Solar Energy Is Pure Sunshine!

Sunday, January 3rd, 2010

Pure sunshine makes almost all of the world’s energy. Let’s repeat that; Pure sunshine makes almost all the world’s energy! No matter how you look at it the sun works in mysterious ways, whether the energy is harvested from of a tree, plant and then used indirectly as wood, pellets, oil or coal(taking billions of years) the majority of energy we use is a product of the sun. Enough sun energy falls on the earth in a single day to supply us with energy for several years. This could also be through several man made sources including solar panels, solar heating and solar hot water panels.     The energy the sun supplies is free, all we need to do is put the equipment in place to harness the raw power going to waste every day. The energy we harness and use today will not deplete the energy we can harness and use tomorrow or the day after and best of all there will still be plenty for our children without the harmful effects on the environment. The drawback for many is the start up cost for purchasing and installing a system. You are paying for your electricity in a lump sum in advance before you even get to enjoy the clean energy. Our culture unfortunately is governed by “pay as you go” which makes all the utility companies very popular since they only charge us for what we use in a given period of time. Imagine paying up front for installation and never having to pay another electricity bill. Maintaining the system is well, basically maintenance free.     So what do you need to make solar energy—-Just the equipment – the sun does the rest! The equipment would be PV Panels, charge controller, batteries, system monitor, inverter and a circuit breaker panel. There are more and more manufacturers, distributors and suppliers of this equipment every day. If you do not believe me the go to the government site http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/solarphotv/solarpv.htmland see the information for yourself. Since 1997 this industry has grown exponentially each and every year.     To fulfill your energy requirements in any weather a good backup system to the solar would be a wind generator. Usually if it is cloudy a solar system will not generate the same output as it would on a sunny day. With the weather being unsettled usually there is wind and wind can also mean electricity backup. It takes and average wind speed of 9 miles per hour to keep a wind generator generating electricity. If wind power is not an option than additional energy storage batteries can also be a solution.     No matter how you look at it solar energy, green energy and wind energy is the only option for a socially responsible culture. We just need to adjust to the change now before the damage we do to the earth is irreversible. The government is offering tax credits for the installation of solar energy systems, up to 30% of the cost, you can see the tax form and instructions here http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5695.pdfany way you look at it, and it makes more and more sense to install a solar system to create energy.

Who Needs Electricity From Renewable Energy System

Friday, January 1st, 2010

It could be “all the rage” today to jump on the bandwagon and need to use replenish-able energy to help save the planet, but in reality, how do you use the earth’s renewable resources and save cash on our own energy costs? How does one basically get to employ a renewable energy like the sun or wind to power your home? Do you get a professional installer to put up some solar energy panels or a wind energy generator? Will you take the leap and try to do it yourself and hope you actually finish the project and end up with a usable system? There are many questions about this topic but we will try to give you some answers.
Good stories is, green energy is rising and that makes it simpler for the typical person to setup and install your own clean energy system.
The truth is that it isn’t hard not hard to build wind turbines and many homeowners are taking the challenge to build their own wind turbines as an inexpensive means to using renewable energies. It isn’t exactly snap-your-fingers straightforward to build wind turbines either, but with the proper plans and a galvanized builder you can be building air turbines in no time.
When the wind dies down (or doesn’t exist at all) then solar energy panels are a great option and frequently solar energy panels and wind energy generators are used together to generate a home’s power. Solar electricity is an example of the finest and most trustworthy replenish-able energy sources available. The difficulty most amateur environmental soldiers find is that the cost of professionally installed solar power systems is way outside their budget and it could take well over ten years to see a return on their investment.
You might be thinking that building wind turbines and/or solar cells on your own will cost thousands of dollars much like a professional system. You would be stunned just how inexpensive building your own solar or wind energy system can be. With the right plans, you can build your own wind energy generator for between $180-200 and less if you can find some pieces to recycle from other used apparatus, as an example. The key is to discover a plan that works for your goals.
There are numerous different DIY plans available online today. You need to make sure that you get complete plans that include
? Complete instructions and diagrams
? resources to get certain parts you can need ( best to avoid plans that require purchasing parts from specialised internet sites since this can cost extra money )
The key to keeping costs down and completing any project lies in good planning, and the right manual will help you do just that. Look for proven, experienced and moderately priced replenish-able energy manuals. You do not have to spend hundreds, and some of the finest manuals available are terribly creative in their use of materials found at your local hardware store or by employing recycled materials.
So, for a little bit of elbow grease, you can make your own electricity for years ahead, help the environment and save money with a ” renewable energy system.
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Wind Power Efficiency: Wind Energy Benefits in Comparison with Other Energy Resources

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Wind power efficiency involves one of the most reliable and clean source of energy in use all over the world today. It is a simple concept of converting wind into a source of energy. The power efficiency can be illustrated in the various wind farms established all over the world with 1.5% of electricity worldwide supplied by wind power. Apart from the wind farms are generators and other machinery that depend on wind power for energy.

Below are the concepts that illustrate and increase wind power efficiency in comparison to other sources of energy

 

The increase in the wind farms under construction shows that wind power efficiency has been recognised. Be it wind or solar energy that you require, get the DIY guide that makes it easier for you to understand the systems together with installation instructions. Below you will find 5 step by step guides with all detailed information on how to build your own wind turbine and make homemade solar panels for generating free electricity.

How to Use Renewable Energy And Save Money

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Renewable energy is the best solution to stop global warming and keep the world green. Using renewable energy can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars off your electric bill. Through renewable resources it is possible to become completely independent from electric companies.

About 7% of the United States is powered by renewable resources. The five most common methods to gather electricity from nature are: Solar Power, Water Power (Hydropower), Geothermal Power, Wind Power, And Energy From Biomass. Lets take a look further into each of these.

Solar power is energy gathered directly through the sun. Solar panels are devices that can transfer the light rays into electricity. If humans where 100% efficient, and could gather all the energy from the sun that hits the earth, we would only need gather the energy for about a minute each day. That’s right, one minute’s worth of solar energy could power the entire world for a day. For your home, you can use solar panels to supply your house with electricity.

Water power is the energy from moving water. Dams are a great example of energy from water, the running water powers them. Running water constantly flows out to the ocean, where it evaporates and returns to land. This makes it renewable, because the water cycle will always continue to supply our streams and rivers with water. If you have a source of water near your house, you can use a water mill to generate electricity.

Geothermal power is energy from within the Earth. As you probably know, the Earth’s core is very hot, and consistently melt rock and heats water. You can dig deep wells and pump the hot water or steam out of it, then you can use this heat to heat your home.

Wind power is energy from the air flow that surrounds the Earth. Wind turbines, similar to propellers on an airplane, can transfer this pushing force into a spinning movement. This spinning movement can be used to power a generator and supply you with electricity. Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the Earth, basically because warm air rises and cold air falls. The states with the highest wind power are generally the border states because the ocean produces high winds.

Biomass power is energy gathered from plants and plant waste. Like solar panels, plants have the ability to gather sunlight and transfer it to energy. This process is called photosynthesis, fossil fuel is energy gathered by photosynthesis millions of years ago. Since we can’t replace fossil fuel, it is not renewable, you should use today’s plants for energy. To use biomass, you can use biofuels (fuels made from biomass) like methane and ethanol. Also, use a wood stove to heat your home instead of the normal heaters.

Wind Power Has it’s Disadvantages

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

The sheer volume of positives associated with the use of wind power as a viable alternative energy source is vast. The most oft cited reason is that there is zero pollution associated with the use of wind based power. However, there is an additional benefit that some may not be aware of. Wind is available in abundance anywhere and everywhere on the earth. This makes wind a much more pragmatic source of energy since exploration and excavation is not part of the equation. With such a high supply of available wind power, the costs associated with energy can be greatly reduced.

This leads to questions as to why wind farms are not more prevalent in a society that has great needs and demands for energy. Unfortunately, wind power is far from a perfect concept and there are some common disadvantages associated with employing its use. Here is a look at some of those disadvantages:

Surely, you have noticed that some days the wind blows fiercely while other days it does not. While this is not all that bad for someone simply out on a stroll, for those that require a certain amount of wind to produce a desired quota of renewable energy, such lack of “reliability” on the element’s part can prove severely problematic. Basically, when the wind does not blow the wind turbines cannot possible produce energy. Such limitations on the ability to reliably generate wind power have slowed its growth in the energy market.

Speaking of wind turbines, there are certain problems with these electricity producing propeller-like devices. For the turbines to produce a heaping amount of energy, the turbines must be placed in a region that is free from obstructions. But, where is such “free space” available? Well, if space exists it certainly would not be free. More than likely, it will come with high rental, lease, or purchase costs. Such costs can cut into the cost-efficiency of the farms and make them unviable.

Wind farms and turbines and sometimes not met with a lot of enthusiasm by populations in urban areas. This can be considered ironic since such regions are incredibly reliant on high energy consumption in order to thrive. So, why is there an aversion to wind turbines on the part of the populace? Wind turbines can be very noisy which can undermine the peace and quiet people seek. Also, the presence of wind farms can encroach on private and commercial properties which may potentially lower their equity. In short, you save money on energy but lose the value of your property.

Lastly, no matter how you approach the development of wind power, fossil fuel use will be required to support such a venture. The production, transportation, and even the design of wind power will require traditional oil and coal based energy production to create. This is a simple, unavoidable fact.

Do not consider any of these assessments to be an admonishment against the use of wind power. Wind power has many scores of benefits to it and they are all worth exploring. Yes, disadvantages exist but that is true of all energy sources whether they be traditional or modern renewable forms.

How Does Wind Power Really Work?

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

Wind power will eventually be vital to our planet in the near future but do you actually know how wind power works? At first glance it looks pretty self explanatory but in actuality, there is a good deal more involved. Wind power is really worthwhile for us because it can greatly reduce the pressures on our earth and it also saves us money on our bills.Even though air merely appears like it is there and is not actually anything tangible, the truth is that air is really a liquid that is formed of gas particles. Other fluids that we are familiar with have particles that are liquid. When the wind gusts these gas particles are also in motion and create kinetic energy which can then be harnessed and converted into power. To be able to seize this wind energy, blades are employed which are joined to a shaft. Then this shaft is attached to some kind of generator which produces available power by changing the wind energy to electricity. Basically, wind power is simply taking one type of energy and changing it into some other form of energy. The most essential component of this process, besides wind which is pretty apparent, is the turbine blades that are spun around by the wind. These blades are produced aerodynamically similar to an airplanes wings. This design is really important to maximize the effectiveness of the turbine but something else is also important. The other critical component is simply the size of the blade. The bigger the blade is, the more energy is seized and more power can be created for us in the form of electricity.By utilizing a blade diameter that is twice the size of another, we can step-up power output by up to four times! Much also depends on on where you live to figure out the correct blade size. In regions with low wind levels, smaller blades work better because more wind is necessary to drive the larger turbine blades. In an area that is very windy, it is much better to use the biggest blades feasible in order to use all of the wind available.There is definitely more involved with how wind power is made but this gives you the fundamental principles of how electricity is produced from the wind. In the near future, wind power will be a good deal more common and will be used by not only big companies but also by homeowners. Today is a wonderful time to do as much research as you can about wind power so you can make wise decisions in the future.

Renewable Energy For Homeowners

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

Renewable Energy as the term implies is a form of energy that is self sustaining and constantly renewing itself like wind and solar energy. Which can not be said by many other energy sources that are currently in use such as oil, gas, coal and nuclear energy. Another advantage the renewable energy sources have over conventially used energy sources is that for the most part it is non polluting and thus is environmentally friendly and health for human and animal use. A third advantage and one that peaks most peoples interest is that solar and wind energy saves you money as they are essentially fixed in cost and are not subject to the price volitility and availability of oil, coal, gas and nucluear energy. There are two ways that a homeowner can implement renewable energy; this can be done by using solar panels and/or wind turbines. These renewable energy technologies are implemented into what is essentially an energy system using advance electronics to tie together and control the energy generating sources. These systems may lead you to think that they are fairly complex and expensive, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. If your a Do-It-Yourselfer it’s even more cost effective, and as with all such systems they pay for themselves year after year. Depending on how you implement renewable energy technolgy it is quite possible to power your home off grid which can save you thousands yearly. This includes using solar power heaters that can provide up to 75% of a homes hot water needs reducing or eliminating the need for oil or gas heating systems. If your currently not ready for upgrading your home with solar panels and wind turbines you should still begin to investigate what it will take to upgrade your home and the cost involved; since eventually going green is something we’re all going to have to do. For now though you can reduce your energy consumption by insulating your home, use energy efficient light bulbs, caulk leaky windows, insulate your water heating tank, insulate pipes that distribute your hot water… To start getting ready on installing green technologies do your best to learn about the various programs available to homeowners from federal and state governements that will help reduce the cost on installing green technologies such as solar and wind and the various tax benefits that are also available, which can save you a bundle of money. As the price for the commonly used fuels of oil and gas continue to rise and there scarcity increases, renewable energy sources and the technology developed to take advantage of them is the only way to go since they will be here as long as the sun burns bright in earths sky. Learn more about Green Technology Solar Panels and Wind Turbines and how they can save you money as well as add value to your home while helping the environment at the same time!

Making Good Use of Wind Power

Saturday, December 19th, 2009

More and more people are beginning to believe that the next wars are to be fought over who controls the most water but the importance of electrical energy remains the same. Energy will forever be in high demand and wind power is the most efficient and eco-friendly kind of energy. For hundreds of years mankind has been using windmills to make life easier for themselves. The modern wind energy generators work on a slightly different methodology than the old wind mill, though the concept is the same, using the kinetic energy of the moving wind to generate power.
Wind energy is the most environment friendly of all power generation ways, save probably a dam. It makes use of the wind drafts to propel a fan, thereby converting the winds kinetic energy into electricity.
According to some researchers, even solar energy plays some minor role in the global warming, absorbing some of the suns rays that were meant to be reflected back thereby increasing the planets temperature, playing its minor part in the global warming. Wind energyon the other hand poses no such problem; it is very eco friendly and efficient.
It is no recent development for private consumers to effectively install a wind energy generator in their homes to minimize their electric utility bill. With years of evolving, home wind energy generators are now easy to install, low maintenance and provide a sufficient source of power. Wind energy generators can also be found in the portable category now, excellent for camping trips.
A wind energy generator, when installed in a home provides a certain amount of power which is directly proportional to the amount and speed of the surrounding air drafts. This way you can generate a limited amount of safe and free energy, the rest of your energy requirements can easily be accomplished from your on-grid electrical connection.
Many governments are now beginning to appreciate the positive effect wind energy generators leave on a neighborhood and therefore provide incentives to people who use wind energy. You can therefore sell back to your electricity provider any excess energy your wind energy generator produces.
There is a large variety in shapes and sizes of wind energy generators. Specific models have been designed for home usage that gives off far less energy than other generators, thereby reducing any neighborhood noise. A small wind energy generator can effectively power an entire home. The amount of power generated is of course based upon the wind activity as well as the turbine’s size. For a windy area a small wind turbine would suffice but for less windy areas you would either have to buy a wind energy generator of a larger size or depend on the local grid supply for any excess electricity you require.
A wind turbine is a one time only expense that can have long lasting positive effects on your budget; you could even make some money by selling any excess electricity back to the electric supplier. However you would have to check any local home ordinances for allowance of a wind turbine, wind turbines are not yet so appreciated in all the states and countries because of its apparent noise or because of specific height limitations in your area.

Wind Power Has it’s Disadvantages

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

The sheer volume of positives associated with the use of wind power as a viable alternative energy source is vast. The most oft cited reason is that there is zero pollution associated with the use of wind based power. However, there is an additional benefit that some may not be aware of. Wind is available in abundance anywhere and everywhere on the earth. This makes wind a much more pragmatic source of energy since exploration and excavation is not part of the equation. With such a high supply of available wind power, the costs associated with energy can be greatly reduced.

This leads to questions as to why wind farms are not more prevalent in a society that has great needs and demands for energy. Unfortunately, wind power is far from a perfect concept and there are some common disadvantages associated with employing its use. Here is a look at some of those disadvantages:

Surely, you have noticed that some days the wind blows fiercely while other days it does not. While this is not all that bad for someone simply out on a stroll, for those that require a certain amount of wind to produce a desired quota of renewable energy, such lack of “reliability” on the element’s part can prove severely problematic. Basically, when the wind does not blow the wind turbines cannot possible produce energy. Such limitations on the ability to reliably generate wind power have slowed its growth in the energy market.

Speaking of wind turbines, there are certain problems with these electricity producing propeller-like devices. For the turbines to produce a heaping amount of energy, the turbines must be placed in a region that is free from obstructions. But, where is such “free space” available? Well, if space exists it certainly would not be free. More than likely, it will come with high rental, lease, or purchase costs. Such costs can cut into the cost-efficiency of the farms and make them unviable.

Wind farms and turbines and sometimes not met with a lot of enthusiasm by populations in urban areas. This can be considered ironic since such regions are incredibly reliant on high energy consumption in order to thrive. So, why is there an aversion to wind turbines on the part of the populace? Wind turbines can be very noisy which can undermine the peace and quiet people seek. Also, the presence of wind farms can encroach on private and commercial properties which may potentially lower their equity. In short, you save money on energy but lose the value of your property.

Lastly, no matter how you approach the development of wind power, fossil fuel use will be required to support such a venture. The production, transportation, and even the design of wind power will require traditional oil and coal based energy production to create. This is a simple, unavoidable fact.

Do not consider any of these assessments to be an admonishment against the use of wind power. Wind power has many scores of benefits to it and they are all worth exploring. Yes, disadvantages exist but that is true of all energy sources whether they be traditional or modern renewable forms.

3 Home Solar Power Solutions

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

Many people are under the impression that installing home solar power solutions are difficult and best left to the professionals. You will be happy to know, despite misconception, these solutions are quite cheap and easy to install. In addition, you will drastically cut your power bill and be doing your part to save power and ensure a better future for the next generations.In this article you will find a few options for home solar power solutions.Solar Heating Systems:The installation of a solar heating system for your home will significantly reduce your power bill, along with saving the world’s quickly-exhausting power resources. If you’re worried about the price, rest assured that your wise investment will return you absolutely free service within 3-4 years.Solar Lighting Systems:A solar lighting system stores converted solar energy in cells. The electrical energy taken from the solar cells is what powers the home lighting system. When you install a solar lighting system in your home, you can stop worrying about your electricity bills.Cooking with Solar Energy:A solar cooker uses no fuel what so ever. The only drawback is the amount of time it takes to cook. You can cook food for up to 5 people in the small box, you will also be surprised to know that you can boil food items, roast and bake! This free energy source is a great way to reduce those high bills and save some power at the same time.Make power at home with solar and wind energy to eliminate your power bill. Get our complete guide at earth4energy