Archive for April, 2009

Solar energy is the light and the heat captured from the sun. Solar energy is free and its supplies are unlimited. There are no air and water pollution caused about by using solar energy. But there is still some impacts on the environment although indirect.

Photovoltaic cells used to convert sunlight into electricity uses silicon and also produce some waste materials. There are also large solar thermal farms and these farms can also be harmful to the environment and desert ecosystems if not properly managed.

Solar energy can be used on different aspects. Solar energy can be used in agriculture. Greenhouses (which is entirely different from greenhouse gas) convert solar light to heat to be maximized in enhancing the growth of plants and crops. Greenhouses has been around since the Roman times and modern greenhouses were built in Europe in 16th century. Greenhouses are still an important part of horticulture nowadays,

Daylight systems are also being used to maximize the energy released by the sun. It is used to provide interior illumination replacing the artificial lighting. Daylight systems include sawtooth roofs, light shelf, skylights, and light tube. Daylight systems when they are properly implemented can reduce lighting-related energy consumption by 25 percent.

Solar energy can also be developed into solar thermal technologies which can be used for water heating, space heating, space cooling and process heat generation. Solar energy can also be used to distill water and make saline or brackish water potable or drinkable.

The solar water disinfection or SODIS involves exposing water-filled plastic polyethylene terephthalate or PET bottles. This process takes a long time, since the exposure time varies on the weather conditions. It requires a minimum of six hours to two days during days with overcast conditions. Currently, there are two million people in developing centuries use SODIS for their daily drinking water needs.

Also sunlight can be converted into electricity using photovoltaics or PV. PV has been mainly used to power small and medium-sized things like a calculator powered by a single solar cell. There are homes powered by photovoltaics. Using solar energy for water and space heating is the most widely use application of solar energy. While ventilation and solar air heating is also growing in popularity.

There are three main ways in using solar energy. The main way of using and converting solar energy is by using the solar cells. Solar cells convert light directly into electricity. Solar cells are also called photovoltaic or photoelectric cells.

Meanwhile, solar furnaces use a huge array of mirrors to concentrate on the Sun’s energy into a small space and produced very high temperatures. Solar furnaces are also called “solar cookers”. A solar cooker can be used in hot countries to cook food.

With all the benefits of using solar energy, there is still a downside for this alternative energy source. It does not work during night time. The cost of setting up solar stations is expensive, but the benefit of using solar energy when accumulated is so much more.

How important are the alternative energy sources?

People most commonly get the energy to power many types of equipments and things through the kinds which can be acquired on natural resources. And what are these? What will first come to mind when subjected to such question will be the likes of petroleum, electricity and coal.

But, with the increase of the industries that rely a lot in the consummation of energy resources, the negative effects in nature is also on the rise. There is also the truth that many factories emit harmful chemicals that can be bad to nature.

There are also many facilities and gadgets that require a lot of energy resource to be consumed. Plus the fact remains that there is a continuing rise of people’s population all over the globe. With these situations, there are pros and cons that happen in the process. And here are some of the harmful effects that such can be caused by the advent.

1. High technologies are on the rise. But these cause negative outcome to nature. Not everything that is new and advance can cause positive effects to the surroundings. And these add to the factors that utilize available energy causing the latter to diminish faster.

2. People find new ways to use old resources in new and innovative ways. But sometimes, people overlook the harmful effects that such activities can cause the environment. If this is the case, there will come a time that even the alternative sources of energy will not be able to provide what is expected from them.

3. There are environmental agencies that have done surveys with regards to energy consumption. It found out that with the current trend in the consumption of petroleum products, four decades from now, all the reserves for such products will run out if the trend will not change.

4. People have become too dependent in using natural energy resources. If time will come that there will be little or no more left of these resources, a lot of people’s activities and businesses will cease to exist. Transportation will stop. Trade will be affected. Communications will be stopped. Factories and other kinds of manufacturing businesses will stop from operating. Growth will be hindered as well as success.

To stop such negative outcome or slow down the time line so that it won’t come about in the near future, people must do their part to be able to conserve the available resources. They must use their geniuses to find new ways and techniques to turn alternative resources into the kind of energy that can substitute the diminishing ones.

1. People must be serious about energy conservation. They must do everything in their capacity to save their use of the available energy resources. For example, if they can do without cars or riding on public transportation, or if you can just walk, then you better do that. Even if this is only a small step, this can be a big leap towards better results in conserving energy.

2. People must be responsible on whatever they do when it concerns the environment. You must remember that nature gives you a lot that you owe it as well.

Overall, it is people’s duty to look for alternative energy source to help us on our daily lives. We must also aim to alleviate the negative effects that these may cause to humanity and the environment.

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It seems like the efforts to find the best alternative energy sources are seriously being looked into by lots of countries including most US cities. One proof is the signing of the Kyoto Treaty. The main aim of the concerned group and individuals is to lessen the greenhouse gases and pollutants.

The renewable energy sources have proven to be of great help in reducing the quantity of toxins or pollutants, which are by-products of the use of energy. These sources also preserve most of the natural resources that people use as resources of energy.

What are the most popular sources of renewable energy? Here’s a list to give you some basic understanding about the matter.

1. Solar Power. This works when the sun’s rays are trapped into solar cells. The process turns the heat coming from the sun into electricity. When the sun’s rays hit solar thermal panels, the power is then converted to heat air or water. The sun’s rays can also hit parabolic mirrors. This process can produce steam by heating the water. But you don’t need all these scientific processes to be able to benefit from solar power. All you have to do is open the windows and blinds on your room to let the sunshine in. You’ll get an instant heater without having to go to any processes that will require conversion of this energy source.

To date, the main disadvantage of using this source is that it is limited. You cannot use it obviously on night time and during days when it is raining or even on cloudy days. Nowadays, there exist solar power stations, but these are too expensive that there aren’t so many of such around the globe.

2. Wind. The energy coming from the wind boosts the blades of the wind turbines. As this happens, electricity is produced through the use of electrical generator. In the old days, windmills were created so that mechanical machinery could perform physical labor. This includes the pumping of water and crushing of grains that were essential in planting and farming.

Today, there are large scale wind farms that produce electrical currents. The end products are then distributed to national electrical grids and small turbines owned by individuals to distribute electricity to far flung areas and homes. There are many advantages of this kind of power. The main one, of course, is that this doesn’t produce any by-products that can be harmful to the environment. And we will never run out of this source of renewable energy.

3. Geothermal. This comes from the bottom of the earth. Holes are being drilled in certain regions. The hot rocks that can be found underneath produce steam. This is being purified to be used to be able to drive turbines. The latter then become power source for electric generators. To secure that no harmful by-products are going to be produced in the process, geothermal plants must be created accordingly. Once this has been set up, this will be self-sufficient in creating energy sources.

4. Hydroelectric. This power is being created through dams that contain water that can drive generator and water turbine. Tidal power can also be used if dam is not available. The idea here is to make use of the kinetic energy of water.

Just by reading through the available alternative energy sources, you will be amazed at how nature works wonders. It is your responsibility to care for everything around you as to be able to gain from the benefits that each source of energy can give you.