Group items tagged

By converting the power of the sun into electricity, solar energy is clean, green, will never run out and, after the initial cost of the solar panels, is entirely free

The sun is constant – it will always be there and is therefore a reliable, utterly renewable source of energy.

As it does not rely on the burning of harmful fuels to generate electricity, solar power is non-polluting – it does not contribute to global warming or greenhouse gas emissions.

Solar Energy comes from Sun. Sun is a hot ball of Hydrogen & Helium. Due to fission reaction of Hydrogen molecules, energy is emitted which is known as Solar Energy.

Solar thermal energy transfers heat directly from the sun to heat air or water for residential or commercial use.

Solar energy comes from the lowest point of the sun. The sun bears a constant stream of thermonuclear explosions as hydrogen atoms are merged into helium atoms. The Sun is like a humongous power station that constantly does a reaction that lets out light.

Biofuels are liquid fuels which have been derived from other materials such as waste plant and animal matter. There are two main types of biofuels – bioethanol and biodiesel. Bioethanol is used as a replacement for gasoline and biodiesel is used as a replacement for diesel.

The winds cause waves on the surface of the ocean (and on lakes). The wind transfers some of its energy to the water, through friction between the air molecules and the water molecules. Stronger winds (like storm surges) cause larger waves.

Tidal energy has been used since about the 11th Century, when small dams were built along ocean estuaries and small streams. the tidal water behind these dams was used to turn water wheels to mill grains.

Organic matter is one such source. Materials like corn and soybeans have oil extracts that can be converted to ethanol or biodiesel

more sustainable than petroleum, meaning they can be regrown and remain productive with less negative impact on our ecosystem.

Some biofuels that provide more long-term benefits may prove too expensive to pursue

A solar cell is any device that directly converts the energy in light into electrical energy through the process of photovoltaics. The development of solar cell technology begins with the 1839 research of French physicist Antoine-César Becquerel. Becquerel observed the photovoltaic effect while experimenting with a solid electrode in an electrolyte solution when he saw a voltage develope when light fell upon the electrode.

Each day the ocean surface rises and falls because of tides. The highest point of the rise is called high tide. The lowest point is called low tide. Most places have two high tides and two low tides each day. Tides happen because of the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun on ocean water. The Moon has a much greater impact on tides than the Sun because it is much closer. The Moon pulls water that is closest to it making a high tide on the side of the Earth closest to the Moon and there is a high tide on the opposite side of the Earth too. Low tides happen in places between the high tides. Because Earth is rotating, the tides change over time. The difference between high tide and low tide is called the tidal range. The tidal range can be as little as a few centimeters to as much as several meters depending on the shape of the ocean floor. In Canada's Bay of Fundy the tidal range is very large – 16 meters.

Unlike fossil fuel power plants, no smoke is emitted from geothermal power plants, because no burning takes place; only steam is emitted from geothermal facilities. Emissions of nitrous oxide, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide are extremely low, especially when compared to fossil fuel emissions. The binary geothermal plant, which currently represents around 15% of all geothermal plant capacity, along with the flash/binary plant, produce nearly zero air emissions. Even dry steam plants, which are considered to have the highest levels of air emissions, are considered environmentally benign compared with fossil fuels. For example, Lake County, California, downwind of The Geysers, has met all federal and state ambient air quality standards for almost 25 years. There are 21 power plants at The Geysers, comprising a significant complex of electric generation facilities, yet even despite this, air quality is excellent. At The Geysers, air quality has even improved as a result of geothermal development because hydrogen sulfide, which would ordinarily be released naturally into the atmosphere by hot springs and fumaroles, instead now passes through an abatement system that reduces hydrogen sulfide emissions by 99.9%. (1) See also Myth #2.

Geothermal could be cheaper than fossil fuels, according to a study just published at NYU Stern. Yet, strangely, geothermal received the fewest Federal DOE dollars invested in R&D over the last 8 years

As gas prices rise and global warming becomes more pervasive, more people are using biofuels as a way to save money and decrease their consumption of fossil fuels.