Green Calculation » Solar

Reducing Energy Bill to $0 a Month

admin — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:05:27 +0000

Here’s a guy who is totally off the power grid, with all the modern day amenities, but living in a solar-hydrogen and geo-thermally powered home.

On sunny days, solar panels on the roof of Strizki’s detached garage generate more than enough electricity to power his home. The excess electricity powers a device inside the garage called an electrolyzer, which transforms a tank of water into its base elements – oxygen and hydrogen.

The final piece of the equation is “The New Jersey Genesis,” a hydrogen fuel-cell car Strizki helped design and now maintains for the New Jersey Department of Transportation. He can fill up the Genesis with hydrogen from his electrolyzer and drive it pollution free.

It’s so successful that Johnny Depp is using the technology to power his Caribbean Island.

Solar Powered Hybred Cars

admin — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:25:52 +0000

The 2010 Toyota Prius is going to have solar panels on the roof! They are supposed to power the air conditioner on hot days. Others think it’s a sort of PR stunt. You’re not going to get much power from a few panels on the roof of a car, however, it’s somthing. Mazda had solar panels on the roof of a car in the past, which was intended to power fans on hot days when the car was parked. These were discontinued because nobody bought them.

Solar Energy Facts

admin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:03:24 +0000

The sun is the main source of almost all energy on earth — even fossil fuels (coal, gas and petroleum) began life as plants whose energy came from the sun millions of year ago. Of course, the sun is also the original source of most renewable energy sources too — solar, wind, hydro — because the sun actually gives energy to the atmosphere, which creates wind, rain and ocean currents.

So what is this stuff? Sunlight speeds 93,000,000 miles to the earth in approximately 8 minutes at 186,282 miles per second! Energy can be measured in kilowatt-hours. 1 kilowatt = 1000 watts or the amount of electicity it takes to burn ten 100 watt light blubs for an hour.

In 2006, the average monthly residential electricity consumption was 920 kilowatthours. About 30% of our total energy consumption is used to heat water. Refrigerators are the appliance that consumes the most electricity (14%), followed by lighting (9%).

You can use the sun to dry cloths just with a cloths pin. This is a form of solar energy. Usually, when people talk about solar power, they mean using the sun for electricity production and for heating of water. Solar energy can also be used to heat swimming pools, power cars, attic fans, calculators and other small appliances. It produces lighting for indoors or outdoors. You can even cook food with solar energy.