If you want to build a solar power house, you will want the best power for a reasonable price. Although there was a time when it was costly to build solar power homes, today with technological advancements it is becoming less costly and very effective. One excellent addition to the market for solar homes has been the thin film solar panels, making it extremely easy to get solar energy for less money.

These new thin film solar energy panels now being used in solar power for home, are actually stacks of many layers that are not thicker than packing paper. This solar technology can be seen in calculators that are solar powered and the very thin film these calculators contain. Thin panels aren’t baked the way traditional panels are, the solar panels made with thin film are made on unique rolling machines much like a printing press.

Using these new thin-film solar panels has many advantages for a solar power house. They are much lighter and they can easily be put on various surfaces. They blend in with the home, and there are no more thick and heavy panels on the roof-top to worry about. A key benefit is that these flexible solar panel technologies are much cheaper to purchase and very efficient. Installing thin film solar panel for conversion to a solar power house is definitely a cost effective idea.

While the technology behind new thin film solar panels is essentially the same, some differences exist in in the way the panels are manufactured. Silicon is used in wafer cells, but for the thin film cells, either copper indium gallium diselenide or cadmium telluride is placed between each thin layer. The new thin panels are also made quite differently as well. Large presses are use to make them similar to printing presses using aluminum foil, which is a cost effective process.

Thin film solar panels designed for a solar power house have been featured by CNN and even named the “Invention of the Year” by Time Magazine. The benefits surrounding these panels definitely make them a worthy invention to be given this title. You’ll also find solar power is now just as cheap as other energy forms, and these flexible solar panels are definitely a progress that will totally change solar energy today.

Chemicals found in refrigerants have a high global warming potential. Scientists document this by referring to how much a chemical will impact global warming as opposed to a similar amount of CO2. Typically, refrigerants run in the hundreds and even thousands when compared to a carbon dioxide potential reading of 1.0. As the refrigerants stay in the atmosphere for much longer, greater damage can be caused to the Earth’s climate.

A global warming potential value is assigned to all greenhouse gases. This number is used by scientists to determine how gases, such as refrigerants, will impact global warming within 20 years, 100 years and 500 years. Most greenhouses gases stay in the atmosphere longer than 20 years, with many as high as 100 years. Unless action is taken to control emissions and dangerous gases, considerable harm will be done to the earth and all living organisms on it.

There are three factors that scientists use to determine the global warming potential of a substance. The three factors the amount of infrared radiation which is absorbed, the atmospheric location of the place that the absorption occured, and the length of time the substance remains in the air. A substance with a high global warming potential has a greater chance of causing adverse climate change.

The lower the global warming potential of the substance the better for a healthy environment. All refrigerants in use today can contribute to global warming as greenhouse gases and this is why there are regulations in place to limit their use. These refrigerants will eventually be phased out and replaced with more palatable alternatives.

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons, also known as HCFCs, are chemicals with the highest global warming potential. These chemicals are found in refrigeration and cooling systems and have values ranging from 120 to 12,240 over their lifetime.

One of the most dangerous refrigerants in terms of global warming potential is R-113, Trichlorotrifluoroethane, which has a value of 4800, whilst conversely the refrigerant R- 114, also known as Dichlorotetrafluoroethane, has a very low value of 3.9. Alternative refrigerants, now in development, have no impact on global warming and are to be found in the latest refrigeration and air-conditioning systems.

Facilities that use refrigerants with a high global warming potential, for example commercial refrigeration and air-conditioning systems and HVAC systems, must monitor and track usage and submit reports regularly. Both the US Clean Air Act and other international treaties mandate these requirements.

Although emissions from refrigerants with a high global warming potential are declining due to new regulations, particular concerns surround instances of leaks. By implementing leak reporting regulations and guidelines for fixing leaks, the U.S. is controlling the problem. The U.S. Clean Air Act is also well underway to phasing out harmful refrigerant gases by 2015 to ensure our environment remains healthy for years to come. It is important that facilities comply with the regulations to avoid substantial penalties, and more importantly, help sustain the future of the environment.

Man made global warming is the biggest social and political hot potato of our age. The UK and US governments have been convinced; we are responsible, and we have to do something about it, or the planet is going to perish in a cloud of carbon dioxide. Well, the politicians may be convinced, but are they on the right track? But, hasn’t the ship already set sail?

The global warming bandwagon has gathered such momentum that is it becoming nearly impossible to have a balanced discussion on the topic. A large and extremely powerful business sector has sprung up out of nowhere to serve the ‘problem’, and it will not take kindly to being told that it is surplus to requirements.

Furthermore, the policies that have been and are being introduced to attempt to curb this ‘impending catastrophe’ have wide reaching implications, and will not be turned around quickly. Policy makers take a while to get going, and when they do, the policy tends to hang around even when it has outstayed its welcome.

Those who supply products and services are being asked to equate their activities to a quantity of carbon dioxide, the lower the emissions, the better the classification. Companies may declare themselves ‘carbon neutral’ if they offset their emissions by planting trees which will absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. While everyone is focussed in on the question ‘How can we reduce our carbon dioxide emissions?’, shouldn’t we be standing back a bit further and asking ‘It is really something that we need to worry about?’. Is CO2 really an issue, or just a natural consequence of life on planet earth?

While it may appear that the facts of man made global warming remain undisputed, you may be surprised to read that in a survey carried out in 2003, in which all 530 of the world’s climatologists were questioned whether they thought that the ’scientific debate about climate change is over’, 44% were in agreement, 10% remained uncertain, and the majority, 46% disagreed. It seems the majority believe there’s still something to discuss.

In spite of this, the global warming naysayer is still very much in a minority, and not a popular one at that. The mainstream UK press and those who read it to form their beliefs are typically of the opinion that it is a problem that requires immediate action. Indeed the force behind the movement is so great that public admission of non-belief in (man made) global warming is met with considerable scorn.

What we can say without a doubt, is that the industry which has sprung up to cater to the ‘global warming show’ is worth billions of dollars, and employs millions worldwide. Budgets are continually increasing as worldwide panic sets in; recently, Barack Obama allocated $129bn to encourage solar power, hybrid cars and renewable energy. If it became clear that man was not causing global warming, what would all these people do?

Regardless of the size of the computer that they apply to modelling the coming weather patterns and climate of the earth, the global warming debate will never reach a satisfying conclusion. The weather is a complex and highly variable science, and no-one truly understands how the earth keeps itself in balance. This is not about to change any time soon.

Like most economic bubbles, it is almost always easier to go with the flow than to struggle against the current and risk being sucked under. The issue of CO2 and global warming is founded on the precautionary principle, and if we had to put words to it, it would look something like this:

“If carbon dioxide produced by man’s industrial activities is responsible for the global rise in temperature, if we can cut our emissions to an acceptable level (whatever that may be), and convince every other nation in the world to do the same, then ultimately we might be better off than if we had just stood by and done nothing.”

Does this sound like a well thought out plan? Not really. It sounds very much like scaremongering, and action from a place of fear never yields satisfying results. When you go on to consider how much cash is being spent on a “just in case” scenario, it makes you wonder whether this money might be better spent elsewhere.

But, I hear you cry, if we are screwing up the planet, surely doing something is better than doing nothing, regardless of how much it costs, I mean this is our planet we are talking about? Well, many UK citizens would agree with that statement, but it is a big IF, and not everyone has the luxury of such an insurance policy; many people are living day to day, and they want solutions now. Lets take the developing world, for example.

We have enjoyed industrialisation for many years, now it is the turn of China, India and Africa. They are looking forward to products and services that we have enjoyed for many years. It is totally inappropriate for us to demand that these countries behave in a particular way to suit our carbon plans for the future. We couldn’t wield a stick big enough to make that happen. I wouldn’t expect them to buy into such a ridiculous notion. What they may lack in technology, they more than make up for in their understanding of life on planet earth.

The UK can decide individually what it wants to do regarding CO2, but it cannot force anyone else to join it on its righteous quest to save the planet. If the UK decides to forge ahead with these carbon reforms, even though no definitive evidence exists (or will ever exist), then John Q. Taxpayer will have to pay this conscience tax. The revenue will be collected by governments in tax collecting schemes, and redistributed to organisations that work within the CO2 economy.

What happens is that the UK sourced products and services will have an additional cost implication, making it harder for us to compete in the global market as we intentionally handicap ourselves. Business answers to the shareholders, and if the costs get too high, they just move production elsewhere, circumventing the legislation, the carbon tax, and doing nothing to reduce carbon emissions. So our rapidly developing carbon management business will be useful only to the UK, and actually not that useful on the grand scale of things.

Meanwhile, politicians can do nothing but sit on the fence, being very aware of the apparent oxymoron of “CO2 friendly / Economic growth”; they are asked to stimulate economic growth on the one hand, and save the planet on the other. Economic growth means production, means motion, means carbon dioxide emissions which, they tell us, are destroying the planet. So what can governments do? Not a lot, it seems. Maybe raise a bit of revenue through taxation?

It is not my intention to get involved in the debate with tales of woe and melting ice caps. Mr Gore and his contemporaries have covered that well enough (see below). I merely suggest you assess the situation with a broader view and to try to consider that such an occurrence might in fact be nothing more than self serving alarmism, from certain interested parties. The planet is in a constant state of flux, but never before have so many paid so much attention to it, and gathered so many statistics. As if they somehow have some significance to anything. The premise of global warming is flawed. Allow me to explain.

Consider this planet we are living on. Was is just a cosmic mistake? Is it all random? How did it all come to be, in all of it’s beauty, perfection, and magnificence? How can the earth be such a perfectly balanced environment, providing it’s inhabitants with everything that they have ever identified that they need, in abundance (we have never run out of anything). Who or what lies behind this wonderful creation? If you believe that there is some creative force that has put all of this in place, then do you honestly think that it would allow the destruction of the planet, billions of years in the making, because of the burning of some previous recycled generations who inhabited the earth before?

This expansion is eternal, and will never cease to be. So if this joy of expansion is at the basis of life, then we aren’t exactly going to down tools and accept that we’ve got the job done, and that its time to stop creating, that everything is as good as it ever will be, and we can go home now. Its a completely absurd idea. We will be constantly making more, creating new things and finding better ways of living life (including ways of living more in harmony with our wonderful resource-full planet).

The carbon debate reflects man’s creativity in flowing energy in new and creative ways. The only thing is, it is based on a false premise; that man is responsible for such grand scale effects such as the weather, or the temperature. The planet is a platform for us to create upon. We are not expected to adjust the orbit of the earth, nor the humidity in the atmosphere, nor the temperature of the sun. This is all being dealt with elsewhere. If you feel like it’s an impossible task to save the planet, there’s good reason; it’s not your job.

What is good is the spin offs of the situation; perceived shortage of oil, lack of security of energy supplies, pollution, oil wars all lead to cleaner alternative fuels developed. These are cleaner, less reliant on foreigners and their unstable economic or political systems, and reduce the squabbling over the ‘finite’ resources of planet earth. Even so, the planet is finding its balance and we cannot do anything to affect its stability.

Just consider for a moment how this planet spins in its orbit in perfect proximity to other planets. Consider how the sun rises every day, consider that there is an abundant clean water supply, and the air purifies itself. Consider that food grows on the planet year after year after year. We have an abundance of everything that we need from Mother Nature, more than enough for everyone on the planet. Yes, I believe that we will find more harmonious ways to live on this planet. But we shouldn’t curse the wonderful resources provided by Mother Earth for the benefit of mankind.

As time goes on, more and more people are beginning to ask questions about this global warming phenomenon. Is the world really warming up, and what are the implications? Is this a serious issue, or just another press fuelled scare story? Well, there are a number of global warming naysayers out there who do not subscribe to the notion that we are destroying the planet through our activities. Many of these will be attending the 2009 International Conference on Climate Change which took place in New York 8-10 March 2009 and asked the question “Global warming, was it ever an issue”.

I’m not having a go at Dubya, but have you ever considered that he strongly resisted any climate change policy for a long time, and that he also comes from a Texas oil family? Similarly, Al Gore’s movie An Inconvenient Truth, is widely regarded as the mainstream representation of evidence for man-made global warming. It turned out to be quite a convenient movie for Gore; grossing over $49million at the box office.

Had Mr Gore called his film something like “Global Warming, it’s probably nothing”, one suspects he wouldn’t have made his money back, let alone any profit. Instead along with his book, the movie turned out to be quite a profitable pitch for his ‘earth services’.

I say this not as a criticism to either Gore or Bush. They are behaving perfectly normally, and acting out of their own self interest. You may regard the most powerful man in the world as having to deal with everyone else’s interests too, but actually, he’s only dealing with his own, as that is as far as his power extends. Everything is ultimately about economics. Power, religion, jobs, politics, it is all about economics. What is in it for me? They all ask. Economics comes out top because it is about the individual thriving, and when you can see the world this way, it starts to make more sense.

Fortunately there are other offerings which add some well needed balance to the debate; programs such as Martin Durkin’s 2007 polemic documentary “The Great Global Warming Swindle” which shows that not all of the worlds scientists agree with the established view, and still have the capacity to continually question evidence, as any good scientist should.

I hope that in the coming months and years that more and more balance is restored to the debate. At present, it all seems to be extremely one sided, an established fact and I suspect that title is undeserved. The regulations spawned from the premise grow daily. There is no doubt that the majority want to live more in harmony with our beautiful planet.

There is no doubt that we can find better, more environmentally friendly ways of living. But as the carbon debate continues, I suspect that people will start to see how ridiculous a notion it is, and quite how brainwashed they have become by those who stand to gain from its continuation.

The new term Geo-Engineering is an interesting idea. Engineers believe that they have to act to do something about the global temperature rise. Some ideas touted have been, giant sailing ships spraying clouds of water vapour into the atmosphere, seeding the oceans with iron to promote algal blooms which trap CO2 and then sink to the ocean floor, and my personal favourite, the giant sun shades in space to reflect back the sun. I wouldn’t want to live under one of those.

The planet is not in a state of regression; it is the best that it has ever been. It is evolving like all of the species upon it (it’s sometimes hard to believe this is the case with human beings, they are so short-sighted), it’s been around for billions of years and it will be around in billions more. As will human beings. Let’s put this issue into perspective; humans didn’t create the planet, and they won’t destroy it. There is a larger force at work, who’s done some pretty fabulous design work in the past. It’s all under control.

Ethanol Production for the Do-It-Yourselfer.

Here is something interesting I came across searching for alternative fuel.

A company out of California by the name of E-Fuel has this machine called, Micro Fueler. They claim this machine can refine sugar, water and yeast into Ethanol. The Micro Fueler, “a refinery system designed for home use” can produce up to 35 gallons of pure E-100 per week. Too bad running pure (Moon Shine)  E-100 in you car is illegal in the United States. The Micro Fueler ferments the sugar, water and yeast internally and removes the water with a specially designed micro filter.

Now, they say the initial cost of the ethanol fuel device can be offset by up to 50% by using Federal, State or Local credits and the sugar cost can be brought down with a system of carbon trade coupons. The device can produce one gallon of ethanol from 10 pounds of sugar, which can be a bit pricey. The CEO of E-Fuel plans to purchase inedible sugar from Mexico and distribute it thoughout the United States in an attempt to further reduce the cost of the sugar.

Research has shown that ethanol fuel mixtures higher than E10 but lower than E85, can produce better gas mileage than running regular unleaded fuel. Even in non flex vehicles apparently you can go as high as E65  in a non flex vehicle before getting engine fault codes.

E Fuel is planning to go world wide right out of the starting gate, manufacturing the machine in Britain, China and the United States. And they’re working on a commercial unit that uses feedstock. Personally, I would like too see it use yard waste, switchgrass or any waste product like corn stalks and such. But anything that helps us reduce the use of petroleum works for me.

Apparently the Micro Fueler is for sale now, with a price of $9995.00 and plans to start delivery in the fourth quarter of this year. Now you can get a permit for ethanol production through the Alcohol and Tobacco tax and Trade Bureau and you will have to mix the ethanol with regular gasoline, keeping in mind that most of the regular unleaded already has up to 10% ethanol already in it. You don’t want to exceed 65% ethanol mixture unless you are driving a E85 flex fuel vehicle.

Okay so if you could produce your own biofuel in your backyard, for less than at the gas station, would you?  Thanks for reading!

A home made power systems may not completely take you off the power grid but could save you hundreds maybe even thousands of dollars on your energy bill each year. What if you could even sell surplus power back to the same grid you buy it from? You may even want to do your part to help alleviate global warming by using alternative forms of energy.

solar energy produces zero emissions and have little affect on global warming due to its passive abilities. With a guide, manual or complete set of instructions you could do it yourself and build a solar power system cheap often for a fraction of the cost of a complete kit or installation. Many companies sell complete kit, panels and inverters and you can sometimes find them in auctions. Purchasing solar panels is just the start of building a system that will produce from the sun free. If you have basic electrical knowledge and instructions you be able to create your own system at a very reasonable cost.

As solar panels become more efficient and cheaper to purchase producing electricity from the sun will become more feasible. You may even consider other forms of alternative energy along with solar power to reduce your dependence on the grid or your local utility company. As prices continue to drop and panels become cheaper you will see larger and more complex systems and more residential homes with rooftop installations.

Depending on the area of the country you live in you should always consider a backup source of power. Batteries are a great storage solution for excess energy during peak production to use for a rainy or cloudy day. You could even consider combining wind energy to further reduce dependence on the grid. It is now not unusual to see a PV system combined with the wind turbine as a reasonable solution to save money and reduce reliance on the grid.

Solar panels are considered passive devices and energy is produced when solar energy comes in contact with the surface of the panel. The power created is direct current much like the current found in batteries and must be converted to alternating current or AC that can be used throughout typical home. A device called an inverter converts direct current to alternating current. The inverter turns direct current in to alternating current. Any excess that is produced can be stored in batteries or put back onto the grid and can be sold back to your local power company.

If you have a guide or complete set of instructions for home made power systems you could join the growing ranks who are building small systems and saving hundreds and thousands of dollars yearly on their electric bill. It is not uncommon in the southwest United States and the trend is more power companies are building large photo voltaic arrays that generate megawatts of electricity enough to power a small town. If you are striving for energy independence using renewable forms of energy why not yet in on the growing trend and build a DIY solar power system and save money. Have you built your own home power system? I’d like to here about it.

Why are geothermal heating systems so popular? Every year about 50,000 new geothermal heating systems are added in the United States. They’re very reasonable for most areas and can use the Earth for heating when temperatures drop.

Ground source heating uses ground water or antifreeze solution for its source of heat in the winter. Summer the opposite accuse, heat is removed from the building and transferred to the earth.

 GHP heating and cooling will give great comfort and be cost effective with environmentally friendly technologies, which uses our planet’s ability to store energy as heat. Moving the heat from Earth or from water into buildings, or from buildings right back into Earth. With little electricity employed for operating fans, pumps, controls, and compressor.

 Another kind of heat pump called an air source heat pump uses no ground source for heating and cooling. It works like your refrigerator extracting warmer air from the inside and transferring it to the outside via a compressor and refrigerant loop, for more moderate climates.

 What can home or business owners expect from Geothermal?

•  Savings: a very efficient way for heating and cooling your home. They use 25-50% less energy than conventional heating and cooling systems.
•  Comfort: Completely automatic in operation providing heating, cooling and hot water.
•  Safety: No combustion meaning no volatile gases escaping into the building
•  Durability: Geothermal heat pumps have an excellent track record for long life.
•  Reliability: A Geothermal systems are housed indoors and underground, protected from the elements. With few moving parts the system is maintenance free outside of changing the filters.
•  Green Energy: Heating and cooling with a renewable energy resource is another step towards minimizing the negative environmental impact.

Geothermal Heat Pumps are appropriate for both new construction and changing out traditional heating units. You can choose air sourced heat pump or ground source geothermal and use the hot water for radiant heating.

If you choose the ground source heat pump you have three options for the heat transfer system. The horizontal closed loops can be buried in the ground or submerged in a pond or lake.  Vertical closed loops are for small lots with no room for a horizontal loop, or open loop system, if you have access to ample well water, known in the industry as pump and dump. Water is circulated through the unit and drained way back into the ground.

Most geothermal systems require vertical drilling, unless the location and the design permit for horizontal installation. Trained professionals should install ground source systems. The soil properties and the thermal performance of rocks vary widely, the size of the geothermal system and the ground conditions will dictate how much drilling or trenching will be required.

What are your thoughts on geothemal heating and cooling?

Why use ground source heat pumps? Many people are using geothermal heat pumps these days to heat and cool their home. Maybe, there are still a lot of you that do not know what these machines actually do. What I hope to do is educate you on the benefits of these machines.

Geothermal heat pumps use ground water or the earth as its source of heat in the winter. Heat is taken from the earth through a liquid; this liquid is either ground water or antifreeze like solution. This is the process for the winter.

In the summer, the process is reversed. Heat is removed from your home and transferred to the earth through the antifreeze solution or ground water. A different type of heat pump uses refrigerant instead of an antifreeze solution. air source heat pump, which transfers heat between your house and the outside air, no ground source needed. (For moderate climates)

In other words it is essentially the same process as in your refrigerator: heat is extracted with a compressor and refrigerant loop from the inside of your refrigerator and rejected into your house.

In addition to space heating and cooling, geothermal heat pumps can provide hot water with virtually no additional energy, save you money. Newer heat pumps are now equipped with desuperheaters “or preheater” that can transfer excess heat from the compressor to the domestic water heater.

Your geothermal heat pump can effectively and quickly heat water for your bathtub, shower and sinks. Providing the unit is in use, It’s better to store the water in an insulated tank and used in conjunction with a tankless water heater. This way in the spring and fall when the geothermal heat pump is not in use the tankless water heater can bump up the temperature for tub and showers etc.

Geothermal Heat Pumps utilize the relatively constant temperature of the ground or water several feet below the surface as a source of heating and cooling and are appropriate for both retro fit or new homes.

There are three types of heat transfer systems horizontal closed loop, a vertical closed loop and open loop drain system. “Or pump and dump.” the first two use a antifreeze solutions for heat transfer and the third uses well water for heat transfer with a trench or drain field to drain away the water. Vertical loops are used in areas with little room for a large transfer system like the horizontal loop system. The pump and dump is by fare the cheapest to install if you have access to well water.

Professionals should install ground source heat systems. It is not recommended for DIY. These system needs to be sized correctly for your home. Especially the transfer piping laid out in the ground, or down to the ground water table, these must be designed and installed correctly to ensure that your geothermal heat pump system works as intended.

Geothermal systems can save you up to 60% on heating costs over propane or fuel oil furnaces, up to 25% on your cooling costs and as much as 50% of your hot water costs. As for my savings, my annual electric bill is less than one thousand dollars a year or and average monthly bill of $79. The only appliances I have that are not electric are the tanklless water heater and the range. Before I installed the heat pump the electric bill averaged about $30. That is a difference of $49 or $588 annually, to heat and cool my home. At this rate the system will have paid for itself in about seven years! And I live In Michigan!

So here’s the question, is this article helpful or do you have anything to add, if so kindly add your comments below. Thanks for reading!

Wind power, solar power and sustainable energy words on everyone’s lips now days. I’ve been in the modular housing industry for the past 15 years, more and more people are looking for the energy saving appliances, and the industry has been trying to respond to the demand. But for the most part we’ve had to install Sun Tubes (day lighting systems) or Roof Windows that open to help with the cooling etc.

Thanks to the Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit. Customers are beginning to inquire into wind turbines, solar panels and such.  One company out there I’ve just learned about by the name of WindEnergy7. Has a nifty roof mounted wind and solar hybrid system that can generate up to 850 watts of power. Add 1 or 2 of these units or just a single wind turbine and upgrade the system as your budget allows. 

The hybrid kits start at just under $3000. And the manufacturer claims the wind
turbine only requires a minimum wind resource of zone 2 or better to pay for
itself. Don’t worry if you don’t have a south facing roof surface, these units
can be perched on a mast out from under the trees and turned into the suns path.
What’s unique about these hybrid units is the system generates electricity
during the day even without a breeze, and at night when the wind typically picks
up. Most home owners are installing wind turbines and solar panels on their
homes to help provide lighting for their residents, and should continue to
practice conserving electricity by using compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) or even
better yet LED bulbs (light emitting diodes), which use less than a third of the
energy of a compact fluorescent. Helping you stretch out the energy produced by
your wind energy system If you would like more information on this system
follow the link provided, there you will find wind resource maps and information
on your states net metering policies and much more. 

I hope you found this information useful, and would kindly convey your thoughts in the comment forum below. Please come back often to read about other sustainable energy products on review. 
Thanks for reading!