Shifting Solutions

How to Create a Positive Future for the Climate, the Planet, Your Organization and Your Life

If Green living to be Eco Friendly is your goal to protect your home, your family and decrease your footprint on the environment and you just don’t know where to start, then maybe some good reading material on sustainable Living, renewable energy or green construction might be the place to start. You can start small, beginning with your greatest interests and concerns and learn how to become Eco friendly in even the smallest things.

A book like the one to the right is a good place to start. It will get your mind set in the right place to begin thinking of all the possibilities.

There are hundreds of easy ways of going green in your home; have fun and feel good about changes you make. You can make a real difference without a major overhaul to your home or life, it’s fun and easy to be green.

A Book like the one at the bottom of this article can help you feel safe and become eco friendly.

Worried about the quality of your drinking water? Products that will work for you.. from filters to bottled water to home water filtering systems

Read about the Green economy in a book like one of the ones at the end of this article.

While the burning of fossil fuels introduces many harmful pollutants into the atmosphere and contributes to environmental problems like global warming and acid rain, solar energy is completely non-polluting. Reading books like the one found at the end of this article can be insightful on how you too can implement your own renewable energy system in your own home.

Small changes as you learn can increase your family’s desire to learn and contribute more to improving your environment. “Each one teach one” the way to be green.

Can you feel it? You’re beginning to think green already, enjoy the journey and visit SHIFTING SOLUTIONS LLC often for intersting, affordable solar products to help you take charge and have fun being eco friendly green.

Things ARE happening on the global front when it come to energy

I make no bones about it, I copied this article for this blog! Why you ask? Because it is interesting, things ARE happening on the global front when it come to energy and I think everyone should know about i!

Read and enjoy

Article by: Chris Hawley of the Arizona Republic

LA VENTA, Mexico – The windmills stand in rows like an army of Goliaths, steel towers taller than the Statue of Liberty and topped with blades as long as a jetliner’s wing.

The blades whoosh through the air, carving energy from a wind that rushes across Mexico’s Isthmus of Tehuantepec on its journey from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. Nearly every day, another tower rises out of the countryside.

The isthmus – Mexico’s narrowest point – is becoming the Saudi Arabia of alternative energy as U.S. and European companies, emboldened by new technology and high oil prices, rush to stake their claims in one of the world’s windiest places. The Mexican government wants the isthmus producing 2,500 megawatts within three years, a goal that will require thousands of windmills and catapult Mexico into the top 12 producers of wind energy.

Opponents of Mexican President Felipe Calderón fear the generators are the first step toward privatizing Mexico’s energy sector. And some residents are angry that the electricity is not going to homes in Oaxaca, one of Mexico’s poorest states, but to power Walmarts and industries.

“It has divided neighbors against each other,” said Alejo Giron, a communal farmer in La Venta. “If this place has so much possibility, where are the benefits for us?”

Gifted with wind

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec, 130 miles wide, lies at the bottom of a funnel formed by two mountain ranges. Winds from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico whistle through on their way to the Pacific Ocean.

The turbines need about 8 mph of wind to work. The winds near La Venta average more than 19 mph, and in winter, gusts are so strong they can flip tractor-trailers.

Private wind-farm projects have gone into high gear since the inauguration of Calderón, who has warned that Mexico is running out of oil and needs to modernize. He pushed legal changes, allowing more private investment in the state-controlled energy sector.

One day in 2006, a sound truck showed up in the town of Santa María Xadani.

“It had this loudspeaker, and it went around saying there was going to be a program to help farmers,” said farmer Abel Sánchez.

Representatives from the Spanish firm Endesa laid out a complicated offer: 1.4 percent of the electricity profits, plus $300 a year per tower, with the money divided among the hundreds of landowners, a contract obtained by The Arizona Republic shows. Each landowner would get another $4.60 an acre annually, and the company would pay $182 per acre of land damaged during construction. There was a signing bonus of $37.

In exchange, property owners would have to get permission from the energy company before selling their land or striking deals for development.

One good cow can produce $90 of milk a month, so most farmers were unimpressed, Sánchez said. But the company men made it sound like a government aid program, and there seemed to be little to lose, he said. Many small landowners signed up even though they couldn’t read the contracts.

Soon construction began on several other wind parks, and farmers were shocked at the disruption.

To support the huge generators, crews built gravel roads 50 feet across, hammered in pylons and poured in 1,200 tons of concrete per tower. Pads of gravel 100 feet long and 50 feet wide were dumped onto sorghum fields to support the cranes.

Farmer Salvador Ordaz now has two roads cutting through his 16 acres of pasture, and says part of the land is unusable because of dust and blocked irrigation lines. He cut his herd from 30 cows to 10.

“When you think of windmills, you just think of this one tower,” Ordaz said. “But it affects a lot more land than that.”

Sánchez and about 180 other farmers wanted out. They sued Endesa and two other Spanish companies, Preneal S.A. and Union Fenosa S.A., saying the companies had misled poor landowners and tricked them into signing deals.

Endesa and Union Fenosa did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Preneal declined to comment.

In October, Preneal relented and canceled its contracts with the dissenting landowners. Endesa and Union Fenosa did the same in March.

“It’s clean energy, but dirty business,” said Claudia Vera, a lawyer at the Tepeyac Human Rights Center who helped landowners with their case.

Benefits of the wind

The companies say they’ve treated landowners well.

“The truth is, if the people felt that what we were paying wasn’t fair, we wouldn’t be here,” said Eurus project manager Ignacio Querol.

Indeed, many residents say they’ve benefited.

Aquileo Jiménez, 51, used his first payment from Acciona to buy an old bus and now has a contract to shuttle workers to construction sites. José Cruz Velázquez, 45, opened an auto-parts store to serve the construction trucks.

“It’s done good things for us,” Cruz said. “Even people who were in the United States are coming back here to work because of it.”

Others wonder how long the good times will last. Once construction is finished, Acciona has promised to remove the gravel pads and narrow the access roads. The land-damage fees it pays will shrink, and it’s not known how much the profit sharing will be.

“People are not thinking about the long term,” Giron said. “Those generators will be making millions of dollars for the company, and they will be limiting what you can do with your land for 30, 40 years. Soon whatever they’re paying won’t seem like very much money anymore.”

For information on how you can bring savings to your home in this economy, check out residential wind power systems kits made especially for the barely handy home owner.

Combined with the rising costs of oil, home energy costs and with the slow state of our economy and all that that entails, many people are looking for solutions to ease their monthly burden. Many folks are turning to their biggest monthly costs, and that is their home. Re financing their mortgage at lower interest rates that are currently available, is one way. Another is to look at your Utlitly bills and see where you can cut down expenses there.

Some folks have opted to have expensive solar companies install solar panels on their home to cut out the electric bill entirely or nearly so anyway. This is a very good way to help reduce the carbon footprint in our environment, as well as save money each month for the home owner. That’s being responsible as one who has to share the world we all live in. .

Bu not everyone can afford the $5,000.or more dollars to PAY someone else to to fit their home with renewable energy systems, such as home solar power or wind power energy.

For these people, who can’t afford those amount of dollars, there is another way! If your just a little bit handy and by that I mean, you know how to use a screw driver and a hammer and not much else, and, you CAN afford about $200.00, then maybe a kit ( cost $49.00 ) showing you how to build your own solar panels. Thios kits contains all the instructions, diagrams and videos you will required to build, successfully your own solar power system. It shows you where to buy all materials at the best prices and how to assemble it all on your roof.

Even with this economy, one does not need to feel left out in the fight against rising energy costs.

Explore the possibilities at the link above, an adventure awaits you!

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources-such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat-which are renewable (naturally replenished). In 2006, about 18% of global final energy consumption came from renewables, with 13% coming from traditional biomass, such as wood-burning. Hydroelectricity was the next largest renewable source, providing 3% of global energy consumption and 15% of global electricity generation.

While most renewable energy systems and production is large-scale, renewable technologies are also suited to small off-grid applications, sometimes in rural and remote areas, where energy is often crucial in human development. Kenya has the world’s highest household solar ownership rate with roughly 30,000 small (20-100 watt) solar power systems sold per year.

I live and work in Arizona, and this peace of legislation I just had to share on this blog!

The following is a copy of an article sent to me by the Arizona Solar Association. This is great news.

Arizona is always one of the last states to get on any bandwagon. So now that Arizona is offering ” net metering” than most STATES ALREADY DO.

If your interested at all in installing your very own home solar power systems read the article below, do your research for your state incentives and with your power company to see that you do qualify a well, then get to building your own solar panel systems. Attache dis a link, if you follow it, will show you how you too can build and install your own solar or wind power systems

Today’s article”

“Arizona Corporation Commission Approves APS’ Net Metering Plan

PHOENIX, AZ (June 23, 2009) -The Arizona Corporation Commission today approved a plan filed by APS to provide net metering so that customers who generate their own energy through solar, wind, or other renewable technologies, can be compensated for the excess energy they produce. The APS net metering tariff is the first to be approved by the Commission under the state’s new net metering rules.

APS customers with renewable energy generation capabilities such as solar panels will have twoway meters installed that will measure both the electricity coming in to a property, and the energy going back to the grid. This allows customers to be credited for the excess energy. As part of APS’ plan, once each calendar year, the company will issue a check or billing credit for the balance of any energy generated in excess of the customer’s usage.

The net metering rules, which are required of all Arizona electric utility companies, give consumers a key tool to help offset the costs of installing renewable energy systems or combined heat and power (CHP) co generation in their home or business, primarily through the use of solar technology. For a facility to qualify under this plan it must be operated by a consumer and located on his or her property-whether it is residential or commercial- and be intended to provide all or part of a consumer’s energy needs. A facility’s size is capped at 125 percent of the customer’s total connected load.

The Commission approved the net metering rules on October 23, 2008. After certification by the Arizona Attorney General, the rules became effective on May 23, 2009. Each public electricity utility company in the state will file a net metering tariff for approval by the Commission, describing how it plans to implement the rules.

The net metering rules are an important part of the Commission’s requirement that utilities generate 15 percent of their total energy from renewable energy and CHP technologies by 2025. The Commission’s Renewable Energy Standards promote the generation of “clean” energy to power Arizona’s future.

The net metering rules can be viewed at: http://images.edocket.azcc.gov/docketpdf/0000088991.pdf ( copy and paste in browser)

“This net metering tariff will ensure that Arizonans who produce excess electricity from their solar panels will be fairly compensated by APS,” Chairman Kris Mayes said. “Arizona’s net metering rules will boost our chances of spreading solar to every rooftop and help turn the state into the solar energy hub of the country.”

“Having the cutting edge net metering program in place will let customers become net producers of energy and will incentivize them to invest in renewable energy, such as wind and photovoltaic systems,” said Commissioner Paul Newman.

“Today’s decision is a victory for the environment, our economy, but more importantly a victory for the APS customer,” said Commissioner Sandra Kennedy.

“The approval of this net metering tariff is the fruition of an effort that began years ago,” said Commissioner Gary Pierce. “I am happy to vote for its approval.”

Crude oil prices have climbed approximately from $33.00 a barrel to over $ 60.00 a barrel, in spite of the slowing worldwide energy demands and the economic recession. One can only imagine what the world energy prices would be like once the economy has broken loose and folks start working again.

We need to learn how to cushion ourselves from further energy price spikes and likely supply disruptions, now that we are aware just what can happen to our dependence on foreign and even local supplies of oil and energy. No nis the perfect time to make those changes in your home and start or complete those projects that would help you become less reliant on your utility company as well as reduce your part in the ever expanding carbon footprint we all seem to contribute to.

Home solar power systems or even home wind power are some things you can do decrease your energy dependence and increase your financial benefits. If you build and install one or other of the systems above yourself the whole project will even be that much more profitable.

As demand rises for alternative energy resources, and subsequent costs decreases have helped make the economics of owning your own system even more valuable. If you live in the United States , you can now take advantage of the the many grants and tax credits our government is offering those who participate in any of their ” economic recovery” programs..

Making you aware of the resources available to you, a home owner, when it comes to repairs or modifications.

If your thinking of adding on, repairing or replacing anything on your home the next two years, consider doing so, with the federal incentives available on certain features. Check before you plan, then plan around the utilization of a lot of free money and rebates that are available to you as a home owner.

Consider just the following alone….

1. A federal tax credit up to $1500 for 30% of the cost of adding insulation, installing new windows, caulking cracks, and other expenditures for “tightening up” your house to conserve energy. This credit applies to investments you make by 12-31-2010.
2. A similar credit and deadline for investing in more efficient heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems for your home.
3. A federal tax credit with no cap for 30% of costs incurred by 12-31-2016 for investments in renewable energy systems for your home, including solar thermal, solar electric, wind power and biomass fuel systems.
4. A federal tax credit for purchasing diesel, hybrid and electric cars.

Since laws and tax regulations are subject to change, you should consult with your tax advisor before claiming energy tax credits, the above is a short summary of the credits available as of May 2009:

Increasingly positive signs that the economics of home renewable energy systems are improving. As the initial investment costs decrease and energy costs rise and, if you live in the United States, you can take advantage of renewable energy tax credits which our government restored and expanded in the “economic recovery” legislation passed in 2009.

Want to increase your energy independence and save money in the process? If your at all handy, you can, by building your own solar and wind power generator system . Just follow the link.

Who is going to fix up all the little things!

When my wife and I bought our first home several years ago now, my wife turned to me and said, ” and who is going to fix up all the little things that need doing around here? Neither of us are handy like that!” she says. Well, as she clearly stated I’m certainly not the handiest Mr. Fix it in our home, by any stretch of the imagination. I can however use a screwdriver, hammer and pliers, not much else though.

In the home solar system package, much to my delight, was included some very easy and clear video’s and written directions to help you every step of the way, in building your own home solar system. Don’t tell my wife, but I must admit, I did have a little help from my neighbor, who took an interest in my project as he watched me hammer together there panels. He offered to help me up the ladder, which I had to borrow from him as well, to get the panels on the roof.

All together the solar panel I built cost me $216.43 and took me roughly 3 hours to assemble. About $16.00 more than the promised ” under $200.00″ stated in the offer, but then, hey, I upgraded a little, because I like to shop.
My neighbor tells me it look professionally made, and the videos showed me where I can buy the parts at great prices, if you don’t get sidetracked like I did.
More than $5,000. is what I was told a professional unit would cost to make and install. Now that’s a savings! Of course you realize, you cut out the middle guys all along the way, each of whom take their share of the profits from parts to labor.

So what are you waiting for? Creating a homemade solar panel costs $200, lss or more if your like shopping like me, and takes 2-3 hours of your time. While your waiting you could be spending up to $200 per month on your energy bill. So make a homemade solar panel for $200, yourself an say goodbye to your energy bill for life!!! Reduce the carbon footprint anpush along the envionment to a greener and more sustainable life!

Renewable Energy

Part 7 the last of a continuing effort to explain the many ways one can use the ” Go Green” principal in their lives, whether they live in an apartment or even in their own home. Today, we bring you tips 13 through 16 of the 23 principals of green style living and saving money while doing so. All of these ideas are very simple to implement and easy to accomplish. You don’t need anything fancy or to be a professional in any sense of the word but just a little handy and some effort and common sense

The Final 4 tips, 17 to 23

17. Maintain your energy efficient appliances like your refrigerator. Have a repairman come out once a year, if you need to, you’ll find it’s worth it as the appliances get older, they more expensive to run.

18. Clean the toxins in the air by adding some plants to your home or apartment. Two plants per one hundred square feet and they will spread out over time and give a fresh smell to the air.

19. Recycle your paper. A lot of paper is used on one side only. Turn it over and re use the other side as scrap or note taking, grocery lists, etc.

20. Soaking a citrus rind in water for a couple days and applying it to plants or around the apartment will help eliminate bugs. Pour the water into a pump bottle and spray on plants both inside and out.

21. The air conditioning filter requires checking and changing at least 4 times a year. AC and other appliances with a filter run better and cost less to operate when the filter is changed regularly.

22. To lower prices we must increase demand. Buy as much organic products and food as you can from suppliers.

23. Finally, Quit Smoking. I know, I need not say more.

Did you know there are lawn mowers and other yard tools that are completely green? There are Many ways of going “GOING GREEN” check it out at the link above for renewable energy systems and help reduce the carbon footprint.