Jeffrey Meier asked:

As the high cost for energy seems to be heading nowhere but up solar energy is something many homeowners are considering as a viable option to save them money. People have always wondered is solar energy really worth the time and energy spent on putting it in a home. Let’s look deeper into it and see what options are available for today’s homeowners to try and control costs with solar energy as an option.

There are many options that are possible when we talk about using solar energy. Solar attic fan is one of the cheaper options that you can use. These fans will reduce your need for air conditioning and can increase your life of your roof at it protects your home from mold and rot. It’s like having a cooling effect in your attic without much cost at all. Moisture buildup is a problem when you head to higher elevations in your home so the solar attic fan is a very good first step.

Heating could be one of the most expensive things we have especially in the winter months. If you’re in a cold climate state, you know how high these bills can reach. With the price of energy going higher each day solar heating systems are becoming something people are starting to look at more and more. The system uses solar thermal collectors to heat hot water, swimming pools or even for space heating. These work really well especially in the south where sunshine happens more often. Local, state, and federal governments are now starting to help offset these costs as they can be quite expensive at first, but pay for itself over time.

If you live in remote areas and getting a constant water supply is a real problem and solar pumps are an option you could try. Piping water to remote areas can get really expensive so a solar powered pump can help get a steady supply of water at a much lower cost than piping it in. Solar paneling is actually the easiest way to start and are usually installed in your roof. There is something though you need to look at before you start any solar energy upgrade on your home. Let’s look at those.

First you must make sure your home is capable of taking this new technology and working well with it. Things such as age of home and various other factors really need to be considering. Second factor is permits and codes also must be checked out. Local laws may prohibit you from getting solar panels on your home. Before adding any additional expense you should always check into these things. That way you will know before you start on working on your home.

Solar energy is a viable option and will be in the future, but proper planning needs to be done if you hope to be successful with it. Remember solar improvements aren’t cheap and will cost you some out of pocket expense. In the long run though solar energy maybe your best option for a future of savings. Do your planning and investigating into it and you should be fine.

Water 4 Gas

Kerry Ng asked:


With rising fuel costs, more and more people and are looking for alternatives. One such alternative that is gaining popularity, especially with the do-it yourself types, are the electric vehicle kits. Anyone familiar with automobiles can now use these kits to convert traditional gas powered vehicles to one powered by electric current.

However, converting a traditional Gas powered vehicle into an electric vehicle can be a very daunting task. Only those who are the very mechanically minded should try this. To convert the vehicle will require extensive modifications to nearly all-mechanical parts of the car. Everything from the engine to the radiator, heater and air-conditioning, to the gauges on the panel. On top of that, the electric cars have to be recharged on a regular basis, which means having to purchase or use the services of recharging station. Solar power could be another potential source of power for the electric vehicle.

Can any car be converted into an electric vehicle?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Not all cars can be converted into an electric vehicle. However, and the most common electric vehicle kit seems to be the Chevy S-10 pick up kit. For examples to follow just do a search online for Chevy S-10 pickup Electric conversions. Other cars that are good candidates for conversion are the Chevy Geo, especially from 1989 to 1999. These cars are good potential candidates for an electric vehicle kit conversion. Cars similar to the Chevy Geo Metro, such as the Chevy Sprint, Pontiac Firefly and the Suzuki Swift are also ideal for conversions too.

Are there downsides to using an electric vehicle kit?

Going back a few years, many people associated electric powered vehicles with slowness and a lack of power. But as usual, thanks to technology, significant advances in the electric vehicle have changed all that. With these electric vehicle kits some cars can reach top speeds of between 70 and 75 mph. nonetheless, converting to electric power still has its drawbacks.

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matt q may, Sr. asked:


The Basics Of How You Can Build Your Own Electric Car

With the cost of gas these days, some consumers have decided that having and operating an electric vehicle will be more effective and cheaper in the long run. If you decide to build your own electric vehicle, there are whole lot of resources available to assist you understand and work through the process of changing a gas vehicle to an electric vehicle.

If you have a long commute everyday, an electric vehicle might not be your best choice, since on average, electric vehicles can run from 30-70 miles each day. This is totally dependant on the driving conditions, the weight of the vehicle and the battery quality. Also consider how you will be recharging the batteries. If you live in an apartment complex with no garage, it may be impossible to charge the car’s batteries every night.

Important Considerations

First you have to decide what type of car you want to use to build your own electric vehicle. Smaller cars will usually be ideal, but larger vehicles can be used as well. You will most likely want to use a car that has a manual four or five speed transmission, since manuals are more efficient. Interestingly, since electric motors are so efficient, shifting up and down constantly won’t happen as much as it does in a gas fueled engine.

When you build your own electric vehicle, the additional systems can add anywhere from 200 to 500 extra pounds to the total weight of the car. So, when choosing the car you want to work with, make sure that the total weight of the car with the modifications isn’t completely ridiculous and is within reason.

A few things that are optional and not used often when you build your own electric vehicle are power steering and air conditioning. The power steering would require another motor to make the power steering pump work. Air conditioning drags on the batteries, but you can hook up air conditioning using a special magnet system to work the compressor.

If you want to build your own electric vehicle, there are plenty of resources out there to help you do the job right. As time passes, electric vehicles and hybrids will become more and more popular simply because the price of gas seems like it is going to stay fairly high and for many people, gas is almost not affordable. Take a look and decide if you want to build your own electric vehicle; you might be surprised at how fairly easy it is to convert your gas guzzler into an electric vehicle.

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