Posts Tagged ‘global warming’
The Significance Of Renewable Energy
September 7, 2010
Renewable Energy is an energy created from easily rejuvenated resources like the sunlight, blowing wind, rain water, biological along with geothermal power methods. In comparison to fossil fuels and coals, these types of natural resources are often referred to as clean kinds of power because they don’t produce destructive wastes and harming agents into the atmosphere and therefore have a really marginal environmental effect during the actual process of production which in turn is really a good element in the preservation of our ecosystem.
It truly is undeniable nevertheless that committing in renewable power does not come cheap but if we’re to take into consideration what the costs of continuing the application of coals as well as standard fuels will do to the natural world, I think you’ll find it sensible enough. Just take into account the damages brought about by the negative impacts of climatic change, to sum it all, it may worth more if not equal to the amount necessary for the facilities needed in the development of renewable energy. And as there are no longer dangerous emissions therefore it is non-polluting, thus; an even more healthy community is likely attainable.
The benefits of employing renewable energy is not restricted to being replaceable, it also includes the development of jobs through the various projects started by a number of companies and agencies promoting the application of this particular energy source. Through the use of this kind of energy a nation’s dependency from oil-producing countries will minimize. Rather than spending money for importing energy why don’t we expend in the maintenance and acquisition of a lot more tools for the production of alternative energy? It makes more sense to invest to something which both current and the future generation will benefit. We cannot deplete the restrained assets that we have got mainly because if perhaps we do what else could we give to our children sometime soon.
Let us not think about how tough it will likely be to achieve a green earth today but how more challenging it can be to regenerate a world from exploitation. It requires an incredible number of decades before the planet can replenish new sources for the planet to use up and that we may just hope that they’re developed even before we burn up the already constrained stocks.
Shifting from the regular resources of power to the replenishable resources is not really an easy move. It could considerably affect not just the market yet also the utilization of every house (non commercial or commercial) even so we should at all times look at the environmental feature as well as the social needs if we are to choose which energy source we should maintain and use.
Renewable Energy is exactly what we really need to sustain and preserve the decreasing sources of power like coals and non-renewable fuels. Help save the world today, invest in Renewable Energy!
Renewable Energy Solution of the Month – Wind
September 3, 2010
To help support Climate Denial Crock of the Week
Go to
http://climatecrocks.com/
If you can’t view the video because of copyright issues in Europe, go here
http://www.greenmanstudio.com/crocks.html
That there is power in the wind is not a new discovery, man has been using it for thousands of years.
What most people don’t realize is how much experimentation has been going on in this century.
There is no shortage of energy…
20% wind by 2030
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/wind_2030.html
Shifting to Renewable by 2030
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/october19/jacobson-energy-study-102009.html
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-path-to-sustainable-energy-by-2030
China takes lead in Wind Development
Oil spill animation
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/05/animation_gulf_of_mexico_oil_s.html
Wind History part1
Wind History part 2
National Academy – Bird and Environmental impacts
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11935&page=72Pumped storage plants in the US
http://www.industcards.com/ps-usa.htm
Wind lowers electricity prices in Europe
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aGDZMpv5Y9Vo&pos=13#
reuters _ “Loss of Wind” event
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2749522920080228
Why the Texas event raises no concern about wind
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1701
ERCOT study of “loss of wind” event
http://interchange.puc.state.tx.us/WebApp/Interchange/Documents/27706_114_577769.PDF
Denmark: Best for Doing Business_2 years in a row
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/6/bizcountries09-best-countries-for-business_Denmark_CHI001.html
New York Times – a Sea of Untapped Energy
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/nyregion/02about.html
Nordpool implements negative price
http://www.nordpoolspot.com/Market_Information/Exchange-information/No162009-Nord-Pool-Spot-implements-negative-price-floor-in-Elspot-from-October-2009-/
Denmark: Happiest people in the world
http://www.visitdenmark.com/usa/en-us/menu/turist/nyheder/nyheder/danes-happiest-people-in-the-world.htm
Duration : 0:9:57
Make Your Own Solar Power And Slash $1000′s Off Your Power Bill
August 23, 2010
A solar power system has a lot of benefits to offer. As a matter of fact, one of its major benefits relates directly to cutting down the cost of your monthly electric bill instantly. It is no wonder then, why more and more people are now deciding to implement their own DIY solar power systems. You can make your own homemade solar power system, comprised of a homemade solar cell and / or homemade wind power solutions by yourself without the help of an expert. You just have to be aware of the steps you need to take on how you can build a homemade solar power system without much hassle at all.
The following are the essential steps to successfully build your own homemade solar power system or solar panel:
1. Purchase a DIY solar panel kit guide. This is the very first thing which you should do to acquire the basic knowledge on how the average person can build a homemade solar power system easily. You can find lots of DIY solar panel kit guides either on the market or on the worldwide web. You just have to make sure you purchase one of the better guides as there are some, let’s say, less than impressive guides out there.
2. Once you have purchased your DIY solar panel kit guide, you need to assemble all the materials, tools, and equipment needed for the project as outlined in the guide. All of the materials and tools required for the job (you will probably have most of the tools already i.e. tin cutters, tape measure etc) are available from your local hardware store.
3. Read and follow the instructions contained in your guide (usually via handbook and / or video) carefully. The instructions on how to build your own homemade solar power are easy and straightforward to follow (provided you have purchased one of the better guides).
Making your own homemade solar power system is a fairly simple process. Once built and implemented you will quickly reap the benefits of having your own DIY system, the main one being the money you can slash of your power bills. Over time you will soon be saving 1000′s of dollars, dollars that in this economic climate could be better spent elsewhere.
So what are you waiting for!, get started on your own homemade solar power system today, check out the following link for a review of the better guides available on the net DIY Solar Power kits reviewed. This article was brought to you by poly tanks
Alternative Energy Source
August 10, 2010
Global warming is one of the “hottest” issues nowadays. The current climate change is the worst yet to happen. Global warming is an overall increase in world temperature which is attributed to the increasing number of greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere. Searching an alternative energy source is considered a way of reducing the toxic emissions.
Greenhouse gases can be produced both by natural and industrial processes. The most abundant greenhouse gases on earth’s atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and CFCs.
There are several sources of greenhouse gases. Burning of fossil fuels and deforestation lead to higher concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Without the trees and plants to take in the carbon dioxide emitted by burning fossil fuels, natural gas and petroleum products, all of the CO2 emitted stays in the atmosphere.
Also the use of CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons in refrigeration systems and in fire suppression systems and other manufacturing processes also increase the greenhouse content of our atmosphere. While the use of non-organic fertilizers in agriculture also lead to higher nitrous oxide concentrations, another greenhouse gas.
In the United States, greenhouse gas emissions mainly come from the use of fossil fuels as energy source. Approximately 82 percent of the greenhouse gas emission in the United States in 2006 came from the combustion of coal, natural gas and petroleum (United States Energy Information Administration). Meanwhile in Asia, Chine is expected to increase its emission of greenhouse gas because of the construction of old-fashioned power plants in its internal provinces. Currently, the carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere are the highest in 150,000 years. The 1990s was most likely the warmest decade in history, while 1998 was the warmest year (Greenpeace).
Not controlling the greenhouse gas being emitted by human activity can increase climate change the next hundred years that will be much faster than anything known and recorded in history. There are necessary steps to be undertaken to control the toxic emission that will soon be killing us.
To minimize the consumption of oil, petroleum and other fossil fuel, we should use energy efficiently. Energy that we use should be generated from renewable energy source, which would mean harnessing the natural energy from the sun, winds, crops, tides and waves.
Green energy is another term used to describe sources of energy that are considered to be environmentally friendly, which is also similar to the renewable sources of energy.
There are numerous ways of generating electricity and energy from renewable and natural sources that generate clean and safe energy. Wind, sun, and heat can generate electricity for less price and less carbon emission than those of coal and even gas.
Shifting the world’s attention to alternative fuel source other than relying on fossil fuel is among the solutions in resolving the drastic climate change. Greenpeace cited that with renewable energy and using it smartly, can deliver half of the world’s energy needs by 2050. Greenpeace also cited that it is feasible to reduce carbon dioxide emission to almost 50 percent within the next 43 years.
Governments are taking steps to use and tap alternative energy sources as main source of energy. The European Union leaders made an agreement in March 2007 to ensure that 20 percent of their nation’s energy should come from renewable fuels by 2020. This is part of their effort to cut carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gas. There are even governments offering incentives to their residents who are using green energy.
Alternative energy source may not be the only way to reduce the greenhouse emission that human activity produce. There are simple ways in which we can do to contribute in reducing toxic gas emission and mitigate global warming.
Conservation of our natural resources is also important to slow the trend of global warming. Saving your rainwater runoff can save on your water bill. Save your water and buy a tank at Rainwater Tanks Adelaide or Victoria Water Tanks
DIY Solar Power – Solar Power Kits Reviewed
August 8, 2010
With the rising cost of power in this current economic crisis and the environmental toll it takes on the earth people are starting to look at home made energy as a real alternative. It makes sense to turn to a more natural, cheaper sustainable source to fulfill our energy needs. What could be more natural than harvesting the energy given of by the sun?.
Residential solar power has been with us for decades now, but the price of installation (often driving up into the thousands of dollars) has been prohibitive for the average householder to consider homemade solar energy as a viable source of energy.
Just recently a few companies have started to put out guides on how to put together DIY solar power kits. These guides, available for around 50 or 60 dollars, lead the user step by step through the process of assembling your own solar panels and solar power system for under $200 in materials.
The guides which are extremely easy to follow have the potential to save you thousands of dollars in installation fees, while reaping the benefits of slashing your power bill by around 40 – 80%!.
Now don’t panic if your not the worlds best handy person, once gathered the materials are very easy to assemble by following the very easy to follow guides and / or videos, it really is a no-brainer and its actually a lot of fun. Get the whole family involved and not only will you raise their awareness about environmental issues whilst having fun building the project, but you will save yourself some money in the process.
If your serious about saving money on your energy bill and you want to do your bit for the environment, check out the following link DIY solar Power
Like most things released in this format there are some products to avoid, Take a look at the following link for a review on the best Solar Power Kits available on the web. Also be sure to check out rainwater tanks adelaide
DIY Solar Power Kits – Residential Solar Power
August 4, 2010
The solar Power Kit is fast becoming the buzz word in environmental circles. Householders are becoming fed up with the undesireable effects that come with using conventional energy resources.Fed up with rising costs, changes to the way we live and in extreme even being forced into rationing, a lot of home owners are looking toward the newest inovation in power conservation DIY Solar Power Kits.
Many of companies are currently now producing homemade energy guidebooks, available via download on the internet, which give you step by step instructions on how to assemble the components for your own DIY Solar energy kits. The blueprints cost roughly $40 to $60 and the components that make up the kit will cost around $200, much more affordable than buying and having a traditional solar system installed. (The costs can run into the thousands).
The instructional handbooks usually come as a instruction manual and video series which contain easy to follow blueprints, instructions and examples.
Having assembled and installed my own DIY Solar Energy Kits, I can vouch that the process is an easy and hassle free task, and the results in terms of saving money are fantastic.
The freedom a DIY solar energy Kit, allows you to feel that you are no longer dependent on the grid and their spiraling costs for your power requirements is an empowering one indeed. When was the last time you could leave a lounge room for an hour or so and leave the heater switched on without worry about cost or the effect you are having on the environment? As solar is a renewable power resource and does not cost anything you can allow yourself to be more liberal with your energy consumption.
Most people use solar kits to compliment the electricity company supply, this gives them the flexibility to avoid power failures (very handy for maintaining an internet connection) and particularly in times of hot weather conditions and the power failures that often come with it, you are able to remain cool by being able to keep fans running and some air conditioning units.
If your serious about saving cash on your power bill and you wish to help save the environment, check out the following link Homemade Energy Reviews.
Avoid Common Pitfalls When Building A PV Solar System For Your Home
July 9, 2010
A successful DIY solar PV system for your home will require some preliminary research to get you started on the right track. The 5 steps you don’t want to skip when planning to build a DIY solar system will be the foundation for your success. Not doing these steps will cost you time and money and will possibly prevent you from ever having a PV system that will deliver what you hoped for.
1. Don’t make the mistakes others have made when building a PV solar system for your home. Get off on the right foot by choosing the right type and size of panels and system components for your particular application. Begin with clearly defining your goal. Will your solar PV system serve a weekend vacation cabin in a remote area? That kind of system is the simplest one and many excellent DIY PV solar kits are available. Do you want a photovoltaic system that covers between 30% and 70% of your electric needs? These systems can range from simple (no battery storage) to fairly involved. The king of the systems is the one that will get you off the grid when you are done with the solar PV installation for your home. This option will require you to have a considerable battery storage for overcast and rainy days.
2. The number and sizes of PV panels you need for the solar system depends on your total electric load. And the more panels you need, the costlier the system. It makes sense, therefore, to minimize your home’s electric needs. The price for a photovoltaic system currently is in the range of $6 per W to $10 per W, installed. If you lower your electric requirement by say 300W, by replacing incandescent light bulbs with LED lights as an example, you will be able to lower the cost of your PV system by $1,800 to $3,000.
3. Does the roof or yard where you intend to install the PV panels receive sufficient sunlight? PV panels can make electricity even with diffuse sunlight. However, the system is more efficient and will give you a higher output if you can maximize direct incident sunlight. Free tools are available on line to help you calculate the solar radiation for your site. They all will require you to make allowance for any trees or neighboring houses that throw shade on your photovoltaic panels. PV panel manufacturers will also help you with these calculations.
4. Local codes and utility requirements for connecting your solar system to the grid must be checked. They might require you to install a very specific meter or other piece of equipment. While you talk to them, check what utility incentives for PV systems are currently offered. In addition to the federal tax credits for solar systems you might be able to take advantage of state tax credits for solar photovoltaic systems.
5. In addition to the steps listed above, educate yourself. Read books, watch videos, talk to installers, attend classes. The more you know about how everything needs to be put together and why, the easier it will be for you design and install the DIY photovoltaic system for your home. Investing money and time in your education will save you headaches and lots of money during the installation and afterwards. A good source is the government’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy site (www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/), where you can find really excellent information for free. For those of you who are visual, a set of videos on how to design and install a DIY solar photovoltaic system can be very useful.
Get ready for the fun part. Making it real. Look at all the notes and books, and maybe videos that you have worked your way through. You can move forward ,knowing that you are well prepared. What you have learned will help you to work with a PV panel manufacturer or supplier to select the perfect DIY solar PV system for your home.
Before you start a DIY solar photovoltaic system for your home, do the 5 steps and learn the secrets of how to successfully build your own solar photovoltaic system.
What You Must Know About Home Solar Water Heating Systems
July 6, 2010
Solar water heating systems for homes have become quite common. These systems preheat the incoming cold water to be used in baths, kitchen and to do laundry. A correctly sized solar water heating system will supply about 40-70% of your hot water needs. In order to qualify for the currently available federal tax credits however, your system must provide at least 50% of your water needs. Combine these tax credits with the higher efficiency of today’s systems, and it has become affordable for many homeowners to install a solar water heating systems.
Two types of solar domestic hot water heating systems are used in residential applications: the closed loop system and the open loop system. A closed loop system separates the collector loop from the domestic water side with a heat exchanger: the domestic water system is closed to the solar collectors. A freeze-proof liquid, usually a glycol solution, is circulated through the solar collectors and the heat exchanger, which is located in the solar storage tank. These systems are also recommended for areas with hard water. Closed loop systems unfortunately cost more than an open system. People living in areas where temperatures always remain above freezing can install open loop systems. The domestic water loop is open to the solar collectors and the incoming cold water is circulated directly through the solar collectors and then to the solar storage tank.
Number and size of solar collectors will be determined based on the type of collectors, where you live and on your hot water requirement. Solar collectors for water heating most commonly installed are flat plate or evacuated tube collectors. Evacuated tube collectors are more efficient than the flat plate collectors and are recommended for colder or cloudy climates and areas with hard water. You will pay a premium however, for the higher efficiency evacuated tube collectors.
It is important to know that a solar water heating system must have a regular water heater as a backup to make sure that you have sufficient hot water during, and after, a number of days of cloudy weather. I like to look at a residential solar water heating system as a system that PRE-heats the incoming cold water on most days and on some days it heats all your hot water up to the required 130degF. The water heated in the solar collectors is stored in the solar storage tank from where it flows into your regular water heater to be fully heated as needed. With a well designed system, enough hot water will be produced in the solar collectors on clear days so that you don’t need the regular water heater.
I guess you will put the solar collectors somewhere on the roof of your home. The location of the collectors is probably the most important decision you will make. Not enough direct sunlight will make the best system perform poorly. Choose well! If you need help, call a local solar system installer (they just might do a free analysis for you), or buy/rent a solar radiation tool and do it yourself. Make sure you include any trees that shade your roof.
Once you know where on the roof you want to put the solar collectors, check with a contractor about the requirements for re-inforcements necessary to mount the collectors and frames. Also ask the contractor about the roofing. Several roof penetrations will need to be made. These have to be sealed at the end to keep your roof absolutely waterproof.
The next item on the list is the solar storage tank. It should be located right next to your existing water heater. The solar tank will be about as big as a 40-gallon water heater. If you plan for a closed loop system, you will also need some space for a pump and a small expansion tank. Access for easy maintenance is highly recommended as well.
The last big item to research is where and how to run the pipes between the solar collectors and the solar storage tank. That is easy if your tank is on the first floor and you have a single story home. It gets more challenging, the more stories you have to go through. Look for a space large enough for two 1″ pipes, each with 1″ insulation and about 2 inches in between. The pipes do not need to be next to each other. Hopefully your bathrooms on the first and second floors are one above the other. If so, you might be able to fit the solar piping in the same wall as the water and sewer pipes.
You are on the way. Once you have the answers to all the issues mentioned above, you can move to the next level: serious, detailed planning and design. Either make it a do-it-yourself solar project, or use your knowledge to negotiate and work with a contractor to have them install the solar hot water heating system for your home.
Don’t make the mistakes others have made before you when they were designing and installing a solar hot water system. Educate yourself and learn how to plan and prepare for a successful system.
Is A Solar Electricity System Right For You?
May 24, 2010
Until approximately a hundred years ago in the West, people only had recourse to renewable energy for heat and light for their homes. They burnt wood and sometimes coal or peat (OK, fossil fuels) and got up when the sun came up and went to bed with the sun too. In, fact a large proportion of the world’s inhabitants still lives like that.
Things changed with mechanized industry and night shifts. Electricity producers sold the populace on being able to do more instead of just sleeping when it got dark, and the Western population got hooked on buying huge amounts of energy, mostly electricity and engine fuel, which was usually produced from oil and coal.
This idea soon travelled around the world and with rising prosperity came emulation and other countries wanted the same. Now we are in the sad situation where we have to confess that we rode the fossil fuel gravy train to its last stop without thinking about what we would use when fossil fuels ran out.
This is where the typical civilian comes in. You have to think about how you want to draw energy in the future. Do you want to be powered by keeping sucking unrenewable resources out of the Earth, or do you want to have as little to do with it as you can? Would you prefer to have everything you have now, but know that the resources that are powering your lifestyle are renewable?
If, like millions of others around the world, you would rather say ‘No!’ to traditional power production methods, then you have to take a stand. But not only in words, you really have to do some something about it physically.
This will mean paying a lot of money up front, which may not be a problem for you or you may even think that taking a stand is worth looking for a bank loan. These are commendable feelings, but I would like to suggest that there is another way to self-sufficiency.
You could build your own!
Why not? The technology has been around for years and is fairly straightforward. Most moderately capable teenagers can assemble a bank of photovoltaic cells into a solar panel and then plug that into your home’s electrical system. And if a teenager can manage it, so can you. All you (and the teenager) will require is a solar panel kit and a schematical diagram. A plan in other words.
A solar panel kit can be bought in your neighbourhood from a Do-It-Yourself store or from the Internet. A typical solar panel will take a few hours to fit together and will produce 100 watts of electrical energy. The electricity produced from these panels is then passed through an inverter that changes the current from DC to AC, making it usable by household appliances and the utility grid.
Do yourself and the planet a favour, get off the grid and start saving money and the planet’s resources, you will be surprised how straightforward it is once you get going. And do not forget, you can do it in stages of, say, one 100 watt panel a month until you hit self-sufficiency. It is not a question of ‘All or Nothing’.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with a favourite subject, types of renewable energy. If you are interested in Sustainable Energy At Home, please click through to our site.
categories: energy,global warming,climate change,alternative,sustainable,solar power,wind power,home and family,health,technology,science,other,uncategorised,fuel
Combat Global Warming – How To Do It
May 23, 2010
Global warming is no longer a myth, the accelerated melting of the Arctic ice is the best way to prove that it is happening, and there is never a better time to start doing something about it than now. As any further delay might prove fatal because with every Fahrenheit increased in the world’s temperature, the harder it will be to reverse the effects. As we are moving more and more towards the potentially world ending situation of the world meltdown, finding a solution that can satisfy both short term and long term is a top priority.
One of the most obvious fact about fighting the global warming is by planting more trees, it has been estimated that up to six billion or more trees should be planted in order for us to truly stand a chance against this meltdown, not to mention that we need to stop land clearing and cutting trees indiscriminately. This is indeed a mammoth effort that we simply can not do in such a short period of time.
The main reason why planting six billion trees will help with our cause is because trees converts our carbon emission to the atmosphere into oxygen, and as such having that much tree will no doubt lower our emission and bring a halt to our greenhouse problems.
The disappearance of a whole forest due to unchecked land and trees clearing have been evident in Easter Island, as well as in Bangladesh, and as such it effectively shows us how thin a line we are walking on.
Although there is no telling about the other effects of tree cutting until it has happen, which by then it would be too late, there are still some things which we all can do as a citizen of the earth.
One way to stop global warming is to simply stop consuming or producing harmful byproducts which emits carbon emission to our atmosphere. Choose to use biodegradable minerals and stopping our wastage on various harmful fuels and energy can be a start. While all those seemed small compared to six billion trees, it is needed because the sooner we can stop polluting and killing the environment, the sooner the healing process can begin.
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categories: global warming,alternative energies,environmental issues,social issues,environment,environmental,global issues,society