Renewing The Push Towards Renewable Energy
It is very important that we consider renewable energy as the energy source of the future. The price of fossil fuels will become dearer and its availability will become scarcer. This is for certain. Fossil fuels are finite resources and they will not last forever. Therefore, we need to research and invest in a solution that will last the test of time. This solution must be kind to the environment too or we won’t even have a home to live in. Fossil fuels leave large amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere after burning and this lead to climate change. The sooner we cut our dependency to fossil fuels in favour of renewable sources the better it will be for us and our planet.
The need for effective, environmentally friendly and sustainable energy resources is fundamental to the preservation of the environment. Thereby energy resources must be renewable. They must be accessible, effective and self-replenishing.
Much time, effort and money has been ploughed into the renewable energy industry in the search for solutions. Huge grants are available to scientists all around the globe. When we think of renewable energy vs fossil fuels we think of the new vs the old. Renewable energy conjurs up images of cutting edge technology and innovation. This contrasts highly with the fact that renewable energy is as old a phenomenon as the Earth itself. Yes, the technologies used to harness the sun and winds energy are scientifically very advanced, but using these as energy sources is by no means a new discovery. People have been using renewable energy for many years.
In the days of the first humans on earth, the humans would obtain energy through the food that they eat. As the early human evolved they learned how to develop tools and implements. These tools allowed them to further exploit energy to overcome their physical limitations. Further down the evolutionary timeline, humans developed an agrarian society where agrarian energy was harnessed and this led to the human race flourishing. The first sign of wind power being harnessed was seen in 3000BC. The Egyptians created the first sail, which harnessed the power of the wind. This aided transport and a new ‘Age of Discovery’ was born.
The invention of the windmill in the first century marked a further development in wind power, with the windwheel of the Greek engineer Heron of Alexandria one of the first known instances of wind powering a machine in history. By 1000 AD windmills were used extensively across the Middle East, and spread quickly to Europe. Today, wind power is one of the world’s fastest growing energy resources using non-emission wind turbines to make electricity.
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categories: renewable energy,solar panels,wind turbines,home improvement,home,energy,Science,technology
How To Bust Solar Power Myths
If you’ve always dreamed of being the masked crusader who creates tomorrow’s better world, the right role for you right now is that of the “Solar Power Myth Buster.”
Hang on, though. Before you grab that cape and head out, here are a few solar power facts to arm yourself with:
Myth #1: Solar power is too expensive. Before you allow anyone to cling tenaciously to that belief, ask them if you can schedule an appointment for a solar power installation appraisal for them. Tell them you would never try to dissuade them from believing what they choose, but if they’re willing to allow an open discussion, you’d like them to be assured that their belief is right before they share it with others…or worse yet…possibly keep them from having clean, free power because they attached too strongly to an old, rigid belief system. Tell them the appraiser will help them assess:
What is the cost of a traditional heating, air conditioning system and hot water heater today compared to a solar installation?
What is the current cost per watt for electricity in their area, or comparative cost per unit for other fossil fuel used?
Since 1970, coal, gas and oil utility costs have gone up, on average, 5.5 percent per year. At that rate, what will their per unit cost be in 5 years, 10 years, 15 and 20 years? On a solar off-the-grid system…it’s likely to be…free.
What is the guarantee on your conventional home power system equipment? Most of today’s standard furnace, air conditioning systems, and hot water heaters are guaranteed to last for 10 years. Solar components are guaranteed to last between 25 and 30 years.
Can you get tax credits, incentives and rebates when you install a fossil-fuel conventional system? You can if you have a solar installation.
Myth #2: I’ll have to have a conventional system in addition to a solar system because we don’t always have sunshine. Yes, this is a possibility. You may require a small back-up system. But…it’s not an absolute. Both Germany and Japan have very days of sunshine than most areas in the United States. And, they have a larger reliance on solar energy. It is possible, if you live along the northern tier of the United States that you might require more solar panels to produce the same amount of energy that would take fewer panels in the Southwest, but you could still get the same result. Plus, with a back-up battery system, you should be able to generate enough electricity to function for several days even when it’s very cloudy.
Of course, there are other options for a back-up also like a wood stove, or a wood insert in a passive solar stone fireplace design, or even better, a wind turbine…another renewable energy source.
Myth #3: I’ll have to reduce my energy consumption. Don’t totally dispel this myth, because it’s a good idea. We could all benefit from a little energy management, and learn to consume less. In fact, we could all start down that path by turning off lights and computers when they’re not in use, switching to CFL light bulbs, and other small energy reduction steps. But you don’t have to. The difference is how much money you want to spend up front. Yes, a bigger solar system will cost you more money. You’ll need more panels, more batteries, and more inverters. However, you know that big utility bill you have now because you’re a big electric consumer? You won’t have that, and it won’t go up 5.5% a year, year and year. Once you’re system’s paid for, your energy is free. And instead of getting bigger, your carbon footprint’s getting smaller. How good is that?
Myth #4: Ugly solar panels on my roof are going to reduce my home value and destroy the aesthetics. On the contrary, having solar electricity actually raises the value of your home…quite a bit. You can sell for more money…and faster…with solar. That’s not to say that a solar hot water tank on the top of your roof might not be unappealing for some people. And, with the new technology that’s available, you can have solar panels that are shaped like roof tiles making them very unnoticeable, while adding plenty of value.
Myth #5: What’s keeping solar popular now is government incentives. It won’t be around once the incentives aren’t. Simply not true. Solar power is staying. Its time is right, and its time is now. Global warming is creating the impetus for a strong citizen movement that won’t relent, and won’t give up, until future generations have an opportunity to see a bright, clean world.
All right, Solar Myth Buster. Go forth, and create a better world for the future, armed with facts that can bust apart even the strongest relics of the fossil fuel age.
Learn more solar energy facts. Stop by Timothy Peters’s site where you can find out all about home solar power and what it can do for you.
Here's Some Great Energy Saving Tips You Can Use At The Office
The office may be one of the major consumers of energy in the home. Here are some easy tips to help you be energy efficient in your office.
#1 Connect everything in the office into a power strip.
Computers, printers, recharging stations, radios or televisions and even your light fixtures can be plugged into power strips. At the conclusion of every day or each working period, turn off your different electronics but also turn off your power strip.
This will conserve a tremendous amount of energy because several electronics continue using energy even when they have been powered down. Switching off the power strip eliminates energy usage when electronics are not in use. And only turning on the item when you need to use it will save you energy too.
Additionally, some power strips are surge protectors, which offers the electronics protection against powerful electrical surges which can be caused by lightening and other factors.
#2 Passive Solar & Wind Power
Passive solar is the practice of using the sun’s energy passively For example, you can use the sun’s power to heat your office in winter time by opening the drapes and letting the sun’s rays warm the office. In the summer you’d want to close the drapes to help your office remain cool.
The wind’s power could also be used to cool the office in the summer by producing cross breezes. Keep the windows open on opposing sides of your office to produce a path for the air current to flow. As the air moves through your office it will help it stay cool.
Fans are also a big help although they generally run on electricity, they are more affordable cooling methods than air conditioning which can cost more than $500 a summer.
#3 Active Solar
There are numerous office products on the market today that use solar cells to maximize the sun’s energy. You can purchase laptop bags with solar cells to power your laptop. You can buy solar recharging stations and recharge all your electronics. You can even purchase solar powered electronics.
Finally, organizing the office for maximum ventilation can help it stay cool in the summer. If you have boxes piled and furnishings sitting on vents there won’t be any way for the cool air to flow into in the office. Clean house and reduce clutter for maximum energy savings.
There are numerous methods to become more power efficient in your office. Use the power of the sun and the wind for cooling and heating and be smart about switching off and on your electronics whenever you will need them. Use only as much as you’ll need.
Learn more facts about solar energy. Stop by Ben Jerry’s site where you can find out all about why is solar energy important.
Tips On How To Make Your Business More Environmentally Friendly
Owning a business takes a lot of electricity. Both your own energy plus fuel based energy. Look at the electricity it takes to operate your office equipment. All of the energy this took to get that case of paper into your office and all of the power it requires to keep your business running efficiently day after day. The good news is the fact that it’s an easy task to reduce the impact your small business has on the environment. Plus doing these simple steps will also help you save money.
Here Is How To Minimize Your Small Business Environmental Influence:
1. Put all electronics on a power strip. Keep your electronics, such as your printer and recharging stations, turned off while not in use and at the end of the work day, turn off the power strip they are plugged into. It is an easy action that will save a lot of electricity over the course of a year.
2. Recycle. If you’re like many business owners, even if you do the majority of your work electronically, you’re going through a lot of paper. Recycle all that paper. Recycle the periodicals you get. Recycle the ink cartridges used in your printer. And recycle your electronics when you are finished with them. Computers, cell phones as well as your office furniture can certainly be recycled. It’s a much better idea than just throwing them away.
3. Reduce. Take a look all around your office and at your procedures. Where can you reduce your consumption? Such as, when you normally get up in the morning and switch on your computer but never truly get to work for an hour, then you can certainly decrease your consumption simply by waiting to turn your computer on. In addition, if you print copies of receipts for products bought on the internet, keep these using a back up hard drive instead and conserve paper. Make use of the back side of paper that has already been printed on as scrap paper or utilize it in your printer.
4. Obtain repurposed products. You can buy restored electronics. You will save cash and you will help prevent functional equipment from ending up in the landfill. You can buy refurbished furniture too. And you’ll create a great home office from pieces bought at a flea market.
5. Buy Energy Star. Computers, printers, and even lighting for your office at home can be cost effective from the start. CFL light bulbs, compact fluorescent, help save tons of money for you personally and are really an environmentally good practice. According to Energy Star, if every American home replaced just one light with an Energy Star light, we’d save enough electricity to light more than 3 million homes for a year, about $700 million in yearly energy expenses, and stop 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each year, comparable to the emissions of about 800,000 cars.
That’s some pretty considerable savings for just one small light bulb. How many are there in your office? Replace each incandescent with a CFL and you are making a remarkable impact. Choose energy star labeled goods and give yourself and the environment a head start.
Reducing your small business impact on the environment isn’t going to require a enormous effort or even a wide structured strategy. It requires a handful of easy actions. Take one thing using this checklist today, use this and make a big difference.
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