Natural Environment Blog

The time has arrived for the world to wake up to the alarming scenario of energy crisis. This is no more a situation of single dimension; the other dimensions of it being depletion of the conventional energy sources, global warming, severity in climatic changes and their effects being manifold.

Check out some of the methods of harnessing the tremendous solar energy which is mostly wasted and which has the potential of solving a majority of the above stated global problems.

• Solar water heating equipment is one of the most common and predominant usage of solar power for domestic purposes. Water can be heated normally up to 60 degrees Celsius and can hugely cut down on the electricity bills.
• Solar powered heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems commonly called HVAC systems can be deployed at residential places. Homes with modern architecture can accommodate construction with specific materials which can act as heat store. This acts as a heater when surroundings is cold and acts as a cooler when it is hot.
• Cooking using solar power is possible by solar cookers. The incident solar light energy using concentrated solar power systems is used to boil the water and thus cook the food. This is can also be used as an oven, milk heater and so on.
• Solar powered vehicles are off the beat cutting edge technology automobiles which use solar panels for trapping more and more solar energy and convert it into useful mechanical energy. There are cars, bicycles, boats and even aircrafts which are solar driven.
• Photovoltaic cells which are commonly called solar cells are devices which convert incident solar radiation into electrical energy. These cells can be instrumental in lighting and other electrical needs of residential units.
• By switching over to solar power for simple equipments which we use in our daily lives, we can not only save a great deal of money but can be a significant shift towards utilizing renewable energy sources. Solar powered calculators, emergency lamps, decorative lightings, watches and other electronic gadgets can eliminate our dependency on fossil fuels and chemical sources of energy.
• There are these and many more ways of utilizing solar energy; but all it requires is a one time investment and then reap the benefits on a long run. Another advantage of using solar powered equipment is the relative low maintenance factor. The governments of most of the countries which are signatories of the UNFCCC are unconditionally giving investment and tax benefits for installations to shift over to solar energy for power requirements.
• What more? There are facilities for your house hold equipments to generate solar power and sell the excess to the power grids of the native country at the same price which is collected from you for using it!

As individuals, if we think there is nothing much that we can do about the global problems like climate change, global warming and energy crisis; then we can’t be more wrong. To save a better and healthier tomorrow for your kids and for all the coming generations, ACT NOW – ACT FAST!

This article was contributed by Catherine Annie on behalf of http://www.environmentbasics.com.

When considering energy solutions the only place to look, is up. Look up to the sky and see the newest of our clean, green energy solutions shining down on us.

The heat and strength of the suns rays can be easily converted to solar energy, which can power homes and industries. The rays are caught by the solar panels that are usually placed on the roof of your building. They are fed into an inverter, which converts them to energy of the right voltage for use.

Your Own Power Generator

Every time the sun shines, solar panels are creating energy - often more than your household can use. Even on a cloudy day your solar panels are still generating power. If you are connected to a grid, (which you will be unless you are in a remote area) the excess power can be sold back to the power company. Just imagine your energy company paying you rather than billing! It is like having your own power generator sitting on your property.

During the night or in periods when there is no sunlight consumers can buy their power back again and be comfortable knowing that it is clean and renewable energy.

Solar energy can power all your appliances, your lighting and even your hot water service.

The Cost Factor

While the initial investment can be expensive, consumers save money in the long term by generating their own energy. The actual equipment has no moving parts so it will last for a very long time with no wear and tear or replacement costs. Adding solar panels to a home can sometimes increase its value in the market, too, as buyers see the benefits in reduced power bills.

Solar power is reliable and continually available. It does not harm the planet and it is easy to generate. It can power small buildings and large communities. It is affordable and even has the capacity to generate an income for you.

When you are looking for energy solutions, look up. The answer is waiting for you in the sky!

This article was contributed by Rick from comparegasandelectricity.com. Compare gas and electricity suppliers and find energy companies providing green solutions. This saves money and supplies financing to the gas and electricity providers that are moving towards alternative energy.

In France, scientists have been able to produce electrical power from raindrops. They found that the impact of raindrops from the sky is enough to be used for an alternative power source.

During their experiments, raindrops generated between 1 nanojoule and 25 microjoules of energy per drop, depending on the size of the drop. Drizzle droplets, which are about 1 millimeter in diameter, each have an impact energy of about 2 microjoules. Heavy rain can produce 5 millimeter droplets which have an impact energy of about 1 millijoule each.

Jean-Jacques Chaillout, who led the research team, told New Scientist:

“We thought of raindrops because they are one of the still-unexploited energy sources in nature.“

Although the energy produced is very small, there are plenty of potential uses for this energy source. Self-powered sensors is one avenue that could be explored. Peter Tavner, head of engineering at Durham University in the UK said:

“Environmental sensors that ’scavenge’ their own energy make good sense, we use far too much energy in simply exchanging information between devices. I think self-powering them is the future.“

It’s good to see another breakthrough in alternative energy sources, even if the power generation isn’t large. For every self-powered device, that’s less energy that needs to come from somewhere else.

Source: New Scientist