The object ot this competition is to lift weight with the power of wind. Our windmill is tested to determine how much weight it can lift in a small amount of time. This project was designed and built solely by Santa Fe High School students.
Duration : 0:3:5
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – A Spanish company plans to invest $1 billion to build a large solar energy production plant in New Mexico.
Duration : 0:1:50
This is another video of my alternative energy systems.diy micro hydro store bought solar diy solar with cells from(SOLARCELLS101.COM)AND DIY WIND TURBINE
Duration : 0:3:35
A short video that I made for science when I was In Year 10, Hope you enjoy 
Thanks so much to those who have watched this video, which has reached over 28,000 views!
Duration : 0:3:26
Csongor Daniel performs his bioenergy healing on a few clients, while showing some psychokinesis, too.
Duration : 0:2:20
Although it is much less expensive to initially get hooked into the local electric company’s grid than it is to set up and hook into wind turbines, in the long run one saves money by utilizing the wind for one’s energy needs while also becoming more independent. Not receiving an electric bill while enjoying the advantages of the modern electrically-driven lifestyle is a wondrous feeling.
Electric bills and fuel bills are rising steadily but the cost of wind turbine energy is zero, and the cost of installing and hooking up a turbine is steadily coming down as demand rises and more commercial success is realized by various companies producing the turbines and researching technologies to make them ever more efficient.
In addition, people are moving away from the traditional electric grids and the fossil fuels for personal reasons including desire for greater independence, the desire to live remotely or rurally without having to go primitive, political concerns such as fears of terrorist strikes on oil fields or power grids, or concerns about the environment.
Again, this motivation to get away from the traditional energy sources is the same one that causes people to seek the power of the wind for their energy, giving more business opportunities to profit from wind turbine production and maintenance, which drives their costs down for the consumers.
In nearly thirty states at the time of this writing, homeowners who remain on the grid but who still choose to use wind energy (or other alternative forms) are eligible for rebates or tax breaks from the state governments that end up paying for as much as 50% of their total green energy systems costs.
In addition, there are 35 states at the time of this writing where these homeowners are allowed to sell their excess energy back to the power company under what are called net metering laws. The rates that they are being paid by the local power companies for this energy are standard retail rates in other words, the homeowners are actually profiting from their own energy production.
Some federal lawmakers are pushing to get the federal government to mandate these tax breaks and other wind power incentives in all 50 states. Japan and Germany already have national incentive programs in place. However, A lot of this is handled regionally by state law. There wouldn’t really be a role for the federal government, the Energy Department’s Craig Stevens says.
And as might be imagined, there are power companies who feel that it’s unfair that they should have to pay retail rates to private individuals. We should [only have to] pay you the wholesale rate for … your electricity, according to Bruce Bowen, Pacific Gas & Electric’s director of regulatory policy.
However, the companies seem to be more worried about losing short term profits than about the benefits, especially in the long run, of the increased use of wind turbines or wind farms. Head of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies of California V. John White points out, It’s quality power that strengthens the grid.
Warren Peters
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/wind-power-as-a-viable-solution-to-alternative-energy-needs-132848.html
Popped from their “holes” in the silicon atom, electrons flow through solar PV cells connected in series to produce useful electric voltage. This concept and a little more is the focus of this article. The United States is at the beginning of a huge, wide-spread, pervasive switch to solar energy as a primary energy source for our homes. The manufacturing costs are down, awareness and need is up, and new options to rent solar systems versus having to buy them all line up perfectly.
How do solar PV cells create an electric current?
The remainder of this article explains some of the details related to the internal workings of solar cells and how their arrangement, when placed into a solar array mounted on your roof can make a big difference in the energy output of your solar system.
The internal electric field of the silicon diode creates a flow of electric charges only when sunlight photons strike the silicon. As the photons hit electrons in silicon bonds, they create hole-electron pairs that are free to separate and wander around the silicon lattice or crystalline structure. Free electrons wandering near the p/n junction are pushed in one direction by the internal electric field.
This movement of electronics as a result of the photoelectric effect results in a steady flow of electric charges moving in a circuit within the silicon structure, i.e. an electric current. The flow is directly proportional to the intensity of light and the energy conversion efficiency of the solar cells included in the solar PV panel. The greater the sunlight hitting the silicon atom the greater the number of electrons bumped free. Ultimately, this creates a greater number of electrons flowing in and out of the silicon and into the solar inverter.
This whole continuous movement of electrons illustrates why it is so important for all solar cells in a module or solar array to get the same intensity of sunlight. It is important for the solar panels to receive the sunlight from the same direction and not to be shaded by trees or buildings. The exact number of photons from the sun must must strike each solar cell in order to bump the corresponding number of electrons in the next solar cell. In essence, the photons from the sun hit the silicon and cause a chain reaction within the silicon.
The additional movement of free silicon electrons, in and out of the holes produced in the silicon atoms, creates the electric current and flow of energy. Think of a game of billiards; the pool player hits the white ball which in turn hits the green ball into the pocket. This occurs in a chain reaction fashion as you add more balls each hitting each other. The little twist here is the fact that the sun will continually hit the white ball (i.e. the sun photon hitting the silicon atom) as long as the sunlight hits the solar cell.
Solar PV Cells Connected in Series
Individual solar cells produce only a small amount of voltage. They are most commonly connected together in series, positive to negative poles within a solar array, to produce a useful electric voltage.
When photons of sunlight strike solar cells in a string, the internal electric field pushes the electrons out of the cells in a continuous flow through the string. The electrons moving through the silicon structure each gain about one half of a volt during the photoelectric process. The displaced electrons are collected in a grid pattern of wiring printed on the cells.
Module manufacturers connect enough solar cells in series in a single module to produce a useful voltage. The typical high voltage grid tied module has 72 cells in series. Electrons moving about the solar cells get about one half of a volt from each solar cells. After moving through 72 solar cells connected in series gain enough electric voltage to account for about 40 volts.
If more voltage is needed to produce useful electric current for home use, then solar modules can be connected in series. The most common solar energy unit configuration has a solar array connected in series with 8 other solar modules. This results in a final operational electric voltage of about 320 volts.
Solar Cells, Arrays, and Solar Modules Connected in Series
In the previous article, we explained a little about the Photoelectric Effect, where photons of light hit electrons in the silicon lattice and provide energy to flow. We also described how electrons flowing from one cell into the next cell in a module gain about 1/2 volt from each cell.
To Rent a Home Solar Energy System or Buy It
The Option to Rent a Home Solar Energy System is fast approaching as a viable option for home electricity needs. The American homeowner has the option to produce renewable energy from the sun by renting a complete solar energy system versus having to purchase one outright. This is an exciting solar rental service that allows the average homeowner to created their own solar generated electricity from the son and keep the energy savings they create.
Those who have a suitable location (i.e. good sun, enough roof space, and moderate energy needs), who follow the reservation steps, and who complete the requirements have a home solar system installed have good chance of getting a solar unit installed on their home on a rental basis.
Daniel Stouffer
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/home-solar-energy-how-the-electrical-current-is-created-part-11-498424.html
With just a little bit of research, one can quickly determine that there is a strong and growing groundswell of interest in renewable energy. Leaving politics out of it, many people are simply interested in making their homes more energy efficient and thereby saving money on heating and cooling bills.
Renewable energy generally includes solar power, wind power, and biofuels. For all categories, there are ways to integrate them into your daily life and into your home to make yourself more energy efficient. These changes will certainly save you money over the long run–and in some case in the short term—but they will also help reduce the massive strain that is being placed on the planet in general.
There are a large number of companies, both large and small, that advertise their specific product or service that fits into the renewable energy industry. There are a great number of businesses that manufacture, install and repair all types of solar panels. Likewise, there are a corresponding number of businesses that sell, service and install systems designed to capture wind power. Still more companies are out there manufacturing and selling various forms of biofuels. Biofuels include bio diesel and ethanol. There are also a very few companies engaged in research and development of hydrogen furnaces which run on biomass, often barnyard waste. While all these companies are in business to make money, the combined effect of what they are selling and producing is a positive one for the environment. Renewable energy is an undeniable fact of life for us now, and we all have a form of social responsibility to do our part to advance it into the mainstream. Regardless if the motivation is purely financial—to either make or save money—the end result is the same; a reduction in the emissions and pollution produced by traditional fossil fuels, and a cleaner, more sustainable environment and economy.
Trends toward renewable energy are taking hold on a more widespread basis every day. One will hear more frequent mention of terms like “green construction” or “green companies”. These terms refer to building houses in an environmentally friendly manner, making as much use of renewable energy technology as possible and to businesses that have adopted an organized and serious policy to reducing their environmental impact through use of renewable energy.
Renewable energy has become such a popular subject, that it is seen as a constant theme in contemporary media, including major movies, TV programs and in music. The growing awareness and concern with environmental issues is fueling the fundamental shift toward being more environmentally conscious and toward using renewable energy whenever possible. There is still much pollution and waste in the world today, but there has never been such a high and growing level of awareness and motivation to change our fundamental lifestyles in order to save and cure our climate. Renewable energy is a fundamental piece of the puzzle for not only a healthy planet, but a healthy life as well.
David J Hughes
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/renewable-energy-lesson-1-introduction-to-renewable-energy-754982.html
Australia’s largest energy retailer, AGL, is putting its energy into innovative and sustainable renewable energy projects, in an effort to minimising the effects of climate change.
Included in its suite of 29 renewable energy assets that it owns or operates, is Suncoast Gold Macadamias in Gympie, Southeast Queensland, which is Australia’s first waste-to-energy (biomass) renewable cogeneration project. ‘Cogeneration’ is generation of both electricity and useful heat that can be used onsite for good use.
What is Biomass?
Biomass is all matter that can be used as fuel for industrial production. It can also include biodegradable wastes that can be burnt as fuel.
How is biomass energy created?
Biomass can be thought of as storage of solar energy in chemical form. It can be combusted to generate heat and then subsequently converted into other forms of energy.
How do we create energy from Macadamias?
Creating energy from a waste product like the macadamia nut shells involves the following process:
• Nut shells are burnt in a fire boiler, which creates steam
• Some of the steam is used to dry the macadamia nuts
• The majority of the steam is used to drive a turbine to generate clean, renewable electricity
• About 40% of the electricity is sent to the national power grid as GreenPower
• About 60% goes to the customer.
What this means for the environment
The macadamia plant produces enough energy from the macadamia nut shells to power the company’s entire manufacturing and processing activity, as well as about 250 Queensland homes.
This innovative waste-to-energy project cuts Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by around 2,500 tonnes per annum – equivalent to taking about 650 cars off the road each year. It has also solved the problem of what to do with the 5,000 tonnes of macadamia shells, enough to fill three Olympic-sized swimming pools, that Suncoast Gold Macadamias processes each year.
Suncoast Gold, which exports Australia’s largest native agricultural crop to more than 20 countries including Japan, Europe and the US, has had its efficiency significantly boosted by the provision of electricity, heat and steam. It has also enhanced its green credentials in the European and Asian markets where consumers are extremely environmentally aware.
By 2010, more than 150 growers throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales are expected to supply Suncoast Gold with about 10,000 tonnes of macadamia nuts each year, doubling the Gympie facility’s output.
AGL’s Asset Manager Neil Cooke says the innovative plant has achieved several firsts. It’s the first of its kind in the world,” he said. “It also has the largest macadamia shell silo (400 tonne capacity, 18 metres high and 10 metres in diameter) in the world and the boiler is showing that it is possible to achieve consistent performance from a renewable energy plant operated on shells.”
AGL is one of Australia’s leading integrated energy companies and the only Australian energy producer with a full suite of renewable generation, providing natural gas and electricity to over 3.2 million customers more than six million Australians.
Other innovative renewable energy assets AGL owns or operates include the ISIS Central Sugar Mill facility in Childers, Queensland, which is AGL’s first renewable cogeneration project to produce energy from sugar cane by-product (bagasse).
Giselle Pethard
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/biomass-energy-from-macadamia-nuts-694116.html
admin | 
01 31st, 2010| 
Renewable Resource Technology