Alternative Energy HQ » Alternative Energy Sources

Negatives of Using Geothermal For Your Home

newenergy — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:26:36 +0000

Richard Chapo asked:

Using the inherent heat in the ground, geothermal, is being pushed by many experts as a great energy source. While this is generally true, there are some negatives as well.

There is no disputing that we need to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels. While alternative energy sources are clearly the answer, there is a problem. Advocates of alternative energy tend to become emotionally attached to one source and discount others. In truth, the answer to replacing fossil fuels is a combination of alternative energy platforms. Let’s take a look at the problems associated with geothermal energy.

First and foremost, there is an economic problem with using ground energy. Geothermal systems can be very pricey. Although prices vary by brand and location, installing a geothermal system in a building or residence will almost always cost more than a traditional heating and cooling system.

Familiarity is an additional problem. Much like owning an exotic car, a geothermal system is unique. If it breaks or has problems, getting it repaired can be difficult and expensive. Unlike with a plumbing problem, you are probably not going to be able to call a geothermal repairman in the middle of the night when the systems stops working.

In a rather grim bait and switch, many people fail to realize that some geothermal systems actually use fossil fuels. To use geothermal energy, a residence must often already have electricity to run the pumps or mechanisms that transfer geothermal heat from the ground to the home. Spending $50 a month to run your system more or less defeats the purpose.

Finally, geothermal heating systems for houses use liquid to transfer heat to and from the ground. This liquid is often a refrigerant of some type, which can be toxic. On the other hand, systems using water do not have this problem.

Overall, geothermal is definitely a part of the solution to fossil fuels. Advocates, however, need to acknowledge it is not the end all solution.

Water 4 Gas

Find Out Why DIY Solar Panels Are So Valuable

newenergy — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:51:03 +0000

If alternative energy sources excite you then you’re going to love DIY solar panels. We must now begin to seriously start taking advantage of alternative energy sources. We cannot continue to consume fossil fuels the way we have in the past.

It’s simply not sustainable on several levels. It may seem complex, but in reality making a solar power system isn’t hard at all. Furthermore, the tools and materials needed to get the job done can be purchased at your local hardware store.

For a couple hundred dollars you can buy everything you will need. There are some really great manuals can be purchased that instruct homeowners how to build a solar panel. One solar panel can generate up to 120 watts of electricity.

A solar array, which is several solar panels wired together, can generate enough electricity to power your entire home. Going off the grid is what this is known as. Going off the grid simply means that you no longer rely on the power company to supply you with your electricity.

The electricity that you do not use can actually be sold back to the power company. How awesome is that? Constructing DIY solar panels is a very straightforward process. Solar panels are made of solar cells that are strong, or wired together.

Photovoltaic refers to the solar cells converting light into electricity. Here, the source of light is, of course, the sun. Manufacturers charge tens of thousands of dollars for their solar power systems.

Getting the homeowner’s money back through savings can take a long time for high-priced systems. By building your own solar energy system you can do it for a fraction of that. These are high quality panels. The cost savings can be substantial as well. Getting your money back won’t take long at all.

As long as the system is maintained properly savings will continue. The federal government of the United States offers generous tax breaks and rebates to homeowners that use alternative energy. The technology is extremely user-friendly.

There are step-by-step guides that can be purchased online to show you how it’s done. There are both written instructions and a video series where you can see how it’s actually done. There are a great many advantages for utilizing DIY solar panels.

The sun is the source of an unlimited amount of energy that we can tap into. In addition, there is actually no pollution or carbon footprint involved with using it. I actually consider it to be a noble undertaking.

Solar Powered Vehicles – Alternative Energy Sources

newenergy — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:13:58 +0000

Steven Magill asked:

Steven Magill

Years ago, no one ever thought that solar powered vehicles are even possible. There are solar-powered calculators or solar batteries that can run small devices but as for solar-powered car engines, many have remained skeptical until they finally saw actual vehicles that run on the energy of the sun created for exhibits in various science and technology fairs. These days, many are already considering on the possibility that, in the next couple of years, mass-market solar powered vehicles will be available to consumers in replacement for the ones that run on oil fuel.

These days, one can see solar powered vehicles in engineering demonstrations and solar car race events.

Cost-efficient

Solar-powered vehicles are, without a doubt, more cost-efficient than the typical cars that run on oil fuel. After all, these cars harness energy from something that is abundant ‘ the energy from the sun. So long as the sun shines, these cars should be able to run just as efficiently as any other type of vehicle. Because they run on solar power, these vehicles will also enjoy higher mileage and longer life spans according to most experts. Solar powered vehicles offer a lot of benefits to the potential consumers who would be willing to invest on such cars.

While solar powered vehicles are not yet practical day-to-day transportation devices, it’s only a matter of time before they actually get introduced into the market.

How they work

What Is Solar Power? Knowing Could Save You Money

newenergy — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:48:01 +0000

Madison Greene asked:

Like most people you probably know that now more than ever we need to find alternative energy sources. Solar, nuclear and wind power are all viable options, but solar power is the most popular alternate energy source for residential homes.

Beyond knowing that it turns the sun’s rays into electricity, do you really know how it all works? If you’re interested in learning more about solar energy and are considering having it installed in your home, call a company that sets up solar panels start asking them questions.

You can also use the internet to research what solar energy is, find out how much it costs, the pros and cons of having it and you can even learn how it all works. If after learning what solar power is all about, and you decide that it’s for you, start pricing around and set up your home for solar capabilities so that you never have to pay another dime to the electric companies.

What Is Solar Power? Solar Cells

Solar cells are one of the first things you’ll learn about in your quest for finding out more about solar power. Solar cells are plates that look like they’re made of tinted glass.

These cells are set up on your roof or on special platforms and they are the plates that actually catch the sun’s rays. In order to power an entire home, it may be necessary to cover your entire roof with these cells.

It all depends on how much energy you need. Installing these solar cells can cost quite a bit of money but it’s a one time cost that will save you money in the long run.

Just make sure that you are going to be living in your home for the next several years. Also, you may need to repair or replace cells as time goes on so you should also save for these unexpected costs.

What Is Solar Power? Converter Boxes

Also, in your quest to find out what solar energy is, you’ll learn about the converter boxes that transform the energy from the sun’s rays into actual electricity. This is how you power your home, or whatever else you intend to power with solar panels.

These are the heart of the solar power system and can also set you back quite a bit financially. These converters can also hold a charge, which means they will store the energy you don’t use so that you can use electricity even if no sun is shining, such as at night.

As you find out more and more what solar power is, you should get a good idea of whether or not solar energy is for you. Ask as many sources as you can and make sure you’re not being sold by anyone because they may not give you such an honest answer if they are just trying to get you to buy something from them.

Do your own research, read all you can and learn about what solar power is from the experts. That is the best way to find out about this technology and it’s the best way to make a decision of whether or not solar energy is for you and your home.

Electric Cars Video Channel

Solar Energy Facts

newenergy — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:33:23 +0000

Bryan Wong asked:

Most power plants in the United States and all over world are using fossil fuels to operate and generate electricity. They have been used as an energy source as long as man has learned to generate power. These traditional fuel sources have been around for ages and when man started using this energy sources no one though about the consequences. Fossil fuels will eventually run out and there will be a shortage of it in near future. This shortage in will have its affect on our daily live and various industries. Today we see some of these affects already, prizes are raising and electricity is becoming more expensive. Although these fuels are more scares, the need will still be here and will not decrease in near future. To solve this shortage 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. This form of energy has steadily been growing. Today it is widely used in the US and other parts of the world 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).
* Hydro-electric 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, this energy source has its pro’s and cons.
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, some areas receive little sunlight. Thus, power that will be produced in these locations is a minimum.
* Only available during daytime, thus a need to conserve to energy for use in 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.

Water Fuel Video Channel