How Much Does Solar Power Cost And Can You Afford It?

The world needs a new source of energy. The current primary energy source is fossil fuel, which is not only expensive, but also hazardous and will eventually run out. With all these disadvantages, people are now becoming more aware of the advantages of using other sources of energy, such as solar power. But how much does solar power cost?

Using the sun’s radiant energy has some distinct advantages. Such as:

- It is free. As long as the sun comes up, you can tap into its energy.
- It has an unlimited supply. Unless you plan to still be here in a few billion years, the sun will always be there.
- It does not produce pollution.
- It will help you save money.

Solar panels today are very efficient. There are several types of panels out in the market. But the question is how much does solar power cost? The answer to that question can be tricky to answer. That’s because various types of panels can be determined by the efficiency and price. The balance between these two factors may give you the answer to the question.

There are two basic types of solar panels – One is crystalline silicon and the other is amorphous silicon. Amorphous silicon is much cheaper to produce, but is less efficient in producing electricity. Crystalline silicon, on the other hand, is more efficient in converting the sun’s energy to electricity but is much more expensive. To be able to find the right panel for you, here are a few of the solar panels that you can buy on the market:

- Sunsei SE-4000 – This solar panel is a crystalline silicon type that has a maximum power output of 65 watts and is priced at around $650.
- Kyocera KS20 – this is another crystalline silicon type that has a maximum power output of 20 watts. Its price is about $300.
- Silicon Solar – This is an amorphous silicon type that has a maximum power output of 40 watts. It is priced at around $250.
- Sanyo HIP-195BA3 – This is a combination of crystalline silicon and amorphous silicon. It costs about $1000.
- Then there is the do-it-yourself model. These can typically be made for less than a hundred bucks. They probably won’t be as efficient as the professional models and will take a few hours of your time to build it, but they can save you a lot on your initial investment.

To learn more about do it yourself solar power, be sure to read our Energy4Green review.

So how much does solar power cost? By looking at all these figures, the cost of these panels would be at $5 per watt, $10 per watt or $15 per watt. But remember that the numbers shown are the maximum output. The output will vary based on the intensity of the sun where you live.

Technorati Tags: Crystalline silicon, Fossil fuel, Solar Energy

The History Of Water Pollution

Water is life. About 70% of the human body is composed of water. It is necessary for you to drink clean water. Drinking polluted water is not good for you; it can have an bad effects on your entire body. Sickness such diarrhea and cholera can even be fatal for small children. Plants and animals likewise die from being exposed to polluted water. Go to Enviromental technology for more information.

Let us look at a brief history of later pollution, where it came from, and what are the factors that lead to water pollution.

Ancient times
Water bodies such as lakes, rivers, and streams were the source of water to drink during the ancient times. However, it is the same water bodies where human wastes were deposited. Therefore, in rivers became so polluted that the these ancient cultures needed to construct aqueducts in order to obtain clean drinking water.

The main reason for this water pollution was that human waste found its way to rivers and streams. Cesspools likewise found a way to water bodies and made many people ill.

Medieval Times-1800s
During this period most societies had very little idea of what was bad for you and what was detrimental to the environment. Mercury was commonly dumped into the water supply and most human and farm waste was allowed to run freely into lakes and streams. Most people who lived in cities just dumped their waste and garbage into the street. It probably smelled very bad.

During the latter half of this period civilization made many great strides, often to the detriment of the environment. People even ingested chemicals they thought were good for them at the time that we now know are very bad for you, like Radium and Lead.
The Industrial Revolution of the 1800s saw little care for environmental impact for the benefit of industry.

Many chemicals were pumped into the air and rivers. Most people of the day were not concerned with the impact that their inventions had on the environment. In their defense you could say that nobody had ever given much thought to the fact that the human race could even effect the ecology.

After World War II
In addition to pollutants such as human wastes, fertilizers, leather tanning, and butchering wastes, the emergence of industries and technological factories likewise caused ever more severe water pollution problems. Industrial wastes were freely dumped into rivers, lakes, and streams, polluting the water further and causing large amounts of damage to living organisms using those waters.

1969
In the year 1969, after series of fires on the Cuyahoga River, it was learned that the fires are caused by oil slicks and flammable industrial wastes dumped into it! The government then started the studies that let to the enactment of the 1972 Clean

Water Act.
Even with this act, many people are still unaware of how to protect themselves from chemical pollutants and waterborne diseases. Many large scale cleanups have been ongoing for years.

Present Day
Today, water pollution is still an issue many countries and regions face. It is therefore important for you to know the disease causing agents that may find its way to water bodies. By understanding the damage water pollution can do to your body, you may try to avoid water contamination in your own way. Refer to enviromental products for more information.

Water Pollutants
Human wastes, household chemicals, fertilizers, garbage and industrial by-products are the most major water pollutants. You can help avoid them finding their way to the water you drink by learning how to dispose of them properly or avoiding their use altogether.

Other contaminants include bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasites. These contaminants may be caused by human activities (like large scale farming) but there are some other sources in the environment. Tainted water such as this can cause extreme health problems. If you can ensure that the water in your community is clean by avoiding its contamination, you can help avoid bacteria and viruses reaching the water bodies.

Decomposing bacteria are likewise dangerous in large quantities because they will deplete the oxygen level of the water. This is often caused by fertilizer run-off in the form of phosphates and nitrates. The fertilizer causes blooms of algae and when the algae die they decompose.

As they rot the bacteria depletes the oxygen in the water and this often kills fish. If it can kill a fish, how do you think a small child can fight these pollutants if they enter his body?
Acids, salts and toxic metals can pollute the water extensively, making it unfit to drink. Batteries, computer parts and industrial chemicals like PCBs are some of the culprits.

These pollutants are fatal to all animals and most plants. They typically cause internal organs, such as your liver and brain, to fail work properly.
If you cannot access clean drinking water, you and your family will be at risk to diseases and other problems. Help avoid water pollution by learning to respect the environment.

Properly dispose of chemicals, whether household chemicals or industrial chemicals. Being conscious about the environment can save the life of your family and many other people in the world. Do your part in avoiding water pollution so you, your family and everyone else can live a healthy life. Visit environmental for more information.

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Technorati Tags: Cuyahoga River, Water pollution, Water supply

Understanding the ABC of Carbon Offsets

We understand carbon offsetting as the procedure of curbing greenhouse gas emissions through particular projects to offset the impact of harmful gases emitted in the past. The motivation behind buying carbon offsets is to balance those emissions that we are unable to prevent during the course of our daily lives. If someone generates emissions when another sustainable alternate is available, it is usually frowned upon by eco-conscious people. For ease, one offset is measured as the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide.

Several European countries have made nationwide legislations that permit businesses to emit up to a particular volume of emissions. If a business releases more than the assigned limit, it needs to buy carbon offsets to settle the equation. While this compulsory necessity to sustain a low carbon footprint is the main driver of offset trading, there is also a smaller voluntary marketplace. People who are eco-conscious buy offsets to decrease their personal carbon footprint even though they are not required by law to do this.

In simple words, the demand for carbon offsets is largely driven by environmental regulations on official state level and then by eco-conscious people feeling guilt when they release greenhouse gases. But how are carbon offsets ‘manufactured’? Companies that offer you offsets typically buy them from large projects carried out to cut GHG emissions anywhere in the world. Genuine projects ensure that the overall emissions released on earth get controlled so the exact site of these projects is not a big concern.

Greenhouse gases blend into the atmosphere and spread all over the earth rapidly; it doesn’t make any difference in the long run if you emit CO2 in United States, Asia or Europe as the overall effect will be the same for the global environment in each case. For the same reason, many carbon credit projects are set up in China even though majority of carbon credit buyers are located in Europe and North America. Because everything from labor to construction materials is cheaper in developing cities, the final cost of producing one carbon offset is considerably less if compared with European nations.

This small article won’t enter the debate of carbon offset scams. It’s sufficient to say here that carbon offsetting does help the planet if done according to established standards.

Technorati Tags: Carbon offset, Carbon Offsets, CarbonFootprint, environment, Greenhouse gas

Why Solar Power And Solar Panels Important

We have ways to heat our water, our homes and provide us with electricity. We probably take all of this for granted and if we lost them we would probably panic. We take for granted that these conveniences will be there for us from now on. We expect glitches to happen but we want them to be fixable without going long without all of these. We appreciate the heat in the winter when it snows outside and when the temperatures drop. We need water to live and although it is usually running under the ground we want the convenience of it running through our pipes and into our homes.

Some people use some of the heat generated from the sun in order to heat homes, power electricity and provide water to their families and businesses. When you think about all that you have that runs through a machine it may be possible to reroute that in order to run it all by sunlight. Scientists have only started to make this possible but it is far from being completed. When you consider all the solar energy that reaches the earth’s surface and then radiated back into the atmosphere, you could power electricity, heat and water from now on. This solar energy can be redirected and concentrated using special boxes that attract the light during the day to heat water and homes throughout the night.

Solar energy would not be affected by the supply and demand of fuel for it is free and it doesn’t pollute the atmosphere. It is natural and pure. It would provide us with better health.

In the beginning you may pay a minimal amount to be solar power efficient by purchasing a solar source. You can buy indoor and outdoor lighting, solar power windows and insulated doors in order to make your home more solar efficient. After that initial expense you don’t have the expense of paying a monthly bill to keep your service on. This also promotes others to use solar power to be more efficient.

Solar panels importance

Solar panels can be different shapes and sizes but their main purpose is to convert the light in order to make electricity. Photovoltaic, or PV, is the process of converting the light into electricity. Photovoltaic cells are self generating and consist of a very thing film made of silver. This film is placed on a semiconductor layer that can be found on an iron substrate. The photovoltaic cells are very important in producing enough sunlight and heat in order to successfully produce the energy that is needed in order to heat up water, heat homes and power electricity.

Solar panels can be found in all different shapes and sizes including round, square, and rectangle. You can see them on top of buildings and houses or standing alone in fields. Solar panels are in hand held devices and they are in energy efficient appliances. The sun is a wonderful natural resource and can greatly cater to our way of life. The study of natural resources like the sun is ongoing and the improvement that can be made in the future is anyone’s guess but you can’t go wrong when you use natural resources.

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Technorati Tags: Photovoltaics, Solar Energy

The Advantages of Using Biofuels

Advantages of Biofuels

Every time there’s an increase in oil prices, people feel it, even if they don’t drive a car. Some suggest we use biofuel to lessen the impact of the rising fuel costs.

But what is biofuel, and how does it differ from fossil fuel?

Biofuel is produced from recycled elements of the food chain, and from plants. It is used in vehicles, and is considered a sustainable renewable source of energy, as compared to majority of the liquid and gas fuels which are used today. Conventional fuels are fossil-based, and there are limited sources available. These sources are depleting fast, and if we don’t find a good replacement, one day our cars will basically stop running.

Types of Biofuels

Biofuels can be used in their pure forms, or they can be blended with other fossil fuels. There are two basic types: biodiesel, and bioethanol. These are currently available on the market and most engines are compatible with them. There is no need to modify one’s existing engine in order to use them.

Biodiesel

This type of biofuel is created using a process that combines oil with alcohol, in the presence of a catalyst, to produce either methyl or ethyl ester. The alcohol used can either be methanol or ethanol. The esters are then blended with the standard diesel fuel, or can be used in their pure forms (100% biodiesel). Biodiesel can replace diesel, or it can be combined with it in such a way that it helps run diesel engines with little or no modifications required. Biodiesel is said to be better for the environment because of the fact that it produces fewer emissions, while at the same time being made from renewable supplies.

Bioethanol

Bioethanol is made by oxygenating various agricultural stocks, such as sugar and starch crops. It can be used in existing engines, although a small quantity of conventional fuel is needed for cold starting. Vegetable ETBE is used at present, as a fuel additive that can enhance octane rating. The vegetable ETBE is a replacement for MTBE, which is made from unsustainable sources.

Controversy

Biofuel might appear to be a promising renewable energy solution, but there are still some issues that need to be addressed regarding its use. While its use may lower the level of carbon emissions on the planet, the production of biofuel has caused debate. The concern is whether crops should be used for fuel or be reserved for use as food.

Hopefully these problems can be resolved. Biofuel might be an inexpensive and renewable source of energy, but people certainly shouldn’t starve because of it.

Please visit Biofuel for additional information on this subject.

For information about renewable and alternative energy in general, please visit Alternative Energy.

Technorati Tags: Biodiesel, Biofuel, Ethanol fuel, Fossil fuel

Loans for Buying Solar Power Equipment for the Home

With today’s economic crunch affecting every citizen, we still continue to try and alleviate the situation by finding ways on how to really cut our daily expenses. A very effective way on how to achieve this is to cut costs on our energy consumption. Preferring to use the smaller displacement car over the usual gas guzzling SUV when heading out for some groceries would really save us some precious money in terms of gas payment. Another important way on how to really cut down energy consumption is by installing solar equipment in our home.

There are basically two types of solar installation we can have, the first one transforms the solar energy into electrical current and the other one transforms the energy into heat for rooms and water. Having any of these system will bring significant reduction to your household costs. But the downside to this is that the average rate for a household installation of the second type, would be from $6,000 to $7,000. The first type, the photovoltaic system would set you back around $18,000- $25,000. Sure, they a considerable amount of money on the up front, but come to think of it, it will save you tons of money monthly and it wont be long until you can finally recoup what you have just shelled out. With today’s economic situation, investing on these system would be prove to be a logical investment. However, with the economic meltdown, it would not be a wise idea to pull out that sum of money out of the stock market just to have these systems installed in your house. It’s a good thing that there are a lot of companies out there which offers to have these solar power systems installed in your homes through flexible payment schemes and affordable loans.

By enticing as much home and business alike to use this viable alternative to conventional energy, you not only  get to have thousands of dollars in savings, but you also help save the environment by minimizing the people dependent on conventional energy and minimizing somehow burning of fossil fuel. The potential of having solar energy as our main source of power remains to be undermined primarily because of the high cost of installation. However, with more and more companies that offer realistic payment schemes, it won’t be long until we can finally bask under the sun, and full enjoy the benefits we can derive from it. And the best part about using solar energy, is that it doesn’t emit any harmful emission and noxious gases. And lastly, the energy we can derive from the sun does not deplete, unlike in fossil fuel which, as scientists have predicted, half of the earth’s total supply of fossil fuel has been already consumed.

Simply browse over the internet, I’m pretty sure there’s one company in your area able to give you the suitable financing scheme for solar equipment in your home or business.

Technorati Tags: Energy development, Fossil fuel, Solar Energy

What Are Biomass Pellet?

Biomass pellet are a compressed form of the original raw material. Collectively the raw material is called biomass. Biomass can take many forms, for example one form of biomass is wood. By compressing the material into pellets creates a uniform highly compressed commodity. This commodity can be used for several purposes, for example they can be burnt to produce energy in the form of heat or used for animal bedding.

The reasons for turning the raw material into pellets is quite simple. In its raw form the biomass has a low density and is very expensive to transport. pellet can drastically reduce the foot space of the raw material. This means more of the raw material can be placed on the back of a lorry or on a boat. This means reduced transport costs, however there is another advantage. Pellets are seen as a environmentally friendly fuel and kind to the environment because of several reasons and one main reason is it takes less lorries and boats to transport pellets from one location to another. This means less CO2 is produced, which helps to reduce the rate of global warming.

Secondly in its raw state most biomass is awkward to handle and use. For example wood log stoves are very common, however the user has to manually load the stove every few hours. By turning wood into pellets the user can load a hopper and the stove will feed its self. Depending on the size of the pellets hopper the user may have to fill the hopper every day up to once a year. Therefore tuning the raw material into pellets gives a similar level of convenience users today expect and receive from gas and oil appliances.

Pellets are produced under vast amounts of pressure and heat. The biomass enters a machine called a pellet mill and under pressure and heat is turned into a pellet. The raw material is effectively melted and reformed. The pellets come out of the machine very hot, and cannot be used until they have cooled. Once the pellet has cooled it resembles a coloring crayon, they are normally about 1 inch in length and should have a surface shine. Due to their increased density over the raw material they are alot heavier than the raw material. Due to the weight and uniform size they flow like water. This ability to flow means they are ideal for hoppers and feed systems for pellet burners. The uncompressed raw material would simply bridge in a feed hopper and cause lots of problems.

Pellets burn a lot better than the unprocessed raw material. Due to the high density of the pellet, a more complete burn is achieved. This means more heat, efficiency and fewer particulates and emissions. Keeping emissions and particulates as low as possible benefits air quality and the environment.

Read more about Wood Pellet Equipment and Pellet Stoves

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Biowashball -Wash Your Clothes Without Detergent

Biowashball is a unique product designed to get clothes clean without use of laundry powder or detergents. Instead of your usual laundry soap or liquid detergent, you place a non-toxic plastic ball in with your wash.

This flexible green sphere is filled with small round micro spheres made of natural ceramics. The small ceramic spheres change the pH of the water the same way your detergent does, but without harmful chemicals.

Because it is hypoallergenic (no detergent or fragrances) you can safely use Biowashball in any washing machine. It treats grease, organic and chemical stains effectively, getting your wash bright and clean without leaving residues or dumping harmful chemicals into the water. it helps reduce allergies and protects the environment.

Biowashball works by altering the pH of the wash water, the same way laundry detergent does. Laundry powder or liquid detergent is quite alkaline, which is how it gets the clothes clean. But soap powders and detergents have chemicals that may leave residues which cause irritation. They often have fragrance in them that can lead to allergic reactions. And they frequently contain phosphates which get into the groundwater.

How can you get your wash clean without these side-effects? Biowashball works by emitting negative ions, which weaken the adherence of dirt on fabric so that it is easily removed without the use of soap or detergent. It has a pH of about 10, which is equivalent to that of an ordinary chemical detergent. This pH level along with charged ions allows dirt and soil to be easily removed from clothing fabric during your machines’ regular wash cycle.? Since there is no use of detergent, the rinse cycle expels no pollutants from a detergent into the environment.

I first heard about Biowashball from a friend who prefers eco- friendly products. She began using it because it has no phosphates to pollute groundwater and harm the environment.

Over the past year I’d been having skin irritation and increased allergy symptoms. It seemed to come from the residue my laundry detergent was leaving in my clothes and giving me symptoms. I tried several different brands, including the ones that were supposed to be pure. Even these were irritating my skin and my allergies were getting worse. My friend recommended I try the Biowashball because it doesn’t leave residue in clothes. But I was skeptical. How could you get clothes clean without soap or detergent?

The first load of wash convinced me. Biowashball left the clothes and sheets smelling clean and fresh, with no left-in residue that could cause irritation or allergy symptoms. Not only that, I was saving money.

Maybe you feel like I did, constantly using up your supplies and then having to go out and buy more laundry powder or detergent, bleach and fabric softeners. But you can forget all that with Biowashball, you just add the ball to each wash and let it go to work. It’s good for up to three years of laundry, and you can save up to $500 a year.

After I found out how great this product was, I went to Natural Cleaner Online and picked up another Biowashball for my son. He’s transferring from community college to an out-of-state college and won’t be able to come home weekends to do his laundry.

I have my own washer and dryer. But for students, travelers, and people who use laundromats or apartment complex machines, Biowashball is really a dream come true. People can trade heavy, bulky detergent, bleach and fabric softeners for one little ball that keeps their wash clean, saves them lots of money, and is good for the environment too.

They know about it in Europe and Asia, but it’s new in the United States. Check out this environmentally-friendly cleaner here.

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Technorati Tags: Detergent, Laundry detergent, Washing machine

Green Shipping Containers – How Green Are They?

Now I don’t mean by this that I am going to talk to you about painting your second hand containers green so it blends into the countryside. This blog is about how by buying a shipping container you can flex your environmentally friendly muscles and feel good about the fact that you have done your bit to help the planet (and got a really good product into the bargain!!).

If you decide to buy second hand containers then, obviously, you are recycling an industrial product by giving it a new life. Most people use their ex-shipping containers as a means of storage. With the addition of a lockbox and a hardened steel shackle padlock you have a storage container that is not only extremely secure but has a whole new useful purpose.

New/once used shipping containers also can be environmentally friendly. When used as part of a construction project these containers can be erected in much less time (and therefore use much less energy) than traditional construction methods. A recent well known example of this was the Travelodge in Uxbridge. Costs were a third . less than a traditional build, and construction took a matter of months. All achieved by using purpose built containers which were put together in no time on site.

Both a new shipping container and used storage container can be converted into affordable housing that is ideal for enabling nurses, teachers, students etc to live near to their place of work/study. This reduces the carbon footprint by abolishing the need to commute.

On the subject of accommodation, shipping container conversions slot easily into towns and cities without requiring much – if any – additional infrastructure. They can be easily transported onto brown field sites and connected up with minimum disturbance to their surroundings.

The flat roof of a new shipping container or second hand containers is ideal for housing solar panels or growing a “green roof”. The use of ceramic thermal paint for insulation means that the containers themselves are often better insulation than traditional houses.

Shipping Containers are often used as receptacles for recycling. Think of the containers where you put your old newspapers in car parks for example. 10ft containers are frequently used to recycle clothes, shoes and the like.

Charities re-use shipping containers to transport items such as medical equipment, classroom furniture, books and clothes (all of which are being recycled themselves) to Africa etc. Afterwards the container is often used to provide the community with additional covered space.

At the end of a used storage container useful life it can be totally re-used by recycling the steel and wood and turning them into something else.

These days going green and doing your bit for the environment has never been so popular. Often, however, it involves additional effort and compromise. With a new shipping container or second hand containers not only are you going green by giving an essentially industrial item a new purpose but you will have a supremely adaptable and long lasting practical product helping you in your everyday life – in whatever role you have chosen for it!!

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Technorati Tags: Affordable housing, Carbon Footprint, Waste management

What You Should Know About Curbside Recycling

Hopefully, you get to see those curbside recycling bins in action each trash day. If you do see them, then that means there is a recycling program in your area. If you do not, you need to take steps to see that one is implemented. Everyone wants a cleaner earth because this is the only one we have and without a concentrated effort by individuals such as you, this planet does not stand a chance. Thankfully, you are not alone. Other people are catching onto the recycling movement and want to do something to help protect the planet.

The curbside recycling program allows people to recycle and leave their recyclables out on the curb with the rest of their trash. There may be designated pick up days for each type of material, such as glass, plastic or paper products. You will have to check with the local recycling services to find out the designated days for pick up of your aluminum cans, plastic bottles and such.

Doing your part has never been easier. You can easily separate your garbage as you throw it away, if you utilize waste bins to collect the trash. The most important tip for dealing with garbage is to always rinse out any containers that you throw away. It will definitely keep the smell down and help out the collectors just an extra bit. But simply putting your garbage out on the street may not be good enough for you. Perhaps you need to know how your recyclable material is actually used. You may be surprised by all the ways recycled material is put to good use.

These days, in many playgrounds, you will see rubber mats beneath the playground equipment. These rubber mats are made from old plastics and other rubber goods that have been recycled. While you are at the playground, also take a look at the benches. Many benches are being made out of recycled plastics but it does not stop there. That note the kids are passing may be written on recycled paper. The parking lot may be made from recycled glass and asphalt.

The different ways curbside recycling programs work is astounding. It is one thing to put your plastic water bottle into a bin and quite another to see the marvelous ways it is being reused. It is positive reinforcement that your actions are helping the environment in very great ways and is a great example to be teaching our children. Keeping this planet clean is our number one priority and should be pursued actively.

Technorati Tags: aluminum cans, compost, Curbside Recycling, landfills, recyclables, recycle bin, recycled materials, recycling centers, recycling services, waste reduction