Solar Energy: The Real Facts

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

Fortunately, alternative energy sources are growing in interest. For instance, locations with high water falls are experimenting on building a hydro-electric power plant, which turns out to be successful. Other locations with high wind speed make use of a power wind mills that can convert wind power into electricity. Also thermal and tidal powers are good alternatives.

Solar energy is also one of the energy sources that is gaining in interest. Solar energy has steadily been growing. Today solar energy is widely used in the US 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

The sun’s radiation reaches a certain unit of area in space in the region 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 0.45 to 1.35 kilowatt per hour (kWh) in an annual day and night average.

Therefore, if there would be more area that will be covered by several 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 Energy

There are two ways of conversion of solar energy. First is the direct solar energy which involves only 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 can be used to heat homes 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 transform solar energy to chemical energy, which can be burned later as fuel to generate electricity (also known as bio-fuel technology).
• Hydroelectric dams and wind turbines are indirectly supplied by solar energy through its interaction with the Earth’s atmosphere.

Pros and Cons of Solar Energy

Just like any other types of energy resources, solar energy has its ins and outs.

Pros:

• Pollution-free.
• Solar facilities can be run with little extra input or maintenance.
• It is abundant. As mentioned earlier, most of the inhabited areas here on Earth can be reached by sunlight.

Cons:

• Although it is abundant, non-tropical locations can receive little sunlight. Thus, power that will be produced in these locations is a minimum.
• Only during daytime thus not available during night time.
• Photovoltaic cell technologies generate direct current (DC) power which needs to be converted to alternating current (AC) power used in distribution grids.

Once massive development of the use of solar energy is materialized, expect that every household or industry in the world will now be powered by solar energy. It is not just a dream, it will be a dream come true.

Healthy Home Habits for the Environment

Sometimes the thought of being eco-friendly appears to be such a conscious effort that some people think it is only for the serious environmental activists. But do you know that there are actually habits you can develop in the home that does a lot of good to the environment while also being beneficial to you on many counts? These practical habits in the home are easy to develop and impart to kids, and can contribute a lot to the environment in the long run:

1. Make sure to turn faucets off all the way

Sometimes, it is mere carelessness that makes us waste water. It may not be a leaky faucet, but a person who fails to turn faucets off all the way may cause a constant, though appearing minimal, dripping. When combined, these drops of water can become a whole chunk over the course of, say, a month or a year. Conserving water not only helps the environment, you also save on your water bill.

2. Unplug all electrical appliances when not in use

This is as much for safety as it is for electricity conservation. Experts show that many appliances, such as TVs and DVD players, consume as much energy while plugged in and in sleep mode as they do when they are in use. Also, they pose a fire hazard. As such it would be to your benefit too to make it a habit to unplug all electrical appliances after every use.

3. Turn off all lights when you are not in the room

Again, this is both for energy conversation as it is for practicality. Perhaps you have the habit of leaving every light on in your entire house even though you actually spend the whole time cooped up in your room. Do yourself a favor and switch off all unnecessary lights. You might think it’s minimal, but multiply the energy wasted by 365 days a year and you might think differently. Besides, you could use the extra cash that you don’t spend on your electricity bill, right?

4. Schedule air-conditioning and heater time instead of running it all day

In times of extreme temperatures, we are tempted to keep the air-conditioning or the air heater on the whole day. But if you can actually stand up to temporary lulls, you can schedule them, for example, a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the afternoon. For example, instead of turning on the air conditioning, you can spend some time in front of a fan turned full speed. In the case of cold weather, a manually burning fireplace might do wonders to your electric bill.

These habits may sound simple and automatic, but oftentimes they do not come as naturally at first. As such it is important to start to do them consciously at the start, and pretty soon it will become just like second nature. That way, you will be doing your fair share for the environment while also keeping a good hold on your electricity bill.

How to Make Recycled Paper

Although there are many pollutants contributing to the problem of global warming, the basic ones are those that even young children can understand and address. This includes the problem of wasted paper, which not only pose a garbage problem but consequently results in more trees being cut down to meet the need for more paper. As such it can be a very rewarding experience to guide young children through the process of making recycled paper so that they can grasp more fully how trees are related to the waste paper problem.

For this project, you will need: used paper, one rectangular wooden frame, a second rectangular wooden frame with screen backing, an electric egg beater, a pail of water, a large basin, blotting cloth, and a heavy weight.

To make the process a way of instilling consciousness of the environment in young children, it would be best if you already started collecting waste paper at least a few weeks in advance. You can compile scrap paper from school assignments that are no longer needed, old newspapers, and table napkins that have been used to wipe down dry areas, among others. Magazines do not work as well because the pages are glossy and are difficult to mesh together for this project. This preparation time can be a great way to hype up the excitement for the project, as they can spend a couple of weekends scouring around the house for possible pieces of paper to use.

You will also need two wooden frames, one of which has a screen backing. If you do not have time to have one made, buying a silkscreen frame can suffice. Make sure the other frame, the one without the screen backing, is slightly smaller, as you will be using it to form the piece of paper.

Step 1. Tear up the used pieces of paper and soak them in the pail of water overnight. Try not to cut them up as the straight cuts of the scissors destroy the fibers. But if you have access to a shredder, shredded paper works best.

Step 2. Use the electric egg beater to mash the soaked paper bits into a pulp. The smoother you make the pulp, the better will be the consistency of your finished product. Remember to clean the egg beater thoroughly after use or else you might find paper bits sticking to your next scrambled eggs.

Step 3. Pour the pulpy mixture into the basin with water. Hold the two wooden frames together, the screen backing meeting the other frame tightly. Submerge them into the basin and bring it back up quickly. You will see the pulp being carried up by the screen. Give the frames a quick shake top to bottom and left to right to settle the pulp pieces.

Step 4. Quickly turn the flat pulp mixture over onto your blotting cloth, and blot behind the screen to transfer the wet sheet. Cover on top with another blotting cloth. Repeat the process until you have set all the pulp into thin sheets, and cover the entire thing with a heavy weight.

Step 5. By the next day or two, you should be able to hang the blotting cloths up to dry, and you can peel off the recycled paper after another day or two. This can make for a great ingredient in crafts project, as little ones will appreciate how the pulp actually formed bonds to form the piece of paper they are now holding!

Home Solar Power System

In these days of high electricity consumption, it has become possible to save money on electric bills as well as increase the value of one's home and also make the world a little bit cleaner by using a home solar energy system to meet the electricity needs of the home.

It involves setting solar modules on or near the home to collect free and clean as well as safe energy from the sun and converting the sunlight into electricity which is instantaneous in the case of the home solar power system, since there are no mechanical parts involved.

To convert the DC power into AC power one would need an inverter and the home solar power system sends excess electricity to the local utility for credit and the home electricity meter actually reverses when the home solar energy system generates more electricity than is consumed by the home.

Reputed manufacturers are selling their own home solar energy systems and finding one should not be a problem what with big names such as BP making such products. Using such systems means that the solar power system is automatic - very much like the savings it affects.

Sunwize Residential Grid-Tie Systems

This home solar energy system supplies reliable power for the home using top quality UL listed products and includes solar modules, UniRac SolarMount mounting structure, inverters, cables as well as all necessary hardware and electrical components. These systems are modular and so one can combine multiple units together and the SunWize grid-tie systems are NEC code requirement compliant that meet US safety standards and come with a twenty year warranty on power output as well as a five year system warranty.

Before deciding on a home solar energy system, one should determine beforehand how much power is required to be used in the home and for this one may need to list all the loads that are planned to be run, along with the amount of voltage and the daily hours of operations.

Once these parameters have been arrived at and quantified they can be compared with the different home solar power systems to determine which would be most suitable.

Using a home solar power system would greatly reduce the power bills as well as help in keeping the environment free of pollutants and very often, it helps in generating excess electricity that exceeds the electricity needs of a home and is thus an economical solution to high priced utility services.

How to Host an Eco Friendly Party

People think that living an eco-friendly life is boring, but do you know that you can actually have fun while helping save the environment at the same time? Going green is exciting contrary to what most people think. Whether you’re trying to hold a tree-planting activity or host a party at home, there are plenty of things you can do and contribute to help fight global warming. Try these tips in case you decide to host a party that’s both fantastic and eco-friendly:

1. Use recyclable paper for your invitations. Instead of spending some cash on invitation cards, why not make your own out of recyclable paper? They’re free and will have your own personal touch in them. There are probably a lot of old newspaper and magazines in your shelf that you can use. A little creativity and you’re good to go. Alternatively, you can take advantage of modern technology and send out your invitation using the internet. There are plenty of sites out there that allow people to make electronic invitation cards that you can send to your invited guests. Most people do not like this idea, claiming that it lacks personal touch and can be cold way of inviting someone. However, if you really want to minimize paper waste, this option is probably the best.

2. Take advantage of nature. Perhaps the best place to host an eco-friendly party is no other than your lawn. There, you can advantage of natural lighting and decors that you would otherwise have spent upon in case you decided to hold the party inside a building. In an open space like a garden, you can also take advantage of the natural ventilation that will help you save on air conditioning and other electrical cost.

3. Use biodegradable utensils. Utensils will surely make up 90 percent of your garbage, so to limit waste disposal, use biodegradable plates, cups, spoons, and forks. Paper plates and cups will only add to your garbage, and using your China will only encourage the use of dishwashing liquids that contain harmful chemicals.

4. Serve organic food. You may not realize it but do you know that there are actually eco-friendly foods available today? Yes, from children’s treats to organic wine, you can actually enjoy the party serving not only eco-friendly but healthy dishes as well. There are also tasty cakes and cookies made from organic ingredients such as spinach and broccoli that you can serve during dessert.

5. Encourage car pooling. When the day of the event comes, hire someone or ask a friend to pick up all your guests in a spot that is accessible to everyone. Sure, there will be guests who would drive their way to the venue, but there would also be some who would be glad to enjoy a free ride as long as the pickup spot is near their house. By doing this, you will minimize the need of people to drive and spend on fuel and even transportation.

Is Your Next House A Money Maker

Owning a home should be one of your priorities in life. Having your own home has many advantages. The main reason to own your own house is to gain financial wealth. By owning your house you will have financial responsibilities. You will not only pay for your house (mortgage) but for your utility bill as well. The cost for electricity and water can be (very) expensive.

Today there are houses on the market which are well-furnished and have a very low monthly energy cost. These houses are installed with the latest state-of-the-art energy saving lighting and heating systems.

These houses are sold as a solar-powered residential unit (SPRU) or commonly known as a solar home. The monthly energy consumption costs are much lower and are energy efficient compared to traditional homes.

First we will discuss the traditional homes. Traditional homes are filled with lighting and energy equipment that is conventional in nature. 45 percent of the energy consumed in almost all households around the world is reserved for heating and cooling. 55 percent of the conventional energy used in homes is accounted to the use of electricity.

Most of this conventional energy is generated through burning fossil fuels. Because of the higher demand of fossil fuel usage, there is an increase in the prices that is carried to the monthly electric bills of a regular household consumer. That is why there is an increase both in the generation and distribution charges of electric utility companies.

When we look at the features of these solar homes it can be said that they are build to capture energy from the sunlight and transforming it into a highly efficient source of energy. Thus, the home will more efficient with the consumption of electricity, water heating, space heating in winter, and space cooling in summer. This will lead to a lower electricity bill and that our aim.

Let's briefly explain how the SPRU System Works

The sunlight will enter the solar panels which will be converted into DC electricity. This DC electricity that is produced enters the inverter and turns it into 120-volt AC electricity that is the standard voltage needed by home appliances. AC electricity will be entering the utility panel of the house and distribute it to electricity loads such as appliances and lighting equipments.

When there is excess solar energy generated, it can be stored in the battery as DC electricity. This can be used to supply your house electricity in case of a power failure or at night time.

The SPRU Components

Using the energy generated from the sun is relatively economical and at the same time environmental in nature. However, before you experience the comfort of a modern solar home, you need to be familiarized with the components that will be used. These are briefly discussed in the preceding items.

* Photovoltaic cells- it is the capturing element of your solar home. It generally consists of a small cell which holds a silicon substance under glass. When the rays of the sun hit the cell, the silicon initiates an electrical reaction that produces a charge. This charge is collected by small wires.
* Solar panel- a collection of solar cells that constitutes as a unit in a frame.
* Solar system- it is an interconnected sets of solar panels. Remember that a single solar panel cannot provide enough electricity. It converts enough sunlight into electricity.
* Inverter- it converts the direct current (DC) generated by solar panels into alternating current (AC) power that can be used in home or fed back into a utility power grid system.

Eco Friendly Furniture: A Unique Solution to Global Warming

Whether you like it or not, planet earth is not the same world you were living in a few years ago. The world is suffering from a phenomenon called global warming. It’s quite shocking human activities can produce so much damage to the planet in just a short period of time but that’s what’s happening today, and the only thing we can do is find ways to reverse it or at least slow it down.

One of the ways in which you could help the environment is using eco-friendly furniture. The fancy term “eco-friendly” simply refers to products that do not cause harm to the environment in any way. So when you say using eco-friendly furniture, it simply means taking advantage of furniture that are not sprayed or waxed with toxic paints and other harmful chemicals, but are made from natural materials instead that will never harm the environment even if you dispose of them. Regular furniture are treated with chemicals so that they are persevered and do not get damaged easily. The only problem is that this process causes toxins to burn and go up into the atmosphere.

Eco-friendly furniture are made from pure wood, but the difference is that most of the wood used for the production of the products are recycled and do not come directly from cut trees. This lessens the problem of deforestation that we are facing today. Another thing is that the materials or the wood used for these eco-friendly furniture pieces are only cut from trees that belong to well-maintained forests or forests that are well preserved and wouldn’t suffer a bit when trees are cut from them.

If you want to start using eco-friendly furniture to help save the environment, there’s no need to get rid of your old furniture. Your old furniture may not be as safe to the environment as eco-friendly furniture are but you don’t want to throw away such a great investment either. The key here is to dispose of such furniture very gradually. Start by purchasing one piece of eco-friendly furniture and slowly getting rid of old furniture. If there’s a piece of furniture you want to get rid of, don’t just throw them away but find someone who is willing to use or recycle it. You can even recycle the material yourself if you fail to find a place or a person to hand it down to.

If you don’t realize it yet, investing in eco-friendly furniture is an excellent way to save trees and our forests, and the planet in general. It may be a little contribution but even a simple act as this can go a long way without you knowing it. There’s absolutely nothing to lose in putting a little investment on furniture especially if they give you the opportunity to help save the planet. Besides, the beauty of products made from natural materials will always surpass those of regular products.

The History of Solar Power Goes a Long Way

Solar power was born more than a hundred years ago, but the discussions about using this type of energy do not die up to this time. At present when gas prices and home energy prices hits heavenward, many people would rather talk about the use of alternative energies than imported oil. For one, the sources of imported oil are located in unpredictable places where an outbreak of war could cut off the supplies at any time. With no power supply, living would be a struggle and working would be very difficult. Many people who use energy to drive their cars and heat their homes scour for more stable types of energy which cost considerably lesser.

Solar power is one type of energy that is used popularly most of the time because of the tax incentives sometimes available for using this type of energy. It is used more often as well because the costs can be substantially less than the traditional sources of energy. The recent developments toward solar energy are surprising because scientists have studied the use of this type of energy for many years. The history of solar power dates back more than a century ago with a French mathematician as a pioneer.

The History of Solar Power Takes Leaps through the Years

The quest for alternative sources of energy began when a scientist thought that there should be an alternative to coal. He thought that coal would be used up and the population would be left without the necessary energy to continue with daily life so this scientist began developing the technology to use solar power. Other scientists also studied the use of solar power during this period a century ago. The first experiment with a commercial potential solar power company has its incipient in 1900.

The history of solar power continues with significant discoveries and experimentation up to this time although use of solar power did not become widespread. The development continued, but the public support for the utilization of solar power was not so promising. The interest in solar power increases when there is the threat or incidence of disruption in other sources of energy. The history of solar power marches down into the present modern times with more interest in the use and knowledge of this alternative energy. Solar panels are more visible in rooftops and lawns now than ever before. The use of solar power has been used effectively and provides a substantial savings in the long run for those that use this type of energy.

Creating a Cleaner and Greener Earth for Everyone

The problem with global warming is something that is not new. In fact, people have come with many methods and ways on how to fight it over the years. While some of the formulated solutions are quite simple even for a six-year-old kid to follow, other methods are quite complicated and have still remained as theories until now, waiting to become living realities. To tell you the truth, you don’t necessarily have to be as smart as the scientists who discovered how to use solar power or wind energy as global warming solutions in order for you to help make the earth a better place to live in. There are many things that an ordinary person like you can do to actually make that happen. You don’t believe me? Read along.

1. Recycle. We are all too familiar with this word, but do we really understand the impact of such a practice as recycling to the health of our planet? For your information, making new products out of recycled materials can help save up to 90% of energy. It would help a lot if companies can melt old plastic bottles and containers and make new plastic products out of them. However, that is not always the case. You can make a change by recycling not just old plastic items but also papers and boxes.

2. Donate old clothes. Do you know that handing down clothes that you’ve outgrown is an example of direct recycling? Donating your clothes to charity will not only help save the environment but also those who are in desperate need of something to cover their bodies. Most people leave their unused clothes untouched and hanging inside the closet for years, but you can do better by donating your own to agencies that are intended in helping people and the environment at the same time.

3. Ride your bike. If you know how to ride a bicycle, you should start riding one regularly. You can practically go anywhere without spending even just a single drop of gasoline by doing so. You don’t necessarily have to make it as your general means of transportation but it sure is one of the most ideal means to travel especially if you just want to buy something from the grocery shop around the corner. Or, better yet walk if you can afford it. Is your destination too far for bike ride or a walking exercise? Take the bus instead of driving your car. You will be able cut down your fuel consumption up to 80 percent by doing so.

4. Plant a tree. Statistics show that the earth loses an acre of rainforest every six seconds. If all the people of the world can plant a tree or two, that would help make up for the loss that our rainforests are experiencing right now. One adult tree can consume more than 45 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and is enough to save at least 15 trees by reducing fossil fuel consumption.

How to Save Energy at Home

Decreasing your energy consumption at home not only helps you to save money, but also reduces or minimizes pollution that you get from burnings fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gases. When we talk about less burning of fuels, it also means lowering the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the primary contributor to global warming.

The first step to taking a whole-house energy efficiency approach is to know and find out which parts of your home uses the most energy. You can do this by conducting a simple home energy audit yourself. Alternatively, you can try to contact your local utility for a more comprehensive examination.

Most energy-saving methods are easy to implement and won’t give you a hard time to carry out. To those who are a bit skeptical as to whether this is possible, there is good news. There is now an energy efficient alternative for almost every kind of appliance or light fixture. This simply means that the consumers have a choice and the power to change their energy use on time to time basis.

With that in mind, these quick energy saving tips should get you on the right start towards conserving energy in your home:

1. First, check the insulation levels in your attic. Proper ventilation in your attic means big energy savings, whereas attics that let in too much heat will cost you a bundle in air conditioning costs. Also, check your exteriors, including basement walls, doors, floors, windows, ceilings and crawl spaces, to make sure there are no holes or cracks that might let air leak into or out of your home. Even electric outlets and switches can sometimes be the culprit, and finding them might spell a big difference.

2. Always make sure that your appliances, heating and cooling systems are maintained properly. For example, a refrigerator that has not been defrosted in a while is known to eat up more energy than its better-maintained neighbor.

3. Make sure you know your family’s lighting needs. This means you can use brighter lights where they are needed and dimmer ones where they are sufficient. You really do not need the entire house shining brightly like a hotel every time. Turn off hallway lights if you don’t need them. Alternatively, look for ways to use lighting controls, like the occupancy sensors or dimmers. This can help reduce energy.

4. Replace standard light bulbs—incandescent ones—with the compact or standard fluorescent ones for reducing energy purposes.

Once you get started with these simple ways to save energy on the most basic of household needs, you will become all the wiser in checking for possible loopholes in your quest to conserve power and maintain a budget. Rest assured, you are not alone in your journey, as many households are also only starting to learn the ropes, and it’s never too late to start. Start now and start enjoying tremendous savings, and the knowledge that you are also being friendly to the environment and the generations to come.

The Importance Of Solar Energy Advantages

It has always been obvious that the earth is capable of producing a lot more energy than we think. In fact, most of the fossil fuels are depleting, and some people are worried about where our energy is going to come from when the inevitable happens.

However, there is a way that each of us can get the energy that we need, with little or no trouble. It is called solar energy advantages, and if everyone used it, there would be not need to ever use any other types of resources.

How Does It Work

There are many ways that solar energy advantages can work for you. First of all, the easiest way for you to take advantage of solar energy advantages is to install solar panels on your home. You can easily install these on your roof or put them in when you build a new house.

The only thing that might take a little doing is making sure that the home is wired to understand the solar energy advantages and where it is coming from. You will need to install, as well, a generator that can harness the solar energy advantages and turn it into usable power.

After you have made the installations, you don't need to worry about using your solar energy advantages only when the sun is out. First of all, the panels will catch the energy from the sun, even when it is overcast.

Also, the panels will catch much more energy than you can use in a day, so the energy is converted and stored in the solar energy advantages generator. This means that you can use it on your own, during the night and other very stormy or cloudy days.

One of the best things about using solar energy advantages is that you are doing your part to help out the earth. If everyone was to use solar energy advantages, our dependence on other types of energy would be completely gone and we'd find ourselves in a much cleaner and happier world.

It might be expensive to install solar energy advantages panels and to convert the energy at first, but once you have the system up and running, it means that you no longer have to pay for any of your electricity or even your heat. Imagine not having those bills to pay.

Also, the best thing about using solar energy advantages is that it is excellent for the earth, and if you have enough panels, you will make enough energy to actually sell some back to the electrical companies. Imagine being able to do that!