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Renewable Energy Trends

Jay Slough - Saturday, June 19, 2010

The growing number of federal and state incentives, legislations and tax credits for companies generating renewable energy sent a clear message that the renewable energy sector is on the rise. It carries with it a huge potential for energy efficiency and profitability while helping to protect and preserve the planet. This collective foray in renewable energy is quite evident in the ‘clean energy economy’ which has been regarded as a key component of the United State’s new economic landscape.

Based on a report from The Pew Charitable Trusts titled The Clean Energy Economy: Repowering Jobs, Businesses and Investments Across America,

the clean energy economy has been fuelling jobs and business opportunities across the 50 states for nearly a decade. In fact, jobs in the clean energy economy rose by 9.1 percent between 1998 and 2007, outperforming total jobs, which only grew by about 3.7 percent.  As states continue to implement policies to contribute more to the clean energy economy, the market has seen a sharp increase in demand for renewable energy sources and energy-efficient products and services.  A report issued by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory revealed that between 2001 and 2006, the demand for renewable energy increased a thousand-fold. There is no doubt that the renewable energy industry is generating an unprecedented number of jobs while concurrently promoting environmental consciousness.

Businesses are receiving tax credits for shifting their power sources to renewable energy. This has resulted into a steady boost in the demand for workers in every sector of the industry including research and development, power generation, distribution, installation, service and technical support. In addition, multinational corporations such as General Electric, FedEx, Kinko’s, Starbucks, Bank of America, Toyota and General Motors have made the switch to renewable energy. For these companies, going green is not just about image building, they know that it has the potential to cut costs while helping to clean up the environment. Even the U.S. military has taken an active role in promoting the clean energy economy. The Pentagon ordered all branches of the military to reduce energy consumption by 2% through the help of renewable power sources such as wind and solar energy.

In the construction and real estate industry, builders and developers are riding the band wagon not only because of a sense that it's the right thing to do, but also because of the realization that they simply can't afford to be left behind. More and more real estate developers are currently using green construction materials and building technologies as these have been proven to add no more than one to two percent to their total costs, which can quickly be recovered through energy savings. At present, the federal government is requiring new public buildings to comply with the LEED standards (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), that necessitates the utilizations of non-toxic construction materials.

The trend towards the use of renewable energy is at its all-time high and if we look down the horizon, we can only see more innovations heading our way. But regardless of what’s in store for us, one thing is certain: as the demand for renewable energy continues, research and development into better ways of harnessing renewable energy will also continue. Ultimately, we will all have more efficient and affordable energy sources.

Solar Solutions in the Southwest

Jay Slough - Sunday, April 25, 2010

Solar electrical-generation technology is about to go mainstream thanks to a multi-state consortium of energy producers in the American Southwest. Combining solar and electricity into a single concept tends to elicit visions of sun-bathed photovoltaic panels, but in this case, the sun’s energy will power a more conventional steam-turbine plant by focusing the sun’s heat. The technology, sometimes called concentrated solar power (CSP), employs mirrors to redirect ambient solar radiation collected over a widespread area on a heating element of much smaller area. In smaller-scale models, CSP has proven itself more compact and efficient than virtually any other alternative energy source at the time.

The Southwest Energy Service Provider’s Consortium for Solar Development is soliciting proposals for a 250-megawatt solar thermal power plant by 2012 in either Nevada or Arizona. All of the power produced will be purchased jointly by the consortium members.A multi-state utility consortium in the southwest United States is in the planning stages of building a large-scale solar power facility in the region.

The consortium’s parameters specify the plant must employ concentrating solar power technology, which focuses the sun’s rays using trough-shaped mirrors, dish-shaped mirrors or a series of flat mirrors that in unison track the sun’s movements. The consortium also prefers a facility with thermal energy storage.

Consortium members include the Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Arizona Public Service, the Southern California Public Power Authority, the Salt River Project (provides power to Phoenix), Tucson Electric Power, and Xcel Energy (serves eight states in the West and Midwest). Arizona Public Service is coordinating bids and proposals.

To learn more about a solar solutions provider with extensive experience and 100% customer satisfaction, visit www.PowerPlusSolar.com

Don't blow it - good planets are hard to find. ~Quoted in Time

Jay Slough - Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Saving the earth - Solar Energy and Solar Power
 
Solar energy is the power generated from the light and heat of the Sun. Solar energy is no doubt an ideal alternative source of energy which can replace notorious fossil fuels. Unlike fossil fuels, solar energy is renewable and if we are successful in harnessing the solar power to its capacity, we can easily solve the power crisis and the related politics all over the world. 
 
The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun. ~Ralph Nader, quoted in Linda Botts, ed.,Loose Talk, 1980
 
Solar energy is termed as a green fuel. It does not cause pollution or harm the environment in any way. The vital ozone layer does not get affected by the use of solar energy. Solar electricity is therefore very environment friendly. It is clean and safe for the earth and for us. Hence, opting for solar energy to cut down the consumption of the conventional electricity is simultaneously helping to make the earth a better place.
When I think about the earth I think about my kids. Really how clean is it going to be by the time they are my age. The sun is the source of solar energy. This source is unlimited, inexhaustible and free. Scientists and astronomers have stated that the sun will stay bright for at least a few more million years. This means the free energy that is being derived from the sun will be available to us for the foreseeable future and the future of our children and our children’s children. By using this freely available energy source, the earth’s non-renewable sources of energy can be preserved, helping the eco-system.
 
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. ~Native American Proverb
 
Considering the huge number of benefits of solar power, we ought to give it a closer look. The number of Americans who have opted for this source of energy today just might surprise you. You will often come across a residential area where every roof might have a solar panel installed on it. This definitely points at the popularity solar power has gained. Let’s go through the great reasons why more and more people are choosing to go green today with the cheapest form of non-conventional form of energy.
We may need to solve problems not by removing the cause but by designing the way forward even if the cause remains in place
 
Here a few other reasons solar power and energy is better for you and the environment:
-Reduces local air pollution. .
-Offsets greenhouse gases
-Conserves Energy Solar electricity for the Third World is an effective energy conservation program because it conserves costly conventional power for urban areas, town market centers, and industrial and commercial uses, leaving decentralized PV-generated power to provide the lighting and basic electrical needs of the majority of the developing world's rural populations.
-Reduces need for dry-cell battery disposal. Check this out……
Small dry-cell batteries for flashlights and radios are used throughout the unelectrified world. Most of these batteries are disposable lead-acid cells which are not recycled. Lead from disposed dry-cells leaches into the ground, contaminating the soil and water. Solar rural electrification dramatically decreases the need for disposable dry-cell batteries. Over 12 billion dry-cell batteries were sold in 1993.
 
WHAT!!!
 
The sun generates more than 10,000 times the amount of energy the entire world consumes annually. The two most obvious benefits of solar power, and what is so alluring about it, are the fact the sun shines every single day for free, and that solar power panels generate zero CO2 emissions. Fossil fuels create large amounts of CO2, and CO2 contributes to what is commonly called global warming. Yet, alternative energy sources such as solar power do not create CO2 emissions. Solar power is a source of "clean energy" or "green energy," and coupled with its abundance there is ample reason for us to continue to explore solar energy not just as an alternative energy source, but as a potential foundation of energy production. With concerns over dependence on fossil fuels and CO2 emissions growing, the funding and research into alternative energy sources is growing as well. One of the benefactors of this increased awareness is solar energy.
 
I have no doubt that we will be successful in harnessing the sun's energy.... If sunbeams were weapons of war, we would have had solar energy centuries ago. ~Sir George Porter, quoted in The Observer, 26 August 1973

Solar power is very compatible with other sources of energy. An example of this is its compatibility with wind energy. This has proved to be very advantageous and can help you live off the grid if you can use these two renewable energy sources of power to your advantage. Another unusual point to consider is the shade provided by the solar panels installed on your roof. This shade can bring down the temperature of your attic during the hot summers. When you think about so many advantages, solar energy is really a good choice to opt for.
 
I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend? ~Robert Redford, Yosemite National Park dedication, 1985
 
For more information about solar power Contact our Solar Experts @ 1.605.355.0777
or Visit us at Power Plus Solar your renewable energy giants.

What is Renewable Energy and how does it work??

Jay Slough - Thursday, December 03, 2009

There are two types of energy. Nonrenewable and Renewable. ( I think renewable energy is what my 5yr old is made of.)

Energy sources are considered nonrenewable if they cannot be replenished (made again) in a short period of time. Some examples of nonrenewable energy include gasoline, diesel fuel, propane, coal, natural gas, and uranium (nuclear energy).

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural-occurring sources that can be constantly replenished in a short period of time. The five renewable sources used most often are Biomass, Water, Geothermal, Wind and Solar.

The use of renewable energy is not new. The oldest and perhaps most common energy is wood. More than 150 years ago, wood, which is one form of biomass, supplied up to 90% of our energy needs. As the use of coal, petroleum, and natural gas expanded, the United States became less reliant on wood as an energy source. Over half of renewable energy goes to producing electricity. About 9% of U.S. electricity was generated from renewable sources in 2008. The next largest use of renewable energy is the production of heat and steam for industrial purposes. Plants have more recently been used to create renewable fuels, such as ethanol (alternative to gasoline) are also used for transportation and to provide heat for homes and businesses. Geothermal energy is another type of renewable energy that involves harnessing the natural heat of the earth's core to produce power.

The largest source of renewable energy currently used is hydroelectric power. Hydroelectric power involves harnessing the kinetic energy of flowing water to turn turbines in order to produce electricity. A similar form of renewable energy is wind power, which involves harnessing the kinetic energy of wind currents to turn large fan-like turbines. Solar power, involves using the light and heat produced by the sun as an energy source. The power from the sun is so efficient, and it can be used for everything. Simple examples are things like lighting the pathway in the garden, security lights, or heating the pool. There are so many small devices that run on solar energy, that this alone can save you a lot of money. Together with residential solar panels you can switch from regular electricity to solar renewable energy.

For the future of the earth you need to understand that one of the most important benefits is the environment. The amount of electricity we use is the cause of extreme issues like global warming and pollution of the environment. When we start using the sun to its fullest capacity we are using a completely natural and environmentally friendly energy source.

Given the increasing population of the human race, the importance of renewable energy is likely to continue to increase in the future, as well as a shift toward more cost efficient energy sources. From the standpoint of electrical powersolar energy has a huge potential, considering the amount of energy the sun produces is thousands of times greater than the needs of earth. The world must transform its current energy system on a global scale. It is expected that 60% of all our energy will come from renewable energy by the year 2070.

 


   

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