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Posts Tagged ‘alternative energy’

The sun has had an impact on humankind since its beginning. The sun has had a significant influence in Greek mythology as well as religions. The English Druids, Buddhists, Hindus, Incas and Aztecs, and many native American tribes are just a sampling of the many peoples who held the sun and its solar energy, in high regard in their religious beliefs.

The appearance of the sun in the sky is prominent due to the fact that it is the closet star to the our planet. The sun not only emits light, but also heat that is transformed into various forms of energy. The simple act of laundry being hung out of doors, uses the suns heat as a form of energy to dry our clothing. The suns light also enables plants to produce food. The uneaten foods would then decay and in a process that took millions of years fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil were produced. Exploding stars referred to as nova’s produce nuclear energy through the emission of uranium atoms.

The uses for the suns energy are infinite. Humankind has long made use of its properties. The 1890’s found people heating their hot water with solar energy. Cheaper than wood and coal, it was also a cleaner alternative. In the U. S. The states having the sunniest and warmest number of days emerged as the first ones to use solar energy for heating water. Solar panels to heat water were installed in thousands of homes by the 1920’s. When greater amounts of oil and gas were found and prices plummeted for these fuels, many reverted back to their use. Presently, there is concern that the demand is beginning to exceed the supply and solar energy has moved again to the forefront.

Electricity is another horizon being developed with the use of solar energy. Located in California’s Mojave Desert, one can find row upon row of solar mirrors. These mirrors are called parabolic troughs as they collect sunlight in a specific way. The suns heat becomes so intense that it can boil water and the resulting steam in turn will power a turbine to produce electricity. Other forms of power plants, some still in the experimental stage, are focusing their efforts toward greater efficiency in the production of electricity.

Photovoltaic cells, referred to as PV cells, are capable of changing sunlight into electricity. When the sun hits one of these solar cells, or PV’s, electron are loosened and then they move to a treated front surface that creates an imbalance between the two surfaces. As if there were a wire joining them, the surfaces act as a connector and electricity will flow from the positive and negative sides. Tracking devices allow these modules to follow sunlight for an entire day collecting more and more energy.

The immediate availability of use when implementing this direct energy form is an invaluable source of power. It can light city’s as well as individual homes. Illuminated billboards and streetlights; roadside phones; appliances and home heating are all made possible.

There is still much to be discovered with the ongoing research of solar technologists. One of the latest frontiers is the electric powered automobile. The capability of PV cells in turning the suns energy directly into electricity will enable the motor s use of the electricity to keep it running smoothly, efficiently, and cleanly. The pollution created by older methods of power will disappear with the use of the suns energy. Technology that at one time was located miles above the Earth is now literally at our fingertips.

The power of the wind has worked for mankind for many centuries. In excess of 11,000 turbines are presently being used, so one can imagine the number at each site. The future of electricity is in wind power. Wind Turbine Diagrams

The future of electricity is in wind power. No one would ever have thought that soft breezes on a warm summers day would produce essential wind energy. Energy that can be used to light up the world.

The power of the wind has worked for mankind for many centuries. It can be harnessed and used to produce other forms of power such as electrical or mechanical energy. The simple act of boat sailing would not be possible without the force of the wind in the sails propelling it across the waters surface. Windmills have often been seen on farming land with the wind turning the blades to bring forth water from wells.In days of yore, the wind was used to set grinding stones in motion to grind wheat into flour. Centuries have passed with the windmills of Holland being used to bring water to areas where it was needed.

The power of wind once harvested, can easily produce plentiful supplies of electricity. Think of a wind turbine along the lines of a child’s pinwheel. As the air propels the toy, so the air propels the large blades of a turbine. These blades sit on a hub and rotate. The hub is then connected to a shaft that goes into a transmission box. This transmission will cause a generator to turn and electricity is produced. Winds that are too strong could actually harm the blades of these turbines, so an automatic braking system has been introduced,

One single turbine can generate enough power to completely power a home or small school. These models are adjusted in size to meet the needs required, but as mans search for new power sources increases, wind turbines located in groupings of hundreds or more are referred to as wind farms. Met with much controversy due to their looks and mans concern over possible side effects, wind turbines are beginning to take their place in U. S. Society.

Windy conditions are ideal for placement of wind turbines. The more wind there is, the more electricity can be made. One turbine has the minimum capacity to produce a 100 watts, or one kilowatt of power. This is enough to light ten 100 watt bulbs. When production is increased to 300 kilowatts, three thousand bulbs will glow. Using that as a base of multiplication for the number of turbines producing electricity now and the end result borders on staggering.

Altamont Pass, Palm Springs, and San Gorgonio Pass in California are three sites of large wind farms. These are all located in the state of California in areas known for their windy conditions. In excess of 11,000 turbines are presently being used, so one can imagine the number at each site. The power produced at these locations is enough electricity to power the city of San Francisco indefinitely. The use of turbines in the production of electricity has been adapted by Denmark, Germany and other overseas countries.

After the turbines have made the electricity, it is then amassed and sent to a transformer. Once there, the electricity can be sent for long distances with the use of power lines. The pros and cons of wind turbines will undoubtedly be long debated, but it is a fact that it is an efficient and clean way of producing electricity.

The more wind there is, the more electricity can be made. Harnessing the power of wind is now being used for the purpose of making electricity. The more wind there is, the more electricity can be made. Wind Turbine Maintenance

categories: wind energy,solar power,alternative energy,green energy,science,technology

The World is beginning to realize that it has to look at the use of alternate energy sources as their stock of fossil fuels is diminishing. But Canada started down this route many years ago. Business and residents alike are accepting wind power systems as a way of fulfilling their energy requirements.

Canada is a country brimming with natural resources and has been very progressive when it comes to seeking alternative energy sources to add to the more traditional coal and hydro power systems. Although wind energy still only accounts for 1% of Canada’s energy needs,

Because wind generated electricity is a great renewable resource and is also good for the environment, the Canadian Wind Energy Association has implemented a strategy to introduce more wind energy usage in the country. According to the Association, there should be 55,000 MW produced in Canada by the year 2025.

Ontario used to be the leader in using wind power but it has now been joined by Quebec and Alberta, and others are catching up fast. By the start of this century all of the provinces had made some progress into the utilization of renewable energy. They all know that they will have to implement the use of these farms, or some other form of alternate energy source, as the traditional sources are wearing thin.

Only one province, that of British Columbia, does not have a facility to source their power from the wind. But they are now taking steps to catch up with the rest of the country, and are going to be purchasing 300 MW of renewable wind-sourced electricity in the near future. It will not be long until the whole population of Canada can benefit from this renewable energy source.

Even so, the amount of electricity that is generated by wind turbines in Canada is still fairly small in comparison to other sources, like coal and hydro-power. There are about 85 wind farms in Canada at this time, and this represents almost 2300 MW of generating capacity. But this number is growing all the time.

The U. S. Cities of Chicago and Detroit, are now giving more consideration to using wind electricity due to all of the success and support it is getting throughout Canada. Because these cities are close to the Canadian border, and also have a large number of factories that could benefit from alternative sources of power in order to save money, and preserve the environment. There are also a number of hybrid projects in Canada as well. These can also help the surrounding areas to save in the use of fossil fuels and save a lot of money long term.

The benefits of utilizing wind powered green energy is not just for local governments and businesses, domestic users can benefit from this trend of using alternative energy sources as well (such as the Feed in Tarriff program). Residents can buy equipment to generate their own power from personal turbines. A small turbine will cost about $5000 and will generate something in the region of 25% of their energy requirement. If you have the room for something a bit larger then maybe you could get a turbine that can produce 50% of your energy needs, but only if you are prepared to pay $7000 for the privilege. Even an outlay of %600 will get you a machine that will produce 200 watts, ideal for that off-grid cabin in the woods.

It’s possible to run your business through more innovative ways by utilizing inventions like wind power and other alternative energy solutions that make your process more environmental and efficient!

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 homemade 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 solar power kits

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You pretty much can’t escape the dependency on solar energy here on Earth Nobody would be alive, not me or you or any plant or animal, if the sun suddenly stopped burning. Plankton, one of the smallest, most simple forms of life on this planet, must have solar energy to develop and live. Obviously, without any solar energy, you could say goodbye to all plant life on this planet. And if the plants were all gone, all the animals who depend on plants will soon die, and that moves on up the food chain, all the way to us, humans. So while we may not absorb light energy directly like the plants on our planet, we are still indirectly dependent on solar energy from the sun.

Another interesting fact is that solar energy is 100% environmentally safe because it has no carbon emissions. It also is 100% renewable, it is not going anywhere! Solar energy is used to produce electricity and heat all over the globe. At the present time, solar energy is widely used in solar energy water heating systems, which use the heat from the sun to heat water.

Electricity can also be created by using photovoltaic cells that turn solar energy into electric current. Photovoltaic cells can be installed in residences and office buildings and schools very quickly. Thousands of people even build their own photovoltaic cell energy systems!

Another couple fun facts about the uses of solar energy are: solar-powered vehicles are currently in development, and NASA has created an airplane that is powered completely by solar energy!

Interestingly, thousands of people have chosen to make their own solar panels. It really isn’t as difficult as most individuals would assume. With DIY solar panels, homeowners can reduce their dependence on the electric company by a great deal!

Ready to make the leap to solar energy in your home and slash your energy bill in half? Then check out the Green DIY Energy review to download the #1 top-rated DIY solar panels building guide, the Green DIY Energy Guide. It’s available for instant download to your computer, do it today!