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If you’ve a taste for food items that are tangy, hot and spicy, it is fairly likely that you will enjoy the Mexican food effortlessly. Let us look at some of the well-known Mexican food recipes that can simply make you dig in for more.

Converse about `Mexican recipes and Lime Margarita is the 1st thing that comes to mind. It’s the great drink to kick begin the Mexican festivities. This 1 puts together high quality tequila along with lime and Triple sec. Put all the elements collectively and the delicate blend will serve as the outstanding cocktail. To include the ultimate touch, you could take into account garnishing this drink with a lemon wedge.

Mexican cuisine is well-known for saucy and spicy appetizers as well. Dishing Mexican appetizers isn’t as difficult as it might appear to be. Get together some tortillas, cheeses and meats, now add to this fried beans and cheese. Top it with spicy salsa sauce. You can clearly change the elements depending upon your tastes and likings.

The Mango Salsa is an additional cool Mexican recipe that you must try. This one is a brilliant twist to the age old recipe. It makes use of tomato and cilantro as the base together with pieces of mangoes. Add to this a brilliant blend of tomatoes, seasonings, onions and chilies. The tropical flavors mixed with a generous dose of spicy seasonings make this 1 a superb preference.

An additional brilliant cool Mexican recipe is the Guacamole. This 1 may not be a complete dish in itself but it serves as the best topping to many dishes. It is used as a dip and serves as the best chip topper. Guacamole makes use of avocado and is a chunky blend. In addition to avocado, it also makes use of lime juice and cilantro that offer it the superb flavor.

In case you desire to try out some authentic and standard Mexican gourmet, roasted salsa is the ideal option for you. This Mexican recipe may be effortlessly considered to be the hottest of all the Mexican foods owing to abundant use of chilies in it. This dish is prepared utilizing ingredients like chilies, onion and roasted tomatoes. Roasted salsa is one of the must have dish in all the Mexican fiestas. This dish is commonly used as an add-on to the main course dishes. The hazy flavor of roasted salsa makes it all the more flavorful. In case you still wish to augment the dash of spice in the dish, adding some jalapeno will solve your purpose.

Final however not the least; tequila twist is another must try Mexican drink. In fact no Mexican menu is complete without this drink. In case you are not willing to go in for the usual tequila, this 1 is the wonderful option for you. It’s really breezier and lighter form of normal tequila. In addition you can also go in for strawberries juice and orange juices. Merely add some tequila to these juices and you are all set to have fun with a fruity and breezy concoction. Garnish this cooler with a ripe strawberry to make it the best visual treat.

Dish up these fast recipes and you’re certain to offer a Mexican delight to your pals and family.

Here are a few more ways to know about Clearpores Skin Cleansing System and Dental Treatment.

When the debate is on regarding reliever for dogs, the type and amount depends on how to modify the intensity of pain, and whether or not it is acute or chronic discomfort. For any condition that it believes may be causing distress to his dog, take them on good drugs for pain relief is crucial. Agony which is often severe, since the results of an injury or some kind of shock. Prolonged agony is a constant agony after an injury has healed, and is ongoing. Often things such as rheumatoid arthritis or other persistent conditions.

pet pain is often recalled by the agency in dogs long after the pain has ended. This means that things that have caused pain in the past have the potential to cause pain worse the next time it happens the same. In trying to reduce the amount of pain that have been recalled, a painkiller for dogs can work better and give the dog a better quality of life in general and the success of pain.

When handling the discomfort is severe, the best action to take painkillers before the start of Malaysia has the opportunity to start. This will allow small quantities of drugs to relieve the discomfort of the stop, and often the pain reliever for dogs that do not have much time. It’s great for things where you know the agony, and after the operation, but did no better for acute stress. Regularly when pet pain occurs suddenly, it requires a greater amount of drugs for the hand of death.

Pain pets are very different options. A class of drugs commonly used to give the rescue dogs are anti-inflammatory. If you have some aspirin, it is recommended that ten milligrams per kilo of body weight every 12 hours. Ibuprofen is not recommended for use in dogs or moggie, because of the serious risk of stomach ulcers. If you have given is the past, do not worry, just change the pain relief products

Ketoprofen can be given to dogs, and the recommended dose is 1 mg / kg once daily. We recommend that you use only for at least five days at a time, but if more time is required, the dose should be halved. Although not allowed in the United States, tolfenamic acid, can be used to relieve pain in PET, but follows a strange mix program to follow. Doses are given for three days and not return for four days, and usually is 4 mg or less for the first few days.

Piroxicam is another NSAID but is shown to cause serious stomach ulcers, so it is often used to restrict certain types of cancer, and also seems to help inflammation of the bladder that comes from long-term cystitis, rather than use as an analgesic. Given the dose is 0.3 mg / kg every other day.

Tepoxalin given as 10 mg per day. Used to kill one and Cox 2 systems. It seems to work correctly, but are relatively new to the market. Since there are many different types of pain medication for dogs, your vet can say who is best to use in every situation of your dog along to talk about the risks and benefits of their use.

White leather sofas can add a touch of elegance and beauty to your living room. The most pure color in the world “white” looks ultra chic and sophisticated on sofas. It has an ethereal appeal and adds style to the room. Though it requires some maintenance, you will love its ability to turn heads. The maintenance wont hurt, for your sofa can be such an attention grabber, you are sure to receive compliments for its beauty. It looks beautiful and larger than life. Leather sofas have a sensual appeal and if you have not yet adorned your home with a white leather sofa, we suggest you buy one soon. But before you buy your new sofa, we suggest you consider a few factors.

*  The quality of leather is an important factor. Leather that has tiny pores will ensure that it does not get too hot during summers or too cold during winter.  So, look for one that has pores.

*  Cleaning methods – Cleaning a leather sofa is different from other sofas, since leather is a natural product. Do not use strong soaps or chemicals and sponges to clean stains. Instead, use a clean cloth to remove marks or stains. Never use water for cleaning the sofa, always use oil for removing stains. Moreover, this type of sofa is subject to discoloration, so it is advisable to use leather sprays to bring back the color and shine.

*  Conditioners – No, we are not talking about hair conditioners. We mean leather conditioners, which add luster to your dull leather sofa. There are conditioners and sprays available to bring back life to your sofa.  Don’t bother too much about maintenance, with a plethora of products available, you can get your hands on some of the best cleaning agents for your white leather sofa.

There are some more handy tips to keep your sofa clean; these are home remedies, which can save your sofa from stains and marks.

*  Use a moisturizer like petroleum jelly, aloe vera gel, butter or any such emollient cosmetic product for cleaning your sofa. You can also use your makeup remover for removing stains or yellowness from your white leather sofa.

*  Glycerin is another quick fix method of cleaning. If you don’t have the time or have run up on your other sofa care products then glycerin can be very handy.

*  Another product that can be found easily in the house is shaving cream. A shaving cream soothes the skin and softens hair; similarly, it softens the surface of sofa and makes for easy cleaning.

Whatever method of cleaning you choose, remember to do a patch test in an area that is less visible. Though you haven’t brought home a white leather sofa yet, we have given you information that will surely help you decide. Beauty comes with a price, so your white sofa will need your time and care. Rest assured, it will liven up the ambience of your house and will score high on the drool quotient.

White leather sofas can add a touch of elegance and beauty to your living room. The most pure color in the world “white” looks ultra chic and sophisticated on sofas. It has an ethereal appeal and adds style to the room. Though it requires some maintenance, you will love its ability to turn heads. The maintenance wont hurt, for your sofa can be such an attention grabber, you are sure to receive compliments for its beauty. It looks beautiful and larger than life. Leather sofas have a sensual appeal and if you have not yet adorned your home with a white leather sofa, we suggest you buy one soon. But before you buy your new sofa, we suggest you consider a few factors.

*  The quality of leather is an important factor. Leather that has tiny pores will ensure that it does not get too hot during summers or too cold during winter.  So, look for one that has pores.

*  Cleaning methods – Cleaning a leather sofa is different from other sofas, since leather is a natural product. Do not use strong soaps or chemicals and sponges to clean stains. Instead, use a clean cloth to remove marks or stains. Never use water for cleaning the sofa, always use oil for removing stains. Moreover, this type of sofa is subject to discoloration, so it is advisable to use leather sprays to bring back the color and shine.

*  Conditioners – No, we are not talking about hair conditioners. We mean leather conditioners, which add luster to your dull leather sofa. There are conditioners and sprays available to bring back life to your sofa.  Don’t bother too much about maintenance, with a plethora of products available, you can get your hands on some of the best cleaning agents for your white leather sofa.

There are some more handy tips to keep your sofa clean; these are home remedies, which can save your sofa from stains and marks.

*  Use a moisturizer like petroleum jelly, aloe vera gel, butter or any such emollient cosmetic product for cleaning your sofa. You can also use your makeup remover for removing stains or yellowness from your white leather sofa.

*  Glycerin is another quick fix method of cleaning. If you don’t have the time or have run up on your other sofa care products then glycerin can be very handy.

*  Another product that can be found easily in the house is shaving cream. A shaving cream soothes the skin and softens hair; similarly, it softens the surface of sofa and makes for easy cleaning.

Whatever method of cleaning you choose, remember to do a patch test in an area that is less visible. Though you haven’t brought home a white leather sofa yet, we have given you information that will surely help you decide. Beauty comes with a price, so your white sofa will need your time and care. Rest assured, it will liven up the ambience of your house and will score high on the drool quotient.

The image of a Paris apartment brings the thought of intrigue, romance, and European beauty to mind. Rooms have high ceilings with grand architectural details. A small balcony with a wrought iron railing overlooks a quaint street or the River Seine. Windows are tall. Pedestrians bustle on the streets below.

Paris apartment decorating style ranges through many decorating periods, including baroque, rococo, and neoclassical. Contemporary Parisian apartments incorporate art deco, Mediterranean, old world, and cabaret influences.

Rich jewel colors like emerald green, crimson, and royal blues are accented with black, white, and gold.

Burnished gilt touches accent architectural details and carving on furniture.

Furniture and accessories have time-worn elegance and a vintage look. Chairs, tables, and armoires painted in black or cream bear golden accents. They blend beautifully with dark, carved wood. Rich, shimmering silks and luxurious brocades and velvets enhance upscale interiors.

To finish out a Paris style interior, accessories and motifs include vintage posters of French nightspots, French signs, large train station clocks, black wrought iron tables and shelving, and any scenes of France, Paris, or the Eiffel Tower.

If you’re trying to bring the Paris apartment decorating style to your home, try to incorporate some of these elements in your space:

* Black is the accent color and a unifying element in Paris rooms. Bring black into your home without making things look dark. Find painted wood furniture, picture frames, fabrics, lampshades and accessories in black or with black trim.

* To really bring Paris to your room, use large posters of French landmarks, nightspots, and Parisian buildings. If you can find paintings, etchings, old black and white postcards, or sepia-toned photos of anything French, all the better.
* Large clocks are often a focal point in a Paris room. Find a reproduction clock with lettering in French or that shows a French scene. The older it looks, the better! It doesn’t have to work. It just has to look great!
* Toile, roosters, fleurs de lis, chateaux, pastoral scenes, views of the Eiffel Tower, Monet impressionist paintings, and pictures of riverboats on the Seine are popular decorating motifs that are easy to find.
* Don’t try to match the elements in your room. Furniture and accessories should look old and used, but not shabby.
* For light fixtures, select wall sconces with black silk shades, crystal chandeliers, and fringed lampshades on table lamps. A gold foil lining on a black lampshade will help to reflect a romantic glow. Add your own beads, fringe, and cording to simple lampshades if you can’t find any already embellished.
* Round tables should have layers of skirts. Add a plush cushion to an intricately twisted iron benches. Nothing says Paris more than a little bistro table and chairs. Use a large ottoman covered in rich fabric in place of a coffee table.
* Velvet, damask, brocade, lustrous silks, and traditional toiles are found in Paris style rooms. Toile is often paired with coordinating color checked fabrics in both large and small scales. Add a luxurious old-world look with tassels, cording, fringes, and other details. Textured linen, weathered leather, paisley designs, and bold stripes can be used.
* Furniture should be upholstered with beautiful fabrics, dressmaker details, and have carved legs. Cushions of down provide the slightly rumpled look of comfort and elegance.
* Wood furniture pieces of carved, dark tones or stains are often tinged with touches of gilt. Black and ivory paint, distressed and crackled, give wood pieces an aged look. There’s no such thing as matching furniture. Pieces should look as though they were found through a lifetime.
* Every Paris style bedroom has a decadent vanity table. Add a luxurious look to a simple table by dressing it with silk, mirrors, and voluminous ruffles. Dress it with vintage accessories, frames, and perfume bottles.
* Use large vintage mirrors, architectural elements (columns, corbels), garden statuary, black wireware, clocks, hat boxes, luxurious silk pillows, soft throws, vintage candelabra, flowers, plants, china, and delicate porcelain figurines to accessorize a Paris style room. Find dramatic hats or vintage linens at swap meets and antique shops.

* Depending on the style of the room and its use, windows can have elaborate, flowing drapery panels topped with swagged valances, ruffles, tassels, silk cording, or bouillon fringes. A simpler room could use linen or toile panels over shutters or wooden blinds.
* Hardwood flooring is stained dark and covered with old Oriental carpets. They add a grounding pattern, color, and age.

Paris apartment interiors appeal to our sense of glamour and European style. By using some of the elements here, you can bring the look to your own home.

You might like a contemporary style of decorating if you like to keep current with styles, enjoy things that are modern, of today, right now.

While it’s been thought that modern interiors are cold and minimalist, today’s contemporary interiors are comfortable and welcoming without being cluttered and dark. It’s a style that is equally appropriate for offices and stores, lofts and homes.

A contemporary style home can be a quiet and comfortable retreat. To achieve the look of a contemporary home, it’s important to stick to some basic rules.

Fundamentally, simplicity, subtle sophistication, texture and clean lines help to define contemporary style decorating. Interiors showcase space rather than things. By focusing on color, space, and shape, contemporary interiors are sleek and fresh.

Learn about some more of the characteristics and elements of a contemporary style of decorating and how you might bring the look into each room of your home.

* Color
Neutrals, black, and white are the main colors in contemporary style interiors. The palette is often punched up and accented with bright and bold color. Black is often used to ground and define a contemporary style room. With walls painted in a basic neutral, you have a wonderful backdrop for bold colored accessories. If the walls and windows are painted in pastels, the trims should be neutral. If a wall is a bright, bold color, neutrals should be used everywhere else.

* Line and Space
The most obvious and distinctive element of a contemporary style interior design is line. It’s found in architectural details, use of bold color blocks, high ceilings, bare windows, and geometric shapes in wall art and sculpture. The bare space, on walls, between pieces of furniture, and above in upper areas, becomes as important as the areas filled with objects. In contemporary interiors, less is more. Each piece stands out as individual and unique.

Take advantage of structural elements. Air ducts may hang from a ceiling, broken bricks provide texture and stability, and exposed plumbing pipes are perfectly acceptable in a contemporary style interior. To draw the eye, paint these structural details in bold contrasting colors, or to diminish their importance, blend them with the walls.

* Contemporary Style Furniture
Smooth, clean, geometric shapes are essential for contemporary style furniture pieces. Upholstered furniture often wears black, white, or other neutral tones in textured natural fibers. Cover it in a neutral, black, or bold fabric. Fabrics often have a natural look found in wool, cotton, linen, silk, jute, and add textural appeal.

Furniture pieces should be simple and uncluttered, without curves or decoration. Sofas, chairs, and ottomans have exposed legs. Beds and chairs usually have no skirt, trim, fringe, or tassels.

Pillows add a shot of color and texture in clean geometric shapes.

Keep in Mind

* Use furniture and accessories to make a bold statement in contemporary style interior. Use a basic background and shout out with your favorite color on a piece that will stand out.

* Less is more! In a contemporary style interior, don’t use ruffles, excessive carved details, fringe, or floral prints. Abolish cute and small. Go basic, bare, bold, and structural.

* Floors in a contemporary style home should be bare and smooth in wood, tile, or vinyl. If you must use carpet for sound control or warmth, choose commercial grades. Add color and texture with plain or geometric-patterned area rugs.

Contemporary style decorating has distinct characteristics and elements that are evident. Read below for ways to incorporate some of those contemporary design elements into your interior space.

* Generous use of metal, stone, and opaque or clear glass works well in a room decorated in a contemporary style. To soften and warm up the space, add heavily textured fabrics in plain colors for window treatments, pillows, or rugs.

* Colorful, fussy prints should be avoided, since they confuse a plain space that is key to a contemporary style home. Two-tone prints work well. Think about a zebra print pillow on a black leather chair, a large leopard-print pillow thrown on a plain floor, or bold, heavily textured striped rug to anchor solid colored, sleek furniture.

* Individual pieces are very important in a contemporary style interior and lighting fixtures should be selected to focus on specific pieces. Each light fixture could be a work of art itself with sculptural details and clean lines. Add color and metallic elements on the light fixtures.

* In a contemporary style room, use spotlights or can lighting directed at a painting, poster, or print. These will help to draw the eye to the pieces you want to focus on.

* Track lighting and recessed lighting help to wash a wall in light. In home renovations or new construction, consider installing cove lighting or indirect light.

* Contemporary style sculptures or art on a stand can be placed at eye level by using a structural column or pedestal. Again, be sure the piece is well-lighted.

* Don’t clutter the contemporary style rooms with collections or too many pieces. Open space is just as, if not more, important as the pieces you put in the space.

* Plants and flowers should be large and dramatic in simple containers placed in contemporary rooms. Large blooms with interesting leaves work better than small arrangements. If space allows, place upward focusing lights around a large plant on the floor. Keep the arrangements neat with rocks or bark chips arranged over the dirt.

* Frames in high-gloss or matte black, natural wood, or metal finishes are great for artwork. If you must put several pieces together, hang them close together so they give the feeling of one large piece instead of many small pieces.

* In a contemporary style dining room, keep dinnerware contemporary, too. There are a number of geometric shapes, bold colors, and interesting styles available. Bring in texture with silverware, napkins, placemats and centerpieces.

Do you long for a casual style room that is homey, warm, comfortable, and inviting? Who doesn’t want to be comfortable in their own home? If you want to put together a casual style room, learn the basic elements that combine to create a truly casual room.

For starters, casual rooms have simple details, textured elements in fabrics and accessories, restful horizontal lines, soft upholstery, low-luster surfaces, and arrangements that avoid perfect symmetry.

Details are simple, and elements are rectangular or softly curved.

A room decorated in a casual style is the perfect place to have a touch of whimsey. Use an old or reconstructed birdhouse or wooden candlestick for a lamp base, stack pieces of old luggage for a side table, use a low vintage ironing board for a coffee table.

Casual decorating is easily incorporated into rustic, French Country, cottage, Shabby Chic, or American Country decorating styles.

With people enjoying more relaxed lifestyles, many homes today are totally decorated using the elements of casual decorating. But any home can incorporate the elements into a guest room, country kitchen, guest room, or bath. The elements of a casual style of decorating can sneak into most any room and make it feel comfortable.

The elements of a casual style of decorating are discussed below. Use any or all of these tips to bring the casual decorating style to your rooms.

* Furniture in a casual interior is soft and comfortable. Upholstered pieces are usually oversized and slipcovered.

* Many pieces of upholstered furniture are covered in neutral colors, such as tan, gray, beige, or off-white. But other colors are used, too. Soft pastels give a peaceful feeling. Or try darker tones such as navy, rust, olive or forest green, wine, and cranberry for punch.

* Fabrics on furniture and pillows are usually textured, rather than shiny. Interesting weaves of natural fibers like cotton, linen, wool are typical. New synthetic weaves give a natural look and add durability.

* For special accents on upholstered pieces, add ruffles, pleats, buttons, ribbon, or cording. Contrasting colored details incorporate the full range of colors in the room.

* To achieve a casual look, pieces are often long, large, and horizontal, rather than vertical and tall and petite. Tables are chunky and of a large scale, which gives a comfortable feeling, while providing space for storage and spreading out. This helps to create a restful look.

* A room decorated in a casual style is the perfect place for found items of wicker, iron, and rattan, or flea market finds. Old antiques fit in well.

# A room decorated in a causal style often has furniture arranged on the diagonal, cutting off sharp corners. Matched pieces are not required, as the focus is on easy.

# An ottoman is essential for comfort. Add a large wooden or rattan tray to convert it to a coffee table.

# Light woods are often used for furniture pieces and wood flooring. Oak and pine are the most popular, either painted or finished with a flat, low luster varnish to protect the grain.

# Hammered iron, antiqued brass, wrought iron, porcelain, or carved wood are used for the hardware on doors and drawers.

# Collections of treasured or found items are often arranged to add the casual look. The shelf of a bookcase or corner tabletop is the perfect place for an arrangement of treasures.

# Bedrooms in a casual style home must have a mountain of pillows and a comfortable quilt.

# Windowcoverings in a casual room usually start with shutters, blinds or shades for privacy and light control. They’re enhanced with simple valances of fabrics, often layered over non-traditional drapery hardware. Add a touch of whimsy here using a tree branch or old iron pipe for a curtain rod. Drapery panels often hang at the sides, or use long iron nails or notched tree branches for tie-backs.

# Details on window treatments are simple. Contrast lining fabric peeking out from the sides, cording or wide contrast banding, or tab tops with buttons or ribbon details dress up the window–but not too much! Add a simple swag of fabric or fabric tie-backs if you must.

# Floors in a casual style room are hardwood, tile, stone, or stained concrete. If carpet is used, it should not be too plush. Rather chose sisal, berber, or long, shaggy styles or subtle geometric woven patterns.

# Rooms decorated in a casual style have light fixtures made of wrought iron, tin, pewter, or wood. Simple chandeliers look old in wrought iron or antiqued metals. Or electrify a hanging pan rack or hang a rack of antlers. Add small fabric-covered lampshades on the small candle lights. Or select a chandelier that burns real candles for a really warm, homey feeling.

# Almost anything you have around the house becomes a decorative accessory in a room decorated in a casual style. Gather pillows, books, boxes, candlesticks, bird houses, and flowers and put them everywhere. Easy-to-keep plants or silk plants add color and texture and candles give a warm, welcoming glow and fragrance.

# Artwork of country, casual themes is simply framed using wooden frames, either painted or stained.

# The dining table of a room decorated in a casual style would be set with rugged stoneware, textured woven or fabric placemats, coordinated napkins, heavy glasses, stainless flatware, wooden bowls, and accessories of iron or pewter. The colors of the table should enhance the theme of the room, using either bold floral patterns, plain pieces, or soft, comfortable pastels.

Keep in mind that a room decorated in a causal style should be:

* comfortable, homey, welcoming, and sturdy.
* Fabrics should be soft and textured.
* Furniture is long, overstuffed, and low.
* Surfaces worn and rugged.
* Accessories are old and rustic.
* A touch of whimsey is in order.

Use a casual style wherever you want to create a warm, inviting atmosphere.

So you are interested in installing some solar panels to try and help out with your ever increasing fuel bills. This may be to a shed, garage or outhouse that is too far away from your main building to effectively have an extension laid out or maybe you just wish to try out solar power on a small scale first before perhaps moving onto a large scale project.

Ok, first lets start with a very basic solar power system. You buy a 20 Watt solar panel, an 8 amp charge controller, a 75 amp/h leisure battery and a few low wattage lights (2 x 16 watt flourescent) just to ensure your workshop has enough light for those late nights. At present prices (Summer 2008) this will set you back approx $350 or 200GBP or 300Euro.

But what does this all mean…
Lets start easy, your 12V 75amp/h battery will supply (12 x 75)watts = 900 watts of energy according to the basic electric law (Volts X Current = Power), BUT this is not necessarily the case. Losses are introduced that will remove around 20% of this figure, so your 75amp/h battery will supply 720 Watts before losing all of its energy.
It is best to think of the battery as a water tank, with the solar panel as the flow coming in, and your lights as the flow leaving the tank.

You start with 720 Watts in your “tank”, if you have no solar panel or way of topping up you will find that your 2 x 16 watt lights will empty your battery in about 20 hours of use. By using a way of refilling your tank (your solar panel) the practical hours of use of your lights will be increased.

Lets say that each day you have 4 hours of “useful” sunlight a day, with a 20Watt solar panel this will mean that you will refill your “tank” by 80 watts a day. If you use your two lights for 3 hours a day this will mean a defecit into your battery of 12 Watts a day, so a few weeks down the line you will find your lights will no longer work as your tank (battery) has been drained completely. Never a good thing to have in front of you.

The simple way around this is to either use your lights less, difficult to do when you need them to see, or to add another solar panel. An extra panel of 20 Watts would supply you with enough extra energy to supply your lighting needs and also allow you to use extra electrical sytems on occasions as needed.

Always remember that a fully charged battery off load (i.e. nothing attached to it) will be at a voltage of 12.79V and above, a battery at a voltage of 12v is effectively worthless and unless it is a gel or discharge resistant type of battery you might as well discard it and buy a new one as it is unlikely you will be able to charge it effectively.

It is useful to remember that although your solar panels may be out in sunlight from 6am to 10pm there is only 5 or 6 hours of “useful” sunlight within these hours. A simple way to see how this happens is to connect your voltmeter to your solar panel and take readings from dawn to dusk, you will find readings from 8v to 15 volts and back down to 8v during these hours. Your battery will only be charged when the output from your panel is 13.2v and above.

This is where your charge controller comes in. This vital piece of equipment will stop your battery from being overcharged and also will stop your solar panel from discharging the battery when the power form the sun is not enough to charge your “tank”

This is just a simple overview of the electrical basics and there are so much more considerations to consider before you embark on a major solar power sytem

The urban sprawl of cities cover only 0.4% of the world’s surface, yet they generate the majority of the carbon emissions responsible for global warming (State of the World 2007, Worldwatch Institute, January 2007). As more and more of the global population migrate from rural areas into burgeoning cities of concrete and bitumen, the issue of green spaces become ever more critical. The urban roofscape of growing cities that displaces the natural environment is a hellish place hot bituminous surfaces, extreme temperature contrasts, high winds and an antipathy to water. Some cities have turned to innovative approaches, transforming city rooftops into living gardens in the sky.

Sod houses on the American prairie commonly had living roofs, as did the log houses of Northern Europe. But it has only been recently that the trend has caught on in the modern cities. On commercial buildings, a green roof is typically made up of four layers a layer of water proof membrane, followed by storage cups to store excess water, a growing medium of soil composite and vegetation. With new and improved technology, the membranes spread across rooftops can now capture water for irrigation, allow drainage, support growing plants, and resist invasion of roots into building structure. In some cities such as Germany, Switzerland and Austria, living roofs are required by law if roofs are of a suitable pitch. In other places, architects and builders are given fee reductions to encourage the use of green roofs.

The Benefits of Green Roofs

These roofs mitigate environmental extremes that are the norm on conventional roofs. In many cases they are self sustaining, capturing water from rains and reducing storm water runoff. When rain falls on normal roofs, it runs off the city in floods into storm drains, unabsorbed and undeterred. A living roof absorbs the water, filters it, slows it down and stores some of it for later use. This reduces the risk of sewer overflows during flash floods and returns cleaner water to the surrounding watershed.

Although the cost of installing a green roof can be two to three times that of a normal one, it is likely to be cheaper in the long run due to energy savings. A living roof acts as insulation against the hot rays of sun beating on a normal rooftop. Cities tend to be warmer than the surrounding areas due to the high concentration of glass and concrete. The soil mixture and vegetation atop a green roof reduces heating and cooling costs of the building it grows on by as much as 20 percent. (Green Roofs, Verlyn Klinkenborg, National Geographic Magazine, May 2009).

The beauty of these green roofs improves the urban landscape. It provides a sanctuary for animals and plants in concrete cities. In New York City, the High Line, once an abandoned railway line used for delivering cattle, has been completely transformed. More than 100 species of plants, many of them native, line the first phase of the promenade, now open to the public. A rusting, dilapidated eyesore is now a haven of wilderness, 30 feet above the streets of Manhattan (After Years of Advocacy, Newly Renovated High Line Opens, Robin Pogrebin, New York Times, June 2009).Other unconventional spaces are being utilized, anything from canal banks in London to bus shelters in downtown San Francisco to sheds in Oregon.

As the global food crisis escalates and more farmland is given over to bio fuel crops, green roofs can offer an alternative source of food. In Vancouver, the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel grows fruits, vegetables, herbs and honey worth about $16,000 annually to be used in the kitchens. On the other side of the world, rice grown atop a sake company’s head office in Tokyo is used to brew the popular drink (Green Roofs). The 2012 Olympics held in London could see athletes being fed off harvests of potatoes and brussels sprouts from local rooftops, which are thought to comprise an area 24 times that of Richmond Park, a 1,000 hectare Royal Park to the west of London. (London rooftops could be turned into allotments, Chris Irvine, The Telegraph, November 2008).

234182_m Learn more about this author, Peggy Tee.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), green building is “the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction.”(1)

The EPA goes on to list the seven primary components of green building including energy efficiency and renewable energy; water efficiency; environmentally friendly building materials and specifications; waste reduction; toxics reduction; indoor air quality; and smart growth and sustainable development.

But exactly what makes a building “green?”

The EPA describes a green building as “a structure that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout its life-cycle…Green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by efficiently using energy, water, and other resources; protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity; [and] reducing waste, pollution and environment degradation. For example, green buildings may incorporate sustainable materials in their construction (e.g., reused, recycled-content, or made from renewable resources); create healthy indoor environments with minimal pollutants (e.g., reduced product emissions); and/or feature landscaping that reduces water usage (e.g., by using native plants that survive without extra watering).”(2)

Green building doesn’t start when the hammer hits the first nail. It begins with a comprehensive building plan that takes into account not simply energy reduction, but environmental sustainability and water use as well. For example, approximately four tons of waste are typically thrown into a landfill during the construction of a 2,000 square foot home. That’s substantial when one considers the millions of homes built in the great housing boom during the past decade. A good green building plan accounts for this and diverts the waste away from the landfill, opting to recycle it instead. Another example is the use of recycled materials in the home.

In point of fact, the true definition of green building lies in its holistic approach to construction projects that include environmental as well as energy and water conservation. It’s about the entire construction process from inception to completion and beyond.

Though many builders today are beginning to market their new construction projects as “green,” it isn’t just about tossing in a few Low-E windows here and 14-SEER air conditioning units there. It’s about sustainable site design; stormwater management; and the use of recycled materials in the construction process. It’s about total net carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere and overall consumption of fossil fuels during any given project. It’s about diverting construction waste products away from landfills, and using low-VOC materials including paint and carpeting. It’s about reducing interior and exterior water consumption and innovating new ways of conserving energy.

And more poignantly, it’s about reaping a high return on investment in the form of lower utility costs and increasing sales. Learn more about green homes @ www.greenhomeguide.org.

Source Notes:
1) http://www.epa.gov/greenbuildi ng/pubs/about.htm
2) http://www.epa.gov/greenbuildi ng/pubs/faqs.htm

250508_m Learn more about this author, Daniel J. Gansle.