Going Green: Utilizing Solar Powered Energy As An Alternate Energy Resource

Yeek — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 09:03:29 +0000

Photovoltaic cells – an array of black squares, that comprises a solar panel; are becoming more efficient, and gradually less pricey, all of the time, because of ever better designs which permit them to focus the harvested sunlight on a more and more concentrated point.

The size of the cells is reducing as their efficiency rises, meaning that every cell becomes less expensive to produce and at once much more productive. As far as the cost, the price of producing solar-generated power per watt hour has come down to four dollars. Just 17 years ago, it was almost double that cost.

Solar powered electricity technology is certainly excellent for the environment, as this alternate form of producing energy. It gives off completely zero emissions into the ecosystem and is merely utilizing one of the most naturally occurring things as its driver.

Solar collection cells have become much more practical for placing on the rooftops of people’s homes. They’re not a difficult system to make use of for heating one’s household, creating hot water, or generating electricity.

In the case of using the photovoltaic cells for hot water generation, the system works by having the water encased in the cells, where it’s heated then sent through your pipes.

Photovoltaic cells are becoming increasingly better at accumulating sufficient radiation from the sun, also on overcast or stormy days.

One firm in particular, Uni-Solar, has created solar collection arrays for the home that work well on inclement days, by using a technologically more advanced system that stores more energy, during sunlit days than earlier or other arrays.

There’s actually another solar power system available for use referred to as the PV System. The PV System is attached to the nearest electrical grid.

Whenever there is an excess of solar energy being collected at a particular home, it’s transferred to the grid for shared use and as a means of lowering the grid’s reliance on the hydroelectrically-driven electricity production.

Getting connected to the PV System can keep your costs down as compared to full-fledged solar energy, which also reduces pollution and takes pressure off the grid system. Some areas are developing centralized solar collection arrays for smaller towns or suburban communities.

Some big-name corporations are making it clear that they’re also getting into the act of using solar power (a further indication that solar produced energy is becoming an economically viable renewable energy source).

Google is actually putting in a 1.6 megawatt solar power generation plant on the rooftop of its corporate headquarters, and at the same time Wal-Mart wants to place an enormous 100 megawatt system of its own.

Nations including Japan, Germany, the US, and Switzerland have been furthering the cause of solar energy production by providing government subsidies or giving tax breaks to companies and individuals who agree to use solar power for generating their heat or electrical power.

As technology advances and a greater storage of solar collection devices is made available, increasingly more private investors will discover the value of buying into this “green” technology and further its expansion considerably.

For additional details on “going green” with alternative energy, research: fusion excel, scalar energy Wikipedia, and wikipedia: scalar energy.

Fuel-Cell Cars: The Wave of the Future?

admin — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:56:02 +0000

Andrew Beckers asked:

Hydrogen fuel cell cars are expensive and impractical. So why would we even consider them? With gasoline prices well over $4 per gallon and reduction of CO2 emissions a priority, all alternative fuels and future car technologies are getting a closer scrutiny these days. Not only that, if a proper infrastructure was created, Hydrogen could very well be the world’s next propulsion fuel. Its cheap and abundant…so what are we waiting for?

What are they, and how do they work?

Hydrogen can be burned in a combustion engine or be converted back into electricity through a fuel cell. In an internal combustion automotive engine, gasoline or hydrogen can be used in a dual-fuel system that will suffice until a widespread hydrogen infrastructure can be built. These dual fuel cell systems are much like the electric hybrids like Toyato’s Prius, yet they use hydrogen rather than electricity to supplement the gasoline.

In the long-term, with an infrastructure in place, hydrogen-on-demand vehicles can use either a hydrogen compound for internal combustion, or a fuel cell can create electro-mechanical energy and water. A fuel cell isn’t as complicated as a conventional gas or diesel engine and isn’t subject to high temperatures, corrosion or some of the structural weaknesses found in other types of engines. This affords a flexibility and durability for Hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen is processed through the fuel cell and combined with oxygen to create electricity. This newly formed energy is sent to pistons to propel the car forward (or reverse if you like). These fuel cell cars promise zero emissions and pollutants, with the only tailpipe emission being water vapor. Fuel-Cells are basically a combination of a battery and an engine making them a very unique advancement in car propulsion systems. Every year more and more efficient fuel cells are churned out by engineers and factories propelling the hydrogen car possibilities forward. Fuel-Cell conventions and conglomerates abound and with more and more government grants focusing on Fuel-Cell and Hydrogen Car development, the future continues to get brighter for Hydrogen Fuel-Cell cars.

While there is concern that putting hydrogen fuel cell cars on the road is as bad of an idea as was the ill-fated Hindenburg, experts say the two aren’t related, and recent advances in car technology include development of safe, on-board hydrogen storage systems.

Infrastructure and hydrogen highways.

If you’re not familiar with the term, a hydrogen highway is a chain of hydrogen-equipped filling stations along a road. What will it take to make it happen? Norway started the HyNor Project in 2006; Japan has several stations, as does Germany, and California now reports having 25 stations in place from San Diego to Sacramento. All of these stations will add to a momentum of change and will hopefully give rise to a new determination to improve on present Hydrogen powered vehicle prototypes in order to begin to switch our fleet of petroleum based cars. The Hydrogen car will arrive even if it takes time: The future is now.

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