Rainwater Harvesting
It is now viable to harvest rainwater for your whole household. This includes rainwater harvesting, storing and pumping rainwater for bathing, showering, toilet flushing, pool, laundry and irrigation. Rainwater harvesting together with other Water Rhapsody products can save up to 90% of your water bill.
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Tag Archives: Saving Electricity
Ways to reduce your electricity bill – Step One:
Opting off the grid To live off the electricity grid, says Duncan Palmer from the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies, you need a number of solar panels, a wind turbine (depending on where you live), an inverter and some batteries. ‘Solar energy from the sun is harvested with photovoltaic (PV) panels, which convert the solar energy directly into electrical energy. An electrician wires the inverter into your existing electrical reticulation circuit.’ ‘To sustain normal electricity habits and supply a regular house, you will need about 6kW of PV panels, which will cost around R210 000,’ says Riaan Meyer, from the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies at the University of Stellenbosch.‘Adding the inverter, batteries and other components will up it to R500 000 – pricey, but you’re investing in 20 years’ worth of electricity.’ But while an entire solar power system may be out of reach of most people’s budgets, there are some simple steps you can take to lighten the load. According to Eskom, a household’s largest electricity expense is water heating, which typically accounts for 40–50% of the monthly bill. Installing a solar geyser system to cater for the needs of a family of four … Continue reading
Solar Water Heating
People have been using solar power for many years to heat up their water, light up their homes and for general low-voltage appliances. Solar power energy is now more easily accessible to the public than ever before, and millions of people around the world are installing solar geysers in their homes in order to save money on electricity consumption and thus helping the planet. Converting your home to use solar power can be a considerable undertaking, but the results are very rewarding. Going solar is a growing trend, but where do you begin the process? Solar power systems use energy from the sun – which is an unlimited source of renewable energy – and convert it into electricity or heat. The most practical place to start the process of conversion is with the installation of solar geysers on your roof. Solar water heaters use a roof-mounted, heat-absorbing panels (thermal collectors) to heat water with the power of the sun. The heated water is fed into a special solar geyser that stores the water. Firstly, you should find the most appropriate position suitable on your roof. The solar panels should not be shaded either by trees or any other obstacles. Even if … Continue reading
