Energy Eden

Hardware Options Made From Recyclable Materials

admin — Sun, 01 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

There are many hardware items that I aremade from recyclable materials, largely due to the emphasis on trying to protect our environment through a large recycling effort. Many hammers of today are made from recycled metals, which have been melted down and used to make hammers that can be used in all types of construction and repair work. Some of the less expensive hammers are composed of melted down aluminum that was reshaped and fashioned into working hammers. Some of the higher-quality hammers are made from recycled iron. Many of the electronic components of computers, are composed of recycled copper and other metals.

Even the rubber handles of many tools at hardware stores, has been developed from old tires that have been melted down and reshaped for use as handles, and other items. Recycled rubber is one of the most common items that is used in the development of hardware and other items that are in general use today. Nails are yet another hardware item that is composed of recyclable materials, and are generally made from recycled iron and aluminum. Although these nails are fashioned from recyclable items, they are generally just a strong and durable as newly fashioned nails.

Using The Sun To Power Your Home

admin — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The sun is the ultimate origin of all power of earth that is not man made nuclear energy. From the grass, to the animals, to the dinner table. The coal we use, the wood we burn, the ancient animals that became modern gasoline, the sun is the truest power source. Modern man has found ways of directly powering out lives with the sun as well. Many people know about solar power cells, but fewer are aware of how useful these items might be in reality.

Solar panels are well known. These items involve photovoltaic cells that directly utilize sunlight to free up electrons and thus generate an electrical current. A solar panel can be a bulky item that is maximized for energy production, or it can come in the form of attractive roof shingles. Either way, the typical roof has enough space for these shingles that most residences can drastically cut back on their power consumption. After a while, these panels pay for themselves.

Another technology is known as solar thermal power. Sunlight is used to heat water, which is then used by the household. In Some countries most of a home’s water is heated in this manner. In countries like America these items are used to heat swimming pools mostly. Either way, solar power drastically cuts back on the electric bill for those who use it!

Alternative Energy: Windmill And Turbine Basics

admin — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Eco-friendly energy is the wave of the future, and a great way to be more socially responsible, cutting down on your carbon footprint. One option for you if you’d like to use green energy is to install a windmill turbine. You can use your wind turbine to harness all of your home’s electricity or just a fraction of it.

Be conservative with energy and it will be affordable. The amount of windmill energy that you need will depend on a few factors, including the size of your home, wind speed and the size of the turbine head. Another thing to consider is where your windmill power turbine will reside. The best sites are where the wind has a clear path to the turbine. Anything in the way, such as trees or building will reduce the efficiency of the wind turbine.

The basic structure of a wind turbine includes rotor blades, which are similar to fan blades, the shaft, which turns as the rotor blades rotate, and the generator, which is used to generate the electricity that you’ll use. There is also the tail assembly and the tower, which may vary according to the model you buy. There is lots of information on windmills,www.home-windmill.com for you to check out.

Interesting Facts About Alternative Energy Sources

admin — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

In the face of rising global temperatures and increasing air pollution in many urban areas, it is no surprise that interest in alternative energy sources has risen dramatically over the past decade. This has led to a boom in funding for new technologies intended to increase energy output while simultaneously attempting to reduce the amount of harmful emissions created by these industries.
Wind farms are a perfect example of alternative energy sources. Giant turbines feature huge propellers that are spun by the wind generating electricity. When used in large numbers, these generators power homes and businesses in many areas around the world. It is generally only useful to utilize wind turbines when the wind is blowing greater than 10 mph (16 km/h), as the power required to run the turbine would be greater than the power generated.
Hydroelectric dams are also examples of alternative energy sources. These behemoths use rushing water to spin turbines in order to generate energy, much the way wind farms do with air. The Hoover dam produces 4.2 billion KWh of energy each year. Regardless, its not just energy, it’s our future. These types of innovations will be necessary for our energy needs in the future.

The National Gateway Project

www.energy-eden.com — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

CSX Corporation (CSX), a leading rail-based transportation supplier reports that according to EPA estimates, “for every ton-mile, a typical truck emits roughly three times more nitrogen oxide and particulates than a locomotive. If just 10 of the nation’s freight were shifted to rail, fuel savings would approach one billion gallons annually.” With this knowledge in mind, CSX Corporation launched the National Gateway Project in May 2008, an 842 million public-private infrastructure initiative to create a highly efficient freight transportation link between the Mid-Atlantic ports and the Midwest. CSX reports that when complete, the project will also improve the flow of goods between eastern and western rail networks as well as benefiting the nation as a whole by:

Avoiding 20 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions;
Reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil;
Assisting states in attainment of federal clean air standards;
Reducing 7,000 tons of nitrogen oxides;
Reducing 1,000 tons of particulate matter;
Saving nearly two billion gallons of fuel;
Improving safety and highway congestion by maximizing the efficiency of freight rail and partnering with trucking companies to reduce truck miles traveled by more than 14.3 billion miles;
Increasing economic competitiveness by saving 3.5 billion in shipper and logistics costs, significantly increasing freight capacity, reducing transit times by 24 to 48 hours between West Coast ports and major population centers; and tripling the market access potential for the ports of Baltimore, Hampton Roads and Wilmington;
Creating more than 50,000 jobs, including more than 25,000 jobs in 14 economically distressed areas (more than 4,000 jobs are to be created by the end of 2012); and
Repairing and replacing declining infrastructure, replacing older bridges and avoiding more than 670 million in pavement maintenance costs, while requiring no public funding for ongoing maintenance.

For more information on this project and other forward-looking environmental advancements that may be of interest to you as you work to curtail your own energy use check out the CSX website. CSX: How tomorrow moves.

Glossary of Solar Energy Terms

www.energy-eden.com — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Absorbers: Dark colored material or surface that soaks up the heat in a solar collector.Annual Solar Savings: The annual solar savings of a solar building is the energy savings attributable to a solar feature relative to the energy requirements of a non-solar building.Anode: The positive electrode in an electrochemical cell (battery). Also, the earth or ground in a cathodic protection system.Base Load: The average amount of electric power that a utility must supply in any period.Cloud Enhancement: The increase in solar intensity caused by reflected irradiance from nearby clouds.Crystalline Silicon: A type of photovoltaic cell made from a slice of single-crystal silicon or polycrystalline silicon.Days of Storage: The number of consecutive days the stand-alone system will meet a defined load without solar energy input.Diffuse Insolation: Sunlight received indirectly as a result of scattering due to clouds, fog, haze, dust, or other obstructions in the atmosphere. Opposite of direct insolation.Direct Insolation: Sunlight falling directly upon a collector. Opposite of diffuse insolation.Energy Density: The ratio of available energy per pound; usually used to compare storage batteries.Fresnel Lens: An optical device that focuses light like a magnifying glass; concentric rings are faced at slightly different angles so that light falling on any ring is focused to the same point.Grid Lines: Metallic contacts fused to the surface of the solar cell to provide a low resistance path for electrons to flow out to the cell interconnect wires.Inverter: A device that converts direct current electricity to alternating current either for stand-alone systems or to supply power to an electricity grid.Light Trapping: The trapping of light inside a semiconductor material by refracting and reflecting the light at critical angles; trapped light will travel further in the material, greatly increasing the probability of absorption and hence of producing charge carriers.Orientation: Placement with respect to the cardinal directions, N, S, E, W.Photovoltaic (PV): Pertaining to the direct conversion of light into electricity.Reverse Current Protection: Any method of preventing unwanted current flow from the battery back to the photovoltaic array (usually at night).Solar Cell: A photovoltaic cell.Solar Panel: A panel consisting of multiple solar cells.Tilt Angle: The angle at which a photovoltaic array is set to face the sun relative to a horizontal position. The tilt angle can be set or adjusted to maximize seasonal or annual energy collection.Vented Cell: A battery designed with a vent mechanism to expel gases generated during charging.Wafer: A thin sheet of semiconductor (photovoltaic material) made by cutting it from a single crystal or ingot.Zenith Angle: The period of time that a charged battery, when filled with electrolyte, can remain unused before dropping below a specified level of performance.

Zipcar: A Whole New Way to Travel Around Town

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:21:24 +0000

For years we have saved time and energy by car pooling with friends and family, but who would have thought to share a car with total strangers? Zipcar is a unique, new company that offers a different solution for your traveling needs. You can become a Zipcar member by joining online. Once you receive your Zipcard, you are able to reserve a car either online or over the phone, choosing the time, location and type of car you would like to use. When it’s time to use your reserved car, you can unlock it by scanning your Zipcard with a device in the windshield, and when you’re done, you simply return it to its spot. Car sharing reduces the number of cars on the road, which in turn reduces CO2 emissions. This type of transportation also reduces the amount of driving each person does and can significantly save costs in oil spending. Many Zipcar users are reducing the number of cars in their household. If you use the Zipcar system for day to day travel, a family could get by using only one car for long distance traveling. This will save individual long-term expenses in car ownership and maintenance.When you use a Zipcar, gas and insurance are included. There are different plans depending on whether you wish to use the system only on occasion or on a weekly basis. Hourly rates for the different plans vary from 6.30 to 7. All plans come with 180 free miles.One of the best parts about using Zipcar is the fact that you don’t have to compromise your style and car preferences. You can choose from a range of cars, from convertibles to hybrids to SUVs. This isn’t a system that will work for everyone, and Zipcar currently only operates in select cities, but it is an innovative way to save energy and money when you travel.

The Rise of Wind Power

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:19:42 +0000

Finding alternate sources of energy has become a priority throughout the world. One renewable source that is rapidly gaining popularity is wind power. If the power of the wind were used to its maximum potential throughout the world, we could generate more than 15 times the current world energy demand. Denmark currently leads the world in wind power, using wind to generate 20 of national electricity demands.In order to utilize wind to generate electricity, wind turbines must be installed in areas with the wind capacity to support them. One of the reasons this is becoming such a popular endeavor is because of the quick payback time. Wind conditions and other factors can contribute to variations, but a wind turbine usually creates enough electricity to pay for all of its costs within ten years. The appeal of this energy source is that it does not require any fuel and does not emit any pollution. Building wind farms requires very little energy, compared to the amount of energy they produce.Wind farms throughout the world are currently generating about 2 of the world’s energy. The US leads the world in installed, wind generation capacity, but it is providing less than 2 of our electricity. The top five states with the most wind energy potential are North Dakota, Texas, Kansas, South Dakota, and Montana. The Roscoe Wind Farm is the largest wind farm in the world, located in Texas, with the capacity to produce 780 megawatts.Some animal activists have raised concerns over birds being killed by these large turbines, but most studies show that the number of animals harmed by a wind turbines pale in comparison with the amount of animals that are killed from pollution produced by fossil fuels. An additional concern is the appearance of wind farms, which some people see as an eyesore in beautiful countryside.

The Long-Awaited Electric Car

www.energy-eden.com — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:16:24 +0000

When gas prices hovered near 4.00 in 2007, Americans finally began to seriously demand alternate fuel sources. In the last few years, the presence of hybrid vehicles that run on a combination of petroleum fuel and an electric battery has grown. These cars have enjoyed much better gas mileage than traditional gasoline-powered cars because of their battery use. Many attempts in the last few decades have been made to create an electric car that is not only energy efficient but practical for the average commuter. This futuristic-style car is now on its way to market. The Nissan Leaf, which is set to be released in December, will run entirely on an electric battery. The Leaf battery is supposed to have the capacity to travel 100 miles on one charge. Because this car is 100 electric, there is no tailpipe. The full cost of the Leaf in the United States will be 32,780, but federal tax savings on this green investment can be up to 7,500, lowering the cost to 25,280.The Leaf’s battery can be charged in a standard outlet at your home but this will take longer than if you use a 220/240V home charging station, which will only take about 8 hours to fully charge. If you are on the road and need more than 100 miles, you can stop at a charging location, and the presence of these will increase over time. A navigation system in the car will show you where the nearest charging stations are located. Another convenient feature is a timer, which you can use to schedule the times for charging to start and stop. This can also be controlled online using a computer or phone with internet capabilities. According to Nissan, the Leaf can reach a speed of 87 mph.If you are interested in a Nissan Leaf, you can reserve a car for 99. Everyone with a reservation may not receive a car when they first become available because of limited quantities, but this fee is refundable.

Easy Ways to Save Gas and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:13:41 +0000

There are a number of reasons why saving gas and improving your mileage are beneficial. Gas prices are unstable and constantly rising, much or our oil comes from foreign countries with whom we have rocky relationships, and the pollutants produced when burning petroleum are harmful to the environment. While buying a hybrid or a new electric car is a noble way to reduce your energy use, there are a number of free, easy ways to save.Use your air conditioner as little as possible. Obviously when the thermometer registers 90 degrees, AC is a necessity. But when the weather is nice, roll down the windows and cool down with fresh air. Another way to conserve fuel is by taking it easy on the brakes. This is best practiced in heavy traffic. With constant stop and go it’s easy to constantly speed up and then brake hard, but this consumes a lot more fuel than if you can manage to coast smoothly. On this subject, using cruise control is another easy way to save fuel. Because cruise control lets you maintain a constant speed, the engine doesn’t have to constantly accelerate, reducing fuel consumption.One of the biggest wastes of gas is idling. This is easy to avoid by turning off your car when stopped by a train or waiting for someone to run into a store. Turning your car back on does consume some energy, so during very short waits such as traffic lights, it is best to leave your car on, but anything longer and turning it off is the way to go. When you are stopped at a light, putting the car in neutral can also save fuel. When you are stopped, the car is still using energy to provide acceleration, which you don’t need, and you are using the energy of the brakes to stop the acceleration; being in neutral stops any engine power from being applied to the wheels.