By Zack Lim
Solar energy is a clean and efficient for of energy. The demand for it is greater than the supply. The cost of supplying electricity to remote locations is expensive and time consuming. Solar power is an excellent alternative. Portable solar power has been referred to as packaging sunlight. The concept is using an adapter to allow you to use solar power that has been accumulated during times when you do not have enough solar energy. They are mainly used at night.
Battery chargers with solar power are very popular. They simply plug into your cigarette lighter and charge your car in minutes. On a larger scale you can purchase portable generators that will allow you to use energy produced by sunlight when sunlight is not available. These power sources are used by corporations, small businesses, and individuals. They are used to supply power to entire networks or simply to operate your DVD player. The type and size of generator you want to purchase will depend on your individual needs. Within the next three years, it is believed solar panels will be made that can supply power to cell phones as well. However, the cost of such phones is anticipated to be high because it is expensive to design that type of solar panel.
The internet offers information to compare portable solar power products and their uses. This information will be very useful in deciding what products will give you the best deal for your money. If you still have questions, a great resource is the Advanced Energy Group. It is a respected supplier of solar power and portable power systems throughout the United States. They offer quality products and consulting information about solar power options. They also have an excellent rating for their technical support to customers.
While some remain skeptical about the use of solar power, it really does make sense. The portable solar power devices available at reasonable costs make it even more efficient, safe, and worth while to do for the environment. As the solar power industry continues to grow, expect to see new and better portable devices available on the market.
Zack is the owner of http://www.solar-power-infor.blogspot.com/ providing quality free information on solar power. For more free report and article, click http://www.solar-power-infor.blogspot.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Zack_Lim
Save the Planet, One Home at a Time
Let's not argue. I don't know what you believe about global warming, and I don't intend to try to change your mind, whatever you believe. However, I have viewed information from many sources and I am of the opinion that it is real and the world is in danger. Our environment, our coastlines, our way of life, and the lives of millions, including our grandchildren, are in danger.
That's my opinion on the subject of global warming. You will have to form your own opinions. If you want to know more on the subject but don't know where to start, I recommend Al Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth". I rented a copy from Blockbuster and watched it, but it is also available for purchase at http://www.climatecrisis.net
What I DO know personally is that the resources of the earth are finite and some are beginning to get close to running out, particularly those petroleum resources that heat and cool our homes, cook our food, heat the water in our bath, and help propel our assorted array of motor vehicles and transportation devices. I also know that those parts of the earth that I have loved for over half a century and wanted to pass on to my kids and grandkids are rapidly becoming an embarrassment for those of us who have not done anything to stop what is happening to them. You know, fields, the air, water, birds, animals...silly stuff like that.
Reversing this is going to be a huge job, and we normally assign huge jobs like this to "the government", whoever they are. Wait a minute, isn't the government our servant? Oh? I thought not. Anyway, "the government" is an ungainly beast which normally moves very slowly and is often ineffective and tends to break things when it tries to move quickly. It also tends to follow the biggest carrot.
However, much of the reversal needed could be accomplished by people like you and me, if we can convince enough people to act more in favor of the future of the planet and less in favor of personal gain and self-aggrandizement.
Here are some ways I have found that a person or family, and even some businesses and governmental units, can begin changing the possibility of a bleak environmental future into a brighter one. By the way, I know that these are easily done because in the last six months, my wife and I have done most of them. If we can do it, anybody can.
1. Get a more fuel efficient vehicle. Now, don't go out and buy a new car just because I said that, but when it IS time to get a new car, why not make fuel efficiency a factor. Your wallet will thank you when you fill up at the gas pump. You know, the other day, my wife and I were sitting at a stoplight near our home, and four huge SUV's went through the green light...each with only one person. Look around the next time you're stuck in traffic. Do you think all those SUV's and pickups with one person belong to huge families that regularly transport such large items that they HAD to have an SUV or pickup?
2. Get a hybrid car. My wife and I purchased a hybrid, a Toyota Prius. We get more than double the gas mileage of our previous car and still get a nice, comfortable ride. There's plenty of room inside, and we got a tax incentive. Many states and cities, by the way, offer additional perks for hybrid owners. Some give parking breaks, some give HOV lane access even with one person in the car, and some give other benefits. You'll probably get a higher trade-in when you go to get your next car.
3. Change your light bulbs. In case you haven't seen them in the store, there is a new type of light bulb, the compact fluorescent. Just as an example, the replacement compact fluorescent for a typical 60 watt incandescent bulb uses only 13 watts and will save approximately $37 over the life of the bulb. While these bulbs are more expensive up front than standard bulbs, they last five or six times as long as the standard bulb. Although your cash savings are not that great per bulb, as you can see, using them in place of a standard bulb can cut the electricity used for lighting by about 75%. Just imagine if you gradually replaced all the bulbs in your house, and so did your neighbor. One small benefit I noticed immediately. I live in Texas where it is HOT all Summer long. These lower wattage bulbs generate less heat, and my air conditioner (energy efficient) actually was better able to cool the house once I started using them!
4. Get energy efficient appliances. The next time you need to replace a refrigerator, air conditioner, hot water heater, washer, dryer or other appliance, shop with energy efficiency in mind. Appliances now have labels that will give you an idea of how efficient each appliance is so you can compare. Don't get one bigger than you need. Again, your personal savings for electricity may be small, but the benefit to the environment is great.
5. Use green power. Almost every power company can provide a green option. This is power generated by various means such as wind or solar power. Give them a call or check their web site and find out more about what they have to offer. Green power is usually slightly more expensive but again, the benefit to the environment is what you are trying to accomplish. My electric company estimates that my using their green power program saves, in a year, the rough equivalent of a the pollution caused by a car driving 3,900 miles.
6. Vote with your wallet. Let's face it. The big companies that have a vested interest in preserving the status quo will take notice if our buying habits begin to change. They know what's being bought, and they tend to be more responsive to the will of the people than "the government". Get real, folks, they are still churning out behemoths for the highway because that is what a large chunk of the population is asking for. If more people start asking for hybrid cars, compact fluorescent light bulbs, energy efficient appliances, and green power, SOMEBODY will gear up to provide it. The existence of a market also encourages research and development and competition to provide the next best model. Want a kick? Go to Google.com and do a search on something simple like "emergency power". You might be amazed at all the interesting new items becoming available that can provide emergency backup power, and the cute little tricks that are now being done with portable solar power units.
This is not everything that can be done. There are many other steps each of us can take. The first thing that pops into people's minds is recycling. That's good, but here's another. What's wrong with second hand...excuse me...pre-owned? There are millions of lonely, practically new items sitting on shelves waiting for you to take them home. What do you and I do instead? We go buy everything new, which means more resources have to be used to produce and transport these goods...and we won't talk about the packaging that is clogging the landfill (or my garage). Who cares if your great-looking tackle box, hammer, or blender is new or used? Not only will you be helping keep stuff like this from going to the landfill possibly, but you will probably save a bunch of money as well! You can use the money you save to put a few gallons of gas in your new hybrid car.
Hey! Can you imagine the impact if businesses started using efficient light bulbs and recycling stuff? I know a few do already, but we need more to do it. If you run a business or know someone who does, why not send them a copy of this article?
Donovan Baldwin is a Dallas area writer. A University Of West Florida alumnus (1973) with a BA in accounting, he is a member of Mensa and has held several managerial positions. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, he became interested in internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. He has a blog on the subject of hybrid cars and alternative fuels at http://hybridcarsalternativefuelsandmore.blogspot.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donovan_Baldwin
Tip O'Neill, former Speaker of the House, was fond of saying; "All politics is local". The same can be said of alternative heating. WHERE you live is the most important factor in determining which alternative heating or cooling option is most cost effective for your home. Even if you owned a million dollar townhouse in Boston's Back Bay, there just isn't enough room on a 25' x 100' lot for a townhouse, small deck, a couple of parking spaces AND a closed loop geothermal heating system. However, a roof top solar system for hot water would be doable if you could get the idea past the Historical Preservation groups. If you live in high humidity Alabama, the environmentally friendly swamp cooler will never be a viable substitute for more expensive air conditioning. Only when you narrow down the choices for alternative heating based on where you live, can you begin to focus your time and energy on the most relevant, cost effective heating solution.
Urban Alternative Heating
Geothermal, outdoor furnaces and most wind power are not suitable for urban or small-lot suburban homes. Except for very small wind turbines (i.e., with rotors one meter or less in diameter) on very small towers, a property size of one acre or more is desirable. Wood burning stoves have been used in urban areas for as long as I can remember. I bought my first air tight stove in 1976. Corn and wood pellet stoves are quickly gaining acceptance as new installations or replacements for existing wood stoves. One Connecticut pellet stove dealer I spoke with said he sold so many wood pellet and corn stoves last winter he was forced to temporarily close one of his two stores for lack of product. An adaptation of the wood or pellet stove is the fully vented fireplace insert. They are comparably priced to freestanding stoves and offer a simple way to turn an otherwise inefficient fireplace into a source of heat for multiple rooms. Unvented gas log fireplaces or propane space heaters are less expensive to purchase and install but are controversial with respect to health risks and are prohibited in some localities. Make sure the unit you purchase has an ODS (Oxygen Depletion Sensor). This safety device turns off the heater when the oxygen in the room drops below 18%. (Normal is around 21%) Decorative gel fireplaces are nice to look at, but aren't considered legitimate heating devices. Electric and hydronic (hot water) radiant heat are extremely versatile and can be installed anywhere. The hydronic application of radiant heat can be fueled by anything from corn to gas and can be adapted to heat driveways, hot tubs and of course, your home. Solar for hot water is on the rise in urban areas. A neighbor of mine in the Port Norfolk section of Boston recently installed a solar array on the roof of his two family home. His contractor did a first rate job and it doesn't detract from the visual appeal of his house at all. He also says his hot water bill now costs him "chump change". Let's not forget the lowly space heater. For many homeowners who spend most of their time in only one room of an eight room house, an inexpensive space heater is often the first choice to supplement their conventional heating system.
Suburban Alternative Heating
Suburban lot sizes can run anywhere from ¼ of an acre to three acres. But even a quarter acre lot opens up the possibility of a vertical closed loop geothermal system. A three acre lot will afford you the space to install a slightly less expensive horizontal closed loop geothermal system, a wind turbine or even an outdoor wood, pellet or corn furnace. At approximately $5000, the outdoor furnace is your least expensive option. A quality 1,800 watt wind turbine and tower can be purchased for $7,000. If geothermal is your system of choice, a new, 3,000 sq. ft. home can be heated and cooled for around $20,000. If you partner with a program such as Energy Crafted Home in Connecticut, it's possible to receive a rebate of $713 per ton of geothermal heating/cooling capacity. For the 3,000 sq. ft. home just mentioned, it would mean a rebate totaling $2,971. Although wind, geothermal and outdoor furnace systems are more expensive than the typical $2000 wood pellet stove, they are very efficient and pay for themselves in only a few years. The increasingly popular manufactured home is a growing segment of the suburban real estate market, and fire safety codes are very specific as to what you can use to heat your home. Check with your local building department to find out exactly which alternative heating appliances are permitted before you start shopping for the best deal.
Rural Alternative Heating
Just as the sky and landscape open up in rural America, so do opportunities for alternative heating. With so much room to work with you could design a CHP (Combined Heat and Power Unit). An obvious choice for homeowners in the Corn Belt would be an outdoor corn furnace for heat and hot water. Couple this with a low maintenance wind turbine for electricity and it's possible to achieve a 70%+ reduction in energy costs when compared to fuel oil. If your property includes a shallow pond or lake, a closed loop geothermal system will heat and cool your home for the cost of electricity to operate a heat pump. The choices for alternative heating are plentiful no matter where you live. It's just a matter of knowing where you fit in.
About the author:
Alternative-Heatin g-Info.com offers a unique look into geothermal heating and cooling, radiant heating, solar heating systems and pellet burning stoves.
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