Advantages of Renewable Energies and the ways to apply them at home

Let’s Use Energy Usefully

2018-1-IT02-KA229-048029
3° Exchange of Students in Hungary

29 April-3 May 2019

Advantages of Renewable Energies and the
ways to apply them at home

Sustainable Living in Italy

Sustainable living describes a lifestyle that attempts to reduce
individuals or society's use of the Earth's natural resources.

Its aim is to conduct lives in ways that are consistent with sustainability,
naturally balanced, and respectful of humanity's symbiotic relationship
with the Earth's natural ecology.

Our Impact

It is such a simple principle – and yet if it is extended to include all living beings (an
essential component of sustainability), it requires a complete shift in how we live
our lives because we do unto others all day long – through the clothes we buy, the
energy we use, the food we eat, even the toothpaste we brush our teeth with.
Every choice we make impacts others – through its creation, its distribution, its use
and its disposal. And most likely we'll never know – or even see – who and what we
are impacting. But they are out there, nonetheless, suffering – or thriving –
according to our daily choices.

Strategies to lead a sustainable life:

1. Eliminate single-use plastic
Slow to degrade, plastic pollution is having a catastrophic effect on your
land, oceans, wildlife, and indeed your own health too. Say no to that
plastic carrier bag and bring your own reusable grocery bag.

2. Save water
Make every day World Water Day and opt for shorter showers, place a
bucket in the shower to collect water while it heats up to temperature,
install a water-saving showerhead and/or a shower timer, use
cooking/bath/rainwater in your garden, turn off the tap while you brush
your teeth, wash your hair on alternate days.

3. Incorporate some meat-free meals into your diet
There’s no denying that the livestock industry is one of the
biggest culprits when it comes to climate change and habitat
degradation. Global meat production has tripled over the past
four decades and this large-scale need has serious implications
for the future of our fragile planet. It is estimated that 18% of
the overall global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by
animal agriculture, which is more than the combined exhaust
from all transportation on earth.

4. Reduce household energy use
Switch off any lights and appliances that you aren’t using,
invest in energy-efficient appliances and lighting options, hang
wet clothes to dry naturally, bundle up instead of jacking up
the heat, open the windows instead of putting the air-con on
full, opt for the cold water setting on your washing machine.

5. Recycle
Incorporate a recycling bin into your household to
recycle glass, plastic, metal and paper. Reduce,
refuse, reuse and recycle wherever possible!

6. Compost organic waste
Reduce your food and garden waste by adopting
a self-contained and easy-to-use organic compost
system. Leftover food, egg shells, coffee grind, tea
bags, spoiled milk, fruit/vegetable off-cuts, grass
cutting and plant pruning are used to harvest a
healthy, nutrient-rich soil for your household
plants and garden.

7. Opt for green transportation & innovative tech
solutions
Mix up your morning commute and join a carpool,
ride a bike, take public transport or even walk to
work if you can. If not, you can still make a
difference by using the stairs instead of the elevator.

8. Drink tap water
Here is some food (water) for thought … did you
know that the world produces approximately 50
billion bottles of water every year? It takes 17
million barrels of oil to produce this bottled water
and of the 50 billion bottles used, an estimated 80%
end up in landfills.

9. Use digital documents
Save paper used to print documents, emails or
copies of books. Use smartphones to view these
documents, opt for the digital signature to sign
them.

10. Reduce heating consumption and dress
smartly
Wear on a sweater—or two. Extra clothing will
keep you comfortable at a lower room
temperature

11. Buy local products
If all your food came from within 20km where you
live, you could save a lot of money every year and
reduce environmental impact. The fact that food can
be transported and stored more easily often means
that less plastic packaging is used to keep food fresh
and saleable. Less plastic packaging means less
waste getting into out seas and harming our wildlife.

12. Grow plants to make your home clean and
green
Something as natural as plants (nature’s own air
purifiers) can help you keeping your house clear of
air pollution

Computers and smartphones accompany you throughout the day, providing
information in real time almost on anything. Many people criticize this inordinate use
of technology, without considering that it is a precious ally of green life.
In fact, your smartphones are real mines of information and smart solutions regarding
the environment and the sustainable lifestyle.

In the App Store you can indeed find several

applications that allow you to:
• calculate the level of emissions produced. By

setting the consumption of your home, the

type of home appliances you use most often,

the app evaluates your environmental impact

by changing color.
• allow you to learn how to do the collection in

a very simple way, even through fun games.
• permit you to scan the barcodes of the

products and show the relevant information

on its sustainability.
• let you, through the use of the

accelerometer, calculate how much gas you

waste. Furthermore, by entering the car data

it also suggests what to do to emit less CO2.

In Italy

THE POLITICAL SCENARIO HAS A LOT TO DO WITH INDUSTRIAL REGULATIONS TO AVOID
POLLUTION AND TOXIC WASTE.
Italy could become a major force in sustainable
prosperity, but in order to fully achieve this goal, it must
work further on resolving its economic, environmental
and social problems, and continue to maintain its
strengths. To this aim, Italy is actually engaged in
integrating the 2030 “Sustainable Development Goals”
to the economic, social and environmental
programming.

AS WE SEE IN THIS IMAGE, ITALY HAS A
LONG WAY TO GO..

In Calabria Clean sea Clean
beach
Calabria, as a whole, marks a +4,40%
4.40% recycling compared to Recycling
other regions. This does not mean
that we have to keep the region Respect Clean
clean, helping it, each in its own the parks and
possibilities. The seas should be mountain
kept clean, as Calabria is a purely nature
tourist region in the Summer.
Plastics and waste should not be
thrown into the beaches or into the
sea. The parks and the various
mountain resorts should be
respected without further polluting
them.

In Soverato

In Soverato, every day there is a differentiate garbage
collection, this allows to recycle paper, metals, plastic and
bio waste, therefore avoiding further pollution.

Advantages of Renewable
Energies and the ways to apply
them at home in Bulgaria

Let’s Use Energy Usefully
№2018-1-IT02-KA229-048029_3

Renewable energy is the energy
obtained from sources that are
considered to be naturally recovering.

It is also called "green
energy", because it is
extremely important for
sustainable living.

Here are 6 Home Renewable Energy Options

Depending on the local climatic conditions, one or another type of
RES is the most appropriate. However, given the limited time of
power generation, the best solution is to combine several types of
RES so that the disadvantage of each one can be offset by the
benefits of another.

6 Home Renewable Energy Options

This is probably the most common and obvious method, if you're
looking into renewable power. Solar panels typically go on your roof,
although you can also install them in your yard.

1

6 Home Renewable Energy Options

Perhaps you're not ready to power your entire home with renewable
energy. That's a big project, and maybe it's just not feasible for all
sorts of reasons. You can still power a part of your home with
renewable energy by building a solar oven.

2

6 Home Renewable Energy Options

Wind turbines are most commonly found in wind farms but if you
have enough real estate you can install them on your property to
power your home.

3

6 Home Renewable Energy Options

You can use the steam of river to flow through a turbine and power
your home.

4

6 Home Renewable Energy Options

It might seem strange to use heat from the sun to cool your home, but
that's exactly what solar air conditioning does.

5

6 Home Renewable Energy Options

The Power wall is a large rechargeable battery that can store several
kilowatt-hours of electricity. On its own, it can be programmed to
charge itself from the grid when electricity prices are low, and
discharge when prices are high, to save you money during peak hours.

6

IN BULGARIA

Bulgaria has a consistent policy to promote the production and
consumption of energy from renewable energy sources. The Law on
Renewable Energy fully introduces the requirements of EU Directive
2009/28 and incentive mechanisms for all producers of electricity
from renewable energy sources

The generated electricity from renewable energy sources is mainly
from hydropower plants and wind generators.

Renewable energy sources are
growing. This is the data of the
Electricity System Operator for the
period from 1 January to 31 July
2017.
For this period, compared to the
same period of the previous year,
there is an increase of 9.91% for
the participation of RES in the
country's transmission network.
For the first seven months of 2017,
the use of this type of energy
increased from 680 697 to 748 138
megawatts.

We recycle IN VRATSA

The generated electricity from
renewable energy sources is mainly
from hydropower plants.

Understanding the importance
of ecological energy production

will avoid the ecological
disaster of planet Earth.

LET’S USE ENERGY USEFULLY

ADVANTAGES OF RENEWABLE ENERGIES AND THE
WAYS TO APPLY THEM AT HOME IN HUNGARY

WHAT IS RENEWABLE ENERGY?

Renewable energy describes a collection of energy technologies i.e. solar, wind,
geothermal derived from sources that are never-ending and can be replenished
time after time. Most countries across the world heavily depend on fossil
fuels (oil, coal and natural gas) as sources of energy to power their economies.

NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY

Fossil fuels are non-renewable forms of energy, meaning, they utilize limited
resources that will ultimately deplete, hence, driving up overall energy costs.
These very countries have responded to the threat by stepping up campaigns to
embrace renewable forms of energy like solar and wind.

ADVANTAGE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

The benefits of renewable energy sources are breathtaking, and while we may
not quite be in a position to fully switch over to renewable energy sources just
quite yet (requiring a balance of renewable energy and other sources for now),
it is imperative that we look ahead to the future.

ADVANTAGE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

1. Renewable energy won’t run out:

Renewable energy technologies use resources straight from the environment to
generate power. These energy sources include sunshine, wind, tides, and
biomass, to name some of the more popular options. Renewable resources won’t
run out, which cannot be said for many types of fossil fuels – as we use fossil
fuel resources, they will be increasingly difficult to obtain, likely driving up both
the cost and environmental impact of extraction.

ADVANTAGE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

2. Maintenance requirements are lower:

In most cases, renewable energy technologies require less overall maintenance
than generators that use traditional fuel sources. This is because generating
technology like solar panels and wind turbines either have few or no moving
parts and don’t rely on flammable, combustible fuel sources to operate. Fewer
maintenance requirements translate to more time and money saved.

ADVANTAGE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

3. Renewables save money:

Using renewable energy can help you save money long term. Not only will you
save on maintenance costs, but on operating costs as well. When you’re using a
technology that generates power from the sun, wind, steam, or natural
processes, you don’t have to pay to refuel. The amount of money you will save
using renewable energy can vary depending on a number of factors, including
the technology itself. In most cases, transitioning to renewable energy means
anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars in savings.

ADVANTAGE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

4. Renewable energy has numerous health and environmental benefits:

Renewable energy generation sources emit little to no greenhouse gases or
pollutants into the air. This means a smaller carbon footprint and an
overall positive impact on the natural environment. During the combustion
process, fossil fuels emit high amounts of greenhouse gases, which have
been proven to exacerbate the rise of global temperatures and frequency
of extreme weather events.

The use of fossil fuels not only emits greenhouse gases but other harmful
pollutants as well that lead to respiratory and cardiac health issues. With
renewable energy, you’re helping decrease the prevalence of these
pollutants and contributing to an overall healthier atmosphere.

ADVANTAGE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

5. Renewables lower reliance on foreign energy sources:

With renewable energy technologies, you can produce energy locally. The more
renewable energy you’re using for your power needs, the less you’ll rely on
imported energy.

Wind: This takes advantage of wind
motion to generate electricity. Wind
motion is brought about by the heat
from the sun, and rotation of the
earth, mainly via the Coriolis Effect.

Solar: taps heat from the sun to
produce energy for generation of
electricity, heating, lighting homes
and commercial buildings.

Hydropower: Utilizes moving water
to produce electricity. Moving water
creates high energy that can be
harnessed and turned into power.

Biomass: Together with snow and rain,
sunlight is essential for plant growth.
Organic matter that constitutes plants is
referred to as biomass, which can be
utilized to generate electricity,
chemicals or fuels to power vehicles.

• Ocean: Takes advantage of rising and falling of tides to generate

electricity

Geothermal: Leverages heat from
underneath the earth to generate
electricity.

THE WAYS TO APPLY THEM AT HOME:

This is probably the most common and obvious method, if you're looking into renewable power. Solar
panels typically go on your roof, although you can also install them in your yard. Depending on your
latitude and the orientation of the panels, you could generate 10 or more watts per square foot. A typical
house consumes at least a kilowatt of power, so a few square feet of solar panels should be enough to
power most or all of your needs.
If your current roof is nearing the end of its lifespan, you could also consider investing in solar shingles.
Where standard rooftop solar panels are mounted on top of your current roof, solar shingles actually take
the place of your roof tiles. Elon Musk's SolarCity recently announced a plan to start producing solar
shingles, and other companies like SunTegra have been making them for years.
Of course, one big weakness of solar power is that it only works when the sun is up. If you want to power
your home when the sun is down, you'll need to pay for grid electricity or invest in a second type of
renewable energy.

Wind turbines are most commonly found in windfarms or floating offshore, but if you have enough
real estate you can install a small wind turbine on your property to power your home.
There are a few downsides to a wind turbine that make them less popular in residential areas.
They can be ugly and make a lot of noise. They take up space, and depending on where you live,
local laws and zoning regulations may outright forbid it.
But if these disadvantages don't apply to you or don't bother you, wind power may be a great
asset. Wind power is more stable than solar, and a good-sized wind turbine can easily generate
most or all of your electricity needs. Depending on your area, wind might be a better renewable
investment than solar.

Perhaps you're not ready to power your entire home with renewable energy. That's a big
project, and maybe it's just not feasible for all sorts of reasons. You can still power a part of
your home with renewable energy by building a solar oven.
Solar ovens are typically a science fair project, but ovens actually use quite a bit of electricity.
Using the sun to passively heat your food is a good way to get started in the world of
renewable energy. Solar ovens work by trapping sunlight to heat food. You can buy a solar
oven or build your own out of a few common materials.
Solar ovens have several advantages, in that they heat your food for free, and they work even
during a power outage or emergency. You'll never have to have a cold meal due to a lack of
power.

Solar power doesn't just have to generate electricity. You can also use the power of
the sun to heat your home.
Solar water heaters use the sun to heat a reserve of water, which can then be
pumped through your radiators or out your faucets or showerheads. This system is
much cheaper than using gas or electricity to heat your water, and is easier to install
than solar panels. If you're not willing to completely commit to powering your entire
home with renewable energy, solar water heating can be a good alternative.
There are many different types of solar water heaters, each with their own
advantages and disadvantages, so be sure to select the type of system that works
best for you.

It might seem strange to use heat from the sun to cool your home, but that's exactly
what solar air conditioning does. Solar air conditioning uses the same principles of the
solar water heater, but uses that hot water in an air conditioning system.
Air conditioning uses more electricity than almost anything else in your home. Air
conditioning can cost you a substantial amount of money every year, especially if you
have central air and you live in a hot climate. Using hot water to cool your home can
save you money and help the environment.
As a bonus, the hot water produced for air conditioning can also be used for other
applications in your home. Depending on your setup, you can get the benefits of solar
water heating with bonus air conditioning as well.

Dominik Zsurki,
Anett Nagy,
Tibor Szalmási

Let’s Use Energy Usefully

2018-1-IT02-KA229-048029

AGRUPAMENTO DE ESCOLAS ABADE DE BAÇAL
BRAGANÇA - PORTUGAL

Each of our daily expenditures requires
the production of energy, which costs
money. Between water, electricity and
gas, energy costs at home can
accumulate quickly, however, there are
countless small tricks that, put into
practice, will help you save energy and
hence money.