If you have time and interest to see more about the house, please view the longer video about it in Finnish texts.
More information and floor plans etc. about the house on the page www.honkalantie.homestead.com
On this site we will publish news, articles, videos and pictures related to home and garden issues.
WANT TO START YOUR OWN PET STORE? PetEdge Dealer Services can help!
Solar power has received a lot of attention as one of the answers to our energy crisis. The fact that solar panels provide energy from a clean and free source, the sun, makes it a viable option. But many homeowners are asking: what sort of system would work for me? Well of course that depends on your situation and what you are looking to get out of solar energy. Let's talk about your options for small simple systems and the advantages and disadvantages of each option.
Integrated Solar
This is probably the smallest of all photovoltaic systems. These can be found where the solar panel is built right into the appliance that it is powering. For instance calculators, garden lights, fountains, flashlights, and many other small electronic devices are powered by the sun.
Advantages of Integrated Solar Power
* Portability. These units often can be moved easily and since they are powered by solar they don't require power cords.
* Maintenance Free. Maintenance is virtually nonexistent and they do not require expensive fuels.
* Batteries. These units have an internal battery which lasts much longer than the common battery we're used to.
Disadvantages of Integrated Solar Power
* Scalability. General these units are small and the power they require is minimal. For larger appliances that consume more energy having integrated solar panels is not practical.
* Part Replacement. Integrated products usually are hard to take apart and fix. For example , if the battery quits working you may just have to replace the entire unit.
Direct Solar
This is the simplest way to get power from the sun's rays. Direct solar simply feeds the energy that is collected by a small array to an appliance or pump without a battery. The system usually consists of a small panel, a mounting mechanism, and the pump or appliance.
Advantages of Direct Solar Power
* Cost. These systems usually are fairly inexpensive since they don't require batteries.
* Installation. Direct units are relatively easy to install as long as the area has ample sunshine. Since power cords are not required, almost anyone with a few tools can install them.
* Remote Capability. Homeowners and business owners love these systems for their water features and well pumps that can fill tanks or ponds during the day when the sun shines and then shut off as soon as the sun sets.
* Maintenance Free. Maintenance is virtually nonexistent and they do not require expensive fuels.
Disadvantages of Direct Solar Power
DC Power. Solar panels produce direct current (DC) power and many appliances require alternating current (AC) power.
* Storage. Since these systems don't have batteries, they don't run when it is cloudy or at night.
Solar-Battery-DC Systems
Many DC systems can be powered with small panels and battery storage systems. These systems will consist of a solar panel, mounting system, battery bank, charge controller and the connection to the electronic device. The charge controller ensures that PV units do not overcharge the batteries.
Advantages of Solar-Battery-DC Systems
* Storage. These systems can store the sun's energy for use at night or on cloudy days.
* Remote Capability. These systems are great for lighted signs, fountains, out-buildings and pumps that need to work regardless of sunshine and where access to power is an issue.
* Lighting and Pumping. Since lighting and pumping are very popular tasks for photovoltaic systems, there are special high-efficiency pumps and lights made exactly for these applications.
Disadvantages of Solar-Battery-DC Systems
DC Power. Solar panels produce direct current (DC) power and many appliances require alternating current (AC) power.
* Cost. Batteries can add significant cost to the installation depending on how much storage you need.
* Maintenance. Batteries require regular maintenance and need to be replaced more often than solar panels.
If you are thinking about a PV power system for your needs, you should contact a solar professional. They can custom design a solar power solution for almost any application and location.
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Maybe you’ve never heard the term vermiculture, if so don’t feel bad, many experienced gardeners are unfamiliar with this organic practice. I think vermiculture is fascinating; simply put it’s the process of composting kitchen waste with earthworms. We’re not talking about common night crawlers, but special varieties of worms such as red worms, and red wigglers.
Okay, I’ll admit to owning an ant farm when I was a kid, but this is so much more practical. Vermiculture, or vermicomposting as its also known is more like beekeeping; yes I’ve given that a try too. But just imagine for a second, you feed the worms your leftover garbage and kitchen scraps. The worms then quickly eat all those leftovers, sparing you the hassles of taking out the garbage.
And here’s the best part, while the composting worms are disposing of your garbage, they’re also producing a terrific organic fertilizer and soil conditioner called earthworm castings. Well, okay… the term earthworm casting is just a nice name for earthworm excrement. I don’t know who thought up the name earthworm castings, but I guess it makes sense if you think it through.
You may have seen worm castings for sale at your local garden center and didn’t realize what you were dealing with, but now you know. Don’t worry, earthworm castings are clean, odorless, and sterile… trust me on this one. You don’t need gloves or a shovel to handle them, and they are wonderful for improving your soil quality and for promoting the growth and health of all your plants.
So you can purchase bags of earthworm castings to use around the garden or if you’re a little more adventurous you can set up an “earthworm farm” and produce your own. The farm is actually just a worm bin that can be set up indoors or outdoors depending on the climate.
Vermicomposting isn’t complicated, but the worms are living creatures, and have certain requirements. For example they don’t tolerate extremely hot living conditions, and they also won’t survive freezing. The worms are pretty healthy eaters, so while eggshells are fine, don’t try slipping any meat, fats, or greasy foods into their diet.
If this sounds a little like having a pet, well it is. Not terribly demanding, but they do require a little of your attention to make sure that things run smoothly. In exchange they’ll be hard at work performing their community service to save the environment and to help you grow a better garden.
Kids love vermicomposting and some schools even include vermiculture as part of the curriculum. For those of you wishing that they had grown up with a worm bin instead of that ant farm, it’s not too late to try one out. You can find plans for building homemade bins or you can purchase fancy multi-level bins over the Internet. And unlike those ant farms, you can have these bins delivered complete with the composting worms.
If you’re up for the challenge and interested in recycling your family’s kitchen waste into a valuable fertilizer and soil conditioner, try your hand at vermiculture. During long winters, it may even help to pass the time until you can get back out into the garden.
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