Solar energy can solve many energetic problems (to produce electric power with solar panels or, directly, hot water for domestic uses), but NOT ALONE. It must be used together its "sisters": WIND and GEOTHERMIC.

Infact, solar energy is diffuse and abundant, but not easy to concentrate, given that solar panels must cover wide land areas (easy to do it in deserts) to give a high energy contribution. Despite this, solar panels can be installed on the roofs of private or public buildings (houses, industries, hangars, docks, schools, hospitals,…)

Moreover, it can’t be used with efficience in polar and sub-polar regions, where solar light on Earth surface is scarce.

So, just here, is the WIND that can be employed, considering that these cold regions are very windy during all periods of the year. The only problems for eolic generators could be that of a certain manutention against freezing and mechanic stress in the rotating mechanisms, but it’s possible to remedy with a bit of organization.

The 3rd "sister" is GOTHERMIC energy. It exploits the natural heat of hot water or vapour underground sources, heated by volcanic phenomena (presence of magma) active near the water.

Water can be more…

With the ever-increasing cost of electricity, natural gas and other fuels, more and more people are taking a look at the feasibility of solar power. The cost of photovoltaic cells has come down in the last few years and their efficiency have been improving, however operating the whole house with solar power is still not an affordable option for many people. For those who are looking for a more affordable way to take advantage of free energy from the sun a solar water heater may be the way to go.

There are many benefits to heating your water with a solar system and only a few disadvantages. Let’s take a quick look at the disadvantages first… The major reason that most home-owners do not seriously consider a solar water heater is the cost. Though in China a basic solar water heater can be had for less than $200, in the U.S. the average cost to buy and install a solar water heating system is about $6000 and can quickly climb to over $10,000 for bigger or more complicated systems. The second reason that many people feel that solar water heaters may not more…

South Africa is currently facing a two-pronged energy crisis a shortage of electricity and oil at over $100 a barrel. The sun produces enough energy to provide for almost all of the power requirements of the world if this free energy can be harnessed. South Africa is blessed with a climate that is dominated by sunshine, making it an ideal candidate for developing solar power to complement and possibly replace the use of fossil fuels in the production of electricity.

An associate is developing a domestic solar power system using alternative technology. If this works, this could cause a revolution in the generation of electricity as the majority of people in sunny climates could become self-sufficient in their electricity needs. The bonus is that the energy is free, infinitely renewable and does not produce any harmful emissions.

Two main systems are currently in use for harnessing the sun energy. The use of solar panels to provide hot water using the sun’s thermal power, and photo volactic or PV panels that transform the sun’s light emitting properties to produce electricity.

A third route is to use the sun’s thermal power to produce electricity. The world’s largest solar powered generator more…

Solar water heaters save money because the fuel source, the sun, cost nothing. It is the means of storing the energy from the sun that is expensive. Although there still will be need for some other back up heat source such as electricity or gas, the use of solar heater will reduce the use of these considerably; if of course you live in a warmer climate your solar water heater will be more beneficial because there will be more sun shining. Too, in warmer climates, installation and the types of system needed may be less expensive.

Solar energy is a clean source of energy and is environmentally friendly and will not leave any left over side effects from its use as fossil fuel do. The initial cost and the weather are the prohibitive reason these are not widely used in colder areas. At present to install “an active flat plate solar collector system will cost you from $2,500 to $3,500 dollars; a passive system can be installed from about $1,000 to $2,000. This will create about 80 to 100 gallons of hot water daily.”

Solar hot water heaters are of two types, active and passive. Both need storage tanks more…

“I shave in cold water,” a friend of mine told me recently.

“Really, why?” I asked.

With a straight face, he told me because he was trying to cut down on how much carbon he contributed to the atmosphere. Hot water heaters are notorious for taking a substantial amount of energy, most of that coming in the form of electricity from coal-fired generating plants, or natural gas.

But for those of us who don’t want to wake up with a face full of cold water every morning. There is another option. In a world where too often we are asked to choose between economics and the environment, solar water heaters give us the best of both worlds - something that provides relief in both areas.

Solar water heaters are not new, at least in technological terms. They have been appearing on homes for more than two decades. However, with the recent emphasis on green technologies, and the skyrocketing cost of energy, it is possible they are getting a second look by people who shrugged them off in recent years. And, given the fact that the units have been in existence for a while, their value has been well documented.

Yes, the initial cost of a more…

The sea water contains about 35 g/l of salts and, for this, it has a slightly higher density (1,023 g/cc) than pure water; about

29 g/l of this salt are made of NaCl and the remaining is formed by the following ions, in g/l:

- Mg++ : 1.30

- Ca++ : 0.41

- K+ : 0.39

- SO4- : 2.71

- HCO3- : 0.15

- Br- : 0.06

- I- : 0.01-0.04

Since the dawn of our planet life, rivers carry to the sea their much lower content of salt (normally, < 0.5 g/l), containing all these ions and others not listed above.

In the sea, these salts have always remained, because the evaporation caused by solar heat produces only pure water in vapour form and the freezing of sea water at the poles separates as well pure water in the ice caps, leaving salts in the liquid mass of water.

So, with the running of millions and billions of years, the salts carried by rivers and rain waters washing the soils slowly become more and more concentrated in the sea.

There’s another source of water for the sea, discovered only 30-35 years more…

The world around us is plagued by increasing pollution and over energy consumption, so it makes perfect sense to find a cleaner and better resource. Solar energy has been determined to be one of the most abundant and cleanest energy resources available to man today. Many environmentalists have been proactive in promoting the use of solar energy due to the growing concerns with global warming.

One simple step toward a cleaner tomorrow can begin in your own home, by converting to a solar-based water heater. There are many visible benefits to investing in solar systems and little deficits other than the cost to replace an existing system.

The benefits of Solar Water Heating:

The first obvious reason would be cost effectiveness. Electric and gas heaters use a considerable amount of energy to simply keep the availability of hot water. With the cost of fuel reaching near benchmark rates, it is becoming almost necessary to find more abundant and economical resources. Most of us have already begun to buy more efficient lighting, and a few have even turned to timers or more energy efficient appliances, but other than outdoor lighting solar is still an untapped medium.

How does it work?

There more…

Solar water heaters give radiant heat without the normal energy that would be required to heat the water, and without the accompanying need to burn fossil fuels or otherwise put contaminants into the air, water, or land. The setup is fairly straightforward and easy to understand, too.

There are two main kinds of solar water heaters; active and passive.

Active solar water heaters are generally used with solar panels that drive energy into heating the water; much like electricity and gas is used to do the same thing for conventional water heaters. Active heaters allow for the accumulation of hot water in a storage tank, which can be used in the same ways that water from a conventional water heater tank can be; bathing, washing clothes or dishes, and the like.

Active heaters do have a downside. In areas of the country that have periods of time when there are storms and other severe weather that prevent the operation of the solar panels, there must be an alternate means of heating the water. This is normally supplied by electricity. In northern climes, this can be a bother. Still, in a 12-month period, the costs of heating the water will still be low enough more…

Human beings like all forms of life need water to survive. Thus they began by migrating and settling down near fresh water.

Food became an issue and soon people began seeking other ways to sustain themselves through methods other than hunting. Irrigation was developed to allow people to farm.

As food became abundant, people involved themselves in expansion and boats were made in order to travel on water which was the fastest way to move in long distances.

Soon there was time to engage in other pleasureful pursuits. Architects created bathhouses to cleanse, and thus clumsy plumbing systems were built.

Water from heavy use started to drain on the supply and new sources needed to be obtained. Aquaducts were created in order to gather water from long distances.

Soon new technology that harnessed the water was created. Watermills was used to capture the natural energy of a stream to grind wheat into fine powder.

Using that similar concept, steam engines were build harnessing water energy through the conversion from heat.

A further extension of that includes hydroelectric plants or solar heating plants which uses water energy to create electricity.

Rather than use heavy clothing, home water heating was created. It involved circulating more…

How to make a solar powered water battery

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could meet our rising energy demands using sources that are clean and abundant. Ohh say . . . . water and the sun. Well that dream is becoming reality. Amazingly enough, the technology is being driven by extraterrestrial dreams!

I recently read an article on NASA’s website that described a technology they think will be quite useful when establishing a permanent base on the Moon (supposedly going to happen in the next couple decades). This technology makes use of the abundant solar energy illuminating the Moon’s surface. The problem comes when night falls. The answer, a water battery of course!

Well, not exactly the battery you and I think of every day. Really though, the purpose of a battery is to store energy. So how can we use water to do this on the Moon. The technology discussed in the article was called a closed fuel cell. A fuel cell, at least the one discussed in the article is a device that takes hydrogen gas and combines it with oxygen to form water. Anyone who has seen more…