Anthony Dempster asked:

As growing worldwide energy demands place more strain on our electricity supplies, it is more important than ever that we look for was to conserve energy in our home. Even more effective than this though is looking for ways to generate our own electricity. Pollution-free energy and cost-effective energy solutions for our houses have never been more important. Solar energy and wind energy are the most effective ways to reduce the use of traditional electricity suppliers.

These solutions can help the fight against power failures, dramatically reduce our electricity bills and also help the environment. Today I will look at wind energy.

Wind energy solutions work best if the following conditions are met:

* Your house or farm house is spread over a wide area – ideally an acre or more.

* The average wind speed in your area is about 11 miles per hour. If you are in an area with little windflow the system may not work.

A typical system of wind energy consists of a tower with 3 to 5 blades to capture the wind energy. In low wind areas the tower will be taller, while in higher wind areas it will be lower – this is due to wind strength generally being stronger the higher it is above the ground (due to less obstacles).

The electricity generated by the wind propellor / turbine is converted into electricity and then can either be sent to a bank of batteries and/or to power your electrical applicances. The most practical use to setup a bank of batteries – this stores power to be used in times when the wind isn’t blowing, and guarantees you’ll have power should the electricity network ever go down. Extra charge not needed for the batteries or for appliances can be diverted towards heating or lighting so that it’s not totally wasted.

Pollution free, clean green, carbon positive, renewable energy – all these terms and more describe wind energy, the power of the future.

Solar power

Wilhelm Williams asked:


Are you afraid to open your electric bill this summer to see how much it is costing you to keep your home comfortable and cool? With oil and natural gas prices increasing, so to is the price per kilowatt of electricity.

What can a homeowner do to reduce the electric cooling bill? One option is to raise the thermostat, at the price of comfort. Perhaps consider installing more insulation in the attic or having double pane windows installed. Each of these choices will increase the energy efficiency at considerable investment cost. However, these and many other energy efficiency options will help reduce the energy demands of the home but will not counter to rising cost of electricity.

There is a rising interest in harnessing solar power for residential use. Despite the high initial investment, the long-term savings are being touted as an efficient means of beating the high cost of electric power. Look into local, state and federal tax incentives to help reduce the investment cost.

There are two main components to a solar power system.

• Solar panels forming an solar array

• Inverter to convert the 12V or 24V DC electricity into 120V AC.

Optional components are:

• Charging controller

• Storage batteries

The battery array is charged by the solar power system. During the night or on cloudy days the batteries discharge the electricity and provide power to your home. The charging controller charges the batteries and prevents an overcharge that would shorten the lifespan of the batteries.

Storage batteries do not need to part of a residential solar power system. Any electricity that is generated and is not needed to power the home can be sold back to the electric utility company. In effect, your home becomes a mini power generating station for the electric company. How would you like to see your electric meter run backwards?

How does a solar power system work and integrate into my home’s electrical system?

Solar panels convert sunlight into electrical energy. A solar panel’s electrical output is affected by a couple factors: angle of the sun light to the solar panel, number of hours of direct sunlight, and the efficiency of the solar panel. It is interesting to note that currently available photovoltaic solar panels convert about 12 percent of the sun’s energy into electricity. Although, this does not appear to be very efficient, this is a four times greater than what was available a few years ago.

Solar panels are connected into a grid often referred to as a solar array. The panels are connected electrically to increase the amperage. The solar array is mounted on the south facing side of the roof at an optimal 30 degree angle. The ideal location should be free of any obstructions such as building and trees for most if not all of the day.

If you choose to install storage battery pack. The electric lines from the photovoltaic panels will be connected to the charge controller. The storage batteries are similar, but not the same as an automotive battery. They are deep cycle batteries that can handle being charged and discharged thousands of times before the battery needs to be replaced. They are also known as sealed lead acid batteries or gel cell batteries.

The final piece is the inverter. The inverter converts the 12 volt DC electricity into usable 120 volt AC. The inverter is directly connected your home’s electric system at the main breaker box via a junction or sub panel. Inverters have been around for years in commercial applications. Now days they are most popularly used to convert 12 volt DC electricity from a car battery into 120 volt AC power.

Advantages of solar electric power

Solar power for residential use has several obvious and not so obvious advantages for the homeowner.

• After the system has paid for itself in electricity it generated that you did not need to purchase, the solar power system continues on producing free electricity for your home.

• Reduces the heat build up in the attic. Each solar panel installed on your roof will shades your roof from the sun’s infrared energy. A cooler attic reduces the amount of cooling required for a comfortable home.

• It quietly produces electricity.

• 100% renewable energy source

• Pollution free electricity production

• Most solar panels are warranted for a minimum of 25 years.

Disadvantages of solar electric power

• Replacing the roofing material creates hassle in that the solar panels must be removed from the roof while the old roofing is removed and the new one is installed.
• The high investment cost. A typical installation costs about $13,000.
• To regain your investment, you have to live in the home for several years. This depends on the amount of electricity produced and the cost per kilowatt purchased from the electric company.

It will be necessary to have a local solar power installation company design the right solar power system for your home. Carefully interview and compare each installation company before selecting the design and installation company.

A growing number of homeowners are turning toward the sun to convert its energy into clean, renewable electricity to meet the power demands of their home. Isn’t time you considered converting free sunlight into electricity for your home?

Hydrogen Fuel Video Channel

Paul Calhoun asked:


Introduction:

Global warming impact to our quality and cost of living is large and very catastrophic. Homeowners are well aware of the increasing energy costs to heat, cool and illuminate their homes. The increasing costs of oil and other fossil fuels are daily headlines. The insatiable demand for energy to fuel world growth guarantees that the cost of these limited fuels will continue to increase. Political/economic forces will determine the rate of increase for fossil fuels. In addition, the increasing cost of global warming using fossil fuels is slowly being recognized.

The world is slowly beginning to understand the urgent need for renewable energy sources. However, each of these alternative energy sources brings major advantages and disadvantages. An example is wind generated energy. Wind energy is available to the whole world and generates electricity competitively with fossil fuels. The technology is understood and easy to apply. But, there are big objections to a windmill in “my back yard”. Also, the number of birds and bats that will be crushed with wind power generation is not a warming thought. Wind technology will be a component of our energy solution. However, because of the above concerns, we need other major solutions to meet our demand for energy sources.

This search leads us to solar energy. The amount of sun energy striking our world in one day is sufficient to supply our energy demands for a year. We will not run out of this source in the foreseeable future. The major barrier to harnessing solar energy has been cost and convenience. For example, drying clothes in a dryer is easier than hanging clothes on an outside line, thus convenience precluded efforts to find more energy efficiency. We can convert solar energy to electricity but with a major capital cost. Greater acceptance and use of solar energy will lead to lower cost.

Solar Energy:

Energy from solar energy can be divided into two major categories:

Passive Solar Energy: This technology ranges from clothes drying in the sun to solar heating for hot water and many other passive techniques. All are important for our present and future quality of life. The technology is well understood and can be implemented as economics and space conditions allow.

Active Solar Energy: One of the active solar energy technologies is converting solar energy directly into electricity. It is called photovoltaic cell or PV. This is a device that converts light into electricity using the photoelectric effect. The first working solar cells were constructed by Charles Fritts in 1883. These prototype cells were made of selenium and achieved efficiencies around one percent. The silicon solar cell was created in 1954. The solar cell has benefited from the development of silicon semiconductors.

Physics of Active Solar Energy:

The physics of photon to electricity conversion is well understood by physicists. The basic model is of a photon from the sun which strikes the cell material and excites electrons that emit electricity. This model is simple compared to the complexity of modern day semiconductors. The major variables of PV electrical generation are cell material and impurities in the cell material.

Manufacturing Technology for Active Solar Energy:

Primarily single crystal, high purity silicon has been used to generate photon to electricity conversion. The manufacturing techniques for single crystal silicon and limited quantities of pure silicon impose a high cost for PV devices. Shortages of refined silicon have been hampering production worldwide since late 2004. This shortage persists to this date and has slowed PV growth. New materials are starting to come forward which should lower the PV materials hurdle.

Efficiency growth of Active Solar Energy:

Since the silicon PV invention in 1954, cheaper fossil fuel prices largely removed solar power from the public consciousness. Annual growth of electrical generation by PV ranged from 10 to 20% percent throughout the 1980′s and 1990′s. Worldwide installation of PV reached 1000 megawatts in 1999. Manufacturing costs for PV arrays has been dropping 3 to 5% over the recent years. This cost drop began to expand the use of PV electricity generation. Total peak power of installed PV was around 6000 megawatts at the end of 2006. Installed PV is projected to increase to over 9,000 megawatts in 2007. The average lowest retail cost of large photovoltaic arrays has declined from $7.50 to $4.00 per watt between 1990 and 2005.

PV materials have also been improving in recent years. The most recent materials approach is to process discrete cells on silicon wafers cut from multi crystalline ribbons which form thin films. This approach is the least expensive of known technologies. This group of technologies includes amorphous silicon cells deposited on stainless-steel ribbon, cadmium telluride (CdTe) cells deposited on glass, and copper indium gallium dielenide (CIGS) alloy cells deposited on either glass or stainless steel substrates. The efficiencies of these new materials are currently at 20%. Many researchers are working to improve the efficiencies. An added advantage of the new thin films is that they are flexible and are currently being used in roofing materials.

Current Trends in Generating Active Solar Energy:

Commercial businesses like Google, IBM, BJ’s Wholesale, Estee Lauder, Kohls, Target, Tiffany & Co., Wal-Mart are installing PV solar energy. From “big box” discount giants to high end commercial businesses PV solar energy is finding acceptance in 2007. The most recent retail-outfitter to become part of this trend is Macy’s, which announced earlier this month that it will install solar powered systems on 26 stores throughout California. These leading companies are turning to solar power because it makes good business sense and supports their environmental initiative. Creative financial arrangements allow these companies to afford the upfront capital costs and payback their loans with energy savings. So what does all this mean to the average home owner? PV Cost per Kilowatt (kWh):

In the California market, where state incentives and net metering are in place, PV electricity prices are dipping below 11¢/kWh, on par with some utility-delivered power. Moreover, according to the U.S. PV Industry Roadmap, solar electricity will continue this trend and become competitive by 2010 for most domestic markets. The outlook is very positive for PV generation of electricity. Once the capital investment is made, the cost of PV electricity is equivalent to fossil fuels and will continue to decrease.

Cost of PV Installation:

The cost of installation is the major barrier that has to be overcome for widespread PV acceptance. Around 59% of world solar product sales installed in the last five years were applications that are tied to the electricity grid. Solar energy prices in these applications are 5-20 times more expensive than the cheapest source of conventional electricity generation. This premium is well beyond the reach of the average home owner.

Fortunately, there are financial models coming forward to enable the consumer to finance PV solar installation and pay for this installation with the electrical savings. In order to make these financial models successful, federal and state incentives are needed and the installation should be connected to the electrical grid. These connections allow the home owner to sell back electricity when excessive amounts are available and to receive electricity when solar conditions do not allow sufficient electricity. Only fifty percent of our states have modernized to allow on-grid PV solar energy.

Berkeley, California is leading the way to enable it citizens to save electrical cost and meet environmental needs. Here is how their plan works. A property owner hires a city-approved solar installer, who determines the best solar system for the property, depending on energy use. Most residential solar panel systems in the city cost from $15,000 to $20,000.

The city will pay the contractor for the system and its installation, minus any applicable state and federal rebates, and would add an assessment to the property owner’s tax bill to pay for the system. The extra tax would include administrative fees and interest, which would be lower than what the property owner could obtain on their own, because the city would secure low-interest bonds and loans. The tax would stay with the property even if the owner sold, although the owner would have to leave the solar panels. The property owner would save money on monthly Pacific Gas & Electric bills because electricity generated by the solar panels would partly replace electricity delivered by the utility. After the assessment expired, the solar panels, of a simple technology that requires little or no maintenance, would continue to partly replace PG&E electricity.

The Berkeley plan is a map for the rest of the world to allow us affordable electricity and meet our responsibilities to the environment.

I have a BS and MS in Metallurgical Engineering. Thirty six years spent in the development of semiconductors. Business experience in start up business plan. Currently, an oyster farmer and interested in helping the environment by deploying solar energy. Please visit my Web Site http://www.charlestonenvironmentalhelp.com

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