Article Post:
California Leads The Way In Environmentally Friendly Energy Creation
Renewable Energy & Solar Power Gain Popularity in California
Traditionally, Japan and Germany have led the way in advancing the use of solar energy to generate power for every day use. However it seems that the state of California is catching up in the sustainable and renewable energy industry. In the near future it will not only take the lead in clean energy generation but will lead the way forward. This article will show why California looks set to become the world leader in clean energy technology and why this has happened.
California has a track record in encouraging technological innovation, as it has shown in the computer industry. According to the Climate Group, $523 million was invested in the clean tech industry in California in 2005. The clean tech industry is an amalgam of energy creating ideas, research and products that produce cleaner and sustainable energy. It estimates that there will be $167 billion invested in the industry worldwide by 2015. It also believes that some 20,000 to 83,000 jobs may be created in California in the clean tech industry.
Currently for the first quarter of 2007, $307 million has been invested by venture capitalists into the clean tech industry in California. This is more than double the amount invested in the whole of Europe for this period.
This influx of money is down to two major factors. The first is that the state government has encouraged the use of cleaner energy, notably solar energy through legislation and subsidies.
Approximately $3 billion is being put into a 10 year program that hopes to put solar panels onto roofs throughout California. The state government hopes to have 20% of the energy used in homes created through renewable sources (mainly solar power). There is also legislation planned that will aim to encourage businesses to cut green house gas emissions. In the future it will reward companies that can be more environmentally friendly.
The second factor promoting the innovation of cleaner energy sources is the unique culture of business in California. Many companies and their products are created based on the finance supplied by venture capital. Large investors are willing to take a punt on a particular idea or product. Some may not work out but some will. This has been proved in the computer industry to attract talent and promote rapid advancement.
This is particularly so in the solar energy industry where solar cells and panels continue to be developed using new material. One of the stumbling blocks in the solar industry was that silicon was used to produce the solar panels. This was expensive and took time to develop as silicon ran out. The new panels are designed to be easier to install on the traditional vantage point of most home solar panels, the roof. Work also goes on to improve the efficiency of a solar cell and panel.
Clean tech industries, and solar power in particular, look set to become a boom industry in California. Not just because of the location of the state but also the will of industry and government to make the technology work for everyday uses.
Solar power can be applied to many house and garden products. In recent years the cost of these appliances have become very affordable and saved money on energy bills. Learn more about solar powered appliances at http://www.solarpowerappliances.com/ . The site has features on solar pool covers and heating and solar outdoor lighting. Adrian Whittle writes about using solar power and appliances that can utilize renewable energy sources.
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Article Post:
The Popular Types of Renewable Energy
Considering Renewable Energy from Solar, Wind Power, Hydroelectric Dams & Geothermal Heating
One can’t go far these days without discussions of energy issues arising. Renewable energy sources are part of that discussion, but what exactly are the types available?
Renewable energy is somewhat of a catch all phrase. It refers not to one energy production method, but to many types that have one thing in common. They all use an energy resource that is freely available and does not run out per se. Let’s take a look.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is considered a renewable energy source because it uses the power of the sun to produce electricity and heat. Since the sun isn’t going to burn out any time soon, it is a free power resource for the next four or five billion years.
Wind Power
Wind power is actually a type of solar power. Wind is produced when the sun heats of different surface areas at different rates. The air over hotter surfaces rises and cooler air rushes in to fill the gap. This is wind. As long as the sun is shining, we will have wind. We can harness wind for electrical production through turbines. The wind turns the blades of the turbines, which crank a generator that puts out electricity. Wind power is currently the fastest growing renewable energy platform in the United States.
Hydroelectric Power
Hydropower is electricity generated by damming a river. Turbines are built into the dam. Much like wind power, water flows down through the dam because of gravity and spins the turbine fans as it passes. This cranks a generator, which produces electricity. Hydropower currently accounts for 10 percent of the electricity production in the US, but is losing popularity as building dams is very expensive.
BioPower / BioEnergy
The great hope of President Bush, biopower, is based on the idea of using organic material to produce fuel for cars, heating and so on. It is better than using fossil fuels, but has some serious disadvantages. Ethanol, for instance, can help replace gasoline, but it produces a ton of smog. Processing organic materials also takes nearly as much energy as it produces in the form of fuel and such. All and all, this is one of the weaker renewable energy resources.
Geothermal
This renewable resource works by capturing the steaming water temperatures in the earth’s crust. If temperatures reach 240 degrees, the inherent energy can be converted to electricity. Geothermal is a great idea with limited application. The problem? It is not readily available. In the United States, only California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah can support geothermal plants.
Renewable energy is definitely the wave of the future. Sooner or later, we are going to have to convert to these energy platforms. With huge oil companies buying up solar and wind power companies, it looks like the future may be sooner than we think.
Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com - providing information on renewable energy.
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Article Post:
Renewable Energy Options For The Home: Biomass, Wood Pellet, Hydropower, Wind Power
Residential Renewable Energy Sources Includ Biomass, Wood Fuel Pellets, Hydroelectric Power & Wind
The use of energy in our homes is inescapable, providing heating and electricity within the home. Traditionally, we have been reliant on fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil to provide for our energy needs. Fossil fuels by nature are a finite resource and will eventually run-out. In addition to this, they are damaging to the environment contributing greatly to the production of greenhouse gases. The most significant of these greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide (CO2) - almost half of the energy related to CO2 emissions derive from energy use in buildings.
There are numerous ways of reducing energy needs within the home without comprising on warmth, comfort and general standard of living. Renewable energy sources can help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and also are good for the economy given the issues surrounding the longer term availability of fossil fuels.
Renewable energy options for a homeowner include solar energy (the sun), heat generated from below the earth’s surface (geothermal) and wood and energy crops (biomass). In Ireland, several of these resources are in good supply. The homeowner can do their part for the environment by opting for a renewable heating system that meets their need in terms of heat demand, budget and environmental considerations.
Biomass
Biomass is all plant and animal matter on the Earth’s surface. Bioenergy is the term given to harvesting biomass such as crops, trees etc. to generate energy.
Indeed, Biomass was the first fuel that mankind learned to use when the first primitive fires were started. Biomass has achieved a significant share of the energy market on the Continent. Ireland has one of the lowest uses of Biomass in Europe but has one of the largest resources. Biomass provides about 1% of the country’s energy needs in the form of domestic and industrial wood heating. Wood is a 'carbon neutral' fuel in that it absorbs as much CO2 when it grows as it releases when it is burned.
Wood Pellets
The main types of wood fuel are chips and pellets. Wood chips are a clean, low moisture fuel made from wood in its natural state. They are a high energy, low-smoke fuel. They are a bulk fuel meaning that they are generally unsuitable for domestic purposes due to storage issues. They are used in larger buildings or to heat clusters of domestic properties through a heating scheme. Wood pellets are a clean, dry fuel made from a mixture of sawdust and wood shavings. The Wood pellets are 6-12mm in diameter and 6-20mm in length. Pellets are easy to ignite and leave little ash. A feeding mechanism such as a hopper can be used to feed the Pellet Burner.
In a similar vein to traditional oil or gas burners, a wood pellet boiler will provide full central heating and hot water. Wood Pellet Stoves provide heating for a single room. They produce a small fire that, concentrated in the center of the unit, burns hot.
In a similar vein to traditional oil or gas burners, a pellet boiler will provide full central heating and hot water. Pellet stoves provide heating for a single room. They produce a small fire that, concentrated in the center of the unit, burns hot.
One important consideration when opting for a pellet burner is storage. Pellets are a bulky fuel meaning that more storage space is required than that for oil. The store must also be kept completely dry and free from damp.
Hydropower
Hydropower is the capture of the energy of moving water for some useful purpose. The energy of moving water has been exploited for centuries but was first used to produce electricity in the 1870’s. Power generated from a hydro scheme depends on the height the water falls and the volume of water available. Water is diverted from a given point on the river through to a turbine house where a turbine converts the kinetic energy of falling water into mechanical energy. Then a generator converts the mechanical energy from the turbine into electrical energy.
Given it’s nature, the resource is very site specific (even more than solar) but if you are lucky enough to have a stream nearby and you have enough head (height between your source and your hydro turbine) and enough flow, then it is a viable option. Issues to consider are the capital required on civil engineering work such as the weir and water channel. Building a diversion and intake that effectively screens out debris and can stand up to high seasonal flows can be challenging.
Wind Power
Ireland is blessed with an abundance of wind energy. More and more large-scale wind turbines can be seen around the country to provide for the country’s electricity needs. Wind energy is clean, free and of course, infinite.
For remote locations that have no connection to the energy grid, a power supply based on a wind turbine will produce electricity much cheaper than the costs of bringing in power lines. Turbines large enough to provide a significant portion of the energy needs for the average household require at least half an acre of land. Factors determining the viability of turbines for the home include wind speed and direction. Wind speed increases with height so turbines will give a greater output if placed at a higher level. The site must also have a good 'aspect' to the prevailing wind.
Paul O' Connor runs http://www.selfbuildinireland.com, the popular Irish based website aimed at the Self-Builder. The website provides articles and resources for the Home Builder.
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