Renewable Energy
Solar Power
How Does
Solar Power Work?
By Peter Lenkefi
The basics of
solar power.
Solar power is
probably the cleanest, most viable form of renewable energy available
and it can be used in several forms to help power your house. Many
gardens now use solar lights or solar garden water features. The
availability and wide use of solar power in gardens shows exactly how
versatile it is as a source of energy. The technology and the systems
are becoming smaller, more compact and better looking than when they
were first created and used. Early examples of solar power systems can
be seen in California where, in the 1980s, enough solar power panels
were installed to power over 10 million homes.
How do
photovoltaic tiles work?
Simply put
photovoltaic tiles and other forms of solar energy work by converting
some of the energy in sunlight into a clean form of electricity that
can be used in our houses. The PV cells consist of a positive and a
negative slice of silicon placed under a thin slice of glass. As the
protons of the sunlight beat down onto the PV cell they knock the
neutrons off the silicon. The negatively charged free neutrons are
attracted to the silicon but are trapped by the magnetic field that is
formed from the opposing fields. Small wires on the silicon catch these
neutrons and when connected in a circuit an electric current is formed.
This reaction
gives Direct Current electricity though, and it must be passed through
an inverter to be converted into an Alternating Current used in our
homes to power any electrical items. Some of the power is lost in this
part of the process as the inverter is only around 95% efficient but
this is a much greater efficiency than was once available.
The nature of the
PV cell means there is little or no maintenance required and there are
no moving parts; this means that a typical PV cell can last up to 40
years with no work besides an annual clean.
How can I use them
to power my house?
There are several
ways to use solar power around the house and not just for powering. You
can use it to heat your hot water, heat your pool or even your central
heating or if you have plenty of roof space and a reasonable amount of
sun you can get a grid tie system; a grid tie system means that not
only can you power your entire house but during those times when you
create an excess of electricity you can sell it back to the grid. An
efficiently solar powered home will be able to reasonably create
between 75 and 100% of their own power and because of the grid tie
system this means you may not have to pay for electricity ever again.
For more more
information about solar power please visit http://www.solar-power-energy.info
Article
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Lenkefi
For more information on
Solar Power visit the U.S. Department of
Energy
Wind Power
Wind Turbines - How to Harvest the WindBy Hans Dekker
Wind is produced from the uneven heating of the atmosphere and irregularities in the earth’s surface. The air movement between these areas is what we refer to as wind. Just as we can use flowing water to turn turbines, we can harness the power of the wind with wind turbines to create electricity.
Wind turbines have been in use since the 1920s. Their earliest use was to provide electricity in remote areas that didn’t have access to a large utility company. Today there are fewer areas that are "off the grid" but wind power can now be used to supplement traditional power sources.
Wind turbines can be used individually to provide power for a household, or they can be used in arrays to provide electricity on a large scale. These arrays of industrial sized turbines are called "wind farms" and are usually situated in areas that receive consistent strong winds. Coastal areas, hilltops, and mountain passes are common areas for wind farms.
Thanks to advances in wind turbine technology we are now able to use the wind as an affordable alternative to fossil fuel for producing power. New technologies make turbines more efficient and modern production techniques bring the cost of turbines down.
When used as a supplement for residential electricity, wind turbines are connected to the breaker box provided by the power company. The power produced is available for immediate consumption, and if the wind turbine produces more electricity than is needed the excess is fed back into the utility grid for a credit on the homeowners power bill.
For those interested in living "off the grid" wind power can be used in conjunction with other alternative energy sources such as solar power. These two methods of producing electricity complement each other, when the sun is strong, the wind may be low, and the wind may be stronger on cloudy days.
Also, since solar power is not produced at night, a wind turbine can provide the electricity at this time.
Our site provides more in depth information wind energy and the other sustainable energy sources, howto's and downloadable building plans.
Hans is author of http://www.alternative-energy-guide.com/ find more information at the our wind power section
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hans_Dekker
For more
information on Wind Power visit the U.S.
Department of Energy
Hydro Power
How Hydropower WorksHydropower is using water to power machinery or make electricity. Water constantly moves through a vast global cycle, evaporating from lakes and oceans, forming clouds, precipitating as rain or snow, then flowing back down to the ocean. The energy of this water cycle, which is driven by the sun, can be tapped to produce electricity or for mechanical tasks like grinding grain. Hydropower uses a fuel—water—that is not reduced or used up in the process. Because the water cycle is an endless, constantly recharging system, hydropower is considered a renewable energy.
When flowing water is captured and turned into electricity, it is called hydroelectric power or hydropower. There are several types of hydroelectric facilities; they are all powered by the kinetic energy of flowing water as it moves downstream. Turbines and generators convert the energy into electricity, which is then fed into the electrical grid to be used in homes, businesses, and by industry.
For more information on Wind Power visit the U.S. Department of Energy
Bio Mass
Biomass is any organic material made from plants or animals. Domestic biomass resources include agricultural and forestry residues, municipal solid wastes, industrial wastes, and terrestrial and aquatic crops grown solely for energy purposes.Biomass can be converted to other usable forms of energy and is an attractive petroleum alternative for a number of reasons. First, it is a renewable resource that is more evenly distributed over the Earth's surface than are finite energy sources, and may be exploited using more environmentally friendly technologies.
Agriculture and forestry residues, and in particular residues from paper mills, are the most common biomass resources used for generating electricity and power, including industrial process heat and steam, as well as for a variety of biobased products. Use of liquid transportation fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, however, currently derived primarily from agricultural crops, is increasing dramatically.
For more information on Biomass visit the U.S. Department of Energy
Geothermal
Heat from the Earth, or geothermal — Geo (Earth) + thermal (heat) — energy can be and already is accessed by drilling water or steam wells in a process similar to drilling for oil. Geothermal energy is an enormous, underused heat and power resource that is clean (emits little or no greenhouse gases), reliable (average system availability of 95%), and homegrown (making us less dependent on foreign oil).Geothermal resources range from shallow ground to hot water and rock several miles below the Earth's surface, and even farther down to the extremely hot molten rock called magma. Mile-or-more-deep wells can be drilled into underground reservoirs to tap steam and very hot water that can be brought to the surface for use in a variety of applications. In the U.S., most geothermal reservoirs are located in the western states, Alaska, and Hawaii.
For more information on Geothermal energy visit the U.S. Department of Energy
Saving Energy
WINTER ENERGY-SAVING TIPS- Use a programmable thermostat with your heating system to automatically lower the temperature at night or when no one is home.
- Keep the warm air in and the cold air out by adding insulation, caulking and weatherstipping around doors, atttic access, windows, outlets and any area that can let the cold air in and the warm air out. Or, call a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® contractor to assess your home's efficiency.
- It's a good time to check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace old batteries. Remember - as you seal up leaks in your home this becomes even more important.
- Make sure floor and wall vents are not blocked by draperies, furniture, or rugs. Vents should also be cleaned regularly with a vacuum or broom.
- Keep blinds and drapes of sun-exposed windows open in the daytime and closed at night.
- When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed.
- Have your heating system inspected by a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor. If you have a forced-air heating system, check your air filters once a month and replace if dirty.
- Make sure outdoor portions of your heating system are not blocked by leaves, shrubbery, or other objects.
- If you have a window air conditioning unit, remove it for the winter months to prevent heat from escaping through and around the unit. If it can't be removed, buy a cover to prevent drafts.
- Install rubber gaskets behind outlets and switch plates on exterior walls. Gaskets can be found in most home improvement stores.
- Ceiling fans can keep you comfortable in the winter too! Reversing the direction of the blades pushes warm air down in to the room.
- Lower your water heater temperature to 120 degrees. For added savings, have your water heater wrapped with an insulation blanket by your Heating/Plumbing Contractor.
DID YOU KNOW?
- You could use 30% LESS energy in your home just by using energy more wisely and purchasing products with the ENERGY STAR label. You can find the ENERGY STAR on refrigerators, clothes washers, computers, dishwashers, room air conditioners, TVs, VCRs, dehumidifiers, lighting, ceiling fans, and more!
- Where does your home use energy?
- 16% - Water heater
- 12% - Refrigerator
- 7% - Lights
- 5% - Computers, TV, etc.
- The amount of electricity you use is measured in, and priced by, kilowatt-hours (kWh). When you pay for a kilowatt-hour of electricity, you are paying for 1,000 watts of electricity used continuously for one hour.
- You can calculate the operating cost of any electrical appliance by checking its wattage and using these formulas:
- kWh x cost per kWh = operating cost
LIGHTING
DID YOU KNOW?
- Replacing your current incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) will save you nearly $30 over the life of each bulb.
- ENERGY STAR CFLs use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. This means that over the life of one CFL, a consumer can avoid replacing up to 10 incandescent bulbs!
- ENERGY STAR lighting fixtures put out the same amount of light as standard fixtures while providing excellent color rendering and light temperature. Colors appear true and natural.
- ENERGY STAR fixtures operate at much lower temperatures than many traditional lamps, drastically reducing the risk of fire in your home.
- Turn off unused lights and electronics (TVs, radios, computers) when you leave a room.
- Use timers on indoor and outdoor lights.
- Check your insulation - especially your attic. By increasing and filling gaps in insulation in older homes you keep your home warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, and save money all year round.
- Install a vapor barrier in your attic to reduce the flow of moisture from inside your home through the insulation. This eliminates condensation that reduces insulation efficiency.
DID YOU KNOW?
- 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water.
- ENERGY STAR clothes washers use 50% less water than standard models, saving about 8,000 gallons a year per household.
- They also use 37% less energy, saving you up to $80 a year (depending on the water temperature setting and whether it's an electric or natural gas hot water heater).
- In addition, ENERGY STAR clothes washers extract more water from clothes during the spin cycle. This reduces the drying time and saves energy.
- Only wash and dry full loads.
- Always rinse in cold water.
- Hang your laundry outdoors to dry.
- Remove the lint from your dryer screen.
- Make sure the clothes dryer exhaust is not blocked.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Your refrigerator uses the most electricity of all the appliances in your home.
- A refrigerator sold in 2001 uses 40% amount of electricity needed to operate an ENERGY STAR model.
- ENERGY STAR refrigerators have better insulation and efficient motors, as well as all the features you want and expect.
- Select a refrigerator/freezer with energy-saving features. It's guaranteed to use 20% less electricity than the standard model, saving you approximately $60 a year. Get more info on ENERGY STAR refrigerators
- Regularly clean the condenser coils of your refrigerator that are typically located underneath or behind the refrigerator.
- Make sure the seals on your refrigerator, freezer and oven doors fit tightly. Easily perform this test by leaving a lit flashlight inside a closed appliance and if you see light around the gasket, replace the gasket.
- Keep your refrigerator between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
DID YOU KNOW?
- ENERGY STAR dishwashers are 41% more efficient than the federal minimum standard for energy.
- An ENERGY STAR dishwasher saves approximately 1,200 gallons of water a year - 6 times the amount of water the average person drinks in a year!
- 60% to 80% of the power used by a dishwasher is consumed just to heat the water.
- Run your dishwasher only when full.
- Air dry the clean dishes by turning the energy-saver switch on.
- Scrape - do not rinse! Scrape your dishes before loading the dishwasher. Pre-rinsing is no longer necessary with today's technology and detergents. You may be using more water to pre-rinse your dishes than the dishwasher uses for a full wash cycle!
DID YOU KNOW?
- Look for the ENERGY STAR label on computer monitors, fax machines, copiers and water coolers.
- In the average home, 40% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off.
- Home electronic products use energy when they're off to power features like clock displays and remote controls. Those that have earned the ENERGY STAR use as much as 50% less energy to perform these functions, while providing the same performance at the same price as less-efficient models.
- Turn off lights in offices when they are not in use.
- Turn off office equipment when it is not needed at night or on the weekends.
- Use your exhaust fans sparingly. In just one hour they can remove a houseful of warmed or cooled air.
- Repair all leaky faucets. One drop per second can waste as much as 10 gallons of water in a week.
- Take showers rather than baths. A typical shower requires only half as much hot water as an average tub bath.
