sources are now becoming preferred over traditional energy sources.

Another factor in using renewable energy is the fact that these sources do not have the pollutants that are present in fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have the capability to emit harmful hydrocarbons into the air once they have been burned. By using renewable energy there is no longer the worry of these hydrocarbons polluting the air, and this is one of the major things that are trying to be accomplished by this new green society.

Renewable energy also does not need to be imported in from another country. The sources are provided locally by companies such as Loco2 in the UK. This will mean that using renewable energy will also become cheaper than traditional energy sources over time as well.
While the initial investment to convert to these more natural energy sources may be a bit more expensive than traditional means, the savings it will present over the long haul can be significant. You can check your tariffs and ways to save electricity from this post code tariff calculator http://www.loco2energy.com/switch/home/postcode.asp?wdgt16459076=0_0

Another thing to keep in mind about the cost involved in converting to green energy sources is the fact that it will likely become less expensive over time. Keep in mind that the majority of new products to hit the market always start out high and get cheaper as more and more people start to use them.

For some great deals on renewable energy in the UK, check out Loco2, your source for low carbon electricity.

Coal and Petroleum are the natural resources which are important “source of energy” For us. Coal is used as a fuel as such in homes and in industry, or it used to generate electricity at thermal Power Plants. Petroleum products such as petrol and diesel are used as fuel in transport to run scooters, motorcycles, cars, trucks, trains, ships, and aeroplanes. Kerosene and LPG obtained from petroleum are used as domestic fuels for cooking food, etc. Since the industrial revolution, we have using increasing amounts of energy to meet our basic needs and for the manufacture of goods upon which our life depends. All this energy needs have so far been meet mostly by coal and petroleum reserves of the earth.

Coal is used mainly to produce electricity. So, if we can save electricity, then the consumption of coal will be automatically reduced. Similarly, the petroleum products kerosene and LPG are used for cooking food, and petrol and diesel are used as fuel in motor vehicles, so if we can save on kerosene, LPG, petrol and diesel then consumption of petroleum will also get reduced.

Some of the steps which can be taken to conserve energy resources are as follows:

1. Switch off the light, fans, television and other electricity appliances when not needed. This will save a lot of electricity.
2. Pressure cookers should be used for cooking food to save fuels like kerosene and LPG.
3. The use of biogas as domestic fuel should be encouraged in rural areas.
4. Use energy efficient electrical appliances to save electricity. This can be done by using Compact Fluorescent Lamps and fluorescent tube lights instead of traditional filaments type electric bulbs.
5. Good quality stoves should be used to burn fuels like kerosene and cooking gas so as to obtain maximum heat.
6. Fuel efficient engines of motor vehicles should be designed to reduce the consumption of petrol and diesel.
7. Public transport system in the cities should be improved so that people do not commute in their personal vehicles. This will save a lot petrol and diesel.
8. Bicycles should be used for covering short distances to save precious fuel like petrol (which is used cars, scooters and motorcycles).

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Save water! This environmental problem is often bypassed to make way for the more dramatic ‘carbon footprint’, but in actual fact wasting water can have a huge negative impact on the environment, due to the cleaning process (requiring electricity!) and rapidly lowering water tables in some areas. The average person uses 60-70 gallons of water per day indoors alone, much of which is wasted unnecessarily. To reduce this collossal amount, simply make the following tweaks: a) turn the tap off while you are brushing your teeth or washing your face – a running tap wastes about 6 litres a minute! b) wash your vegetables in a bowl, rather than under a running tap – this will make them easier to cook anyway. c) never turn on the dishwasher or washing machine until it has a full load – otherwise you could find yourself using an enormous amount of water for a few plates or a t-shirt or two. It’s just not worth it! d) Have a shower rather than a bath – the average shower uses much less water than the average bath. Don’t be too long in there though!

Save electricity! There are endless ways to do this around the home, some of which are more well known than others. I’ll remind you of the obvious ones and give you a few extras you might not have thought of: a) No more standby! Everyone knows it wastes electricity, but there’s still millions out there who just can’t be bothered. Even I’m guilty of that one occasionally! If you constantly forget, you can buy a special ‘powersafer’, which automatically cuts the power supply to an appliance when it is put on standby. b) Energy-efficient bulbs make a bigger difference than you think – to your bills if nothing else. c) Whenever you use the kettle, only boil the amount you will be needing. The amount of electricity a kettle uses is larger than you may think – just look at the electricity meter whilst it is boiling for proof. Less water will mean less time boiling, and if you count the number of times you make a hot drink in a year you will see how much of a difference this could make! d) Turn down the central heating even by just a degree or two – this can make a big difference in the long run. In spare rooms or rooms that are rarely used, turn down the radiators to very low or zero. e) clean the coils in the back of your fridge and freezer with a vacuum cleaner, to increase their efficiency. f) Try to hang out your clothes to dry rather than using a tumble-dryer. To reduce ironing, hang them on coathangers when they are still wet, and then hang the coathangers from the washing line. g) Don’t keep opening the oven door; each time you do, 20 degrees are lost.

Save Petrol

This will save you money and help you sleep at night!

• Close the car windows whilst you are on the move. This will reduce air resistance and therefore the amount of petrol your car uses.
• Try not to use too many revs, as revving your engine emits much more carbon emissions than normal.
• If you see the train gates closing as you approach a level crossing, turn off your engine. This is much more pleasant for nearby pedestrians and people in other cars too.
• Walk, cycle or scoot to local places, particularly if you are visiting neighbours or the nearby corner shop. The exercise is good for you and the environment! (no offence implied – simply stating the facts!)

Save the Earth

Ok so I admit this header is a bit extreme, and it also applies to all of the above rather than just this paragraph. But I couldn’t think of a more apt title for recycling and reducing litter. Land fills are the source of a major form of pollution, being damaging to water supplies and therefore wildlife (and even people). Manufacturing new goods from scratch uses up a lot of electricity, with huge carbon emissions, whereas recycling used materials to make new products does not require nearly as much energy. Most people know this already, but short of driving (with all the costly carbon consequences of that) to the nearest recycling facilities every five minutes (once a fortnight is more sensible, or whenever you go to the supermarket, as these tend to have recycling facilities), the options appear limited.

So why not take a leaf out of the green book, and try the following recycling tips that might even save you money:

• Recycle your old mobile – you can even get some money for it at envirofone or send it back to the manufacturer in exchange for money or an upgrade!
• Have your ink cartridges refilled – it works out cheaper than buying new ones. Try Cartridge World or sell them at Cash for Cartridges
• Buy concentrated liquid products, such as washing detergents, to save on packaging and transportation lorries, as well as money.
• Invest in a ‘bag for life’ and remember to take it every time you shop, or simply leave it in the car if you have to drive.
• Instead of just throwing away unwanted clothes, donate them to oxfam or a charity shop. Alternatively have a swapping session with a bunch of friends!
•  Re-use tea bags, then compost them.
• Squash down the contents of your bin, and even if you don’t recycle make sure any plastic bottles or cans have all the air taken out of them before you throw them out, as in the long run this will save a lot of space in landfill sights.

Save your purse. Save the polar bears. Save the planet! Good luck with being a lean, mean, eco-machine!