Archive for March, 2009

Wind Power

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
David Tanguay asked:


With the way the energy crisis is growing, soon the fossil fuels that we rely on will be gone or so overpriced, that very few people will be able to afford it. Researchers have been creating new and innovating ways to create energy out of the natural resources that Mother Nature provides. Even though the wind has been a source of power for hundreds of years, it is not until recent decades that it was considered on a large scale.



There are many different types of natural resources that researchers have found promising, however, wind power is the most promising and least expensive renewable power source. There is however a downside to wind power; its variable nature because wind doesn’t always blow researchers must determine the effects it will have, however, wind power has been determined to be stable, because its cost does not fluctuate with the price of fuel.

Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into useful form, such as electricity, using wind turbines. It is used in large-scale wind farms and for national electrical grids as well as in small individual turbines for providing electricity to rural residences where traditional power is not offered.

Wind power is versatile when air moves, causing wind, it has kinetic energy—the energy created whenever mass is in motion. It is especially helpful here in the winter to capture both the ferocious and gentle mountain winds during the times of least sunlight and highest power use.

Wind Power is clean and renewable type of energy, and should be considered an important component of any long-term energy strategy. This is because wind power generation uses a natural and virtually inexhaustible source of power, (the wind) to produce electricity.

Wind power is an affordable, efficient and inexhaustible source of electricity. It is set to become an important means of generating electricity worldwide. Wind power has become the world’s fastest growing energy source, It a viable, robust, fast-growing industry. Wind power is growing partly as a result of technology improvements and cost reductions and partly in response to state and federal laws and incentives.

Wind power is by far the renewable source with the largest growth in worldwide capacity during the last decade. Wind power is now a major option for new, utility-scale power generation. It does not even compete with the prices of fossil fuels, which are continually rising on a daily basis.



Wind As Alternative Energy Source - Wind Power Unleashed

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
Abhishek Agarwal asked:


wind. Wind is an environment-friendly source of energy. It is also inexpensive. As such, it is gaining popularity vis-à-vis high fuel prices and the ensuing damage to the environment caused by conventional fuel. In addition to windmills, winds are fast becoming the moving force for creating electricity.

Did you even imagine that almost 3 percent of the sun’s energy can be converted to wind power? Of course, the origin and use of the energy are quite complex, involving continuous variables that have a direct effect on its efficiency and long term usage. Huge turbines are used for this purpose. Wind energy is converted to power using efficient wind turbines. The wind power turns the blades, generating huge electrical current. This current is then turned into a generator.

You can see wind farms all across California too. The energy of the wind can be harnessed to produce electricity. Wind farms which have 200 turbines generally produce 200-300 watts of electricity. These turbines are grouped together in wind farms. Wind power is successfully harnessed to its best capacity by the leader in this field, i.e. Germany. All throughout this country, the energy of wind is used as a generator.

There are many variables which affect the output of the electrical energy of the wind. They are the location of the turbines, their proximity to each other, and more importantly, the speed of the wind. Scientists are experimenting with these variables so that they can get the optimum output of electricity using the wind energy. The turbines are placed as high up on the mountains as possible and they are grouped together so as to gather the wind power most efficiently.

Though the wind comes free, the turbines are expensive to make and a lot of cost is involved to put them in place. The turbines are also quite noisy and detrimental to animal life. If these drawbacks can be overcome, wind energy could well prove to be a viable source of energy and of wide use. It is necessary to store the energy so generated so that it can be used only when needed.

It should also be practical to use this stored energy. Scientists are finding ways to store up the energy so that it can be widely used.

One way is to increase the output of energy to the maximum and store the surplus amounts for future use. This usage could fluctuate as per the need. It would also need to be cost-effective. So cost comparisons are imperative. This energy storage facility is hydro-electric and is known as flywheel.

Wide scale studies are going on to explore this alternative form of energy. Leaders in the field including China, Brazil, United Kingdom, Canada and Denmark. Turbines are even manufactured by Denmark for self-consumption. We are as yet novices in the field. The US has yet to learn to use the power efficiently.



Making Biodiesel: Why is it your Best Option?

Monday, March 23rd, 2009
M. Markella asked:


You have a lot of options if you want to use alternative bio-fuels to run a diesel engine. You can use only vegetable oils by making some modifications to your diesel engine, or you can use a mix of vegetable oils and other original diesel fuels like petroleum or kerosene. But the best by far option, is to convert fresh or used vegetable oils or even animal fat to biodiesel. This is your best, clean, healthy and environment-friendly option. Let’s cover some of the basics of making biodiesel.

First of all, you don’t have to be involved in the process of making biodiesel. You can just buy biodiesel. You can use it in any diesel engine without any modifications or conversions to the fuel system. There are thousand of biodiesel filling stations in Europe and the United States and their number increases every year. Some countries even mix their original diesel fuels with a small percentage of biodiesel.

If you can’t find any of this alternative bio-fuel then it’s time to start making your own biodiesel. the feeling of freedom you’ll get making your own fuel is just great!

There are a lot of ways and recipes to make your own biodiesel. Some people claim that there are great dangers and risks involved in the process of making biodiesel but the fact is that nobody has yet hurt themselves or anyone else. It’s a safe process, if you’re careful and sensible. Surely you deal with chemicals but these are just common household chemicals sold in every supermarket.

So, if you want to start making biodiesel here are some tips:

- Start with fresh quality vegetable oil. Don’t use used wasted vegetable oil, yet!

- Start by performing lots of tests with small portions of each ingredient. Don’t go for making a tone of Biodiesel, yet!

- Make small steps, learn everything you can about the ingredients you use, about biodiesel in general, about alternative sources of energy and bio-fuels. Learn one step at a time.

Just do it! Thousands of people are already making their own homebrewed biodiesel. If they can do it, you can too.



"green Energy Source" System © - Don’t Wait, Try it Now!

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009
Jason Gilford asked:




Technology keeps bringing surprising solutions - “Green Energy Source” System truly enables you to construct an independent in-house power-supply with your own hands. It may be surprising, but this technique doesn’t require any special tools/materials. Take two minutes of your time in order to know more about this creative technology.

Short overview

If you want to have such “Green Energy Source” System all you need to do is following one of these ’secret’ guides available on the Web that can teach you how to professionally assemble Solar-Panels. The most recommended guides are those that are written for the average user; make sure it provides detailed descriptions, diagrams, and support so you’ll never get lost. This way or another, here are several tips & benefits that can help you out.

Main advantages

Let’s quickly see what is in it for us:

* Enables us to make a 220V-240V elec. sys.

* Requires no more than a weekend to be installed.

* Helps on reducing the amounts of carbon dioxide in the air.

* Enables us to get an extra income by quickly providing such sys. for others.

* Rely only on your own energy-resources and not the ones supplied by governments or corporations.

Advice

In many states you can sell your unused energy, give it a quick search on the Web to verify that you can benefit from that.

Summary

Thanks to “Green Energy Source” System we can dramatically ‘cut’ our monthly and annual elect. expenses to almost zero. One thing is clear - there are many other great benefits provided by this exceptional invention, simply because it brings a real change to this industry. It is highly recommended to simply try it in order to explore and see how it’ll affect your monthly/annual budget.



Biodiesel Car Is The New Way To Drive

Friday, March 20th, 2009
Simon Oldmann asked:


In todays society, Researchers in the United States and around the world are searching for ways to develop alternate forms of fuel. With the ever-rising fuel costs, developing alternate energy is a priority. Bio diesel was developed to combat the high gas and oil prices. It is especially made for use in bio diesel cars and trucks. Bio diesel is made from all naturalfoods that produce oil. Oils such as vegetable, canola, peanut, rapeseed, palm and olive oil can be used as bio diesel fuel.

Virtually all oils that you use in your kitchen everyday can fuel one of these cars. It does not matter if the oil has been used, it can be strained and filtered and then used in the fuel tank.

Biodiesel fuel is a better for the environment because it burns cleaner and does not pollute the atmosphere. It is non-toxic and biodegradable, making it the perfect fuel.

Biodiesel fuel has been road tested and will get up to twenty-five miles to the gallon. That is better than some conventional mileage ratings.

Many car manufacturers are realizing that the bio diesel automobile is becoming more popular, and are jumping on the bandwagon and developing their own version of a biodiesel vehicle. They realize that the need for these vehicles will increase, and predict that they will be ready for the onslaught.

If you are interested in purchasing a bio diesel and do not know where to start looking, call local dealerships and ask if they offer this type of vehicle. Chances are that they either have bio diesel cars or can place a special order for you. You can also do a Google search to find a dealer that is close by.

The least expensive biodiesel cars price starts at approximately $20,000 dollars. Depending on the style of car, it can range up to $60,000 dollars. The only reported differences in driving a biodiesel car is that in some cases, the mileage per gallon is greater than a conventional car.

If you want the convenience of a bio diesel car, and do not have the funds to buy one, there is always the option to buy a conversion kit. These kits allow you to convert your current vehicle into a bio diesel vehicle.

The kits are relatively inexpensive compared to a new bio diesel car. They start at $600.00. Although it is recommended that you have a professional mechanic do all the necessary work, full instructions and a help line are included for the do-it-yourselfer.

A car with a diesel engine does not need to be converted into bio-diesel. However it is recommended that the hoses be replaces on any diesel car that was made before 1990. When the diesel engine was created in 1892, it was designed to run on peanut oil before diesel fuel, making it the changes unnecessary.

It is however recommended that the engines of vehicles to be converted do not have rubber seals in them, as over time the oil will deteriorate the seals.

A biodiesel car is very easy to maintain. The only major problem that has been reported is that when the weather turns cold, the oil turns cloudy and in temperatures below 35 degrees, the oil can crystallize. The potential problem with this is that the crystals can plug the engine and not allow the fuel to flow properly. Special heating units are sold to keep the oil at a constant temperature.

The general public is being encouraged to purchase bio diesel vehicles. As an incentive, the government is offering special tax write offs for those who purchase bio diesel automobiles. In Hollywood, celebrities and activists who are earth conscience have made the commitment to drive biodiesel vehicles. At the moment, California has more biodiesel cars on the road than all other states combined.

Daimler Chrysler will introduce its version of the biodiesel vehicle in the 2007. The Jeep Grand Cherokee CDR will be the first biodiesel SUV to hit the market. It will run on soybean and vegetable oil, as well as grease from fast food restaurants. It is a little humorous to think that you will be able to order dinner and fill your fuel tank in the same place, but that may possible in the not too distant future.

With the growth of the biodiesel automobile, biodiesel fuel manufacturers are needed. Currently in the United States, there are sixty-five biodiesel producing plants and about eight hundred and fifty biodiesel service stations. Experts predict that a lot more will be opening over the next few years.



This is the Reason Why Biodiesel Fuels are so Economical

Friday, March 20th, 2009
Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Biodiesel is known as an alternative fuel for burning. Biodiesel fuel comes from 100% renewable resources. Biodiesel can be used in vehicle, while mixing it with petroleum to produce biodiesel blend. Biodiesel is biodegradable. Biodiesel fuel produces about 60% less net lifecycle carbon dioxide emission, as compare to it is itself produced from atmospheric carbon dioxide. It is being watched that smog forming hydrocarbon emission are 35% greater and the Nitorgen Oxide emission are also greater.

Diesel engine used pure biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel is very safe to use, it is non toxic. Biodiesel is not alternative for vegetable oil. It can be used in its unaltered form in diesel engines. Only vegetables oil fuels must be changed and which is being used in combustion or ignition engines. It makes biodiesel one of the easiest alternative fuels to use. It is being get used in farm equipment.

Biodiesel fuel is made through process known as Tranesterfication. In this process, glycerin is taken out from vegetable oil or fat. Byproducts like methyl and glycerin being left in between the process. Biodiesel is free from sulfur and other aromatic which generally used to occur in traditional fuels. This unique quality of Biodiesel makes it different from other alternative. Biodiesel has passed all the health cautious test, means it is taken care that it should not affect human being. It is legally registered under environment protection agency. It can be legally sold and distributed in any part of world, while other alternative fuels cannot be sold legally.

Biodiesel is very much economical because it does not require costly raw material. Whatever the raw material it requires comes from plants and biodegradable, so it does not involves much cost. Now days it is rapidly becoming available to the general public. It is available at selected places in country or it can be directly bought from producer. Now its demands getting high, everybody is realizing benefit of biodegradable. It is a very much cheapest way to get biodiesel fuel is to make Biodiesel at home on yourself.

There are some vehicle manufacturers; who are positive about the use of biodiesel. For example, lower engine wear is cited as one of the fuels benefits. Biodiesel is very good than other standard diesel fuel. It used to clean the engine, also removes deposited dust in the fuel line. It is recommended by car manufacturer to change the engine after few months after switching to biodiesel. There are manufacturers that have released list of cars that run of Biodiesel.

Biodiesel is being use as a heating fuel, also in domestic and commercial boilers. There are some existing boilers that are needed to convert to biodiesel, but overall, it does not take much effort or cost to convert to biodiesel.

Note B100 should not be burned in home heaters. And biodiesel is generally more expensive to purchase than any other petroleum diesel, but this difference diminish due to economy. In Germany Biodiesel is cheaper than normal diesel at gas station.



How to Process Biodiesel

Thursday, March 19th, 2009
Matt Oconnor asked:


A biodiesel processor is a device used to produce biodiesel from vegetable oil. It’s usually a combination of a reaction vessel and collection area. Biodiesel processors are available as industrial grade systems as well as for homebrew processes.

A biodiesel processor follows a certain procedure in converting vegetable oil into biodiesel. The first step is the preparation of the components such as vegetable oil to be used in processing biodiesel.

Utmost care must be taken in trying to check the amount of water and free fatty acids contained in the vegetable oil. If the free fatty acid level or water level is too high in the vegetable oil, it may cause problems such as soap formation and the separation of the glycerin by-product downstream.

After the right levels of fatty acids and water are reached, a catalyst is then dissolved in the alcohol using a standard agitator or mixer which is then introduced into a closed reaction vessel of the biodiesel processor. The vegetable or animal oil can then be added.

The loss of alcohol is prevented by making the system totally enclosed at this point as the reaction mix is being heated to convert the fat in the vegetable oil into esters. The heated reaction mix is kept just above the boiling point of the alcohol (around 70 degrees) in order to speed up the reaction. The length of reaction time can vary from 1 to 8 hours. Excess alcohol is sometimes added in order to ensure total conversion of the vegetable fat or oil to its esters. The mixture then comes to its glycerin phase.

With the glycerin phase in the works, glycerin from the oil separates from the unwashed biodiesel. The two can be separated by means of gravity with the glycerin simply drawn off from the bottom of the collecting vessel. An industrial centrifuge may also be used to separate the two materials faster and more efficiently.

Once the glycerin and the unwashed biodiesel have been successfully separated, the excess alcohol still remaining in each part is removed by flash evaporation or by distillation. The alcohol can be effectively recovered using good distillation equipment and can be re-used for processing other vegetable oil batches into biodiesel. It is important to ensure no water accumulates in the recovered alcohol stream during the whole process so as not to lose quality.

The unwashed biodiesel goes through the process of either mist or bubble wash in order to remove left over alcohol, glycerin and other impurities in the biodiesel. Then it’s allowed to dry to remove the water from the biodiesel. The fuel is then filtered before it can finally be used as fuel.

There, that may seem a little complicated when just read all in one go, but that’s the basics of how to process biodiesel.

There are a number of biodiesel processors to allow production of the alternative fuel in varying degrees. There are industrial grade processors available that allow commercial production of biodiesel. There are also several biodiesel processors available for homebrewers to produce the fuel for personal use.

Most processors can be set up in any available space in your home. There are also some models that are portable enough to fit into the back of vans and are so easily transportable. If you are interested in having your own biodiesel processor at home, you can always try checking out online forums as well as online shops that sell such devices.



Renewable Energy - Sources That Never Get Exhausted

Thursday, March 19th, 2009
Matthew Hick asked:


Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal are used around the world as primary sources of energy. Because they are being used up much faster than they can be renewed, they are known as nonrenewable sources.

Nonrenewable energy sources represent about 90% of the energy used today. These sources are being depleted. Since they are known to have an effect on air quality, causing human and environmental health problems, a greater emphasis is being placed on renewable energy sources as the new frontier for energy. Renewable energy sources consist of solar, hydro, biomass, geothermal and ocean. These sources of energy will never become exhausted and are environmentally friendly, since they do not contribute to greenhouse effects or global warming.

Solar energy is the most readily available renewable energy source. We have used the sun’s energy for billions of years. Prehistoric men magnified its strength to start fires. Today, solar panels absorb energy from the sun to produce heat for cooking and heating, as well as, for electrical needs. This heat absorption is stored for later use and is an indirect conversion of energy. Currently, electric companies are trying to use photovoltaic technologies to convert solar energy directly to electricity.

Hydro energy draws on energy produced by flowing water. Waves are the result of wind interacting with the surface of the sea. This interaction produces a transfer of energy that can be extracted for power generation using turbine generators. Although hydropower is non-polluting, it can do environmental harm. Hydroelectric generating stations can change the flow of the sea and in doing so harm plants and animals.

Wind energy, or kinetic energy, is drawn from the movement of air. It has been used for hundreds of years for sailing, grinding grain and irrigation. Today, wind turbines transform energy from wind to mechanical energy or to charge batteries. The wind machines, or wind turbines collect the kinetic energy by capturing the wind in its blades. The blades then turn an electric generator to produce energy. Unfortunately, wind energy collection is unavailable on windless days. Even though it is a clean form of energy it has had a negative effect on the wild bird population and some consider the giant wind turbine machines not attractive looking.

Biomass energy comes from wood, garbage, food crops, manure, grasses and plants, agricultural and forestry waste and residue. It basically comes from refuse. This renewable energy is also not new. It was used over 100 years ago in the form of wood burning, which supplied 90% of energy needs at that time. When biomass is burned, it produces heat or electricity. It can also be converted to methane gas, which is the main ingredient of natural gas. It represents 3% of the energy in the United States. Although biomass can pollute the air and releases a greenhouse gas, it is not as pollutant as fossil fuels.

Geothermal energy is basically the Earth’s heat. It is drawn from hot dry rocks, magma, hot water springs and hot geysers. These are found inside the Earth’s underground. Some are found deep in the earth’s surface and others are found closer to the surface. Today, this type of energy is used to heat water in swimming pools and spas, as well as, to warm buildings like greenhouses. It can also be used to produce electricity through the use of a geothermal power plant. In these plants the hot water travels through turbines, which are connected to a generator.

Ocean Energy is obtained from ocean waves or temperature differences in water. Wave energy is the kinetic energy from the movement of water. Tidal energy entails trapping tidal waves in reservoirs behind dams. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion uses the differences in water temperatures from the surface water to deeper down depths of water as an energy source. In order for this to work there must be a temperature difference of 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

As you can see, there are various renewable energy sources available to us as an alternative to fossil fuels. There are many advantages to them among the most popular being that they will not deplete in supply, meaning they will be around forever. Renewable energy sources are not new. They have been utilized in some way for many years. Unfortunately, low fossil fuel prices have stunted renewable energy’s popularity and growth in the United States. But an increasing awareness of human and environmental concerns, as well as, a need to find non-exhaustible energy sources, will keep it as a mainstay for the future.



How Biodiesel Processors Can Can Save your Money

Sunday, March 15th, 2009
Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


A biodiesel processor is a combination of a reaction vessel and a still for producing biodiesel from vegetable oil.

What is biodiesel?

Biodiesel can be distinguished from the straight vegetable oils (SVO) or the waste vegetable oils (WVO) which are used as fuels in some diesel vehicles. Biodiesel refers to a diesel which is equivalent to the processed fuel resulting from the biological sources such as vegetable oils which can be used in unmodified diesel engine vehicles.

Biodiesel can be prepared at home. To make biodiesel you will require the following ingredients namely any triglyceride fat or oil i.e. vegetable which is used in cooking, a relatively pure alcohol i.e. either ethanol or methanol and you will also require a strong base like sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH). A long carbon chain which is longer than that of isopropyl alcohol do not work so well. Used oil is often acquired from restaurants for processing.

There are various methods of preparing biodiesel. It is commonly prepared in the garages in small batch processors while some have adapted processors that fit in the backs of vans which makes it transportable. Home brewers face difficulty that they produce a mid-scale biodiesel which is too simple to be cheap, easy to make, safe and appropriate that the producers have sufficient quality for their requirements. There are many advices available on biodiesel forums which are dedicated to the producers and to the users of biodiesel.

How biodiesel processors can can save your money

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel that is prepared from renewable resources. It burns quickly and is safe to be used in any diesel engine vehicle. Biodiesels have many advantages and it is considered to be the fuel of the future. One of the biggest advantages of biodiesel is that it can be prepared at your own home.

Biodiesel processor is available to you on online search. There are many different manufactures that will provide you and ship you a biodiesel processor. You can convert your regular vegetable oil into fuel with the help of biodiesel processors instead of using the costly traditional fuels.

The process of making biodiesel involves four steps which are easy with the help of a biodiesel processor. The biodiesel processor will mix all the ingredients, store them and even heat the oil. The biodiesel processor can also store the finished fuel so it is ready to use whenever you need it.

Biodiesel is a very safe fuel which is considered to be safer then your average table salt. The process of preparing biodiesel is also very safe as biodiesel does not involve any harmful ingredients and it also does not produce any harmful byproducts. However you should be careful while working with a biodiesel processor because the process does involve heating up oil to high temperatures. You should be careful to avoid burns.

A biodiesel processor is one of the safest, cleanest and cheapest fuels available. You just need simple ingredients to be a part of making this country free and clean from all the confines of foreign oil.



Green Web Hosting

Friday, March 13th, 2009
James Betchley asked:


Green Web Hosting has become a major consideration over the last couple of years, and due to the already massive and still increasing global energy demands of the IT industry, green energy web hosting is here to stay.

Most web hosting as with other business is powered by electricity generated from the traditional power stations, running on coal, oil, gas and nuclear power.  With the rising prices of these fossil fuels and growing concern about the safety of the nuclear industry many businesses are looking at ways to reduce their carbon footprint, the benefits of this are two fold:

1. PR, being seen to be actively trying to cut down on your emissions will ultimately win you more customers.

2. Economic Considerations, as the cost of producing fossil fuels increases so does the cost of powering your servers, in-addition it is anticipated that the worlds server farms will by the end of 2012 be creating a bigger impact on the environment than the airline industry.  This will have a knock on effect as governments penalise companies not actively trying to reduce their carbon footprints.

So how do web hosting companies go green?  Well there are several different methods, some produce their own electricity, using solar panels and wind turbines mounted at their server farms, some especially in Greenland use geo thermal energy or hydroelectricity. And at the other end of the spectrum some simply buy green energy credits to offset their carbon footprint.

Other ways that hosts reduce their carbon footprint is to use newer technology such as the AMD Opteron server which generates 50% less heat and therefore requires less energy to cool them, greener web hosts are also running entirely paperless offices and billing which reduces deforestation.

Which ever way you look at it green web hosting is here to stay and should be a factor in your next choice of web host.

For more information goto green web hosting