Tag Archives: solar energy

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products

SAFETY BENEFITS OF SOLAR LIGHTS

With all the publicity out there,  most people are very conscious of efforts to help save our planets’  resources.    Many people are beginning to change their lifestyle in small and large ways.  There are recycle plants or drop-offs  in most cities and even towns in the country.   Finding ways to re-use products is becoming popular.  One of the more simple ways to help save our planets resources are solar lights and other solar products. 

Solar lights are using the suns’ energy by storing it in a solar panel.   At dark, after a days sunlight charge,  solar lights can last up to 8-10 hours.   The main cash outlay with solar lights and products is the cost of the item.  After that, the sun charges the solar lights – no plugs, wires or outlets. 

Outdoor Solar lights come in different shapes, sizes and for different uses.  They usually turn on automatically when dark, although some do have an on/off switch in case you do not want it to light up one night.  Solar powered lights are not dependent upon conventional electrical supply. This means that you can automatically light up any dark corner or stairway.   Line a walkway or pathway.  All this means a safer walk or stair climb for you, your family and guests.  

Solar lights come in different degrees of brightness.  Solar spot lights, for example, usually have a brighter LED for brighter light output.  Because it is a spot light you can aim the light directly where you want it to shine.  Do you have an out-building or a fence out in the back of your property?  You can easily find it and walk to it with more safety.  You can outline an entire fence line with solar cap lights. 

The ability to place these solar powered lights just about anywhere you wish makes them unique in the lighting world.   They provide added safety wherever you have them.  Knowing you are saving money and the earths’ resources at the same time makes them very practical, as well. 

Solar powered barricade lights, solar powered revolving and flashing lights, as well as several models designed for 24/7 operation are available in amber (caution) and red (stop) for drawing attention in low-visibility areas where dangerous conditions or obstructions exist. Waterproof, steady-on or flashing lights, also solar-powered, are available for marine or extremely wet applications.

Installing flood lights outside a home makes good sense because these kinds of lights improve visibility and they also increase security around your property. However, the high costs of conventional flood lights can put many people off – until they look for alternatives such as solar powered flood lights. Solar energy technologies over the recent past have provided many affordable lighting solutions and the solar powered flood lights in particular provide you with a great means of keeping your home safe and without going over your budget.

Just like any other solar lighting system, the solar powered flood lights too require sunlight in order to get their energy which is converted with the help of DC electric power and stored in batteries so as to provide power during the night. The main reasons for choosing solar powered flood lights are that they provide security and also safety which together and along with motion sensors make such lighting systems a more effective solution.

Typically, solar powered flood lights also make use of LED bulbs that are great for illumination while being energy conserving and which do not also waste any of the energy that they are supplied with. In fact, there are many useful functions that the solar powered flood lights can serve including lighting the backyards and boat docks as well as for your sheds and even for landscape.  The discerning homeowner too has become more aware about how solar energy can provide better lighting solutions than conventional lighting solutions. This means that they need to seriously consider using solar powered outdoor lighting solutions that provide numerous benefits. These lighting solutions include saving precious energy resources and being very easy to install. 

There’s no doubt the fact that solar powered flood lights are also very useful for lighting up business premises to secure the premises or to create a more beautiful landscape. Such flexibility means that you can use solar energy in many different places. 

An added  benefit of solar lighting: we recently received information that solar lights are much safer than oil lamps and candles when home power is out.  One family lost power for several nighttime hours during a thunderstorm.  The husband looked outside and noticed the solar lights shining brightly all around the outdoor area.  They walked outside and brought several of the solar lights inside and stuck them into plastic drink bottles, creating much needed light.    Another lady placed her solar lights in jars and bottles, which gave off lots of “free” light.  These lights will fit into most 2-liter bottles or 20-ounce water bottles, and can be weighted down by sand, marbles, gravel or whatever is available to keep them from tipping over.  Additionally, if you need an all-night light, place your solar light where needed, and then take it back outside so it can recharge and be ready again. 

Last, but not least, try some LED lights for your caps that help you be seen, as well as enhance your vision when you are walking or riding your bike.  These provide super safety!  Every home  needs a flashlight or two, as well.

Sources: Linkroll; Home & Garden Solar

 

General Safety Issues

GREEN JOBS ARE VERY IMPORTANT

With the state of the economy in the United States, it is very important that we search for and support those who are developing important strategies in creating clean and renewable energy.  By investing in clean energy, industries can create thousands of new “green” jobs.  It’s already taking place throughout the country.  By laying the foundation for young generations, the people who work in “green” jobs are forging a new way of life for all of us.  

Solar energy is a growing sector for green energy and green jobs.  Two viable solar energy sectors are solar electric and solar thermal or solar water heating.  By concentrating solar power, solar energy is converted into electricity using photovoltaics.  PV systems are the most common and use semi-conductors and sunlight to make electricity.  Solar water heating systems include direct and indirect (Glycol) systems and are determined mostly by climate. 

Worker’s health and safety hazards exist in installation, manufacture, and maintenance of solar energy.  Workers must understand how to protect themselves from the hazards involved, and employers must protect their workers from these hazards.  OSHA’s Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Standard (29 CFR 1910.269), covers the safe work practices and worker training requirements.  Although solar energy is a growing industry, the hazards are not unique.  Some of the hazards that workers in the solar industry may face are: 

  • Crane and Hoist Safety.  Cranes must be inspected and used properly.   
  • Electrical hazards;
  • Lockout/Tagout;
  • Falls;
  • Heat/Cold Stress.  Workers often work in hot weather where hazards include dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and death.  Workers should be monitored by the employer and trained to identify and report symptoms of any heat-related illness.  They may also be exposed to cold weather conditions and should be protected from such conditions. 

Wind energy is another important “green” job.  In our part of the country, these huge “windmills” are popping up everywhere!  These turbines generate electricity from wind, and are being installed all across the nation.  Wind energy workers face many of the same hazards as those in the solar power industry:

  • Confined spaces. If the employee is working in a space large enough to enter and perform assigned work, but is not designed for continuous occupancy by the employee, and has a limited or restricted means of entry or exit.
  • Falls;
  • Lockout/Tagout;
  • Crane and Hoist Safety;
  • Electrical
  • Heat/Cold Stress. 

Of course, the hazards and risks of any particular job require the use of personal protective equipment right for the job.  Those working in solar energy or wind energy fields may require using safety glasses, hard hats, head protection, gloves, respirators, or other PPE. 

“Green” jobs offer work to those who are already trained in specific occupations – such as welders, electricians, and construction workers.  Besides helping our country be more environmentally conscious, these jobs provide new careers with livable wages.  We must put our fellow Americans back to work.  Most of the hazards we have described are commonplace to many occupations.  Training and educating employees in these jobs is a very important part of our future.  Regardless of having a blue-collar job, white-collar job, or “green” job, risks exist, and it is the responsibility of the employer to fulfill its obligation to provide their workers with a safe environment. 

Source: OSHA