Energy Supply

Two costs are associated with any electrical appliance: the buying price, and the running cost in terms of energy and maintenance. Of the running costs, energy is one of the major items. Typically, the equipment can last several years before requiring a major repair. Consumers should therefore not just look at the price tag on the item.  Rather, pay attention to its energy rating and available energy saving modes. Energy star certified equipment Energy star certified equipment satisfies certain energy saving levels while providing an acceptable performance compared to other equipment. They usually consume between 10 and 50 percent less energy compared to

In the United States, coal mining accounts for about 50% of all electric power. Coal offers several benefits as a traditional source of energy. Therefore, the future of coal remains strong. Though many consider the production of coal to generate negative environmental factors, it does have its advantages. 1) Coal is a far cheaper source of energy than natural gas, oil, or nuclear energy. Although hydro-electric power is a competing energy source, it must deal with issues such as public resistance, and stability of river levels. 2) Coal provides energy independence because it reduces the need for importing oil. 3)

Most of us accept electricity as a readily available and safe power source to use in our home electrical system. Consumers use electricity for many everyday things including heating, cooking, watching TV, charging our cell phones, and powering our computers. Because of safety laws, electricians and home builders have the obligation to ensure that electrical wiring for homes and offices get properly grounded. This protects the customer from electrical shocks and accidents. Regulatory laws require electrical wiring for the home to pass inspection. In addition, regular checks and maintenance are always a good idea. This ensures that the home electrical

A typical homeowner should be familiar with the electric panel that controls electricity distribution to all areas of the home. Usually, the electric panel is ignored, unless it becomes necessary to flip a breaker switch. A breaker switch can turn off power to a specific area of the home, such as a bathroom. This does not affect the electricity supply to the entire home. Should flipping a breaker switch be the extent of attention paid to the electric panel? The answer is a definite no, for the reason that a defective or inadequate electric panel is dangerous. A defective panel

If you are a homeowner, the following questions may interest you. a) Where is my electric meter? b) Am I being billed correctly for my use of electricity? c) How could I legally reduce my monthly electricity bills? Where is my electric meter? The electric meter is an instrument or device that measures the amount of electricity consumed in the home. Readings from the meter are usually recorded on a monthly basis by the energy supplier in order to correctly bill the customer for the service. The meter is normally installed outside the home. This maintains privacy for the customer, and convenience

Within the past two decades, there has been a worldwide explosion in the use of wind power. Currently, the United States, China and India account for about 90% of the wind power generated worldwide. Because of great interest in the use of clean, renewable energy, the EY (Ernst & Young) index has emerged for ranking RECAI (Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index) among the nations. Methods for generating renewable energy that are included in the EY index are Wind power (65%), Solar power (18%). In addition, other sources such as biomass (17%) have slowly gained popularity. In this article we ask

The idea of having clean, renewable energy like solar power, has been a topic of contentious debate among politicians. Those who support the idea argue that the environment is getting polluted. They believe that it is necessary to eliminate pollution for the benefit of future generations. Those who oppose the idea want to continue using fossil fuels, coal and nuclear energy. They consider these energy sources to be more cost effective. Rather than engage in political debates, it may be more fruitful to look at published data, and to leave judgments to the reader. Is global warming real or imagined?