How Blue Collars Are Turning Into Green Collars

If there’s one thing that many people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about, it is the growing link between traditionally blue-collar jobs and green-collar technologies. However, this relationship is becoming quite a trend and there are many ways that these traditional businesses can take advantage of the burgeoning green revolution.

1. Use Government Money and Incentives

Before investing in any new technology or making any modifications to existing technology, review what free money opportunities are available to you. Everything from government grants to tax incentives is within reach of many companies. This is especially true in the automotive industry, where the focus is growing on manufacturing vehicles that do not rely on gasoline.

Green Finance

2. Be Realistic

When looking for ways to make your truck fleet more environmentally friendly, you have to be realistic with what you can do. There are many small things you can do to change behavior within the fleet itself that can change all aspects of fleet management, besides helping in improving fleet fuel efficiency.

Such things as improving driver training and making routes more efficient can all drastically reduce the carbon footprint that the company leaves. You can read about many green options in an online fleet management guide.

3. Green Power Sources

The blue-collar sector has long encouraged factories to reduce their energy usage and this viewpoint is only increasing. Alternative power sources such as wind or solar power not only reduces energy usage but have a positive effect on the bottom line of the company in question.

When you are dealing with investors and stockholders, saving money is definitely something in which you’ll want to partake.

green tech

4. Cloud Computing

For those blue-collar businesses that rely heavily on multiple servers to process their computerized data needs, the constant running of multiple servers can prove to be quite costly. This is why many are looking into cloud computing to solve their data center needs.

By virtualizing most of their computing, they are able to run only one server while everything else runs multiple images of numerous operating systems.

5. Reducing Waste

Many factories became experts in waste reduction a long time ago and other blue-collar businesses are now finally paying attention. Everything from recycling wastewater to the practice of reusing materials that are normally cast-off is being embraced in attempts to both save money and increase efficiency.

waste reduction in businesses

6. Green Replacements

When replacing either manufacturing equipment or office equipment that has broken down and no longer useful, many companies are choosing to purchase green alternatives in their place. This is a simple way to increase the green status of your company without exhibiting undue effort all at once.

Whether it be simple replacements such as LED lightbulbs or more specific acts such as installing ergonomic workstations for production line workers, there are numerous ways to become and stay green.

7. Listen To Your Customers

Your customers will almost certainly be among the first to let you know what changes you should be making. Today’s consumer is much more conscientious that the customers of the past and they place a high value on businesses that are actively working to become more environmentally responsible.

3 Major Benefits of Using Solar Inverter as a Primary Source of Residential Energy

In recent years, the solar inverter market has witnessed a surge in demand. That’s because  people have started realizing the benefits of switching to solar energy for residential as well as commercial use. Even the central and state governments are stressing on the need to switch to solar energy. They are even offering various subsidies for installing solar power systems on both residential and commercial properties. So why do you think the government is encouraging the shift from local grids to solar energy. Well, in this post, we discuss just that. Listed below are three important reasons/benefits of using a solar inverter as a primary source source of residential energy. Let’s read on:

benefits of solar inverter

1. It is a clean source of energy

While one of the reasons for shifting from fossil fuels to solar is that fossil fuels are exhaustible and are not going to last forever, an even more significant reason for this shift is that unlike fossil fuels that cause a lot of pollution, solar energy is a clean and green source of energy. It helps reduce the carbon footprint which is the need of the hour. And this reflects in the way governments across the globe have been encouraging renewable sources of energy.

India, too, is not an exception, and that is evident from the fact that the Indian government is providing subsidies for installing solar inverter systems. And the good thing is that many people across the country have already started installing solar inverter systems on their residential and commercial properties. So, if you too want to do your bit towards making the Earth a better place to live, go solar!

2. It helps save a lot of money

Well, if you have been worried about the initial investment cost of installing a solar inverter system, we already told you that the Government of India provides subsidies for installing solar inverter systems. And if this reason is not enough let us also tell you that one of the major benefits of installing a solar inverter system is that you are able to generate electricity for free. That’s because the solar energy from the Sun is a free source of energy.

Also, the yearly savings that most households make after installing solar inverter systems are such that they are able to recover their initial cost of investment within 6-7 years. And since the average lifespan of a solar inverter system is anywhere between 15 to 20 years, it means that one is able to make substantial returns on their investment once they have recovered their initial investment cost.

Now isn’t that an awesome reason for you to take the plunge?

3. It provides relief from long and frequent power cuts

Here’s another major benefit of installing a solar inverter system. If you live in an area where there are long and frequent power cuts and even the normal UPS inverter is not of much help, then installing a solar inverter system will help you reduce your dependence on your local grid. In fact, solar inverter systems have gained a lot of popularity in areas where there’s no local grid.

For example, you may be aware of the latest trend of people buying vacation homes at faraway locations. Most of these locations lack a local grid, and therefore, people rely on solar inverter systems for their energy needs.

Ready to make a move?

If you haven’t shifted to solar already, it’s high time you make a move. We suggest you to get in touch with the solar experts’ team at a reputable brand such as Luminous India and they would walk you through the process of choosing the right solar inverter system for your residential property.

Sustainable Waste Management in the Construction Industry

Construction business is booming worldwide driven by population growth, urbanization and increased need for dwellings, business sites and commercial spaces with volume output expected to grow by 85% to $15.5 trillion by 2030. Unfortunately, it also means that there is a serious challenge to implement sustainable waste management in the construction industry.

It is not only the duty of waste management contractors and companies to ensure sustainable collection and management of construction wastes responsibly but also individuals who are doing their own DIY projects at home. Without a concerted effort to collect, recycle and dispose waste properly, there is real danger to the environment that will eventually spill over to people, vegetation, and wildlife.

Role of education and behavior change

On a global scale, over half of the world’s population have no access to a steady collection of trash. Illegal dumpsites hold over 40% of the world’s waste. It’s not only the lack of facilities but also inadequate information that is contributing to waste-related pollution all over the world.

Sustainable waste collection begins by educating people about reducing, reusing and recycling efforts or the 3R approach. From education and information campaigns to changes in behavior and attitudes, when people know and are aware of the benefits of reducing, segregating, collection, reusing and recycling, they become a collective and conscious effort.

Right materials and equipment

The availability of skips, bins, collection containers, and recycling centers also has a great influence on how much a person and their communities recycle and reuse or dispose of construction waste properly. For people who are able to hire a 20 yard dumpster in West Chester, Lancaster, Norrington, Reading or any other town in the world, it is easier and convenient to remove construction and renovation waste knowing that the company will dispose of it properly by bringing it to approved landfills.

What is also important is for clients, contractors and recycling specialists to put their heads together to minimize construction waste according to Oyenuga and Bhamidimarri.

General awareness to reduce dumping is increasing as about 35% of construction and demolition waste (CDW) goes to landfills. Construction rubbish can contain lots of toxic materials such as lead, asbestos, and other dangerous substances that can find their way into the soil, groundwater, and the air that we breathe.

The construction industry has also recognized that reusing components and materials in making or erecting structures is sustainable and saves money. Most of the parts of construction consist of wood, sticks, steel, and concrete. Rubble can be compacted and reused. Demolition is carefully considered if renovation can be carried out.

The Way Forward

Waste generated from construction sites need not be a nuisance to the environment. With the right education to increase awareness to reduce/recycle/reuse, provision of collection and recycling points and the newer and better techniques to reuse construction materials, sustainable management of construction waste can become a reality.

Water Hardness: Knowing and Calculating The Perfect “Mineral Water”

Water hardness seems to be a common problem among households worldwide, but there seems to be a certain ignorance as to what this is. What this does is it does more long-term harm despite the beneficial uses. Being a problem of this nature, we must know how to calculate water hardness level and what the desired level of water hardness is.

What is Water Hardness?

Ironically, water hardness has nothing to do with water turning into a solid block of ice or anything involving a transition into something solid. However, the reason for this name is because of what is actually in the water we use or drink.

Sometimes the water we use seems to be different despite the whole house being a general example of cleanliness. For example, one may notice some minerals that are present in cooking dishes or the more obvious scum that seems to be resistant to cleaning.

The simple reason for this would be the existence of “hard water” or water that appears to be infused with undesirable metals, the more prominent ones being calcium and magnesium. These are usually caused by water travelling through places filled with soil and rock, but some have found that water from wells is a breeding ground for this kind of water.

how to calculate water hardness

As a simple experiment to test if your home does have hard water, you may take a bottle and fill it up to one-third of it, and you should apply a few drops of soap. From here, shake or mix the solution well, and naturally, the mixture should be clear with bubbles at the top.

However, if it turns milky and lacks bubbles, your water is hard. The water does not cause any severe problems for the consumer, but these will cause some pipes, appliances, and other parts of the house that use water.

How do you calculate water hardness?

Before knowing how to calculate the possible hardness present in your water, you need to know that there are two types of this hardness, temporary and permanent. Since we want to know more about water hardness, measuring hard water would mean we would be looking for permanent hardness.

This, unlike temporary hardness, cannot be removed by heating the undesirable aspects of the water.

An option for calculating water hardness is to manually calculate the hardness using calcium and magnesium values. However, you would need to submit samples to the lab to receive the exact amount of the minerals found in the water. Nevertheless, it would require the use of equations.

The general equation would be as follows:

CaCO3 (Total Permanent Hardness) = Mg (mg/L) as CaCO3 + Ca (mg/L) as CaCO3

The general equation is the sum of both the hardness of Magnesium and Calcium. However, Magnesium and Calcium hardness is determined by another equation in the form of:

Ca or Mg hardness mg/L as CaCO3 / Equivalent Weight of CaCO3 = Ca or Mg in mg/L / Equivalent Weight of Ca or Mg

Calculating the equivalent weight would involve dividing the atomic weight by the valency, and these hold values. For example, calcium would be 20.04 while Magnesium would value at 12.15.

For Calcium Carbonate, this requires the molecular weight, which would be set at 50.04.

In sum, we must first determine the hardness first of the minerals, using the given values of Calcium or Magnesium in milligrams per litre and the set equivalent weights from the mineral being calculated and Calcium Carbonate. You can use the ISCO water sampler for the same.

Once with the two values, they may be added up to form the total permanent hardness of Calcium Carbonate.

Since one calculates for any concerning value, it would also be wise to know the desired water hardness level. It is important to remember that water still possesses minerals that are helpful to the body. However, much like everything in daily life, an excess can cause future problems.

The healthy amount would be at 10 to 50 parts per million of the Calcium Carbonate, while the slightly hard would range from 50 to a hundred. The actual hard water is seen when the amount hits 100, while 200 parts is an amount in which it is incredibly excessive.

Negative Impacts of Hard Water

As mentioned before, hard water does not have any serious problems when consumed by drinking.

This could be a great help for the body as it can give minerals that it could lack. However, this causes much more visible problems when used as bathwater as it interferes with soaps and other cleaning regiments, eventually leaving the skin to become irritated and dry.

disadvantages of hard water

These also affect pipes, boilers, and other water-using items in the household as this could affect their daily functions.

We can appreciate the use of hardness as a benefit, but this causes more damage in the long term. Therefore, it is important to be aware and stop this at the earliest possible moment.

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Energy Efficiency Tips For Home Owners

Saving on energy costs is always great. Electricity bills can be costly, especially for heavy users. Besides the high electricity cost, excessive energy use can harm the environment. With these in mind, it’s best to make your home energy efficient immediately.

Energy Efficiency Guide For Homeowners

Making your home energy efficient isn’t a one-day job. After all, it requires some household updates and lifestyle changes, some of which you need professional help with. You can consult with MAC Trade Services or similar companies to guide you.

Below are a few tips for you to achieve energy efficiency:

Use Solar Energy

Using solar energy is an excellent way to make your home energy efficient. The solar panels absorb the sun’s energy, which is then transformed into usable power. You can expect lower energy bills once you start depending on solar energy more. It’s a cost-effective solution that’s also helpful for the environment.

Installing solar panels can be costly. Nevertheless, it’s an investment since you can save money on electric bills in the long run. After a few years with your solar panels, you’ll save as much as you spent on buying and installing them. Look for a trustworthy company to get the best results.

how to set up a solar power system at home

Automate Home

A smart home may sound expensive since it uses technology. However, just because you’re using more electronics doesn’t mean it costs more. Automating your home allows you to control your home’s energy usage. You can set a timer on your thermostat, turn off your lights, or set when the shades need to roll down.

Setting a timer prevents you from consuming too much energy when you no longer need it. Some devices automatically shut down if you no longer use the appliance. You can also install a motion detector to open the lights and air conditioning (AC) when entering the room. In addition, you can install a smart meter to track your home’s energy consumption.

Maximize Natural Light

You don’t have to turn on lights during the daytime. You can push the curtains to the side and invite all the sunlight inside your home.

If you have an extra budget, you can install a skylight. A skylight or a Addlite flat glass roof light should help to add unobstructed light inside your home. It can go perfectly well in your kitchen or any area where you don’t have any windows.

Switch To Energy-Efficient Windows

Heat loss and gain through windows account for 25%–30% of heating and cooling energy use in households. That’s why you should consider switching to energy-efficient windows.

how to improve the energy efficiency of your home

If you have the budget to replace your windows, you must choose wisely the design and energy use. You should also look into proper installation and warranties.

If you don’t have the funds, there are ways to make your windows energy efficient. You can install tinting film on your windows. You can also add energy-efficient coverings, like blinds or shades. In addition, you should check if there are gaps to prevent heat loss during winters.

Replace Old Appliances

Old appliances are difficult to replace, especially if they’re still reliable. However, they’re not the best when it comes to energy efficiency. An outdated device usually doesn’t have an energy-saving feature.

Most appliances today focus on helping households save energy. Look for those with the Energy Star rating, or check the energy guide, which includes the estimated yearly electricity use. Cost-efficient appliances have lower energy numbers.

If you’re buying big appliances like a refrigerator or washing machine, check if it has an inverter feature. An inverter can help you save costs by providing maximum energy efficiency.

Regularly Clean Air Filters

Your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit gets dirty over time. The speckles of dust on your air filters may affect how the machine functions. The device works harder when there’s too much debris to let the air through, which means higher electricity costs.

clogged filter of AC

For your HVAC or AC unit to run efficiently, you should clean your air filters regularly, around every two weeks. You can schedule professional maintenance every six months to ensure your systems work well. System maintenance includes a thorough deep cleaning to keep your unit in perfect shape.

Takeaway

Practicing energy efficiency takes getting used to, but it has several benefits. Two of the most important ones are being kind to the environment and saving you money. While some tips require a huge upfront cost, they’ll help reduce energy bills in the future. You’ll appreciate how these investments allow your home to be energy efficient. But still, there are plenty of tips you can follow without spending, like adding window coverings or cleaning air filters. You can also make your home energy efficient by being more mindful of your actions.

Everything You Should Know About Car Transmission System

A car transmission, also known as the transmission system, is the mechanism by which power created by the engine is transferred to the driving wheels. This part of the vehicle is the most important in determining the power and functionality of your engine systems. The two types of transmissions include automatic transmission and manual transmission. Use hpi to check the transmission type of any car, van or light-commercial vehicle.

A manual transmission requires the driver to complete extra steps of selecting and engaging the gear ratios. In contrast, mechanical efforts are minimized in an automatic transmission, and different speeds are obtained automatically.

If you are wondering how a car transmission works, it all depends on the type of transmission. However, regardless of the type, the answer to what a transmission does is to enable the gear ratio between the vehicle’s engine and drive wheels to adjust as the vehicle speeds up and slows down. When not in motion, the transmission disconnects the drive wheels from the engine. So let’s dive deeper into details on how manual and automatic transmission work.

working of car transmission system

All you need to know about manual transmission

A manual transmission is a manual gearbox or stick-shift or standard transmission class of transmission where the driver literally uses a stick shift to change gears. Changing the gears involves releasing the clutch disc through a third pedal located on the left side of the break. Then select the chosen gear and engage the clutch again. If the driver frequently engages the clutch slowly, the disc will wear out early. If the driver engages the clutch too quickly, the engine will stall.

Components of a manual gearbox

Narrowing down the various parts and components of the gearbox will help you understand the complex way a manual transmission works. Some significant features of a manual gearbox include

  1. The clutch and clutch pedal: Consisting of various small parts, the clutch transfers the engine torque to the transmission. The clutch pedal is a piece of gear that is hydraulically controlled. When you depress, it disengages the clutch.
  2. Flywheel: Normally circular in shape and used to send the engine torque to the clutch disc, which interacts with the smooth surface of the flywheel.
  3. Collar and selector fork: An arm-like-looking piece of gear that aids in moving the collars through the output shaft. By locking the collar to a specific gear, you can always select different other gears. This results in the transmission of torque from the layshaft to the output shaft.
  4. Synchronizers: Helps the collar and the gear engage with each other and importantly matches their speed if there is a difference.
  5. Output shaft and Layshaft: The output shaft’s gears mesh with the lay shaft’s gears when one receives the engine power first.
  6. Gears: Gear often comes in different sizes in a manual gearbox. Large gearwheels contain more teeth and offer more torque to reduce the car’s speed, whereas small gears provide less torque to your car so that it can run at a higher speed.

How a manual transmission works

  • Before switching the vehicle’s key on, you need to press the clutch pedal down to disengage the clutch. This cuts the power between the engine’s input shaft and the transmission and ensures that the engine is alive before powering the vehicle.
  • Shift the gearshift to the first gear so that the gear shift can move towards the latter one. The first gear has a connection to the layshaft, which is connected to the engine input file via another gear.
  • The synchronizer collar connected to the shifting fork helps the driving gear in the transportation of power to the output shaft and matches their speed if there is any difference.
  • You now need to apply slight pressure on the gas pedal and then take your foot off the clutch. This reconnects the gearbox and the engine making your vehicle start moving.
  • You now need to repeat the same process of changing the gear so that you can speed up or slow down the car.

 

car transmission system

Generally, bade-model vehicles are fitted with a 5-speed manual transmission, while pricey vehicles are equipped with a 6-speed transmission such as the rebuilt nv5600 transmission.

All you need to know about automatic transmission

With an automatic transmission, things are simplified as compared to a manual transmission. There is neither a clutch pedal nor a gear shift in an automatic transmission vehicle. Once the transmission is put into drive, all other things are automatic.

Components of an automatic transmission

To help understand what happens in an automatic transmission, let us look at the specific parts of an automatic transmission.

  1. Transmission casing: Houses all parts of the transmission.
  2. Torque Converter: Transmits to the transmission input shaft from the engine. It also helps in the multiplication of engine torque output
  3. Planetary gears: This allows automatic increase and decrease of the gear ratios.

How automatic transmission works

  • The engine dispatches power to the torque converter’s pump
  • The pump receives the power and, through the transmission fluid, sends it to the torque converter’s turbine
  • Through the stator, the transmission fluid is sent back to the pump
  • The stator multiplies power and sends it back to the turbine
  • The turbine is normally connected to the central shaft, which is also connected to the transmission.
  • The turbine then spins the shaft spins dispatching power to the first planetary gear
  • The planetary gear arrangements determine of power transmitted to the rest of the drive
  • Power from the torque converter will either make the ring gear, the sun gear, or the planetary carrier of the planetary gear system stay stationary or move.

Stages of automatic transmission

  • Park(P): Locks the transmission, restricting the vehicle from moving
  • Reverse(R): Puts the car in reverse gear, making the car move backward
  • Neutral(N): disconnects the transmission from the wheel
  • Drive(D): allows the vehicle to move and can accelerate through a range of gears
  • Low(L): allows you to lower your speed and move on middy or hilly areas

Now, as you cruise down the freeways and feel the car shifting gears, you will have an idea of what is exactly taking place under the hood. It’s all about the transmission, but if you need to get a new one it’s all about cheap online transmissions! However, if you need money to pay for one, you could always use your vehicle to get extra cash! Find out how much money you could get with a car title loan.

Also Read: Tips for Looking After Your Alloys

What are the Factors Affecting Inverter for Home Price?

Inverters have become an increasingly essential aspect of modern life today. After all, our world runs on electricity, and we can often come to a screeching halt in its absence. Almost every household today is, consequently, equipped with an inverter and a power backup system. Whether you’re looking at investing in an inverter for the first time or are looking to upgrade from your existing system, one of the essential factors is the inverter for home price point.

What determines the inverter for home prices? What are the essential components of a home inverter system?

factors that govern inverter for home prices

Keep reading: we’ll answer all your questions about inverter for home prices — and how you can find the best deal for your home.

The Importance of Inverter for Home Prices

While many suggest that inverter for home prices aren’t nearly as important as their quality, there is no denying that budget is a vital consideration for people when they are looking to purchase it. However, it’s also worth noting that inverters are, ultimately, long-term investments. Therefore, it is important to look at at least a little past inverter for home prices alone.

Let us now look at the factors that inform the inverter for home prices.

1. Load on your Inverter

Since inverters are designed to start working in the event of a power cut, the inverter for home price is directly influenced by how much power you will require it to handle when you lose power. For instance, the inverter for home price will be lower if your power requirements are low, such as if you only want to power a few fans and lights. However, if you want to power heavy-duty appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners, and TVs, the inverter for home price will go up.

To determine a precise inverter for home price, you can use an online load calculator or even perform the math yourself to determine your load requirements.

2. VA or Volt Ampere Rating

The Volt Ampere or VA rating of an inverter tells you how much power it can supply to your appliances in the event of a power cut. Like the power load on your inverter, the capacity of your inverter will also be a factor influencing the inverter for home price. The higher an inverter’s VA rating, the higher the inverter for home price, and vice versa.

High-quality and trustworthy manufacturers offers a wide variety of inverter for home prices based on your needs and budgets while delivering excellent engineering in their inverters.

3. The Battery of your Inverter

Any inverter backup system is ultimately powered by its battery. This is where power is stored for use in the event of an electricity cut. The quality, type, and capacity of your inverter battery — measured in Ampere Hours, Ah — will also determine the inverter for home prices.

benefits of solar inverter

Inverter batteries also come in many types, from flat and tubular inverter batteries to newer technologies such as lithium-ion battery-powered inverters. Inverter for home prices is directly impacted by the type of inverter battery you invest in, in addition to its capacity.

Conclusion

A number of factors and components impact inverter for home prices. The best thing you can do for your home is to invest in high quality — such as inverter systems manufactured by a trustworthy brand. This is, ultimately, the best way to get a great inverter for your home in the long run.

Recommended Reading: What is Solar Inverter?