Go Green with your own Solar Power Electricity System!

With fuel prices on the steep ascent, the climate on the brink and OPECS grasp on the kahoonis of the economy becoming ever so tight one has to ask oneself when one is going to break free from the rut and take the initiative.

Are you going to wait until the oil dries up, or perhaps just until it hits $300 per barrel. Surely there’s a better way isn’t there?

Well, there are all sort of new technologies on their way. No doubt in ten years time the world will have more nuclear power stations, perhaps even a massive fusion reactor or two will become reality in our life time, in the mean time we can make better use of hydrogen fuel cells, wind turbines etc - but what can you do today?

For one, you can Go Green with GoGreenSolar.com. The sun has provided life as we know it with enough energy until now. Perhaps that is worth a moments thought. This company with offices in the US and Distributors in locations around the world provide some great solutions that mother nature would be proud of.

These include a range 1.9kW grid-tie PV power systems which are designed for use on residential and small commercial buildings rangine from around $4,000 to $12,000. These typically consist of high quality Evergreen (PV) modules, a Fronius inverter, array wiring, DC and AC disconnects, If you happen to have a friend who is handy with a screwdriver, now is no doubt a good time to buying them a drink and enlisting their help for on weekend project.

Which protect against future rate hikes and provided the satisfaction of knowing that your are producing clean electricity. Depending on how much time you have on your hands, you may even get to enjoy the thrill of watch your meter spin backwards!

UniRac mounting structures to secure modules on the roof, electrical drawings, data sheets, warranties and instructions.

If you find yourself thinking that your energy need are likely to be more than the average persons or that these solar power systems are not realist commercial solutions, think again. Solar Electric Photovoltaic starter system can be combined to form larger systems to meet your requirements, both now and in the future. Even in London, which is not famed for it glorious sun, HSBC’s Canary Wharf HQ has invested in solar power.

The bottom line is that GoGreenSolar.com starter system can reduce part of your bill, or eliminate higher cost electricity in locations that have progressively increasing rates as consumption increases and it need not be a rocket scientist to get set up. Also worth bearing in mind is the kit may qualify for rebates and tax credits depending on what state or country you live in.

Laser vision fuels energy future

I came across this fascinating article on using lasers to harness nuclear fusion on the BBC website. It is certainly worth a read.

An international team of Scientists from Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in Oxfordshire, working with partners from 14 countries, have suggested that it may be possible so solve the world’s energy crisis in an environmentally friendly way by recreate the physical reactions at the heart of the Sun - by harnessing nuclear fusion using High Power Laser Energy.

If the team gets the 50m Euros (£35m) it is asking for to kick-start the project, it would put the researchers on a path that could eventually see an 800m-euro (£500m) working demonstration reactor opened towards the end of the next decade, and commercial reactors soon after that.

This is not an immediate solution to the world’s energy demand buts provides how that technology may be on the horizon that can go some way - if not all the way to meeting them.

A Look At EPA And Hybrid Car Ratings

Hybrid cars are fast becoming one of the hottest items in the auto industry and it’s no surprise considering the hybrid car ratings that they get from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Charged with protecting and safeguarding the natural environment, it’s the EPA’s ratings that really matter when it comes to choosing the right hybrid vehicle to buy.

What It’s All About?

You might be asking what the EPA has to do with it at all. Most hybrids these days that are for sale to the general public have to have an EPA rating and it is this rating that will tell a consumer just how much fuel is saved when it comes to a hybrid’s mileage.

This, on the consumers end, is actually more advantageous since the consumer can translate these ratings to fuel efficiency and thus monetary savings. But more important than that, the EPA determines which cars are the most fuel-efficient, which ones have the least amount of carbon monoxide emissions, and therefore which ones are the fittest for the environment in general. Of course, this does not mean that gas-powered cars are not allowed on the road. Basically, the EPA ratings on hybrids help consumers make the right choice in car purchases.

But What Is It Really All About?

The EPA ratings system has always been around. In fact, at some point the ratings had to change with the introduction of hybrid cars. The EPA has mandatory fuel-economy tests that have to be carried out on all cars, old and new, sold in the United States.

These tests are conducted on about 15% of all cars. One of these tests is on fuel economy which involves city and highway cycles to see the result on what kind of usage cars have when it comes to fuel consumption. For the year 2008, these tests have changed in many ways and the EPA has revised testing methods because of the introduction of hybrid cars.

Hybrid car ratings are now calculated using a dynamometer and these results will be shown on labels that will be attached to the vehicles to show what fuel economy estimates there are per model. These ratings make it easier for the consumer to pick the most fuel-efficient hybrid car.

These days, it’s no big secret that hybrid cars are the most fuel-efficient and it’s one of the reasons why these cars are becoming more popular. But fuel efficiency is a different story with all the model cars that are coming out of the assembly line from various car manufacturers. Some of the most fuel efficient includes the Ford Focus with an EPA rating of 24 miles in the city/35 miles on the highway to the gallon, the Honda Fit with a rating of 33 miles in the city/38 miles on the highway, and the Honda Civic with 30 miles in the city/38 miles on the highway. And these ratings are more different if those cars are automatics.

It’s these easy ratings that help consumers make the right choice, helping them to pick cars that suit their lifestyles. It is exactly why the EPA conducts its tests and comes up with hybrid car ratings, which is fitting since more people are now making the switch to the hybrid car.
Find out more about hybrid cars on technorati’s hybrid cars listings.

Thin-Film Solar Panels and the Possibilities

Bush’s Latest Proposal on Climate Change

There is a clear consensus in the scientific community that global climate change or global warming is caused primarily by human activity. This conclusion has been endorsed by no less than 30 scientific societies and academies of science. This includes every single national academy of science of all the major industrialized countries. With such a strong consensus, why do we find the president Bush giving environmental double-talk and thwarting any reasonable environmental legislation?

Real Cause for Concern

Is global warming a real danger? Yes - a catastrophic one. According to Don Fitz of Zmag Ecology states “in order to avoid catastrophic effects … greenhouse gas emissions (mostly CO2) must be cut by 60-80% by 2050 (though the figure may need to be a 95% cut in the US).” What are these so called catastrophic effects? According to Wikipedia, “the predicted effects of global warming on the environment and for human life are numerous and varied.” It continues with specifics such as “raising sea levels, glacier retreat, Arctic shrinkage, and altered patterns of agriculture are cited as direct consequences, but predictions for secondary and regional effects include extreme weather events, an expansion of tropical diseases, changes in the timing of seasonal patterns in ecosystems, and drastic economic impact.”

We have a serious emissions problem in the United States. According to National Geographics, “The U.S. is responsible for more green house gas pollution than South America, Africa, the Middle East, Japan and Asia - all put together.” Unless our government acts quickly and decisively, we may soon find ourselves at the start on a very slippery slope.

Bush’s Solution?

Even thought president Bush is aware of global warming and the role humans are playing. “In July 2005, he offered his first explicit acknowledgment that humans were contributing to the problem of global warming” states Sheryl Gay Stolberg of the New York Times. He has long ignored his responsibility to act.

Last Wednesday President Bush offered his plan “to halt the growth of U.S. emissions by 2025, toughening a previous goal of braking the growth of emissions by 2012.”

Is This Proposal A Step Backward?

According to Eileen Claussen, President of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, “The proposal announced by President Bush … is a step backwards for U.S. climate policy. In 2002 the administration laid out a plan that allowed U.S. emissions to grow until 2012 - the current proposal will allow our emissions to grow until 2025.” She continues with the strong statement “the only good news is that this is irrelevant - both in the U.S. and globally.”

Senator John Kerry, D-Massachussettes states, “If this is President Bush’s idea of 20/20 vision he needs to get his eyes checked.” According to environmentalists and Senate Democrats alike this latest plan from Bush would allow for the continued growth of greenhouse gases like CO2 for nearly two decades. Senator Barbara Boxer, D-California, chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee, considers this new plan “worse than doing nothing” and that it would “have America stand by while greenhouse gases reach dangerous levels.”

While the Senate hopes to pass a climate bill in June which calls for 19% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2025, Bush considers such a requirement “unrealistic.” If that is not disconcerting enough, a recent Associated Press article by H. Josef Herbert states Bush considers the Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act a “train wreak.”

A Real Solution

Global climate change is a serious issue, and we need to leverage real experts. Experts like Lester Brown, director of the Earth Policy Institute. In Brown’s new book, Plan B 3.0, a pass., he offers an agressive and ambitious plan to reestablish the balance of our planet. TIME Magazine says it is a plan ” that is less concerned with political feasibility than the survivability of the planet.” In this plan Brown calls for reducing “global carbon dioxide emissions 80% by 2020.” According to Brown, “This is not Plan A, business as usual. This is Plan B - a wartime mobilization, an all-out response proportionate to the threat that global warming presents to our future.”

You can chose to ignore the current environmental situation, you can chose to deny it, but that won’t change anything. In order to deal with the current situation we need real action, and we need it today. Don’t let Bush lead our nation down the wrong path, contact your Congressperson today and let them know you won’t fall for Mr. Bush’s attempts at greenwashing.

Harnessing the Elemements

Biomass Energy

iomass sources comprise a wide variety of materials such as forest and mill residues, agricultural crops and wastes, wood and wood wastes, animal wastes, livestock operation residues, aquatic plants, fast-growing trees & other types of plants e.g. grasses, as well as municipal and industrial wastes. These biomass materials can be burned or converted into a gas and used as fuel.

A source of energy such as biomass is one of the ways forward in reducing our dependency on fossil fuels, plus stabilizing (and/or reducing) the CO2 in the atmosphere. The term “biomass” refers to organic matter which can be converted to energy; the name “biomass” being invented in approximately 1975 to describe natural materials used as energy sources.

Commercial bio-refinery usually produces large quantities of waste, mostly sold as animal feed. This kind of waste can be used as a source of energy, such as for electricity, heating or as a fertiliser.

Despite huge increases in the price of crude oil during 2006 and 2007, as well as an increase in the coal prices, the production cost of various bio-energy fuels still do not match the production prices of fossil fuels, such as coal. This means that the present scenario for the commercially produced bio-fuel is still far from being realistic for the international market in general.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for a change in the production cost to make bio-energy “affordable”. That means if the cost can be brought down further, may be even lower than the present prices of fossil fuels, then that will be a great achievement for everyone concerned.

This kind of energy source transformation can be achieved successfully by following basic but important technical and business rules. It is important that this kind of transformation should happen with the appropriate support of the governments concerned and their local authorities.

General, as well as specialised, comprehensive investigations related to scientific, technical and commercial matters should be considered and analysed, as well as the conditions required for this kind of business, on a long term basis.

Economic analysis forms an important part of any new type of research, in particular when it comes to the energy issue. Biomass energy research and applications, therefore, should concentrate not just on the technical and scientific issues, but most importantly on the wider commercial market, through which the biomass fuels can be selected for various types of commercial applications.

The aims for various types of renewable sources of energy are very similar to each other, in that they all have one target: Energy that can be economical, sustainable, and environmentally acceptable.

In comparison with other types of renewable source of energy, biomass research and development, as well as applications are taking the lead in a number of countries across the globe (Biomass Energy report, ODE, USA 2002). USA and Europe provide good examples when it comes to biomass energy utilization. As a consequence, various methods have been created to establish certain facts concerning biomass materials as a reliable source of energy.

“By 2020, the United States is estimated to have a maximum of 7.1 quadrillion Btu of biomass available at prices of $5 per million Btu or lower.” (Haq Z. “Biomass for Electricity Generation”, 2004).

As the need arises with every passing day for an alternative source of energy, where environmental issues, long term supply/availability and economical reasons form the paramount factors, reliable methods, therefore, will be vital in helping to find the right biomass materials for the ever increasing need for environmentally friendly, renewable, sources of energy.

“Without technological and/or behavioural intervention, atmospheric concentration of GHGs will continue to increase….” (dti Project report 2005).

here are many different ways to use biomass energy. Today, we are going to look at four different categories: biofuels, biopower, bioproducts, and space heating and cooling.

Biofuels

The two most common types of biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel. The most familiarly used form of ethanol ismade from the starch in corn grain, and it is added into petroleum-based fuels to reduce toxic air emissions and increase octane. It is also available as an alternative fuel known as E-85. This type of fuel contains 83% ethanol during the summer and 70% in the winter.

Biodiesel, on the other hand, is made from soybean oil. Though not as popular as its ethanol counterpart, it has significant benefits to air quality. Biodiesel is usually mixed at 20% with petroleum diesel, and it is called B-20. The same process that is used to create biofuels can also be used to create antifreeze, plastics, glues, artificial sweeteners and toothpaste gels.

Biopower/Biopower

The only renewable electrical generation that is used more than biopower is hydropower. Biomass is created using direct combustion using conventional boilers that burn waste wood products. Steam is produced by this combustion, which, in turn, spins a turbine, activating a generator that creates electricity.

When biomass is turned to gas prior to this combustion, toxic materials are removed from the process. These systems are useful for powering isolated communities with electricity. There are significant amounts of biomass resources in the eastern half of the United States.

Bioproducts

Bioproducts are products that can be made from fossil fuels. These products general require a reduced amount of energy to create than petroleum-based products. If oxygen is present when heating biomass, more of the two gases produced. This process is called biosynthesis, and it can be utilized to create plastics and acids. These, in turn, can be used to create photographic films, textiles, and synthetic fabrics.

On the other hand, when biomass is heated without oxygen, pyrolysis oil is formed and phenol can be extracted from this formation. Wood adhesives, molded plastics, and foam insulation can then be created from phenol.

Space Heating and Cooling

“Heating and cooling account for about 56% of the energy use in a typical US home, making it the largest energy expense for most homes.” Because there are many options available in regards to heating and cooling, it is important to research the most efficient ways to utilize renewable energy. Whether you are installing the systems into a new home, or replacing the systems in an existing home, numerous choices are at your disposal.

Road to a Greener Earth

Solar power it seems is rapidly becoming the solution for many businesses and homeowners who want to control the escalating cost of electricity. Global warming and generous rebates and tax incentives have ushered in the next wave of alternative energy.
Solar power is a clean energy source available to most areas of the world and is used to operate electrical appliances even when other types of power are not available. Clean and pollution free solar power is rapidly becoming more common around the world but we still have a long way to make sure it is at the forefront of everyone’s environmental thoughts. There are a number of promising technologies being developed and the solar future may be about to arrive.
We will soon see solar energy being used more and more in everyday life remembering that this is a step forward for a more eco-friendly planet.

The perks of solar energy beat any other form of energy which can deplete the natural resources of our planet and pollute the environment. Oil and coal are not renewable. Once they are used, they are gone, and besides They take a different form which pollutes the environment. Solar energy uses the power of the sun which is trapped during the day and supplies energy during the day through storage batteries for use in the night. As long as we have the sun, we will have solar energy.

Road to a Greener Earth

One of the biggest advantages of solar energy is that it is non-polluting. It is also silent. The solar cells extract the energy from the sun without a beep. Compare this with noise polluting coal plants and one can figure out the benefit of shifting to solar energy. The solar cells have no moving parts so maintenance is almost negligible and the cells have a long lifetime.

The initial investment on solar panels and the installation of the system is at present expensive. But in the long run, benefits of solar energy generating systems pay for itself in terms of reduced energy bills. As the solar panels have a long life, once the investments costs are met, there is no more drain only gain. Once the system is installed and functioning well, you are free from blackouts and power outages and no more at the mercy of power generating companies.

According to Solarnews sites, if there are any downsides to Solar Energy it may be the initial cost but cost is no issue if you compare the benefits.

Solar energy at present costs two times as much as traditional sources of power generation which is oil and coal. But as natural sources of oil and coal deplete, the cost of producing energy from such sources will rise. The other downfall is that it is only possible to generate electricity during the daytime. But with good battery reserves this can be a non issue .

H20 Powered Car

When you look closely at 100% water driven technology, one ends up spending even more than using the usual fuel for powering vehicles. First things first… this isn’t about running your car on 100% water. Of course there is plenty of information available about running your car on 100% water but it’s not recommended because they’re not only complicated and expensive, they’re also extremely unpredictable.

Here’s what I have found. A supplemental system that allows you to run your car on Hydrogen WHEN you need it! You can convert your OWN car into a low cost hybrid that runs on water AND gas. Before you panic, this is not about rebuilding your car, it’s about constructing a simple and affordable device that creates a hydrogen-on-demand system for your existing car or truck. It will allow your car/truck to run on water as well as gas, and it works on almost any vehicle.

How? In simple words, this technology involves putting together home-made devices that use a little electricity out of your car’s battery to separate water into a gas called HHO (2 Hydrogen + 1 Oxygen). HHO, also known as Hydrogen*Oxygen™ or Hydroxy, burns beautifully and by so doing provides TONS of energy.

More benefits? This pound for pound HHO gas is even more potent than gasoline. In fact 3 times more potent than gasoline. Even better, it runs clean and reduces unnecessary and harmful emissions, making it extremely environmentally friendly as well!

Not sure if this is the “be all end all” solution for our current fuel cost issues, but it is certainly packed full benefits to both our pocketbooks and the environment.

Chech out some more opinins on technorati relating to hybrid cars

Fuel Cell Car - Tomorrow’s Roads

I just ordred a model car that uses electrolysis to convert H20 (water) into hyrodrogen and oxygen, then feeds the hydrogen into a fuel cell where it is convereted into electricity.
The small cost of $59.99 for Horizon Fuel Cells, will be well spent in satisfying my curiosity. I did by the cheapest version available as would only have dimantelled the ever so slightly more expensive version to see how it works. This kit will save me the bother!
I am amazed that such a toy exists - when might i ask will we see larger versions on this on the road?
I can’t wait… For now I will have to wait for my model card to arrive and cant wait to take it for a spin.
This fuel cell car / science kit is intended to spread scientific knowledge and understanding about the exciting possibilities that hydrogen technologies can offer. The kits address a large global audience of aspiring scientists, future fuel cell consumers, teachers, and parents.
Lets hope that it also has an impact on our roads and environment!
Go there Horizon!