What is Green Energy?

Green energy is energy that produces little if no by products that harm the environment. For example, fossil fuels like oil are expensive to mine, destructive to the environment during the actual drilling process and produce many toxic byproducts. These very same by products have been directly contributing to greenhouse gases and global warming not to mention polluting our waterways and air.

Green energy, like solar, wind, and geothermal do not cause destruction to the environment either during their harvesting stage or as a byproduct. When you use solar cells for example to store and create energy, you’re using energy directly from the sun. There’s no by product create and no waste.

Benefits of Green Energy

The benefits of green energy are vast. Initially you may think about two primary environmental benefits. They include no waste or pollution from the energy sources or emissions. Eliminating harmful emissions would drastically improve our planet’s outlook and virtually eliminate global warming caused by greenhouse gasses.

Additionally, green energy means no more destruction of the earth as we harvest fossil fuels. No more oil spills, digging in the midst of our pristine wilderness and destroying our natural resources.

However, beyond the immediate and apparent environmental benefits, in the long run green energy is significantly more cost effective. Imagine if your entire home ran on energy from the sun?  How much a month would that save you in heating your home and in your electric bill? 

Over the course of a year you’d save a thousand dollars or more, right?  What about over the course of ten years?  Yes, initially it will cost to transfer your energy source from fossil fuels to green energy sources, but that initial expense is usually paid for within a few years.

Green energy is infinitely sustainable and economically sound. That’s why it is the wave of the future.

How to Use Green Energy

The good news is that green energy can be utilized in smaller increments. You don’t have to change your entire home over to sustainable fuel sources in one fell swoop. You can add a few solar panels, use passive solar, and support sustainable practices. Some energy companies even offer a membership where you can specify a certain amount of your energy come from wind or solar. This depends on where you live but check it out. Finally, you can support businesses that use green energy.

It may take a while to spread throughout the world, however green energy is more than a passing phase, it is the wave of the future.

A post from: Great Articles

On Orientation

There are a number of principles that you have to keep in mind to take advantage of passive solar energy fully. The applications will rely on the specific location and climate you belong to. Orientation refers to the positioning of the home so that you get most of the sun’s rays to heat and minimize the impact for cooling. Shading is vital in managing the natural light and temperature of the home.

Shade can be given by other structural elements. Insulation refers to keeping a warm home during the winter and a cool house during the summer. Thermal mass refers to heat storage during daytime and its release after the sun is gone. The windows will make sure that the home stays comfortable any day of the year. Ventilation refers to maintaining the cool inside the home during extra hot days.

Passive Solar Heating

Passive solar heating belongs to the category of solar space heating. The heating process can be done by orienting the home well so that most of the windows face to the south. The windows should be sized properly too, so that optimal heat gain will be attained. The home has to be insulated to reduce loss of heat. Passive cooling is a kind of solar cooling. The main idea behind passive cooling is to reduce the impact of the sun by orienting the landscape and the house so that you get the most benefits out of cool breezes.

The home also has to be designed to reduce barriers to air paths through the home to let natural ventilation in. You need to use the right type and size of windows to reduce the heat during extra hot days. Landscaping and structural features can be used to make shade. The home also has to be insulated well to keep the right temperature.

On Daylighting

Daylighting is a kind of solar energy lighting. It is described as the use of natural light to illuminate the house. Good daylighting provides the right light to all your rooms, while minimizing costs in utilities and electricity. You can daylight the house well by sizing and positioning the windows so that natural light freely enters the home. You should also use exterior shading that will diffuse the light.

Passive solar energy is considered as a natural and very cost-effective way to maintain your home. You can save so much in the long run and expect to have the right light and temperature inside your home for years to come. Talk to experts on how you can install the right elements.

A post from: Great Articles

The Stand Alone System

There are small stand-alone electric systems that are very good at giving economical electricity. These systems are mainly used to power RV, lighting, backup power systems, portable power systems and cabins. The size of the array of photovoltaics or the number of solar panels, as well as the battery will rely on the individual power requirements.

The solar panels charge the battery during daylight periods and the battery will provide power to the inverter whenever required. The inverter transforms the 12 volt batteries DC power into 120 volt AC power. This is the most useful kind of current for majority of applications. The charge controller will terminate the charging once the battery reaches the full charge. The batteries will not gas out this way and battery longevity is enhanced.

Grid-Tie Solar System

The grid-tie solar system is very useful for homes that are already linked to the utility grid. The primary advantage of this kind of system is the cheap price of utility. The system needs to be wired with an inverter that creates pure-sine-wave AC electricity, which is needed for linking to the utility grid. Another benefit of this electric system type is the tax incentives. There are also rebates provided depending on the local agency and the state.

If you own a grid-tied system in California, you can make use of some programs that will minimize the total cost of the system. Majority of the system usually do not include the battery storage that lets power in once the utility does not work. Grid-tie systems are installed using battery backup power to maintain critical loads even in the presence of a power failure.

The Full Stand-Alone

The complete or full stand-alone system is very useful for complete independence from electric utility companies and fossil fuels. The benefit of the system is the capacity to provide power away from the utility, as well as creating a measure of self independence. The complete stand-alone home solar system will usually have a couple of inverters to supply the AC house current needed to power very big loads like air conditioners.

An available second inverter will help make sure that power is present if one of the inverters will need servicing. Self-contained systems like these require an adequate battery keeping capacity to give electricity when solar power is not available because of prolonged adverse weather conditions. The complete stand-alone system usually needs 20 solar panels for safe battery keeping and adequate charging. You may ask an expert to help you decide between systems to that you get the most out of your investment.

A post from: Great Articles

The PV

The PV or photovoltaic cell is also known as the solar cell. It is a device that readily converts light into electric current via the photoelectric effect. The device is based on the discovery of Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel who realized that a number of materials let go of electrons when these hit rays of photos straight from light, causing an electrical current. The first solar cells were made by Charles Fritts during the 1880s. Even though the prototype selenium cells converted below 1% of incident light into electricity, James Clerk Maxwell and Ernst Werner von Siemens realized the importance of the finding. After the work of Russell Ohl during the 1940s, Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson and Daryl Chapin made the silicon solar cell in 1954.

These were the early solar cells that were very expensive and can reach efficiencies of around 4.5% to 6%. The highest efficiency PV cells produced were by Boeing and SpectroLab in 2009, with efficiencies of around 35% to 41%. There are also other multi-layer cells that closely resembled the device. These were very expensive too, and were only used in the most unique applications. Thin film PV cells were also created and made in bulk. These were more cost-effective and less fragile, with about 20% efficiency.

More Technologies

There are several technologies now, including a minimum of 14 photovoltaic cell types, like polycrystalline silicon, thin film, monocrystalline silicon and amorphous cells. Concentrating solar power also appeared in several types. The earliest application of solar cells considered to be very significant was being a back-up power source to the Vanguard satelilite back in 1958. The solar cells continued transmission for more than a year after the chemical battery exhaustion. The operation of solar cells during the mission was considered to be very successful and was duplicated in several American and Soviet satellites. PV has become the established power source by the late 1960s.

At Present

Today, Germany has become the primary PV market worldwide after they revised the feed-in tariffs for the Renewable Energy Sources Act. Spain has become the biggest PV market after 2007 after it adopted the same feed-in tariff structure. Spain installed half of the PVs all over the globe, accounting for about 45%. Concentrating photovoltaics are very new, which employ sunlight concentrated onto photovoltaic surfaces for electrical power production. Solar concentrators of different varieties can be used. These are usually mounted on a solar tracker to keep the focal point on the cell as the sun travels over the sky. Tracking can boost the output of flat panel photovoltaic by 20% during the winter and as much as 50% during summer.

A post from: Great Articles

The Advantages

Active solar energy can provide people with many benefits. It can be used on your present home regardless of the current design or orientation. Active solar energy can produce a lot more solar thermal energy compared to passive solar energy. The heat energy created can be used easily all throughout the house. Electricity requirements are also reduced thereby boosting your savings.

The Components

There are three main components in active solar energy. First is solar energy collection which involves the use of solar collectors. The most basic collector is the flat-plate collector. This is an insulated box covered with glass. Inside the box, you will see black absorber plates that absorb solar energy and transform it into heat. The heat energy is moved to a fluid, air or water that will flow through the collector. This will ensure if the system is air-based or liquid-based. Solar energy storage can be done using thermal mass or water tanks for liquid based systems. Air-based systems will have to rely on rock bins to contain the heated air. Solar energy distribution is the third component which is based on the kind of system.

The Types

There are 3 types of active solar applications that you can readily use in the home namely active solar pool heating, active solar space heating and active solar water heating. Active solar space heating can heat air inside the house by using pumps, blowers and fans that will distribute and gather heat. The systems can be either air-based or liquid-based. Air-based systems use rock bins or thermal mass, while liquid-based systems use thermal mass or water tanks.

Active solar water heating can heat water in the home with the use of pumps. There are two kinds of solar water heating systems namely direct and indirect systems. Direct systems heat the current household water in solar collectors. Water is pumped to a tank after heating. Indirect systems use heat transfer fluid. The fluid is heated in solar collectors, then pumped to a storage tank. This is also known as a closed-loop system.

The Third Type

Active solar pool heating involves the use of pumps to properly circulate the water in the pool via solar collectors to heat and then return to the pool. The pool becomes a storage medium for heated water so you do not need any more water storage tanks. If you use active solar pool heating, you can extend the swim periods of the family and reduce the heating costs of maintaining the pool. Active solar energy is a smart option for individuals who want to save more in heating costs.

A post from: Great Articles

Seeking Resources

You need to look for the right resources first. You can actually build your own solar cell panel for only $100 or less by finding the best and most affordable sources. You can start looking for green companies. These companies offer some of the best prices and high quality materials to encourage people to choose environmentally friendly options in acquiring energy. You can also look for private sellers and online companies on the internet. Make sure you read the company background and objectives so that you can fully understand the processes and types.

The prices of resources will differ, depending on your setup, the materials you want and the brand. You should get to know your source more. Determine the method of payment, the method of shipment and when you expect the goods to arrive. Usually, it should take no more than 7 to 10 days for your stocks to arrive. Other states may only expect 3 days to get their package.

Starting Out

First, cut a couple of rectangular copper sheets. Each should be about the size of a stove burner. Wash a piece of the copper throughout, then use the sandpaper to take off any presence of corrosion. Lay the copper sheet on the burner. Turn the burner on to maximum heat. Watch the copper very well. You will observe that the colors change as the copper starts to oxidize, and gently transform to black. Let the copper stay on the burner for about 40 minutes or up to the time that a thick coat of oxidized black material turns up.

Turn the heat off on the burner, then let the copper cool in the air. This process should take only around 20 to 30 minutes. Slowly scrub the copper using your hands under running water to eliminate majority of the easily removed parts of the oxidized coating. Do not attempt to take off all the coating or scrub vigorously. The objective is to remove the regions that can easily be taken off. Do not damage the copper that stays below the oxidized layer. This is needed to build the solar panel.

More Steps

Cut the top part of the plastic bottle off, forming a makeshift bucket. Take the second copper piece, then bend it to fit the bottle shape. Slide the second copper piece into place along the inner side of the bottle. Do the same with the heated piece of copper. The two pieces should not touch each other. Link an alligator-clip lead to every copper.

Connect the lead from the second copper piece to the positive terminal of the micro-ammeter. Stir salt until fully dissolved using hot water. Pour the salt water into the bottle. Check the micro-ammeter. This will be your battery. Position the apparatus under the sun and see how the charge rises as the solar cell panel changes the energy of the sun into electricity.

A post from: Great Articles