Monday, May 25, 2009

How Does Solar Energy Work?

Do you want to learn how solar energy is working, then you definitely need in this article to read. When all country in the world where the price of oil and fuel continue to increase with increasing urgency to find alternative sources of enrgy. If you're looking for a cheap, pollution-free energy source, the solar energy will occupy the top of the list.

Solar energy is an excellent way to reduce electricity costs. You can also eliminate your electricity bills altogether if you can invest decent amount of money into solar energy initially. The cost of implementing solar energy is quite expensive due to the high costs of the components required to harvest it. However, it is quite profitable in the long run. You can easily recover your money within 5-6 years of installation through the money saved.

Solar energy can be used in any place of the world which receives decent amount of sunlight. However, various factors need to be considered before installing solar energy products. Areas which have cloud cover and rain for large parts of the year will not be able to harvest solar energy efficiently. The efficiency of the solar energy is directly proportional to the sunrays striking it. Also, the amount of electricity generated depends on the quality and technology of the solar panels used.

Generally, a solar energy system consists of solar panels, batteries and an inverter. The solar panels are an array of photovoltaic cells which are also known as solar cells. These cells convert sunlight into electricity. The electricity is then sent to the storage batteries. The storage batteries store electricity in direct current (DC) form. For commercial applications and day-to-day use appliances, it has to be converted into (AC) form. This is done with the help of inverters.

Solar energy can also be used to heat water with the help of solar collectors. Solar collectors are similar to solar panels. It consists of an insulated box which is painted black and water pipes are made to pass through it. The top of the box is covered with a glass. This box is placed in direct sunlight which causes the water inside the pipes to heat up. This water can be stored in insulated tanks for use through the day.

Solar energy is easy to implement and can save you hundreds of dollars every year. Generally, solar products last for more than 25 years and require very little maintenance. Many solar products are commercially available. You can also create solar products easily at home. However, it is recommended that you consult a person who has some knowledge about solar products and has created some products himself.

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Saturday, May 23, 2009

The Facts about Water Reduction

Many companies must dispose water and waste every day. This could be due by the operation of equipment in the production process. Whatever the reason, disposing of water and solid contamination can be very expensive and is strictly regulated by the government. Now a lot of rules and regulations regarding the proper disposal of contaminated waste. In addition, most companies that are looking for an affordable solution environment of reduced water. There are many reasons that the process of reduction of water can be beneficial for your company or manufacturing plant.

Shipping Cost Reductions with Water Reduction

If your company must pay to have waste and solid materials disposed of, this can quickly become very expensive. However, by removing water and liquids you can save money on your shipping costs. Most shipping companies charge per pound of waste that is to be delivered. When you consider that the weight of the liquids in your waste is often more than the weight of the solid material you can see why water reduction would be beneficial. By removing the liquid components of your waste you can often cut your shipping costs in half.

Water Reduction Is Cheaper In House

By investing in water reduction equipment for your company you will find the process is much cheaper. In most cases the cost of purchasing the equipment and completing the process yourself, will pay off if compared to paying an outside company to reduce the water in your waste. Many companies today even offer used equipment that has been refurbished. This can save you even more money in the process of water reduction. However, if you only need to complete the process for a short time you might also consider renting equipment that you can later return.

Cheaper Disposal Is Available

If you have to pay a company to dispose of your contaminated waste it can be very expensive. However, by using water reduction to separate the solid and liquids in your waste you will find the cost is much less. The process of decontaminating waste costs much more that disposing of it. Therefore, if you will separate the contaminated components out of your waste before sending it for disposal you will find that you can save a great deal of money. In many cases you can dispose of the water safely yourself rather than paying someone else to remove it and dispose it for you.

As you can see there are many benefits to reducing the amount of water in your waste. From saving money to helping to preserve the environment, your company will find there are many benefits. There are many types of equipment that can be used for this process. If you think that water reduction is a positive thing for your company you should contact a professional dewatering company. These companies can walk you through the process and train your employees on how the process is to be completed. These companies will help you to choose the right pieces of equipment based on the amount of water reduction your company needs to complete.

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Friday, May 22, 2009

Eliminate Waste with Dewatering

Environment

Many companies at this time focused on the environment. With the law of waste is strictly being enforced by the government, a company that work with waste the search of methods for "greener" to eliminating it. With the quickly process, dewatering becomes popular. Dewatering is a process of removing the waste from the soil or solids. This process can remove harmful toxic and chemicals from solid materials such as trash, waste and soil. While this process is environmentally friendly it can also offer a savings solution for many companies. If your company in search of an environmentally safe and economical solutions to eliminate waste, consider the following benefits of dewatering.

Soil Dewatering Benefits

Unfortunately, there are situations where a chemical spill can contaminate the ground. In this situation the chemicals must be removed, or the ground water could be contaminated. Dewatering offers the perfect solution for cleaning the soil. The soil is taken to a mix tank where water and a special solution may be added. The soil is then washed and ran across a shaker to remove any large particles, than is sent through a centrifuge to extract toxins, chemicals water and solids. Throughout the process the soil can be tested to insure all toxins are removed. The process can be repeated until the soil is clean and can be placed back in its normal environment and the toxins can properly be disposed of.

Waste Water Treatment Dewatering

The dewatering process can also be used for waste water treatment. This process can be beneficial for public waste water treatment plants or individuals. Many farms use the process to make the disposal of animal waste more affordable. In this situation the waste water is processed to eliminate the majority of water or liquid. After the waste is ran across a shaker the amount of solid material left can be disposed of for a smaller fee then complete disposal of all the material. For companies that must ship the waste to another location from disposal, removing the liquid can greatly reduce shipping fees.

Chemical Waste Dewatering

Dewatering can also be a beneficial process for manufacturing companies. Companies that use water to keep machines cool or a mixture of chemical solvents can find a use for the process. Dewatering can separate water from chemicals, metal shavings, and oils. In many companies the liquid waste is collected in barrels or containers for continued use. However, after a certain period this water must be disposed of. Rather than paying for disposal of large amounts of contaminated water, after using the dewatering process only a small amount of waste has to be disposed of.

The dewatering process is offered by a number of companies today. There are two main options available for commercial use. As a business owner you can pay a company to complete the process on site or at the dewatering location. Another option would be to rent the equipment and have your own employees complete the process. Most companies that rent equipment will set it up and train employees on site. With either choice your company can enjoy the benefit of paying less for disposal without destroying the environment.

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Thursday, May 21, 2009

6 Ways to Reduce Your Energy Usage At Home

Today, many people are more and more aware of the amount of energy consumed every day and what effect is having on our planet. If you are in between these people and looking a way to help out with the environment and cut back your energy usage, here are six simple steps to help you save on the amount of energy you use.

1. Turn off all of the lights in your home that you are not using, and can you do with less lights? For the next month try to making a genuine commitment to stick to it and compare your current utility bill with next month’s and see how much money you actually could save over the long term just by doing this simple adjustment.
As a matter of fact your mother likely taught you to turn off the lights when you are not in a room, and mother always right. Even with low wattage bulbs, it can help to make a difference to keep them switched off when you are not using them.

2. Replace your old thermostat with a digital programmable thermostat if your home does not have one. This way, you can set the thermostat to run the heat or air conditioning less when you are not at home, and then set the temperature to go back to comfortable levels just before you return home. If the system is not running all day it will cut back significantly on the amount of energy you use.

3. Use solar power whenever you can. If you use outdoor lights, then switch these over to run on solar energy. You can also get a portable solar charger that can charge up small appliances like cell phones and laptops. While people mainly use these devices on the go, you can also routinely use them in the home as well.

4. Cut down back your hot water use. You can achieve this by using warm or even cold water to wash your clothes and hang up your clothes outside to dry, it will smell fresher too.

5. Be sure all the bulbs in your home have been changed over to the low wattage compact fluorescents. The old style incandescent bulbs can almost triple your energy usage. Also, have outdoor lights with the capability to turn on at night and able to turn themselves off during the daylight hours. This way even if you forget to turn the light off it will not be operating all day.

6. In the winter months, open your drapes on the sunny side of your house to let the sun in to warm your home, you will be amaze how much energy you could save. And naturally you do the opposite in the summer and close the drapes to keep the sun out.

Simply by utilizing these simple steps and you will be able to cut back on your energy consumption. Not only will you be working to save the environment, but you will also be reducing your utility bills as well.

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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

The Future Of Electricity

When discussing the future of electricity, indeed a number of thoughts come in mind. Let's see some of the ideas.

Electricity will be wireless!

Wouldn’t it be delightful to see no wires in the house even with an uninterrupted supply of electricity? Will the future see wireless supply of electricity? Apparently, it will, according to industry experts. Last year, a team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducted a wireless electricity experiment successfully. This dream has never been far-fetched, and with the success of wireless electricity experiments, this dream will soon come true. So, it is not very far that we will see electrical appliances charging themselves off air!

Consumers will have complete control!

Industry experts believe that in future, your power supply will not be dependent on the electricity department but on you. You will have complete control on how you want the power supply to reach your place. You may not be required to pay the mandatory amount when you are vacationing around the world, shutting off the house. Experts see a variety of control options for consumers in the future. Now, whether this future is in the next ten years, or twenty, or a fifty years is not known, but what is known is that the future will see the consumers in control of what they use.

Electrical energy will be clean!

Do you know that the remains of electricity production emit enormous amounts of carbon dioxide in the air? The future of electricity is perceived as green and clean. Given the concern for the environment, the electricity in future will make use of renewable sources of energy, leading to a clean environment. Currently, electricity is produced mostly by consuming fuels that are on the verge of being extinct.

All things will be electric!

OK, we have already seen electric cars and electric shavers, what else will the future see? May be, electric shoes! Combs, toothbrushes, watches, glasses, even clothes may become electrical gadgets. If these sound far-fetched ideas, visit the futuristic shops at Akihabara in Japan for a glimpse of the future.

There will be no outages!

More than anything, consumers look forward to seeing a future with absolutely no power outages. Alternate power solutions promise to take us into a future that has no power interruptions. With increased dependency on power for everything, consumers need to have an uninterrupted supply of power.

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Monday, May 18, 2009

New Trend

Increasingly, we spend awake because we worry about our health care environment. Maybe that's because the ever-growing list of Ecological concerns is keeping us up at night. To turn the tide, Americans are doing an integrated effort to drive less, increase recycling and reduce the carbon footprint. But do make the difference if it can be easily changed to be able to rest in the night?

The green movement has now inspired a new approach to the design of the traditional mattress. NuREM, the Boulder, Colorado-based retailer of environmentally friendly sleep products, is now offering natural mattresses that incorporate renewable resources and sustainable natural fibers throughout their construction. Unlike many memory foam mattress that use a variety of chemicals during the curing process, NuREM’s beds are made chemical-free, offering you a healthier sleep environment over years of use. Inside every NuREM mattress are functional natural technologies like PuriTea™ green tea extract that eliminates odor and keeps the sleeping surface feeling fresh. These beds look and sleep like the mattress you depend on now, but add eco-friendly attributes to improve both their comfort and longevity.

As a company, NuREM considers their products to be only part of their environmental commitment. They’ve rethought traditional shipping methods, compressing their natural fiber beds in to more efficient packaging that is recyclable. By reducing the size of the packaging, NuREM is able to ship their mattresses, sheets, pillows and other natural bedding to your door, eliminating the need for excess shipping facilities and delivery trucks. Not only does this reduce shipping costs, it also greatly shrinks the company’s carbon footprint in the process.

NuREM has just launched a website that further details their dedication to environmental responsibility and complete line of natural sleep products.

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Sunday, May 17, 2009

Enjoying the Breeze - Wind Power Made Easy

We all have heard of renewable energy. Renewable energy is derived from natural sources that are not used up, destroyed or diminished in the process of Generating power. Basically there are four types of reform, namely Hydro (water), Solar (the Sun), Geothermal (heat from within the Earth) and Wind. Depending on where you live, you can utilize one or more sources of this energy. The Harness and simplest to use, however, is wind.

Wind power and hydroelectric power are very similar in principle. One uses wind, the other water, as a driving force to create kinetic energy which is used to power a generator which then creates electricity. I know what you are thinking, but it really is much simpler than it sounds.

A basic wind turbine has three parts: Rotor blades, a shaft, and a generator. The rotor blades catch the wind creating a drag or pulling which causes the blades to rotate the shaft. This action transfers energy from the wind into kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. Any object in motion has kinetic energy. When the blades rotate, they cause the shaft to turn, or rotate, as well. The action of the shaft rotating transfers the mechanical energy into the generator. Generators operate on the principle of electromagnetic induction. When magnets are rotated around a conductor, they generate electricity.

So the blades catch the wind, turning the shaft, which causes the generator to work, which creates electricity. It really is that simple.

You can use wind turbines whether you are on grid or off grid. Depending on the system you get you can generate 50% to 100% of your electricity. A wind turbine capable of producing enough electricity to power the average household in the United States costs between $6,000 and $20,000, plus installation - or you could make your own.

The primary advantages are the same whether you buy or make your own wind turbine - you are using wind power to generate some or all of your electricity. However, making your own system can save you $5,800 to $19,800, plus installation depending on the system you would have bought. You can do everything yourself in a weekend or two, except you will need a licensed electrician to tie your wind turbine into your home's power supply, if you choose to do so. An alternative to tapping into your home power supply is to get a simple and inexpensive power inveter that you can simply plug your home appliances into directly.

Building your own wind turbine does not have to be a difficult task. You can try to figure it all out on your own, grabbing bits of information using online research, or you get a complete guide that instructs you every step of the way. You probably won't want to make mistakes, so having one of these guides is highly recommended. There are many to choose from.

Using renewable energy sources to offset or eliminate your electricity costs does not have to be complicated or expensive. Additionally, most of these guides explain how you can use materials that are reclaimed and recycled from construction sites. The rest of the materials can be found at your local hardware store. Thanks to these great innovators, wind power is not just for the very wealthy anymore. Now anyone who can follow simple instructions can have their own wind power.

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