Green Renewable Energy

LED has advantages but also drawbacks

LED light bulbs contain no mercury, and they offer other advantages over compact fluorescent light bulbs. LED light bulbs turn on instantly, last much longer and are more energy-efficient. Their lifetime isn’t affected by frequent cycling on and off, so they’re especially suitable for light fixtures that don’t stay on very long — or conversely, for light fixtures that stay on so long that the extra energy-efficiency is significant. LED light bulbs are also less apt to break.

Reviews say that in the long run, the extremely high cost ($50 to $100) of big screw-in LED light bulbs will pay for itself in savings on electricity. However, we were unable to find any compelling evidence that the rated life holds true for every bulb. It’s one thing to gamble on a compact fluorescent light bulb that costs $2 to $4, yet another to wonder if a $100 light bulb will last its rated life — especially because light bulb ratings are based on ideal conditions of temperature and humidity. When prices come down over the next few years, LED light bulbs should look like a better bet.

We found few reviews mentioning LED light bulbs, and the reviews they did receive were mixed. Owners say they’re dimmer than expected, even when used in a light fixture that takes advantage of their directional beam (usually a 60- to 100-degree angle). Quite a few owners find the light too cold and bluish. A few LED light bulbs are designed to cast light in all directions, to be used in a regular table lamp, but they don’t put out enough lumens to make this realistic except for dim “atmospheric” background lighting.

EarthLED is working on making brighter LED bulbs by producing the EvoLux and ZetaLux models, which have multiple LEDs in a single casing. The EvoLuxinfo (*Est. $80) claims to deliver light equal to that of a 100-watt incandescent, while the ZetaLux (*Est. $50) claims to be equivalent to a 50- or 60-watt incandescent. The ZetaLux is rated for 50,000 hours. We haven’t yet seen reviews for these light bulbs.

The EcoLED (*Est. $100) is rated for 50,000 hours, which is about five times as long as most compact fluorescent light bulbs. However, EcoLED light bulbs emit only 400 lumens — only a fourth of the lumens needed to replace a 100-watt incandescent light bulb. (Even a 40-watt incandescent light bulb is supposed to emit 450 lumens.) Some of the slack is taken up by the fact that these LED light bulbs are quite focused and directional, with 100-degree beam angles. If their 8.5-ounce weight isn’t too heavy for your directional task lamp, they may produce enough light. They can also be used in recessed light fixtures. Mainly though, owners say they’re just not very bright — more like a 50-watt incandescent at best.

The Home Depot and several online retailers sell the 2.5-watt C. Crane CC Vivid (*Est. $10) or Vivid Plusinfo (*Est. $15). These LED light bulbs combine 35 or 36 little LEDs into one bulb, rated for 60,000 hours. They produce only about 60 lumens and carry a two-year warranty. They’ve accumulated only five reviews at HomeDepot.com at the time of this report, with three perfect five-star ratings. The two other ratings were low, noting that the bulb is too dim for most uses. But 20 owners reviewing the C. Crane Vivid Plus at Amazon.com give it a much lower average rating, with mostly lukewarm reviews — mainly because it’s dim.

The About.com article on the viability of LED lighting as a replacement for CFLs notes that LEDs have a long way to go in terms of affordability and brightness. While manufacturers work to make LEDs brighter and more suitable for practical use, consumers may be able to capitalize on the additional energy efficiency offered by LED bulbs by using them in areas not requiring bright light, such as closets or porches, or as secondary mood lighting.

Researchers are developing new technology that could replace the household light-bulb within three years.

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), already used in electrical equipment such as computers and mobile phones, are several times more energy efficient than standard light-bulbs. However, because of their structure and material, much of the light in standard LEDs becomes trapped, reducing the brightness of the light and making them unsuitable as the main lighting source in the home.

Now researchers believe they have found a way of introducing a new generation of LEDs into households that are brighter and use even less power than standard energy efficient light-bulbs.

Dr Faiz Rahman, the researcher leading the project at the University of Glasgow, said: “By making microscopic holes on the surface of the LEDs it is possible to extract more light, thus increasing the brightness of the lights without increasing the energy consumption. As yet, LEDss have not been introduced as the standard lighting in homes because the process of making the holes is very time consuming and expensive. However, by using world-class facilities at the University of Glasgow we believe we have found a way of imprinting the holes into billions of LEDs at a far greater speed, but at a much lower cost.

“LEDs not only use less power than current energy efficient light-bulbs but they are much smaller and can last years without needing to be replaced. This means the days of the humble light-bulb could soon be over.”

The team of researchers use a technique called nano-imprint lithography to directly imprint the holes, imperceptible to the human eye, onto the LEDs allowing more of the light to escape.

The project is being developed in conjunction with the Institute of Photonics, University of Strathclyde, Mesophotonics Ltd and Sharp Laboratories of Europe, as part of the BERR Technology Programme.

Electricity produced by wind turbines is green power in that it causes no environmental pollution. No greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change are produced either. Wind power generation can be on a large scale,which is the case with most commercial projects,or on a small scale as with home owner turbines.

Wind is the cheapest form of renewable energy without a doubt. Solar energy is also clean,green,power but is more expensive and limited in output. Solar panels are presently expensive in relation to the power they can produce. Nuclear energy supplies a lot of the power requirements in some countries,notably in Europe.
There is however much public opposition to building new nuclear power plants.

In the USA natural gas is the biggest form of new energy production. Wind power is the next in line. In 2008 wind turbines will produce about 1% of the United States power needs. Around 30% of new energy production installed in 2007 was wind power.

Many consumers now realize that green energy must be our highest priority in future,if we are to minimize climate change and it effects. The trend to building fossil fuel powered generating stations must be reversed.

Home owners and farmers can help with the transition to clean power by installing small wind turbines to supply all or part of their electricity needs. These turbines can be purchased from a number of manufacturers and can be installed as a rooftop wind turbine or on a small free standing tower.

Commercial wind turbines are quite expensive in relation to power output. A better solution for many is to build their own low cost wind turbine. A good turbine can be built from auto parts and a few odds and ends at very low cost. Plans and instructions are available for this project.

Any excess power production can be sold to the power utility in many areas thus reducing the cost even further. Power can also be stored in batteries for use when the wind is too light. Even a light breeze will however produce power.

The average home owner can easily build a small wind turbine or several of them to supply part or all of the power required. All that is needed is simple tools and some auto parts and wood. Several can be built for the cost of one commercial wind turbine.

Not a bad business also for anyone who wants to make them for resale. The demand for a low cost turbine is there and can only grow in years ahead.

Why not build your own wind power turbine now and produce your own free green electricity. You will be doing mother earth a favor by reducing atmospheric pollution. This is an idea whose time has come.

Green energy refers to the use of power that is not only more efficient than fossil fuel but that is friendly to the environment as well. Green energy is generally defined as energy sources that don’t pollute and are renewable.

There are several categories of green energy (GE). They are anaerobic digestion, wind power, geothermal power, hydropower on a small scale, biomass power, solar power and wave power. Waste incineration can even be a source of green energy.

Nuclear power plants claim that they produce green energy as well, though this source is fraught with controversy, as we all know. While nuclear energy may be sustainable, may be considered renewable and does not pollute the atmosphere while it is producing energy, its waste does pollute the biosphere as it is released.

The transport, mining and phases before and after production of nuclear energy does produce and release carbon dioxide and similar destructive greenhouse gases. When we read of green energy, therefore, we rarely see nuclear power included.

Those who support nuclear energy say that nuclear waste is not, in fact, released into our earths biosphere during its normal production cycle. They stress as well that the carbon dioxide that nuclear energy production releases is comparable, in terms of each kilowatt hour of electricity, to such sources of GE as wind power.

As an example of the GE production the average wind turbine, such as the one in Reading England, can produce enough energy daily to be the only energy source for 1000 households.

Many countries now offer household and commercial consumers to opt for total use of green energy. They do this one of two ways. Consumers can buy their electricity from a company that only uses renewable green energy technology, or they can buy from their general supplies such as the local utility company who then buys from GE resources only as much of a supply as consumers pay for.

The latter is generally a more cost - efficient way of supplying a home or office with GE, as the supplier can reap the economic benefits of a mass purchase. Green energy generally costs more per kilowatt hour than standard fossil fuel energy.

Consumers can also purchase green energy certificates, which are alternately referred to as green tags or green certificates. These are available in both Europe and the United States, and are the most convenient method for the average consumer to support green energy. More than 35 million European households and one million American households now buy these GE certificates.

While GE is a great step in the direction of keeping our environment healthy and our air as pollutant free as possible, it must be noted that no matter what the energy, it will negatively impact the environment to some extent.

Every energy source, green or otherwise, requires energy. The production of this energy will create pollution during its manufacture. Green energy’s impact is minimal, however.

Due to a number of major factors, including the state of the economy, the climate crises and the general higher visibility of environmental issues, renewable energy has become a significant and high profile subject. Now, more than at any time in history, there is a growing awareness of our impact on the planet and consequently a growing movement toward environmental responsibility through the use of renewable energy.

The fundamental shift toward using renewable energy is not just motivated by those who are environmentally conscious and who want to do their part to stabilize the climate. renewable energy is also attractive to the countless people out there who are interested in saving money on heating and cooling bills by using alternative energy sources. Regardless of the motivation, the result is the same; unprecedented numbers of average people are looking into all types of renewable energy in order to save money on household energy bills. Many have numerous questions about renewable energy. Here are some renewable energy FAQs:

What is renewable energy?
Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that is unlimited in quantity and which renews or regenerates itself without any input from humans.

What are the different types of renewable energy?

Solar power: one of the most popular and reliable forms of renewable energy available, today, solar power is collected by solar panels that have numerous solar cells that store the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity, just like a traditional battery. Solar panels are usually installed on the roofs of structures and are linked together and then tied into the house’s electrical wiring system. Many people find that having a solar power system saves them dramatic amounts of money in heating and cooling bills and some people are even able to disconnect entirely from the electric company and live off the grid on solar power.

Wind Power: wind power comes from wind generators that capture the kinetic energy from the wind and translate it into electricity. This is essentially accomplished with propellers mounted on towers. As the wind turns the propellers, electricity is generated. Many electrical cooperatives have built large farms of massive wind generators, but a scaled down version is available for residential use.

Hydrogen furnace: while somewhat different and much more complex than solar or wind power, hydrogen furnaces are just beginning to become proven and reliable technology to create unlimited sources of renewable energy. Essentially, the hydrogen furnace produces energy from waste material by separating the hydrogen molecules. Hydrogen furnaces have posed massive engineering problems for years, but recently there have been breakthroughs that have allowed this technology to become viable.

Can one save money by using renewable energy?
If done correctly, one could save thousands of dollars per year in electricity costs by using renewable energy technology such as solar or wind power. In many places, solar panels can provide the majority if not all of the electricity necessary to power a household every month. The cost of installing a renewable energy system is often recaptured in savings in the first year.

On June 27th of this year the NY times reported that The Bureau of Land Management put a two year moratorium on all government applications for solar energy production on public lands (1).
They did this out of concern for “Environmental impact”. You are probably re-reading those first couple of sentences and thinking “how is this possible?”, how can The Bureau of Land Management actually think that by pulling the “plug” on these applications and freezing any and all forward motion on public solar projects — on what is estimated to be over 119 million surface acres of usable land, mostly throughout the southwest — be a responsible and intelligent decision?

They can’t, because no less than a week later they decided to reverse their decision due to public out cry. James Caswell BLM Director was quoted saying in a Christian Science Monitor article:
“We heard the concerns expressed during the scoping period about waiting to consider new applications, and we are taking action. By continuing to accept and process new applications for solar energy projects, we will aggressively help meet growing interest in renewable energy sources, while ensuring environmental protections” (2).

Personally, I’m grateful for all of the people who stood up and acted on this, like citizens of this great country it’s because of moments like this that we prove that we still have a say in our government, and that we need to keep holding their feet to the “Solar fire”.

The solar industry has had a long and arduous journey and it still needs help. It started in 1884 with the invention of the photovoltaic cell by inventor Charles Fritts. From there we can track solar energy development throughout time. From the use of solar cells as a back-up power source on the Vanguard I satellite in the 1960’s to the failed attempts by the Carter administration to bolster the industry in the late 1970’s and to political and social setbacks of the 1980’s, Solar research and development has been waiting for its due, and I think its time may just have come, but the U.S. is definitely not the leader.

As of today, Germany is creating 4,150 Megawatts (MW) of electricity from photovoltaic resources mostly subsidized from government “Feed-in Electricity Tariffs”. Spain comes in second at 640 MW. Japan is a distant third at 318 MW until a severe set back in 2005 when their government pulled the plug on subsidies for solar panels for homes and subsequently dropped production to a current 230 MW. But Japan is now getting back in the game with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda announcing that Japan has a long-term goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60-80 percent by 2050 as well as positioning itself to provide subsidies and tax breaks for solar panel makers starting in 2009. Where is the United States in comparison? Well in 2007, The United States’ domestic solar photovoltaic market grew to a whopping 220 Megawatts. A far cry to Germany’s 4,150 MW (just for reference, Germany is roughly the size of the State of Montana), and still behind Japan’s 230 MW.

As of right now, home and business owners in the U.S. can get up to a 30% tax credit for installing and using Solar technology for energy production, The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 made this possible, but that all ends on December 31st 2008. The Senate is currently discussing extending the crucial tax incentives tagged onto the “Securing America’s Energy Independence Act of 2007″. This bill is currently being reviewed by the Senate Finance Committee. If passed it will extend the solar energy investment tax credits for homeowners and businesses here in the United States for eight more years. A much needed boost for the solar industry, especially in these economic times.

Rhone Resch, The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) President was quoted as saying “This bill emphasizes the importance for Congress to enact long-term, comprehensive clean energy legislation. We look forward to working with the Congress, to craft a comprehensive and effective policy blueprint for a self-sustaining clean energy infrastructure in the United States.”

As the old saying goes, “for 200 years we’ve been conquering Nature. Now we’re beating it to death”. Everyone needs to jump on the Eco-friendly band wagon these days. There are lot of options for being eco-friendly from using solar power and recyclable material to building eco-friendly housing. Log are the best choice available for building eco friendly homes today. From planning and construction to living in the friendly wood homes, every activity has little or no negative impact on the environment. Though the Eco friendly wood homes are offered by various companies, not all of them are equal. You should know some factors about the Eco friendly wood homes before choosing the one for you.

Eco friendly wood homes made from Northern White Cedar are better than others

Eco friendly wood homes are made of different types of wood. Most of the eco friendly wood homes are made using the “Dry Dead Standing trees”. As the name indicates, this type of wood used in constructing the log homes will be of very poor quality. Though many log home manufacturers claim using the “Dry Dead Standing trees” as the cheapest and best option, this is simply untrue. The true fact is that though the log homes made from “Dry Dead Standing trees” needs low initial investments, the maintenance cost of these log homes will be very high. Getting log home constructed using the “Dry Dead Standing trees” will end up in a lifetime of repairs and maintenance.

When it comes to the best wood for constructing the log homes, the Northern White Cedar are the ones to look for. There are countless numbers of benefits in using Northern White Cedar in the construction of the log homes. One of the main advantages of this type of wood is it’s unsurpassed durability. The Northern White Cedar can retain its good appearance and toughness for more than 100 years. The maintenance cost of the log homes constructed with Northern White Cedar will be much less when compared to the other types of log homes.

Northern White Cedar log homes are better than White Pine Log Homes

White pine is also widely used in the construction of log homes. Though white pine log homes are better than the ones constructed from “Dry Dead Standing trees”, they too have some drawbacks. White pine logs do not have the capacity to resist insects and rot. This means the log homes made from white pine needs some special treatment to prevent insects entering the house. You don’t have to worry about insects and rot if you are living in a log home constructed with Northern White Cedar. Researches revealed that Northern White Cedar is imbued with natural resins that repel insects and resist rot and degredation.

Considering all these benefits, the Northern White Cedar log-homes are the best eco-friendly homes available in this planet.