Bright Expectations For A Future For Solar Power

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Green What?

Researchers are shedding new light on an unexpected supply of energy for heating homes and generating electricity…the sun.

The sun-directly or indirectly-is the main source for most forms of energy located on Earth. Solar Energy is clean, abundant and renewable.

Although we think of solar energy as a new discovery, ancient cultures discovered innovative ways for using solar energy. Included in this, the Greeks, Romans and Chinese all developed ways for using solar warmth for homes, such as using southern exposures to maximize solar heating and making use of solar lighting.

At present, because of innovative technologies, it’s possible to capture this energy, concentrate it, store it and transform it into electricity.

Sunlight is converted into electricity using solar cells. Solar cells are also called photovoltaic cells, or “PV cells” for short. PV cells were first formulated in the 1950s to be used in American space satellites. Today, they are used for power needs which range from telecommunications to rural electrification. PV cells are located on items we use daily, such as calculators, flashlights, radios, landscape lighting and childrens toys.

Portable PV units are offered also for emergency and disaster use, for example keeping cell phones and small appliances charged in the event the individual is away from the grid or during blackouts.

Individuals can harness the power of the sun for themselves more easily than in the past. Solar panels you see on buildings and homes are actually available for decades. New systems-which include solar directly into roofing shingles-are now great looking, efficient and durable.

2006 ushered in new tax credits for solar power technologies and people can also be eligible for state rebates.

To find out more, consult with a tax professional, call the Internal Revenue Service.

Sunlight isn’t only utilized to create electricity. Additionally it is used to heat water, which may be used to warm homes and businesses. Solar-powered radiant heating systems work some industrial processes and drive turbines to generate electricity. Many solar thermal technologies have been used in homes for many years and can last more than 2 decades.

Experts believe that solar energy technologies can benefit this nation in many ways. They have the prospect to help diversify this nation’s energy supply, reduce the dependence on imported fuels, increase air quality, offset greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate the economy by helping to create jobs in the manufacturing and installation of solar power systems.

Posted in Solar Energy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Solar Technology Advantages: The Truth

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Green What?

Most power plants in the united states and all over world are making use of fossil fuels to operate and generate electricity. Fossil fuel has been used as an energy source so long as man has learned to generate power. Fossil fuel ‘s been around for a long time and when man started using this energy source no one thought about the consequences. Fossil fuels will run out and it will have a shortage of it in near future. This shortage in fossil fuel may have its affect on our daily lives and various industries. Today we see some of these affects already, fossil fuel prizes are raising and electricity is becoming more pricey. Although fossil fuels are more scares, the need for fossil fuels will still be here and will not decrease in near future. To solve this shortage of fossil fuels we will likely need to look for other possibilities for our energy demand.

The good thing is, alternative energy sources are growing in interest. For instance, areas with high waterfalls are experimenting on building a hydro-electric power plant, which happens to be successful. Other locations rich in wind speed utilize a power wind mills which will convert wind power into electricity. Also thermal and tidal powers are good alternatives.

Solar Energy is also one of many energy sources that is developing in interest. Solar energy has steadily been growing. Nowadays solar energy is widely used the united states and the advantages are numerous. Our solar energy source, the sun, its life span is estimated to be another 4.5 billion years. It is fair to say that this energy source is almost endless.

Rate of Energy from the Sun

Our sun’s radiation reaches a specific unit of area in space in the area of the Earth’s orbit and is estimated to be at 1,400 watts per square meter. Out of this, photovoltaic cells (also known as solar cells, can capture 19 to 56 watts per square meter (for 15% efficiency) or an equivalent of .45 to 1.35 kilowatt per hour (kWh) in an annual day and night average.

Therefore, if there were a massive area that could be covered by a vast array of solar panels, these panels can produce slightly more energy in the form of electricity than what is currently available from oil, gas, and other sources of energy combined (assuming 8% solar cell efficiency).

Conversion of Solar technology

There are 2 ways of conversion of solar panel technology. First is the direct solar energy which involves merely one conversion into a usable form. For instance:

Sunlight hits the solar cell, converting it into electricity.

Sunlight hits the absorber surface of a solar thermal collector, converting into thermal energy which enables you to heat houses during cold season.

The second is the indirect solar energy which involves more than one conversion to reach a usable form. For instance:

Plants use photosynthesis to change solar energy to chemical energy, which is often burned later as fuel to create electricity (also known as bio-fuel technology).

Hydroelectric dams and wind generators are indirectly supplied by solar energy through its interaction with the Earth’s atmosphere.

Benefits and drawbacks regarding Solar power

Just like any other types of energy resources, solar technology does have it’s pros and Cons.

Pros:

Pollution-free.

Solar facilities can be run with little extra input or maintenance.

It is plentiful. As mentioned previously, the majority of the lived on areas here on earth is availed by sunlight.

Cons:

Although it is abundant, non-tropical locations can receive little sunlight. Therefore, power which will be produced in these locations is a minimum.

Only during day time thus unavailable throughout night time.

Photovoltaic cell technologies generate direct current (DC) power which should be converted to alternating current (AC) energy used in distribution grids.

Once massive development of using solar energy has materialized, expect that every household or industry on earth will now be powered by solar panel technology. It’s not at all just a dream, it’s going to be a dream come true.

Posted in Going Green, Solar Energy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Many Uses Of Biodiesel

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Green What?

With gas prices increasing as well as growing environmental awareness, the need to look at alternate energy and fuel sources are getting to be a necessity. One alternative is the application of Biodiesel fuel, which is becoming a lot more popular today.

Because Biodiesel is a cleaner-burning diesel fuel made from 100% natural, 100% renewable vegetable sources, its uses in today’s society may surprise you. Below are nine ways Biodiesel is being used. Most of which you may not have realized.

1) Bio-diesel Car Rental – Yes that is right. A Maui and Los Angeles car rental rents cars that operate on Biodiesel. These cars get between 400 and 800 miles per tank. Not bad when consider the price tag on gas nowadays.

2) Home Heating Fuel – More people are studying Biodiesel as a substitute for heating their home. Many oil-fired or boiler furnaces can use Biodiesel (B20), the industry fuel made of 80 percent traditional heating oil and 20 percent Biodiesel. Quite a few people are getting their furnaces adapted so that you can burn B100, a fuel made entirely of vegetable oils, which burns considerably cleaner than traditional heating oil.

3) Electricity Generation – Diesel generators that produce electricity are now running on Biodiesel fuel. A superior alternative to the typical coal burning electricity generating plants presently being used in America. Running on Biodiesel is an inexpensive, clean and renewable way of creating electricity.

4) Trucking Industry – More and more truckers are switching from diesel fuel to Biodiesel fuel. The advantages are numerous let alone the luxury of helping the environment and decreasing our reliance upon foreign oil, while saving money.

5) Agriculture – Not just a producer of Biodiesel, but also a consumer. Tractors, reapers, tillers, pickers, conveyors, generators, pumps, and irrigation systems which usually uses diesel fuel, now use Biodiesel to fuel their work, bringing agriculture full circle from producer to consumer.

6) Marine Vehicles – Commercial fleets such as ferries, recreational yachts, sailboats, and motor boats are all candidates for Biodiesel. As an example Pacific Whale Foundation, located in Hawaii, use Biodiesel in their boats.

7) Tax Incentive – The IRS is providing tax incentives to anyone that produce and use Biodiesel fuel. The federal government is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by giving producers of Biodiesel fuel government funds. The tax incentive works to help tax paying customers by lowering the price tag on the fuel bill.

8) Lubrication Additive – Because Biodiesel is a better lubricant than current low-sulfur petroleum, fuel injectors along with other types of fuel pumps can make use of Biodiesel fuel for lubrication. When using the right additives, engine performance can be enhanced, making engines last longer. Other numerous applications can also make full use of it’s lubricate properties, such as concrete forms and asphalt trucks. Its solvent properties also transform it into a safe parts cleaner, reducing skin and eye irritation associated with other cleaners.

9) Cleaner Environment – Biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide exhaust emissions by up to 80%. For this reason, Biodiesel has the potential to reduce air toxins and cancer causing compounds. Something we all can easily live with. If spilled, it will rapidly degrade into natural organic residues, without polluting the environment.

Posted in Biofuels, Going Green | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Many Bushels Of Corn Necessary To Be Able To Manufacture A Gallon Of Ethanol?

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Green What?

This informative article will certainly illustrate the number of bushels of Corn are necessary to produce just one single gallon of ethanol. This will surely make an impression on on anybody who trades the commodity corn, exactly how Ethanol manufacturing has an effect on the total supply of Corn intended for live cattle feed, as well as, various other domestic uses.

Each bushel of corn can create up to 2.5 gallons of ethanol fuel. Just the starch from the corn is required to generate ethanol. A lot of the substance of the corn kernel remains, leaving the protein and valuable co-products for use in the production of food for people, livestock, feed, along with a variety of chemicals. By way of example, that same bushel of corn (56 pounds.) employed in ethanol manufacturing might also produce the following products depending on process employed to produce Ethanol. Ethanol is manufactured from corn by making use of 1 of 2 standard processes, wet-milling or dry-milling. Dry-milling plants are less expensive to build and additionally produce higher yields of ethanol, however the value of co-products is less.

The wet-milling process results in 31.5 pounds of starch or thirty-three lbs. of sweetener, or 2.5 gallons of Ethanol fuel and 12.4 lbs. of 21% protein feed and 3. lbs of 60% gluten meal and 1.5 lbs. of Corn Oil and 17 lbs. Of CO2.

The dry-milling process provides 2.5 gallons of Ethanol fuel and 15 pounds. of brewer yeast, 10 eight oz. pkgs. of cheese curls, 1 lb. of pancake mix, twenty-two pounds. of hominy feed for live cattle, .7 lbs. of Corn Oil, and seventeen pounds. of Carbon Dioxide.

Probably the most controversial issues associated with ethanol is the question of “net energy” regarding ethanol production. According to the Institute for Local Self Reliance research in 1995, the production of ethanol out of corn is a positive net energy generator. If corn farmers utilize state-of-the-art, energy-efficient farming techniques, and ethanol plants use state-of-the-art production processes, then the quantity of energy contained in a gallon of ethanol and the other co-products is more than two times the energy used to grow the corn as well as transform it into ethanol.

Posted in Biofuels, Going Green | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Solar Power The Immediate Answer To Our Electricity Worries?

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Green What?

We are seeking an across-the-board answer for our present exorbitant consumption of gasoline and it seems as though there is none, at least for the present. We will be using Ethanol additive to our present gasoline formulas, but this will only give us better miles per gallon not to mention, much cleaner bi-products with its use. Ethanol is a temporary fix…at best. The key reason why, of course is the disadvantages of the corn base sugars(and other similar sugar and starch crops) to produce it. It is a simple deduction that it will eventually begin to deplete the food stock of our nation and also hurt our exports of these grains. We could, with the anticipated increase demand of our corn crop, grow the extra acreage that would be needed to meet any anticipated needs. We must keep in mind how much labor that might be required to accomplish this task as well as the massive acreage that would be needed to keep up with demand. The question remains…Will the Ethanol approach keep the price below our present gasoline prices ?

All in all, we must accept the fact we will be unable to have our gas and eat our corn muffins too. There are also other crops which may be used to derive the Ethanol fuel, such as soybeans, sugar beet, raw sugarcane, etc.. The fact still remains…the choice will be gas for our automobiles and in addition to this will eventually come a vast depletion of more than one of our key domestic and export crops. It does not mean that this scenario will be what we eventually grown into, but without other renewable energy fuels developed in tandem, like the Hydrogen based fuel cell to assist the Ethanol fuel approach, this could lend itself to some key food staple shortages. The final question may be…”Do we prefer wheels beneath our feet, or food in our stomachs.” Common sense tells us that here at this time, we must proceed with great caution. Granted, the very large south American country of Brazil has embarked on their Ethanol program for approximately a decade now, with fairly good results and have enjoyed the weaning from foreign oil. Will it ever be 100% remains to be seen.

Solar energy is one possible approach being tinkered with to produce Hydrogen in order to power our future power plants. It is hoped that this electricity will help us not deplete our fossil fuels and will help us to deliver the fuel needed to produce power for advanced “Fuel Cells” being developed to power the automobiles and trucks, etc. of the future.

Unfortunately, producing Hydrogen by using solar energy electricity is very inefficient. This being said, solar energy is fully renewable and therefore must be considered. Combined with Hydrogen fuel from Solar approach there comes recent announcements of some breakthroughs holding great promise using Solar to economically produce the hydrogen needed for fuel cells for both the automobile and our industrial needs and not using up our food resources in the process.

Posted in Biofuels, Going Green, Solar Energy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment