Monthly Archives: April 2012

Wind Energy System for Consumers?

Posted by on April 9, 2012 No comments

Wind Energy System: Take Advantage of Wind

Small Wind Energy System

Small Wind Energy System

When viewing the North Sea from the sandy beaches of Holland, the sea looks deserted apart from the odd seaship. No Wind Energy system in sight.

As a matter of fact the North Sea is the busiest sea on earth. It is a busy industrial area: under the surface many pipes and cables dating back to the nineteenth century to the newest internet cables.

The sea is no more than 30 to 50 meters deep in most places, which is ideal for constructing platforms. In the ‘Doggersbank’ the depth is only 15 meters.

Above the surface, but luckily often out of sight, hundreds of oil and gas platforms have been built since the 1970s. The North Sea is ideal for building a wind energy system.

In the meantime ten wind turbine parks have been constructed that turn the fierce sea winds into energy. In total they are responsible for 1.941 Megawatt energy which is sufficient to supply 1,8 million households with energy. These turbines can be as tall as 20-story buildings and usually have three 200-foot-long (60-meters-long) blades. The wind spins the blades, and these blades turn a shaft that is connected to a generator producing electricity.

If all plans that have been scheduled for the next years will get carried out, the North Sea will deliver 40 times as much wind energy in ten years time. An area as large as 25.000 square kilometres will be occupied by wind turbines. But what about a wind energy system for us, consumers??!

Wind energy system for consumers?

Now, what can we as consumers do if we live in a windy area? Can we build a small wind energy system near our house, or even on top of our homes? What are our options to make use of wind? It seems such an easy option to producing energy and to saving energy.  Wind is a very clean source of green energy or renewable energy, producing no pollution of the air or water.

And since wind energy is entirely free, operational costs are almost nihil as soon as a wind energy system is erected. But, wind is unpredictable at the same time. If it’s not blowing, no electricity is generated.

Small wind energy systems are indeed one of the most cost-effective renewable energy systems, and non-polluting at the same time. A small wind energy system could lower your electricity bills with 50% to 90%. A great method of saving energy!

Secondly, it can also help avoiding the high costs of having utility power lines extended to a remote location. Once you have a small wind energy system, it can be utilized for other applications such as water pumping on a farm or ranch.

Wind energy system: stand-alone or connected?

A small wind energy system can be connected to another electric system, or can stand alone. If you are living in a remote location, a stand-alone wind energy system can be more cost-effective. The alternative is to extend a power line to another electricity grid. These costs could well range from $15,000 to $50,000 per mile! A small wind energy system erected in a backyard can produce enough electricity for a single home or small business.

A successful stand-alone green wind energy system generally takes advantage of a combination of technologies. Setting up a stand-alone wind energy system is not an easy business to do, but can be very rewarding if successful!  If you are not very technical yourself, you can always ask a local system supplier or installer, a local renewable energy organization to help you. Often there are specific requirements in your area. A very useful site for those of you who are American, is the website of the United States Department of Energy.

If you want to know more about a small Wind Energy System, and may want to look into constructing one yourself, just have a look at this Solar, Wind Energy DIY guide

Click here for more information on constructing a small wind energy system!

 





Climate Change & What We Can Do About It!

Posted by on April 7, 2012 No comments

Our impact on Climate Change

Daily we use energy, whether at home or when traveling. Most of the energy used in our households or when traveling comes from burning fossil fuels like coal, gas or oil. The burning of these fuels produces Co2, carbon dioxide, which is one of the most significant greenhouse gases causing climate change. Unfortunately, green energy is not yet used a lot. The sooner we all start using green energy, the better! By switching to green energy we can reduce our carbon footprint and stop Climate Change.
In the last forty years or so, the average temperature of the earth has significantly increased. By following global temperature records it is known that the earth has increased in warmth approximately 0.75°C in the last hundred years. This may not appear very dramatic at first sight, but if the temperature continues to rise this fast, it could be devastating on our environment!

As we know, one of the effects of climate change is that we get more and more frequent extreme weather. When rain comes down heavily, rivers will be bursting their banks more frequently.  Flash-floods will become more common as a consequence. Since we started to record rain facts back in 1766, rainfall in winter England and Wales has slightly increased.

When we look at the last 45 years, it is evident that we have had more extreme rainfall. In 2009, flooding in the United Kingdom was by far the worst when compared to 270 other years. Areas like Cumbria for instance, witnessed widespread flooding..

Climate change is getting worse

Whilst flooding is getting worse, the summers are getting hotter and also drier. In central England the temperatures have risen with approximately one degree Celsius since the 1970s. And the year 2006 was the warmest on record. A climate change could be clearly felt! It might well that we are facing the kind of heat that killed thousands of people in Europe in 2003. We are seeing widespread water shortages already, and drought may well be one of our biggest threats.

What is clear, is that the cost to the environment at large, our society, our economy and not to forget our health will far outweigh any perceived benefits of a warmer climate. Fortunately, we can do something about it by reducing our carbon footprint.

By burning fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal carbon dioxide is produced. Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases that cause our climate to change. By switching to green energy, we will be able to counter these bad effects.

If we use less energy, we can all help to fight climate change. In addition, and as a pleasant side effect, we can all save money by reducing our use of fossil energy. The Environmental Outlook for 2050 of the OESO is predicting a somber outlook on our environment. If we do not change our habits, it is predicted that we will be using 80% more energy in forty years time! This implies that our globe will be getting hotter, and the amounts of water in the earth will diminish. If we do not undertake any action, we will be living on a planet with concentrated Co2 emissions that will cause the average temperature to rise with 5 to 6 %. The ice caps on the North pole have now melted to a degree never seen before. It is reckoned that Northern America and Canada will get severe winters due to this melting down.

Let’s all take a step towards saving energy and reduce our carbon footprint now.

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you will get the e-book with great energy saving tips for free.


Global Energy Assessment

These days the Global Energy Assesment will publish their lengthy report. For more information please go to my hubpage on Green Energy for All.

 

>> Reduce your Carbon Footprint now <<

Posted by on April 3, 2012 No comments

What is your Carbon Footprint actually?

Carbon Footprint

Carbon Footprint

The media nowadays are full of articles and programs on reducing our ‘carbon foot print’. They assume we all know what this is, but what actually is a carbon footprint? It seems quite difficult to reduce something of which we are unsure what it precisely means.  Let’s give a brief explanation here.

The way we affect our environment is manifold. We can impact the world in many different ways. By driving, or flying, heating our houses, and even the types of food we eat can make a difference. If you consider all these ways in which we can impact our environment, it is difficult to work out what it is on the whole.

Your own carbon footprint is a no more than a single figure giving you an idea of your impact on carbon change. It is not difficult to calculate carbon footprints. You can also compare and understand.

Global Energy Assessment

The Global Energy Assessment is due to appear soon. This 1900-page long manuscript will serve as the Energy Bible for future generations. During the last six years some 300 scientists along with 200 reviewers from 70 countries have worked together to make an assessment of our energy supplies. The main question was: do we have sufficient energy sources to supply all of us with energy, and what way this should be done. It appears to be possible, if and only if we undertake action as soon as possible to make the necessary changes in our system. The people who use energy nowadays need 2% extra energy yearly. If we are able to use green energy sources such as solar energy we can contribute ourselves. Governments and lareg companies can take care of large infrastructures in order to supply the 1.400.000.000 people with energy who still haven’t got any. If you want to read more, you can see the report via iiasa.ac.at, or read my blog on Hubpages.

Carbon footprint & carbon dioxide

When referring carbon emissions or carbon footprints, we speak about emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). As we know, carbon dioxide is released when carbon-based fuels are burnt. Almost all fossil fuels are carbon-based. To mention but a few: petrol and diesel used for cars, gas, oil and coal that we use in our houses and in power stations, and jet fuel used for aeroplanes. This carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, trapping the heat of the sun and keeping the earth warm. However, if we get too much CO2 in the air, this leads to climate change, otherwise known as ‘global warming’.

There are also other greenhouse gases. Methane, for instance, also contribute to climate change. For countries & organisations these count as part of their emissions of carbon. But for individuals like you and me, the most important carbon emission is CO2: carbon dioxide.

When we are talking about your carbon footprint, we mean the amount of carbon dioxide that is entering the atmosphere because of the fuel and the electricity you are using. This is measured in tonnes of CO2. Our carbon footprint usually is depending on:

  • how often you fly
  • the appliances and electronics that you use
  • what sorts of transport you use on a daily
  • how much energy you are using to keep your house warm

Once we know our carbon footprint, it surely helps us to understand our impact on the environment. And – more importantly- find ways to reduce this impact.

Let me give you an example: in 2009 the United Kingdom produced 564 million tonnes of CO2.  Around 30% of the 564 million tonnes comes from household energy use! The majority is emitted, as we can understand, by companies and industry. The use of energy in our houses accounts for around 5 tonnes per household, which is exclusive of emissions from transport! If we make our households more energy-efficient, and reduce the energy consumption by transport, we really could make important reductions in our national CO2 emissions! We should not only start saving energy, better is to switch to green energy, such as solar energy.

Want to reduce your carbon footprint?

For people who want to reduce their carbon footprint, there are many ways you could consider. Perhaps you want to consider to insulate your home, to buy more energy-efficient appliances, to switch off electronics at the wall, to walk, cycle or use public transport, and start choosing a holiday closer to home! There are so many possibilities available! Just start. It is not too late yet! Do start using green energy, which does not impact our environment whatsoever. Solar energy is a very good choice. Why not start using solar chargers?

Juice Bar Charger. As Seen On TV 2012 Your Cell Phone Solar Charger Perhaps?

This JuiceBar Pocket Solar Charger immediately generates free and clean energy and contains a powerful, high capacity 2000 mAh battery. This  can be charged with USB or by exposing the solar cell to light. The new design has a 33% stronger battery, a two-sided stainless steel case, status indicator light (VERY handy!) and LED flashlight. It is low priced! Juicebar’s built-in USB port allows the use of the cable of your own device (so NO FUSS!). Cutting-edge engineering supports all popular phones as well as handheld games such as Nintendo 3DS and Sony PSP, Tom Toms, MP3 players and much more. JuiceBar is incredibly small and light measuring just 4″ x 2.5″x .5″ and weighing only 4 oz!

Juice Bar Solar Charger

A trend is sweeping swiftly across the country. No, we are not talking about some fruit loaded with vitamin C..!  Instead, this Juice Bar is a perfect tool if you want to reduce your carbon footprint!

This sleek re-chargeable solar battery stores enough power to charge most handheld electronics and can charge a typical cell phone several times. The JuiceBar’s internal Li-ion battery can be re-charged via USB connection or via the built-in solar panel. This arrangement gives you maximum flexibility on your travels!

The Juice Bar comes with 4 common connectors for popular mobile phones and portable electronics. If none of the included connectors works with your own device, the Juice Bar’s USB port is ready to accept one of your own existing USB-cables. It also has one very handy device: a LED indicator shows you when it is charging its internal battery and indicates the current power. There is even a built-in flashlight! Click on the image below. Recommended if you want to reduce your carbon footprint!