What is Solar Power?

October 23, 2011 By

What is Solar Power?

For sure you are aware of the fact that the sun is a great source of energy. and truth is, this is not a new fad since a lot of people were actually able to benefit from solar power. Basically, when you say solar power it refers to the heat and the light that is coming from the sun which is garnered by human ever since ancient times trough the use of the constant evolving technologies. the solar radiation together with secondary sources like the wave power, wind, biomass, hydroelectricity and various other are accountable as sources of renewed energy on the Earth.

If you wish to get away from the sky scraping energy bills that would knock on your doorstep each month then you better go for solar power as an alternative. Actually, you don’t have to worry even a bit since a lot of people were already able to try this method and most of them are pleased for being able to have an extra option so they can save on their electricity bills. these people would make use of their solar power when the sun is out and they would make use of the normal source of electricity during nighttime and winter season. By doing this, they were able to save up to 50%.

So don’t wait any longer, better keep yourself moving so you can avail of things that you need in order to shift to solar energy. a simple click on your mouse pads will give you myriads of opportunities for you to be able to obtain those gadgets and contraptions that you need.

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Clyne Energy steps up development of energy saving LoCooker

October 8, 2011 By

Clyne Energy steps up development of energy saving LoCooker

A LLANELLI-BASED company is one step closer to starting production of an energy-efficient electrically powered cooking appliance.

Clyne Energy has secured funding to develop commercial prototypes of its LoCooker appliance. the company was set up last year by Ken Board, Emeritus professor at Swansea University’s School of Engineering, and his son Alun.

The LoCooker is designed for the growing sous vide market but has applications beyond in general cooking.

Sous vide is a technique that involves cooking food in a vacuum sealed bag placed in a water bath at below boiling point.

The technique is increasingly common in restaurant kitchens, but most devices use between 17 and 44 litres of water, which has to be heated but is then usually discarded.

Prof Board said: “the venture was prompted by the knowledge that only 10% of the energy used by a typical hob-based appliance goes into the food, while 90% of the energy is wasted each time food is prepared in this way.

“the wide-scale nature of the activity of preparing cooked food and the consequent global scope of the business opportunity were also factors that won us funding.”

The technology developed not only saves substantial amounts of energy but is designed to use relatively small quantities of water compared to that used on a conventional hob.

In addition the food prepared by the LoCooker has improved vitamin retention and will provide extra degrees of freedom for chefs at all levels.

“It also has a potential use to improve food quality in large volume catering establishments such as schools and hospitals,” Prof Board said.

“It has the advantage that it can be used for sous vide, as well as being used to cook vegetables and fish in the normal way.”

One major advantage of the LoCooker is its versatility. although designed for the sous vide market, the popularity of which is growing in this country, its applications are many.

“Our water here in Wales is ideally suited to the process but it’s the versatility that impresses people. It can be used for boiling an egg, a small amount of food for one person or a meal for four,” said Prof Board.

He added: “But the big thing is it can cook rice which means it has an application in the far East, and it can also tenderise meat and aid the marinade process.”

Clyne Energy has just been successful in securing a significant investment to take its Lo Cooker forward to the next stage of its development, having secured research and development funding from the Welsh Government.

“we demonstrated a cooking efficiency of greater than 50% with good prospects of taking this higher through further development,” Prof Board explained.

The company has also raised further finance through the Welsh Government as well as investment from private investors.

Prof Board said of the private investors: “these will bring a degree of experience and know-how over and above the investment they are providing.”

The LoCooker is expected to be on sale in retail outlets by late 2012.

Food writer and broadcaster Colin Pressdee has already undertaken extensive trials of the Lo-Cooker with positive results.

He said: “It is energy efficient and works well when used for delicate dishes involving seafood, vegetables, eggs and meat.

“This a flexible device which is ideal for the modern trends in cooking and has a place in the commercial and domestic markets.”

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Windmill Power – 10 Unbeatable Advantages of Using Wind Power

October 8, 2011 By

Windmill Power 10 Unbeatable Advantages of Using Wind Power

Contrary to popular perception, windmills have been in existence for a long time now. while in the earlier days they were used to produce mechanical energy to pump water, these days they are being used to generate electricity. you can in fact build one for your home too by following instructions that you can find in the various do it yourself online guides on the topic. From helping save the environment to cutting down on your energy bills, windmill power comes with a host of advantages.

1.The biggest advantage that you get with windmill power is that it substantially reduces the cost of electricity. in fact in some cases it completely eliminates the cost too.

2.You no longer need to depend on power companies.

3.You can sell the electricity produced back to power companies in certain areas.

4.Unlike other sources of energy, windmill power is a renewable source of energy.

5.No damage to the environment is caused when windmill power is produced. Windmill power is perhaps the cleanest source of energy that is available.

6.You directly contribute to your country’s cause by helping it reduce its dependency on other countries for oil.

7.By using windmill power you are setting an example for the next generation to follow.

8.Homemade windmills are extremely easy to maintain. All that you need to do is to check for some worn out components at regular intervals of time.

9.The operating cost of a windmill is also very low, one of the reasons why it is gradually becoming popular among homeowners around the world.

10.You need not spend a fortune building a windmill. Most of the materials that you want for building can be found in a local hardware store near you.

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The World’s First Hybrid Solar Geothermal Power Plant – Renewable Energy

September 26, 2011 By

The World’s First Hybrid Solar Geothermal Power Plant Renewable Energy

Hybrid solar power plants have become a hot new addition to the energy generation landscape this year.  Several natural gas solar hybrids have been coming online across the globe, providing consistent energy generation powered by solar during daylight hours, and natural gas during the night or on cloudy days.  Enel Green Power North America has now announced its plan to take this same principle and apply it to geothermal energy, developing the world’s first solar geothermal hybrid power plant.

the 24-megawatt plant will utilize 80,000 polycrystalline photovoltaic (PV) panels in conjunction with traditional hydrothermal technology.  the plant is going to be constructed in Churchill County, northern Nevada.

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the announcement of the new plant came at the fourth annual National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas on Tuesday.  Senator Harry Reid, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, and Enel Green Power North America President Francesco Venturini all attended the Summit and commented on the plan.

“all these things are going to be necessary as we move into renewables,” says Energy Secretary Chu. “This is an incredible new technology that can be used across the country… we have the opportunity to lead the world in this market.”

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Senator Reid states, “This is a debate we can win publicly. This is an energy revolution that other countries have embraced with arms wide open.”

Construction on the solar geothermal hybrid plant is expected to take a full year to complete and the project will employ roughly 250 Nevada residents.  the site has already installed the first of a reported 7,000 support poles to hold the solar PV panels in place.

the energy generated by the plant will be sold to local utility NV Energy, and Enel President Venturini believes this plant will be the first of many to be built across the U.S.  Enel is also in the early stages of developing a concentrating solar thermal geothermal hybrid test plant in the same location. 

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Has Earth Brand™ Life Seeded the Galaxy?

August 23, 2011 By

Has Earth Brand™ Life Seeded the Galaxy?

Despite the fact that, for now, the panspermia mechanism is purely hypothetical, there’s lots of fun ideas about how life may hop from planet-to-planet. in an effort to explain how life was spawned on Earth, scientists have looked at other solar system planets — such as Mars — as possible sources for the terrestrial biology we know and love — or, as I like to call it, Earth Brand™ Life.

However, more recently, scientists have been eying Earth as the source for life on other worlds. Wouldn’t it be odd that if we detected life on Mars, we find it has a distinct (terrestrial) flavor?

SEE ALSO: are we Infecting Mars with Our Germs?

Today, a study published by Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) researchers reveals that Earth Brand™ Life might not have only rained down on neighboring planets, it may have the potential to spread further afield.

In a nutshell, one version of panspermia goes like this: when a sizable meteorite slams into a planetary body, pieces of the planet’s crust may be blasted into space after being given the energy to attain “escape velocity” from that planet’s gravity. The smaller the planet, the lower the escape velocity, so less energy is needed to blast bits of said planet into space. Therefore, as the logic goes, it’s easier to eject bits of Mars than bits of Earth into space — as Earth is more massive than Mars and has a deeper gravitational well.

This is one of the reasons why it’s thought there’s fewer pieces of Earth floating around in space than pieces of Mars. indeed, we know for a fact that bits of Mars have made the trip from Mars-to-Earth as we’ve found meteorites composed of Martian material here on Earth. Our robotic explorers have yet to find terrestrial meteorites on the Martian surface, but they do exist — just in smaller quantities.

OPINION: Directed Panspermia: Moral Obligation or Bio-Pollution?

So, with all this planetary material flinging around in the inner solar system, has some biology hitched a ride too? Well, that’s open to debate and will remain a particularly controversial subject for some time to come.

But if Earth is a source of planetary ejecta (regardless of whether or not it’s carrying microbes), how far has it traveled?

Well, Mauricio Reyes-Ruiz and his UNAM team have carried out the biggest Earth ejecta simulation ever and found a few surprising results.

Firstly, by analyzing 10,242 test particles (ejecta) originating from Earth, a far greater number of them end up on the Martian surface than previously estimated (an increase of two orders of magnitude). this finding will surely bolster the argument that Earth biology (dead or alive) may exist on the Martian surface.

SEE ALSO: Life on Mars could Stem From Earth

Secondly, at higher ejection speeds (i.e. when the Earth is pummeled by bigger meteorites), the test particles had a higher likelihood of hitting distant Jupiter than landing on neighboring Mars.

As pointed out by the Technology Review’s arXiv blog, this provides some tantalizing indications that Earth ejecta, potentially carrying microbes, has slammed into the surface of Jovian moon Europa — one of the handful of gas giant moons that have been singled out as having possible life-nurturing qualities. Europa is thought to harbor a sub-surface ocean, protected by a thick icy crust, with the potential to home complex marine life.

Although the researchers haven’t specifically modeled Earth ejecta reaching Europa shores, just the fact pieces of Earth could reach the Jovian system is fascinating enough.

RELATED: Europa, Jupiter’s Moon, could Support Complex Life

Conscious of the life-spreading potential of their simulated Earth ejecta, the Mexican researchers tracked the test particles for 30,000 (simulated) years to see where they ended up. 30,000 years is the period of time that scientists think the hardiest of Earth bacteria could survive in space in a state of dormancy. sure enough, the test particles could, theoretically, reach Europa in that time frame.

Another, more far-reaching result of this research is that at higher ejecta velocities, the majority of the test particles are ejected from the solar system all together. Therefore, if there’s some characteristic inside the small pieces of terrestrial ejecta that could preserve life for millions of years, this could hint at an Earth Brand™ Life transit method not only throughout the solar system, but to other stars.

But who said biology needed to be “alive” to make panspermia possible, anyway?

Image: Where it all begins — an impact event that kicks ejecta into space, carrying Earth biology. Credit: CORBIS

1314078305 58 Has Earth Brand™ Life Seeded the Galaxy?

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Credit Card Types

July 1, 2011 By

1309509908 18 Credit Card Types

Last week, Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC), Prologis and NRG Energy announced an offer to help the largest distributed rooftop solar generation project in the world. The offer includes a provisional assurance with respect to finance from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office. The loan guarantee will facilitate debt of $1.4 billion of the total project size of about $2.6 billion, which will be financed completely by the private sector over the next four years.

After receiving the offer from the Department of Energy, BofA and other two firms are working on the financing documentation of the solar project to commence the first phase of installation. Under the first phase, 15 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity is instantly ready for construction and installation in Southern California. After the completion of the installation, the power generated will be sold to a local utility under long-term power purchase agreements that have been permitted and implemented. NRG Energy has agreed upon to be the lead investor for the first phase of the project over the next 18 months.

Under the plan, solar panels will be erected on the top of industrial buildings in 28 states. The project will take place at sites offered by Prologis, who is an owner, operator and developer of the industrial real estate.  Prologis with the aim of generating renewable energy will provide access to rooftops and will act as a developer, construction manager and program sponsor in addition to making an equity investment. This project will add considerable level to the distributed solar market while providing economic and environmental benefit to Prologis’ shareholders and customers.

Through this distributed solar project, more than 10,000 full-year jobs will be generated across 28 states. After completion, these installations are estimated to supply about 733 MW of distributed solar energy, which would provide renewable energy to power roughly 100,000 homes.

BofA is acting as financial and structuring advisor and sole lender in this agreement. The transaction is conducted under the Department of Energy’s Financial Institutions Partnership Program (FIPP). Through FIPP, the DOE will warranty 80% of the $1.4 billion debt financing for this deal.

Through this innovative transaction, BofA brings together several parts of Global Banking and Markets franchise. Such achievement renovates the dynamics of distributed solar generation, produces a significant source of clean energy and generates thousands of jobs across the U.S.

NRG Energy, one of the nation’s largest electric power companies and solar energy developers with funding the first phase of the project along with providing development resources and project proficiency for the installations. As per the company, rooftop solar program will transfer the benefits of solar power to its customers across the country.  This project will almost double the amount of grid-connected solar online in the United States and positively contribute to cleaner air and a healthy environment.

Within BofA, the business was led by the Cross Asset Solutions and Strategies group. This team is formed to control BofA’s entire platform and synchronize the vast resources of the company from initiation to implementation while collaborating with BofA’s Global Investment Banking and Global Leasing teams.

This step in solar energy generation exhibits the strength of BofA’s Global Banking and Markets platform forming a part of the company’s 10-year, $20 billion environmental business initiative. Such initiatives are taken to mark climate change by aligning BofA’s global financial products and services and help in enhancing energy efficiency and low-carbon energy markets.

In October 2010, BofA’s closest competitor, JPMorgan Chase & co. (NYSE:JPM) also announced that its unit JPMorgan Capital Corporation signed a deal with SunEdison to finance a solar (photovoltaic) energy development project. The amount to be invested by the company was approximately $60 million, which be deployed in major SunEdison markets across the U.S.

BofA currently retains its Zacks #4 Rank (a short-term “Sell” rating). Moreover, we maintain our long-term ‘Underperform’ recommendation on the shares of BofA.

  BANK OF AMER CP (BAC): Free Stock Analysis Report  

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Telluride Recap: Geezers rock more than chairs at bluegrass festival – Aurora Sentinel:

June 23, 2011 By

1308858008 67 Telluride Recap: Geezers rock more than chairs at bluegrass festival Aurora Sentinel:

Four days of live music at the 38th Annual Telluride BluegrassFestival reminded me again that American roots music is very muchalive and thriving even when it’s being performed by Britishers.here are some scenes from the festival held June 16-19 inTelluride’s Town Park:

- Aging Baby Boomers stole the show. from the first notes of“Black Dog,” 60-ish singer Robert Plant commanded the stage with ablues- and twang-infused recasting of Led Zeppelin hits and hisnewer material from his Band of Joy including 50-something musicalgeniuses Darrell Scott and Buddy Miller. Plant sat happily in theaudience earlier to soak up tunes by 60-something vocal iconEmmylou Harris who delivered her best set in years. And crowdfavorites Tim O’Brien, Steve Earle, Jerry Douglas and Peter Rowanaren’t exactly spring chickens either.

- the kids are alright, too, especially such musical prodigies asChris Thile and Sarah Jarosz and talented vocal-oriented bands likeThe Head and the Heart and the Decemberists. However, while thehottest band on the planet, Mumford & Sons, proved to be quitecharming, the British natives seemed too keen on delivering theirhits note for note like the album. And Trampled by Turtles was bigon the energy and noise but deficient in the virtuosity and lyricsdepartments.

- It was an only-at-Telluride moment when one the world’s greatestbassist performed a set of composed and improvised solo bass piecesand the rock-savvy band listened and applauded. to watch EdgarMayer play the bass is to witness an intimate act as he dances withhis incredibly valuable Italian bass, coaxing out anorchestra’s-worth of sound.

- the set of original progressive jazz by Bela Fleck and theFlecktones that explored the far reaches of complication was justwhat my ears needed to flush the 4/4 time and C major chords out ofmy dusty eardrums.

- I’ve seen Boulder’s Yonder Mountain String Band perform everyyear for a decade. I’ve always appreciated the bands energy andlove of bluegrass but I was never captivated enough to listen tothem in my car. after their Telluride set, I just might. the banddelivered many strong new songs, that were well played anddelivered with more authority and less commotion than in the past.Bravo — they’ve finally grown up.

- My nominee for a new state anthem: “Colorado Bluebird Sky” by theEmmitt-Nershi Band.

- Sarah McLachlan does agony really well. she also has a few frothypop confections and happy dancing songs but clearly she’s at herbest when she’s singing about heartbreak, divorce, death andemotional turmoil in tunes such as “I will Remember You” and“Angel.”

- the topical Guthrie-esque songwriter lives! Steve Earle, theinveterate rabble rouser, activist, and author began one song aboutthe Civil War by saying: “All wars are about someone else’s money.”He added that he was one Southerner who thought that conflict wasreally about slavery, not state’s rights. Earle included hisradio-friendly hits including “Copperhead Road,” his catchy ode tomining misery, moon shining and cannabis cultivation.

Read John Lehndorff’s complete blog from the 2011 TellurideBluegrass Festival at aurorasentinel.com.

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Can you go solar without the high cost.?

May 4, 2011 By

1304547612 73 Can you go solar without the high cost.?

I've been working with – 115 watt evergreen solar panels, rated 7.62 amps output. I'm starting with one for this experiment to run one motor and alternator setup. I've found low amp DC motors, 1.4 no load amps at 3000 rpm to run an alternator that has a 105 amp output at 12 volts dc to charge my battery bank. I know this set up wouldn't do whole house by itself but Since your output is more than the solar panel output itself you can put together multiple units and still keep your costs down. I've thought of replacing the DC motor with a battery inverter and ac motor setup but would need more panels because the inverter has a 40 amp input amperage. the idea here is to go solar without the high price of huge arrays. would like feed back on this, thanks

And the third law says eventually you'll lose that too (entropy).

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What is the amount of energy required for a shuttle to leave earth and reach the moon?

April 1, 2011 By

1301628013 31 What is the amount of energy required for a shuttle to leave earth and reach the moon?

It's not amount energy, its amount of fuel.

Of course, there is certain amount of energy required to move mass 200 tons from Earth to Moon, but rockets do not operate this way.

Well, the space shuttles weight about 2 million kg. The escape velocity of earth is 11.2 km/s. So the kinetic energy needed is
.5mv^2 = .5 * 2000000 kg * (11200 m/s)^2 = 1.25×10^14 J

This is about 35 million kW-hr, or 119 trillion BTUs. The same energy required for about 12 billion air conditioners.

Edit: in response to Kirchwey:

Eh, yeah, you're right. Pieces are continuously dropped and the fuel continuously runs out, but I mean, did you want to do all that integration? haha. If this was an engineering homework question and it gave the variables, then I would've considered that.

I just gave a general idea of the amount of energy needed. I probably should've chosen a mass somewhere in the middle, but oh well.

And actually, the BTUs are right. there are 3413 BTUs in a kW-h, and a kW-h is 3.6 MJ.

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Why does California permit so many wind generators at Altamont and San Gregorio to remain out of service?

February 22, 2011 By

1298349015 44 Why does California permit so many wind generators at Altamont and San Gregorio to remain out of service?

Recently, I drove by these two pioneering wind generating facilities. I was disappointed to see the signifcant numbers of disabled units. Are they merely obselete now, or are they being neglected? Are there plans to repair or replace them? who is the operator and how can the operator be reached?

See the following link:

http://enr.construction.com/Sp_Projects/…

The short story is many of the wind mills are older and in need of upgrade for several reasons. There are several wind generators operating there and it's up to them how to procede. This is not a state or federal generation system.

Because apparently killing birds is a more serious issue than global climate change. just read the article linked in the previous response.

Or it could be that is just too expensive to keep those old turbines operating and thus not profitable, even with the extra money coming in from those "carbon offsets"

Could be for several reasons:
1. Cost Effectiveness – Wind generation is not always the cheapest. the electric company has to always try to produce the lowest cost combination of power. (Coal, Nuclear, Gas, etc.)
2. Wind Speed – It requires a minimum wind speed of about 7 MPH for most of these units to begin turning and generate anything.
3. Contractual Terms – the producers contract with the utility and state may prevent them to have all in use during lower power demand periods. This is common.

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