Tina Metcalf asked:


The ultimate solar home has to be the International Space Station: three hundred and seventy five square meters of solar cell goodness, providing thirty kilowatts of sweet solar energy to run one of the most amazing feats ever assembled by man.  Of course it’s not all cheery, in space maintenance is a bit tricky, and the commute to work takes ages.

One person who knows of both trials is astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, who had an unusual accident while working to repair the station’s right solar wing.  The solar wings have motors which move them to point at the sun, ensuring maximum energy absorption.  Or rather they usually do, one joint on the wing jammed, locking the panels in place and cutting down on the power production.

While fixing the problem, Heidemarie was distracted by an exploding grease-gun and put her tool bag down for a moment.  Except, of course, in space there is no real “down” and the untethered tool bag promptly floated off into the great black yonder.  There are a few reasons this isn’t a serious problem for Earth-bound panels:

1)  Earth panels don’t usually move to track the sun – except in special systems, the energy cost of moving the panels against gravity is more than you’d gain.

2)  Tool bags on Earth don’t usually float off into space.  If you’ve got a tool bag that can do that, please contact a scientist immediately.

3)  Regular tool bags don’t cost a hundred thousand dollars.

Yes, the escaped equipment cost a whopping hundred grand, the bag being full of customized NASA-grade goodies.  Don’t be expecting a free astronaut baggie to be dropping in from above though,  the small package will burn up harmlessly on re-entry.  The mission continued with no other problems, and the astronauts now await tests which will tell them if they’re back to full power.



Paula

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Today kids are learning about all sorts of things especially with modern technology. We are moving ahead and it is good to teach them about solar power, which is a resource that will be part of their future, depending on how much care is spent on it now. Wherever you see the sun shines, or you can feel any warmth or see it, you can have solar power. This kind of power to used for heating and lighting in business, homes and schools; for heating water, and it also a way to produce energy. By teaching kids how solar power actually works and how we should use it wisely will help to protect the future for us all.

Children need to learn why we need and alternative to the energy we use today and the effects and damage it has had on the world’s environment. It is important for them to understand why we need to produce a safer energy source. Electricity is currently a non-rewable resource, as we gain nothing from using it. Once this power runs out we will need to find an alternative source of power supply. Scientists are always busy looking at new resources for energy production, so that when we eventually do run out of one source, there is another in reserve to replace it, so that we don’t miss out.

Until then, another resource needs to be found, to ensure that is ready for when the switch over is necessary. We need to preserve what is left at the moment, so that in the near future we can immediately switch to a new energy resource with no problems. Much of energy production that we have is currently damaging and so harms the environment. By polluting the air, the sun is under threat and we run the risk of losing it as a natural resource. This alternative resource is vitally important, so by teaching our kids they can join our efforts to save solar power for the future.

Solar power generates energy by using the natural resources around us, and there are man made sources so that the solar power can be attracted to these sources and saved. We need to find a way for this be to cost effective by using solar sources that are cheap enough to provide us with the solar power that is needed. The average home would benefit greatly by switching over to solar power, and it is easy to set up, saving on the need for power lines. If your home is being built from scratch, by installing solar power you can begin to generate electricity in your home straightaway, to heat your water supply, and you could even sell your surplus energy for use elsewhere. You would be putting money back in your pocket. There are huge benefits to be gained by saving on producing a resource by the slow use of a natural resource. Children will learn how to save energy and how to plan for their safe future.

Conserving solar power by everyone of all ages and the sooner it starts, the more the future will benefit. Teaching kids is the way forward in order to save our energy, as we need a solution on how we can save on solar power in the future. Currently power is linked to each individual house for heating, our water supply and some other necessities; by being able to save in larger quantities we hope one day to cut out the need for so power lines that we see everywhere running through fields, our streets and backyards which will be replaced by solar panels and boxes instead.



Cory

nlwest21 asked:


In this day and age of growing technology, scientists are working diligently to find ways to harness solar energy in order to power the Earth. Producing cars and products powered by solar energy will reduce the emission of harmful gasses and chemicals into the atmosphere. Our Earth is a precious commodity and we need to take care to protect it.

What is solar energy? Solar energy is radiant heat and light that is emanated from the Sun. This light helps to influence the climate on Earth and allows not only humans and animals – but also fish to live. Solar energy has been harnessed for power since the ancient times by humans through the use of different technologies.

The Earth can receive 174 petawatts of solar radiation or insolation in its upper atmosphere. Close to 30% of that is reflected back into space and the rest is absorbed by the clouds, land masses, and the oceans. The spectrum of solar light on the surface of the Earth is predominantly spread across near infrared and visible ranges and a small part in the near ultraviolet. The solar light that is absorbed is able to heat the land surface, atmosphere, and oceans.

Solar energy as well as hydroelectricity, wind, and wave power make up 99.97% of the renewable energy that is available on the Earth. The total amount of solar energy that the Earth’s atmosphere, land masses, and oceans absorbs is close to 3,850 zettajoules a year. Studies show that in 2002 this was more energy in one single hour then what the world would use in a total year.

The amount of solar energy that the Earth’s surface can capture is so large that in a single year it will be twice the amount that we can obtain from non-renewable resources of oil, coal, and natural gas. Because of this consumers themselves are seeking to purchase their own solar energy systems to help save them money and to keep the Earth safe.



Lewis

Oladokun Sulaiman asked:


The bilinnia of year have been spent to build up protective mechanism of the environ-sphere that support our planet- the ocean, the fist creation of oxygen, and ozone , the breathing out all of the earth growing cover of green plants.

Today ,what have has it become of human in basing a larger part of our energy supply upon atomic energy is bringing down to earth the power that would have never permitted any kind of organic life to develop on this planet . Even thus the first generation of this fire was accidental, the first intention was nevertheless an act of cruelty .beside this, we have forgotten with an uneasiness born of the sense of sacrilege that the first use of this dangerous fire end up wiping out two cities, without care for individual guilt, or innocent , man or woman , you or aged . the building of atomic technology has was never due to compulsion of war but the fear of energy depletion , but today the development is hazardous to all of us in a new way including creation of risk of reversible damage to mankind’s genetic inheritance.

Prospect of peaceful nuclear power generation:

Energy released from fusion – plant in this generation are using the same processes used for the first atomic bomb –here only one percent of the uranium oxide is used up, it has the risk that the whole chain reaction will end in an uncontrolled released of radioactivity is offset by insertion of absorbent elements which slow down the reaction and the limitation of this process is the scarcity of U235. The breeder reactor-This process bypass 1 percent use of uranium oxide up to 80 percent- exploitation rate, thus here we have advantage of fuel , the real cost of nuclear program depends on the installation and safeguard . The fusion reactor-this involve the transfer to earth of the sun processes, the vast release of energy achieved by the fusing of nuclei within the superheated hydrogen plasma of the sun’s core. Here the fact is that the technical difficulty in term of containment of huge thermal release is still enormous.

These are systems let us look at the advantages:

· Fission reactors or so called light- water cooled system are less pollutant and they have competitive cost.

· The breeder rectors are even more economical, but full of uncertainty and there is ongoing research on the technology.

Lets us look at the hazards

Both fission and fusion provide high thermal pollution – here they provide no advantage over conventional plants. Fission and fusion posed problem of radio activities – even thus they say they make effort to contain the entire radioactivity given off during nuclear generation with hermetically sealed containers. A lot of seepage occurs during storage, transport, in the cooling water, in release gases, in the cleaning of fuel elements and disposal. Problem of disposal- most radioactive materials have half life of 100 years , disposal cost a lot , and even where to dispose is a big treat to the environment the is no sink on this planet. Workers and community exposure to radiation – the noxious nature of the radioactive material has fundamental difficulties that there is no safe threshold of radioactive under a wide variety of condition – age, exposure, metabolism- create genetic damage or cancer.

Now the fundamental question is the dabbling into nuclear worth the danger? Does worth it for community to regard death as a reasonable risk in return for some suppose good in quite clear? Any carelessness, any casualness, any calculus based upon inward- looking national advantage and prestige or a quick profit gained by some smartly turned commercial deal is utterly unthinkable in this context. Time is actually calling for us to seize to make simple calculation of gain or convenience, but to confront our survival and tat of our children and grandchildren and whole human race.

Communities need to apply common sense to more detail issues. Communities should protest that closed to nuclear station should protest, because nuclear leak of lethal radio activities (whose spreading in all direction is quite fast) to an urban region or population could lead disaster even point form degradation over years. Community that already has nuclear power plant should demand the right to set monitoring sytem to lower dose and contaminated rate. Community should demand right to be informed about new technology deployment and measures for existing system.

Now I will make a brief quantitative summary under technical- economic- social and political (dominate most) platform

Design =plant size (-), power (-) since large fixed mass mc

Production= (-) more complex

Operations= maintenance and repair (-), no refueling (+), does not need oxygen (+)

Economics = capital (-), revenue (-), wage (-)

Social = owner, crew, health (-)

Political = national (-), accident (-), prestige (+), military (+)

You might wonder why there are no nuclear ship – there was, the first one that was built (m.v. savanna) was rejected in every port of the world, end up in a museum.

We have already made error regarding air and water as free goods and have, if we have to treat the risk of rising cancer, genetic mutation we may get more power and pay more for safety at the expense of degenerating population. In any case, it does not make much difference from military insanities of multifold nuclear overkill and all the atomic gadgetry of mass killing from which a recognizable human species will hardly survive. It important to let go this destructive temptation, those who have it should destroy it and those who plan to have to should forget about. It is only with love, establishing loyalty, and trust respect, justice can we us nuclear energy, the situation of the planet with misplaced trust here and there has complicated energy issue. It is true we have 6 billion inhabitant of this planet and we need energy, the fossil is envisage to be depleting , thus to keep 10 billion people alive in this planet , atomic energy seem to be favorable likely answer, but yet the disadvantages supersede the advantages . However, we still other options ort alternatives – we large reserve of coal than can last for another bilinium. With the abundant existence of water in this planet can use hydropower and wave power, solar energy, fuel cell, geothermal taping of internal earth heat



Alvin

M.so asked:


Well, when I think about global warming I think its not going to happen in my life time so whats all the fuss about. We all believe that global warming may only start in around about a million years.

We are wrong! According to scientific research the temperature that the world is at now and the amount of carbon dioxide in the air now rather high. This has happened before the only difference is last time it was this high there was a ice age. There have been five ice ages so far all of them were at the temperature that we are at now. You may think that this is a load of rubbish. But its not and this is how i can prove it. Scientist believed that we would not get frozen over to until we are unfortunately dead. However, scientists have been shocked to realise that the Glaciers are moving quicker then we though. Ladies and Gentleman the world is going through a Ice Age. Don’t you agree it is scary!

I think that we can’t prevent the world going through a ice age however what we do need to work towards is making sure that earth doesn’t explode. Previously when the ice ages happened it was simply a natural cause and we all live however it does make you ask ‘Is it our fault?’. Now that we are using up most of the oil petrol etc. The world is seeking to use a renewable source such as wind turbines and solar panels.

If you look in the long run then using renewable energy sources will lead to a cheaper bill, a better environment and a longer living world. If we carry on the way we are going then we will have a even larger bill, a much worse environment, a shorter living world, a unhappy life, a life of fear and risk, natural disasters. All these may result to death.

By using renewable sources you can really help the environment and more to the point you can help you and have a cheaper bill. Also many gas company’s will simply pay you for creating your own energy.

You may think that this will cost a bomb however scientific research shows that you can make your own energy at a real cheap price. This will allow you to live a better life and you may cut your bills back by eighty percent!

Please save our world!

Click Here to produce your own energy, cut down your bills and most importantly ’save the world.’



Jackie

Jonathan Gal asked:


We are all well-aware of the staggering effects that our use of fossil fuels has had, and will continue to have, on the environment. Global warming, acid rain and a host of devastating results will continue to threaten the majority of species currently inhabiting the planet for many ages to come. Luckily there are also millions of people currently working hard to reduce and limit these problems, and their efforts tend to be focused on several key “green” initiatives.

These initiatives encompass a wide range of efforts and plans, but the bulk of them tend to be centered on alternative energy production. Rather than relying upon coal, oil and gas for energy production, these groups work to create reliable and affordable methods for creating energy from solar rays, wind, water and even steam.

What is the future of green initiatives? That question involves multiple answers. For instance, there is a huge trend for consumers and businesses to purchase things called “carbon offsets”. These are tax deductible contributions to groups working to create alternative energy sources or who are currently at work in reforestation projects, among other programs. The majority of them offer a consumer tools that will help them determine their carbon usage during a standard year and then allow them to purchase “offsets” against their consumption. This tends to “balance the scales” which is something that has not been happening over the past few centuries.

Of course a majority of people look to solar technologies as the simplest and most well-developed of the green initiatives. Solar energy has been studied for more than a century, but only since the 1950s has its real potential been recognized and implemented. Today, there are active solar energy power plants and many home and business owners have taken strong measures to implement as many solar energy options as possible in their homes and offices. Using outdoor LED lights is one such strategy. 

There are also some great answers in the power of the wind, but this is a bit more restrictive in implementation because a measurable and steady supply of wind must always be present in order for the system to work. Currently there are hundreds of “wind farms” working to supply communities or homes with their energy needs.

Though there are many problems facing the planet, there are also millions who want to work to solve them. This is the basis for all of the green movements and green initiatives at work in the modern world. The technologies that will lead to their success have been improving and becoming more and more accessible every year, and will continue to do so for decades to come.



Anita

Tina Metcalf asked:


Kips Bay Towers in New York City isn’t a house, but it is home to about 4,000 people living in two residential high-rise buildings, each with 20 floors and about 1,120 units. Sitting on 7.5 acres nestled between 30th and 33rd Streets, Kips Bay Towers – located in the historic Kips Bay area of the city – is home to a diverse professional community encompassing singles, couples and families.

Originally, the architecture was what made it notable. Designed by world-renowned architect I.M. Pei, the building utilizes cast-in-place exposed concrete and offers a three-acre garden, playground, basketball courts and all the other amenities of a first-class apartment building. Now it also offers a 54.28 kilowatt DC solar photovoltaic (PV) system, the largest residential solar system in the city of New York or – as far as this writer could determine – in the entire United States.

The solar array, designed and installed by Solar Energy Systems, LLC, was fortunate in finding a rooftop code-compliant interconnection point rather than one in the basement. This, and the aging electrical infrastructure in many New York high-rises, may be the limiting factors in “greening” New York City roofs – a project first proposed by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. The City’s largest commercial solar installation, also built by Solar Energy Systems but  equipped for net metering, was recently installed on a 180-year old building roof in Brooklyn, proving that old doesn’t automatically exclude solar. The system, at a modest 40 watts, is the first to send excess electricity back to the utility company for use by other customers.

Solar isn’t new to the City. In the summer of 2005, The City University of New York (CUNY) introduced its Million Solar Roofs Initiative (MSRI) under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy. The university originally set a target of 500 solar roofs in the City by 2010. The target has not been met, but private solar initiatives, like that of Cabrini Terrace – which powers elevators, laundry rooms and security lighting in the residential building – are helping reduce the burden for New York City electricity providers like Con Ed. Kips Bay Towers, however, remains the largest residential solar initiative, and the electrical connections in every unit were retrofitted with absolutely minimal disruption of service – a notable achievement in itself, and one that proves the feasibility of switching to solar, whether one lives in a coop apartment building, condo or private residence.

The Kips Bay project was completed under the auspices of the New York State Solar Electric Incentives Program, and qualified for a rebate that covered almost half the cost. Additional incentives, in the form of state and federal tax credits and a property tax abatement, made for a steal of a deal, and that’s not even factoring in the annual energy savings. We could argue the meaning of residential ’till the crows come home to roost, but the fact is that 4,000 New York City residents are now served by a form of truly “green” energy that won’t fail them the next time Con Ed and its aging infrastructure has to throttle power down, creating another brownout, to serve all of its territory.



Paula

Chad Brosius asked:


In this age of global warming, non-standard power sources, like the sun, wind or organic matter, to name a few, are becoming increasingly relevant. In this article, I discuss all these, and more.

Solar energy is a very environment friendly source of unconventional energy. These are no releases of greenhouse gases during solar power generation. This form of energy can be used in a variety of ways, in your daily life.

To illustrate, power from the sun can be used to generate electricity and boil water. It can also be employed to manufacture alternate fuel for your vehicles. Not only that,you can set aside some of the expenses incurred as a tax rebate.

In addition, you stand to benefit if your residence is put up for sale, as the solar panel will increase its worth.

Are you aware that you can use corn stalks, wheat, and similar plant matter to generate fuel for your vehicles or your home? For that matter, just about anything that burns and decomposes will suffice.

This source of energy is know as biomass, and some of the fuels which can be made are methane, ethanol and bio-diesel.Just think what it would be like to go in your car using these fuels , blissfully ignorant of the mushrooming cost of gas.

Do you live on a farm? If so, think of wind power first for your energy needs. This is a fairly popular option, although, it being location-sensitive, it may not suit every household.

What element is present the most in our cosmos? Hydrogen, what else? The promise of hydrogen power is so astounding that it would read like “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not”!

Ever thought of driving your car with water power? Possibly, when asleep! It’s actually feasible, in real life!

Apart from having an electrolysis unit in your automobile to create power from water to move around in your own automobile, your mileage will in fact improve. Your mileage could go up by between 20 and 50%.

And how much will the whole thing cost you? Not more than 100 dollars! Why isn’t this technology available to the general public if it is feasible?

Hydropower energy is yet another reserve you can utilize to produce electricity. You don’t have to build huge dams at home. You just need to use a micro hydro turbine, that can be left alone after being suitably installated.

The wonderful aspect of this power source is you need to have only little water to run it.

The area below the earth’s crust gives out much thermal energy. Utilizing this to produce energy is what geothermal energy focuses on.

If you assume advanced skills are required here, you can be sure you can fabricate your very own geothermal energy generator at home, provided you have a large garden.

This type of energy is most suited for people who reside in places with volcanic activity. Here, you only need to go six feet underground to reach high temperatures, throughout the year.



Adam

Kavar Peter asked:


The price of a barrel of oil has never been higher ($62.00+ in summer 2005 even before the chaos caused by Katrina). Some say this is a temporary spike, but more and more analysts are agreeing that this kind of pricing is here to stay. World consumption is at an all time high and given the new thirst for oil in China and India it is unlikely to diminish. According to International Energy Outlook, global demand is expected to continue to increase by as much as 59% in the next fifteen years.

Already, consumer energy bills have been increasing on average 6.5% per year for the last thirty years in the United States. Given the dramatic rise in the cost of producing energy using traditional non-renewable resources, this rate is bound to be overtaken by unheard of price increases in the very near future. And for consumers who are becoming more and more environmentally conscious, the thought of the millions and millions of tons of CO2 and other bi products being released into the atmosphere annually through the use of fossil fuels in creating energy is very alarming.

It is a no brainer that our reliance on oil to create energy leaves us very vulnerable. There are renewable technologies that produce energy, but the problem has been one of cost effectiveness. It has always been cheaper to supply energy using fossil fuels, and consequently, renewable sources such as solar or wind power have not taken off. But the situation now appears to be changing. More and more, our consumption of energy is outstripping supply. The grid can barely keep up with demand and rolling blackouts are no longer just a concept. No wonder governments are looking for alternatives. And no wonder everyone is talking solar once again.

In 1985 annual worldwide solar power system installation accounted for 21 megawatts of power. By 2004, this had multiplied to an incredible 927 megawatts in new installation power production alone. The demand for solar produced energy over the last several years has increased annually about 25%, although in 2004 sales were up a whopping 67% from the previous year.

There are several reasons for this increase in popularity for all things solar powered. Beyond the obvious environmental considerations and the privilege of not having to rely on power from a grid that is aging and stretched to capacity, solar is getting cost effective. While traditional energy production gets more expensive, technological advances are making solar power cheaper. In 1980 the cost of harvesting energy from the sun stood at about $100 per watt. Literally a hundred times more expensive than the going rate of electricity, these systems were not economically viable. By 1999 however, technology had reduced this to about $4 per watt and costs have continued to decline by about 5% per year since. The Return on Investment is becoming very attractive for many commercial organizations and consumers.

Efficiencies have been realized in several technologies. The inverters that transform the collected DC energy into usable AC energy used to deliver only about 65% efficiency. 35% of the collected energy was lost in the transformation process. Today’s transformers are so efficient they deliver up to 96% of collected energy into usable AC current.

Photovoltaic technology has also made solar collection far more efficient. Twenty years ago, only 5% of the sun’s energy hitting a solar charging panel was harvested. This figure is now in excess of 15% and will continue to climb as more efficient compounds are designed and introduced in the manufacture of these photovoltaic panels.

All levels of government are increasingly looking at solar to provide stable, cost effective and environmentally friendly power. 35 states now have some kind of rebate program for homeowners that install solar power systems. And this is not just the southern “sunny states”. While California is the clear leader in promoting solar powered energy solutions (a program introduced in 2003 is promoting the introduction of solar powered energy systems into a million homes over the next several years) New Jersey and New York are next in line for solar investment.

At the municipal level, many jurisdictions have introduced solar solutions for traffic and streetlights. 50% of the energy used to run the City of Sacremento’s water purification plant is solar. NASA uses solar powered energy systems in many of its buildings. And governments are not using solar just because it is good for the environment and sets an example for commercial entities and consumers (although these benefits cannot be lost on them!). They’ve concluded that opting for solar systems will save them hundreds of thousands of dollars.

With so many rebate programs today homeowners are coming to the same conclusions. Once the initial return on investment is recouped (as early as 4 to 6 years with the rebate programs in California for example), solar users don’t have any additional energy bills, almost no maintenance to worry about and are not slave to an electrical grid that is becoming more and more fragile as demand outstrips supply. No wonder solar power is getting attention!

Solar power is still more expensive than traditional energy production methods, but the gap is narrowing every year. Solar power applications are also multiplying at an amazing rate. House heating, solar pool lighting and heating, hot water tank heating, calculators, flashlights, solar garden lighting and on and on. Solar is clean, it’s efficient and it’s here to stay.



Catherine

Tina Metcalf asked:


Seventeen years ago, two Cal Arts professors started the Side Street project, a Pasadena, California-based arts organization which every year reaches 1,000 children ages 5-11 and teaches them how to use tools and create unique objects out of wood.

Operating from mobile units, or travel trailers, these hands-on teaching programs are so economically conservationist, 80 percent of donations go directly to delivering services. To stretch the money even further, a year ago Side Streets purchased solar panels with a $50,000 grant from The Ahmanson Foundation – installation overseen by Side Street’s staff and volunteers.

This 3,000-watt solar array delivers needed power to light the mobile teaching units and to power tools and other electrical units within the trailers. The teaching trailers currently reside at 730 North Fair Oaks, on unused land donated by the city, but when this lease expires they are mobile enough to take up residence elsewhere, displaying what one Side Streets worker has dubbed “stability through mobility”. Like turtles in their shells, the trailers can move on a moment’s notice if need be, though they have one advantage turtles lack; mobile power through solar energy.

Side Street’s programs are becoming increasingly important as cash-strapped school districts, confronted by decreasing enrollment, lowered funding and an increasingly negative economy, are forced to close on-site art programs.

The combination of mobility and solar energy has allowed the organization to reach more children in a timely manner at less expense. Without the cost of office rent and electricity, Side Streets mobile units are now focused on expanding their services to include high school students, and expand program offerings to include art media other than wood.

To fulfill this objective, Side Streets plans to purchase two more trailers, hopefully also solar-equipped, which they will also convert to classrooms with interchangeable work stations. That way, they can reduce student costs more than 30 percent and still quadruple capacity.

This sort of thinking, so far outside the box it is mind-boggling, may represent a wave of the future in which mobile teaching units serve smaller and smaller but geographically disparate student bodies more effectively. Given the cost structure of modern school districts, it may in fact be an idea which has found its time.



Jay