EnSIGHT Australia

After the Tsunami

2011-04-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

After Tsunami Devastation, What Now?

The recent tragedy brought about by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake in the northeast coast last Friday, March 12, 2011 did not only left scars on Japanese people but along with that, came a horrifying tsunami which claimed thousands of lives and properties and there are a lot more missing up to date.

The question now is whether this tsunami would affect water displacement in major seas and how it will affect our environment especially now that we are focused on getting efficient energy and finding alternative ways for sustainable development both in energy resources and our environment.

A tsunami is caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, usually an ocean, though it can occur in large lakes. Tsunamis are a frequent occurrence in Japan; approximately 195 events have been recorded. Owing to the immense volumes of water and the high energy involved, tsunamis can devastate coastal regions (source: Wikipedia).

As stated, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices) landslides and other mass movements, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami (source: Wikipedia).

Precious coral reefs and mangrove areas would be crushed by the huge tsunami waves which will lead to an environmental and economic setback that could take years to reverse and restructure.

According to scientists, reef-forming coral grows only about 0.5 cm, or 1/5 inch a year, thus for the seaside resorts on the numerous affected islands to regain their previous splendour could take several years to a decade. The worst marine damage was likely to have been concentrated 100m to 1km from shore. Fortunately, large sea mammals such as whales and dolphins probably suffered little impact.

According to Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), dolphins can feel disturbances happening in the water and would have most likely headed for deep water where they would be safe. Also, they mostly inhabit the areas far offshore, where the tsunami has the least damaging capacity.

The earthquake that occurred on December 26, 2004 was an undersea earthquake originated in the Indian Ocean off the western coast Indonesia and generated tsunamis that were among the worst disasters in modern history. At a magnitude of 9.0, it was the largest earthquake since the 9.2 magnitude earthquake off Alaska in 1964. The earthquake was the result of the sliding of the portion of the Earth's crust known as the India plate under the section called the Burma plate. Tsunamis have been relatively rare in the Indian Ocean. They are most prevalent in the Pacific. The Indian Ocean tsunami caused waves as high as 50 feet (15 meters) in some places, according to news reports. The resulting tsunamis devastated the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and other countries even reaching the east coast of Africa some 2800 miles away of the epicentre.

Tsunami waves poisoned the fresh water supplies and the soil by salt water infiltration and deposition of a salt layer over land. It has been reported that in the Maldives, 16 to 17 coral reef atolls that were overcome by sea waves are totally without fresh water and could be rendered inhabitable for decades. Uncountable wells that served communities were invaded by sea, sand and earth; and aquifers were invaded through porous rock. Salted-over soil becomes sterile, and it is difficult and costly to restore for agriculture. It also causes the death of plants and important soil micro-organisms.

It also affects water supply which contaminated it mostly. Due to this, safe water is scarce leading to water-related diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, diarrhea and sometimes malaria. According to World Health Organization (WHO) over 200,000 people died from 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami which led to a waterborne epidemics and outbreak.

The tsunami impacted water quality by flooding septic tanks and causing their contents to contaminate ground and surface water. Seawater also penetrated into groundwater tables, making the water unfit for human consumption. The tsunami also destroyed rural water supply systems across the region.

Following a disaster, there is enormous pressure on political leaders and public health officials to take disease control interventions mainly spread through contaminated water. The tsunami raised unique challenges for those involved in these efforts.

In most respects the profile of a tsunami resembles that of a flood caused by a hurricane or cyclone. Therefore, disaster response guides consider Tsunamis as floods although the hydrological and engineering issues associated with saline water infiltration are vastly different. Innovative solutions were often necessary to deal with the special circumstances presented by the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster.

With all these facts and evidences, now this is happening again in Japan. Added to that injury is the explosion and threat posed by their nuclear plants.

The damage result of this tragedy is so heartbreaking and that people now are scared and thinking of ways on how to prevent this from happening to their country. But as I said, it was all part of an “acts of God,” beyond our control, but what we need to do is to be ready when it happens, where it happens and how it happens. And just like any other failures we encounter in life, there is no other way but up and keep going. Rebuilding, restructuring and reinventing are the three major keys that the nation should do right after the disaster.

The Floods and Its Dangers

2011-04-18T00:39:00.000-07:00

In January, the whole Queensland area particularly Toowoomba and Brisbane – the third largest city in Australia experienced the wrath of nature through an inland tsunamis and floods everywhere. Unimaginable, terrifying and devastating – that is how they described it. It has been months of non-stop rains that led to this. It killed almost 100 people, damaged houses, crippled coal industry and crops, caused extensive destructions, and left most Australians a trauma that they would bear in a much longer time.

The reason – floods. Flood is an overflow of the huge amount of water onto the normally dry land. Flood occurs when the overflowing water submerges land and causes deluge.

Constant rains are one of the major causes of floods. The level of water in rivers or lakes rises due to heavy rainfalls. When the level of water rises above the rive banks or dams, the water starts overflowing, which causes floods. The water overflows to the areas adjoining to the rivers, lakes or dams, causing floods or deluge. The flood water causes havoc and great destruction in the areas where it flows. Floods occur more in the regions that get heavy rainfalls.

Generally, floods occur more in the low-lying areas or the areas below the sea level. One of the main reasons is that rivers flow slowly in these areas. The volume of water increases in the low-lying areas. When the level of water rises in these regions, it causes floods.

Floods also occur more in the coastal regions. Floods, in the coastal regions, are caused due to high tides, storms, cyclones, hurricanes, or tsunamis. When the level of water rises above the sea level, it causes floods in coastal areas or coastal lowlands.

There are also several human causes of floods. Deforestation is one of the major causes of floods. Trees are being cleared fast from large areas. As result, soil is easily eroded, and the eroded soil gets settled at the bottom of rivers and seas, which raises the level of water in rivers and seas, which consequently causes floods. Too much abuse of our natural resources is another reason. Improper waste management is also considered one of the causes of floods.

In this case, like elsewhere, floods have been making noise since year 2000 to different parts of the world. Oftentimes, we are not aware of this. With nature changing dramatically on its course, we should also plan and make some abrupt changes to how we deal with it.

A 20-year ago flood control plan and dam management might not work with the way nature changes it course especially the rain patterns. Perhaps some new findings and new process should be implemented. Along with us being aware of global warming, government should find ways to help prevent major flooding in the future.

In addition to this, can we check our motives in bringing in progress to the next level? If it is at our nature’s or land’s expense, at the risks of lives of our fellowmen, at the expense of losing thousands of dollars worth of business…then think again. Find alternative ways before it is too late. Human lives and the trauma that it will bring are priceless. Although this saying has been used so many times, I will say it again - prevention is better than cure. It’s about time we double check everything that has been happening around us. Check our motives. Give high respect to nature and what it can bring to us – disasters just waiting to happen.

Facts about Biodiversity

2011-04-11T23:40:00.000-07:00

Before the iPad, before the Blackberry craze, before the innovative and technological breakthroughs – before life began on Earth; Biodiversity exists.

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Greater biodiversity implies greater health. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas Polar Regions support fewer species (source: Wikipedia).

Unfortunately, from what we learned from our elementary science, rapid environmental changes typically cause extinctions. One estimate is that less than 1% of the species that have existed on Earth are extant. One of the factors that science pinpoints as the culprit is the growing industrialization globally which brought the extinction of some wildlife species both flora and fauna.

Biodiversity includes all of the Earth’s plants, animals, their habitats, and the natural processes that they are a part of. It has become clear that biodiversity is the cornerstone of our existence on Earth.

With all the featured news articles from different places on Earth, where there beautiful, virgin ecosystems and forests lies; biodiversity plays an important role on preserving these sceneries.

Lately, biodiversity is not evenly distributed. Flora and Fauna diversity depends on climate, altitude, soils and the presence of other species. Diversity consistently measures higher in the tropics and in other localized regions such as Cape Floristic Province and lower in polar regions generally. In 2006 many species were formally classified as rare or endangered or threatened; moreover, scientists have estimated that millions more species are at risks which have not been formally recognized. About 40 percent of the 40,177 species assessed using the UCN Red List criteria are now listed as threatened with extinction—a total of 16,119. Even though terrestrial biodiversity declines from the equator to the poles, this characteristic is unverified in aquatic ecosystems especially in marine ecosystem.

A biodiversity hotspot is a region with a high level of endemic species. Hotspots were first named in 1988 by Dr. Norman Myers. Many hotspots have large nearby human populations.Most hotspots are located in the tropics and most of them are forests (source: Wikipedia).

Through biodiversity, it is the life support of our planet - we get fresh air, climate (e.g., CO2 sequestration), water purification, pollination, food and prevention of erosion.

It also plays major role in the agriculture industry, human health, business and industry, leisure culture and aesthetic value and of course a very big factor in the climate change issue.

The known medicines that helped cure many diseases and bacteria a long time ago came from wild species that have saved millions of lives and alleviated tremendous suffering. It came from plants and animals which have been modified by science nowadays. The foods that we eat everyday came from edible plant species that have been in existence since the beginning of the world and fearfully, if we take them for granted - might extinct in the very near future; adding a threat to our food security. Breeding cultivars with their wild counterparts can also confer resistance to diseases and increase crop yield. Wetlands filter pollutants from water, trees and plants which reduce global warming by absorbing carbon, and bacteria and fungi break down organic material and fertilize the soil as well.

However, due to man’s curiosity, sometimes this would put us all in danger. Overexploitation, genetic pollution, over population, and the Holocene extinction are some of the factors on threat to our global Biodiversity.

The cure? Conservation.

Conservation biology matured in the mid-20th century as ecologists, naturalists, and other scientists began to research and address issues pertaining to global biodiversity declines.

The conservation ethic advocates management of natural resources for the purpose of sustaining biodiversity in species, ecosystems, the evolutionary process and human culture and society (source: Wikipedia).

Conservation biology is reforming around strategic plans to protect biodiversity. Preserving global biodiversity is a priority in strategic conservation plans that are designed to engage public policy and concerns affecting local, regional and global scales of communities, ecosystems, and cultures. Action plans identify ways of sustaining human well-being, employing natural capital, market capital and ecosystem services.

While we are enjoying the city life and its perks, we should also keep in mind that the best way perhaps to contribute to our planet is to be aware of the origin of every life form here on Earth and to learn how to preserve our biodiversity which is mainly connected to what our future holds for us in terms of sustainability, efficiency and the power conserving each specie that has a connection with each other.

Why Biofuels?

2011-04-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

Biofuels are a wide range of fuels which are in some way derived from biomass. The term covers solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases. Biofuels are gaining increased public and scientific attention, driven by factors such as oil price spikes, the need for increased energy security, and concern over greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. (source: Wikipedia)

It is used mostly now by vehicle owners as drivers are more environmentally conscious and search ways to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and therefore reduce their negative impact on the environment.

Focusing on vehicles and biofuel’s impact, bit by bit, let’s examine the pros and cons to help you make a better choice. One of the main purposes of producing biofuel is to develop energy that can be used specifically in liquid fuels for transportation.

Plants that naturally produce oils include oil palm, jatropha, soybean and algae. When heated resistance (viscosity) is reduced they can be burned within a diesel engine or they can be processed to form biodiesel.

Sugar crops or starch – These include sugar cane, sugar beet, corn and maize which are then turned into ethanol through the process of yeast fermentation. Woods – By-products from woods can be converted into biofuels including methanol, ethanol and woodgas.

There are many different types of biofuels:

'First-generation' or conventional biofuels are biofuels made from sugar, starch, and vegetable oil.

Bioalcohols - Biologically produced alcohol most commonly ethanol and less commonly propanol and butanol are produced by the action of micro organisms and enzymes through the fermentation of sugars or starches (easiest), or cellulose (which is more difficult). Biobutanol (also called biogasoline) is often claimed to provide a direct replacement for gasoline, because it can be used directly in a gasoline engine (in a similar way to biodiesel in diesel engines). Ethanol fuel is the most common biofuel worldwide.

Alcohol fuels are produced by fermentation of sugars and any sugar or starch that alcoholic beverages can be made from i.e. potato and waste products. The ethanol production methods used are enzyme digestion (to release sugars from stored starches), fermentation of the sugars, distillation and drying. The distillation process requires significant energy input for heat (often unsustainable natural gas fossil fuel, but cellulosic biomass such as bagasse - the waste left after sugar cane is pressed to extract its juice, can also be used more sustainably). Ethanol is used as an alternative for gasoline on petrol engines - it can be mixed with gasoline to any percentage.

Biodiesel - The most common biofuel in Europe. It is produced from oils or fats using transesterification and is a liquid similar in composition to fossil/mineral diesel (source: Wikipedia). It can also be used as diesel engine which is comparatively cheaper than gasoline.

Green Diesel - Also known as renewable diesel, derived from renewable feedstock rather than the fossil feedstock used in most diesel fuels. Variety of oils such as canola, jatropha, salicornia, algae and tallow are the sources of feedstock. Green diesel uses traditional fractional distillation to process the oils, not to be confused with biodiesel which is chemically quite different and processed using transesterification. “Green Diesel” as commonly known in Ireland should not be confused with dyed green diesel sold at a lower tax rate for agriculture purposes, using the dye allows custom officers to determine if a person is using the cheaper diesel in higher taxed applications such as commercial haulage or cars (source: Wikipedia).

Vegetable Oil - Straight unmodified edible vegetable oil is generally not used as fuel, but lower quality oil can and has been used for this purpose. Used vegetable oil is increasingly being processed into biodiesel, or (more rarely) cleaned of water and particulates and used as a fuel.

Bioethers- Also known as oxygenated fuels enhance engine performance while significantly reducing engine wear and toxic exhaust emission. Greatly reducing the amount of ground-level ozone, they contribute to the quality of the air we breathe.

Biogas - is methane produced by the process of anaerobic digestion of organic material by anaerobes (source: Wikipedia). It can be produced from biodegradable waste materials or by the use of energy crops fed into anaerobic digesters to supplement gas yields. The solid by-product can be used as a biofuel or a fertilizer.

The PLUS SIDE:

Biofuels do exist for the purpose of being carbon neutral. They are proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional transport fuels.

Another advantage of biofuels is that they save a lot of money when driving. Many government agencies all over the world offered incentives to drivers of ‘green cars’ based on emissions – with reduced taxation dependent on how environmentally friendly their vehicle is.

With continuing and inconsistent oil price hike due to Libya crisis and as well as natural calamities that has been happening worldwide affecting each one of us, renewable energy source should also offer significant savings at the pump in the long term, particularly when biofuels are more readily available.

Therefore biofuels are helping to tackle poverty around the world. It helps to create more jobs, better options on oil usage and a greener environment.

The MINUS SIDE:

There are several concerns about biofuels – this includes biodiversity, crop competition over fuel production, carbon emissions, and biofuel production on not being sustainable.

Environmentalists fear that more usage of land to produce crops used for biofuels means less habitat for animals and wild plants. Rainforests are affected with this kind of activity.

The crop production versus fuel production are also being tackled as this has become more farmers see this opportunity as a great deal of profit rather than crop production. Less food production will increase prices and cause a rise in inflation. It is hoped that this can be countered by second generation biofuels which use waste biomass – though again, this will impact the habitat of many organisms.

Carbon emissions – In 2007, a study was published by scientists from Britain, the USA, Germany and Austria which reported the burning of rapeseed or corn can contribute as much to nitrous oxide emissions than cooling through fossil fuel savings.

The CHOICE:

The choice is yours. It has been a long controversy as to where biofuels is being sustainable or not. And there have been left and right debates on this matter specifically Renewable Energy Agencies worldwide and environmental issue on this matter. On one hand, it appears, biofuels gigantically reduced carbon emissions and it is proven that it can save a lot of money.

However, based from facts that have been gathered, there are also truths that this could lead to rainforests destruction, crop production neglect and question on energy efficiency.

In any situation, anything in excess usage is bad. And for now, what we should do is to pick up the good ones that it is bringing to mankind and limit the use of land as an alternative for biofuel production to protect natural habitat. Besides, it is still a work in progress and that we should develop more alternatives

CO2 - Strong Enough to Stay

2011-03-31T01:32:00.000-07:00

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth’s atmosphere in this state. CO₂ is a trace gas comprising 0.039% of the atmosphere.

As part of the carbon cycle known as photosynthesis, plants and algae and cyanobacteria absorb carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water to produce carbohydrate energy for themselves and oxygen as a waste product. By contrast, during respiration they emit carbon dioxide, as do all other living things that depend either directly or indirectly on plants for food. Carbon dioxide is also generated as a by-product of combustion, emitted from volcanoes, hot springs, and geysers and freed from carbonate rocks by dissolution (source: Wikipedia).

With the paranoia and 2012 scare the world is experiencing now, we asked what things on Earth will remain after doomsday? Supposing the Erath will be washed out, aside from the Statue of Liberty, which may be found at the bottom of New York harbour, do you know that Carbon Dioxide will remain too?

The CO2 that all environmentalists have been discussing us - that greenhouse gas that we have been emitting into the atmosphere will definitely lasts for more years.

According to an article from the National Geographic entitled, The Human CO2 Legacy Keeps Going and Going and Going by Bill Chameides…

Suppose we emit 100 units of CO2 into the atmosphere. What happens to them? The answer can be found in a by David Archer of the University of Chicago and Victor Brovkin of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology published in the journalClimatic Change. A rough rendition of their findings is provided in the figure below.

Within about a year about 40 units are gone, absorbed by the ocean and the land’s forests and other biota. Another 40 units are removed by dissolution into the ocean, but this takes several centuries to achieve. With the ocean saturated with CO2 and roughly 20 units left in the atmosphere, the CO2 already dissolved in the ocean reacts with calcium carbonate on the seafloor, allowing more CO2 from the atmosphere (approximately 10 units) to dissolve into the seas. But the process takes about 20,000 years. Eventually, those last 10 units of CO2 will find their way out of the atmosphere as a result of the workings of the so-called rock cycle driven by tectonics. How long will that take — oh, perhaps a million years.

So, all those that we have emitted in the air as of the moment, will remain perhaps even hundreds and thousands of years in the Earth. The impact that strong, no wonder its effects to our environment contributed a lot to the changes we are experiencing from global warming.

Uses? Carbon dioxide is used by the food industry, the oil industry, and the chemical industry. It is used in foods like in leavening agents produce carbon dioxide to cause dough to rise. Baker’s yeast produces carbon dioxide by fermentation of sugars within the dough, while chemical leaveners such as baking powder and baking soda release carbon dioxide when heated or if exposed to acids. It is also used to produce soda drinks, wine making, in welding, in pharmaceutical and agricultural.

In Earth’s atmosphere, carbon dioxide is considered a trace gas currently occurring at an average concentration of about 390 parts per million by volume or 591 parts per million by mass. The total mass of atmospheric carbon dioxide is 3.16×10¹⁵ kg (about 3,000 gigatonnes). Its concentration varies seasonally (see graph at right) and also considerably on a regional basis, especially near the ground. In urban areas concentrations are generally higher and indoors they can reach 10 times background levels. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas (source: Wikipedia).

Definitely, carbon dioxide is here to stay.

Windier Trend

2011-03-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

Ever noticed a stormier weather in the past decades?

In the past 20 years, scientists noticed that winds have picked up and more storms have strong winds which dramatically increase to about 5% on average and even faster, jumping 10% over 20 years, according to the new analysis of global satellite data. The study, the first to look at wind speeds across such a large swath of the planet, bolsters some earlier findings, according to study leader Ian Young, of the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. (source: National Geographic News – Mason Inman).

"Some regional studies had found similar results, so we suspected there may be an increasing trend," Young said.

With the development of satellite and radar technology, the planet's temperature and rainfall have been tracked like never before. Other aspects of the climate, however, haven't gotten as much attention. To create a record of wind measurements around the world, Young and colleagues assembled global satellite measurements dating back to 1985. The team drew on records from satellites that used radar altimeters, which work similarly to bats' echolocation, or natural radar. The orbiting satellites shoot radio waves at Earth and listen for the echoes that bounce back into space. When winds are blowing hard, the radar echoes are fainter, giving a measure of how strong the wind is blowing over the oceans (source: National Geographic News – Mason Inman).

This windy trend is being linked to global warming where the only way to explain the pattern is to include the effect of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by humans. One of the first things scientists learned is that there are several greenhouse gases responsible for warming, and humans emit them in a variety of ways. Most come from the combustion of fossil fuels in cars, factories and electricity production. The gas responsible for the most warming is carbon dioxide, also called CO2. Other contributors include methane released from landfills and agriculture (especially from the digestive systems of grazing animals), nitrous oxide from fertilizers, gases used for refrigeration and industrial processes, and the loss of forests that would otherwise store CO2. Emissions have shown that this has greater and bigger impact on our everyday living including a windier environment during storms, rising sea level, and different climate pattern changes.

Around the world, the mercury is already up more than 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius), and you could see that our planet is warming dramatically from North to South Pole making it more difficult for us to cope especially with these bigger storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions. And the effects of rising temperatures are not just an imagination that our ancestors predicted many years ago. They’re happening right now. Signs are appearing all over, and some of them are surprising. The heat is not only melting glaciers and sea ice, it is also shifting precipitation patterns and setting animals and coral reefs on the move even extinct some of our endangered, rare species.

Other effects could happen later this century, if warming continues. Sea levels are expected to rise between 7 and 23 inches (18 and 59 centimeters) by the end of the century, and continued melting at the poles could add between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters). Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger. Species that depend on one another may become out of sync. For example, plants could bloom earlier than their pollinating insects become active. Floods and droughts will become more common. Rainfall in Ethiopia, where droughts are already common, could decline by 10 percent over the next 50 years.

Less fresh water will be available. If the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru continues to melt at its current rate, it will be gone by 2100, leaving thousands of people who rely on it for drinking water and electricity without a source of either. Some diseases will spread, such as malaria carried by mosquitoes. Ecosystems will change—some species will move farther north or become more successful; others won’t be able to move and could become extinct. Wildlife research scientist Martyn Obbard has found that since the mid-1980s, with less ice on which to live and fish for food, polar bears have gotten considerably skinnier. Polar bear biologist Ian Stirling has found a similar pattern in Hudson Bay. He fears that if sea ice disappears, the polar bears will as well.

As from previous articles, governments from different countries are already working hard to cut greenhouse gas effects by finding alternative ways on energy efficiency and increases in wind and solar power, hydrogen produced from renewable sources, biofuels (produced from crops), natural gas, and nuclear power.

A windier weather is just one of the few things that this global warming has taken its toll on us and that we should be prepared on some other impacts of global warming in the future and perhaps get rid of some “old habits.”

Source for climate information: IPCC, 2007 (National Geographic News)

Can We Get Power From Tides?

2011-03-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

With these entire recent scare from earthquake and tsunami (also known as tidal waves), out of the disaster, can we get something good from these tides?

Tidal power is the only form of energy which derives directly from the relative motions of the Earth-Moon system, and to a lesser extent from the Earth-Sun system. Tidal forces produced by the Moon and Sun, in combination with Earth's rotation are responsible for the generation of the tides. Other sources of energy originate directly or indirectly from the Sun, including fossil fuels, conventional hydroelectric, wind, bio fuels, wave, and solar. Nuclear energy makes use of Earth's mineral deposits of fissile elements, while geothermal power uses the Earth's internal heat which comes from a combination of residual heat from planetary accretion (about 20%) and heat produced through radioactive decay (80%) {source: Wikipedia}.

Tidal energy is come from the relative motion of large bodies of water. Periodic changes of water levels, and associated tidal currents, are due to the gravitational attraction of the Sun and Moon. Magnitude of the tide at a location is the result of the changing positions of the Moon and Sun relative to the Earth, the effects of Earth rotation and the local geography of the sea floor and coastlines (brought about by earthquake sometimes affects it).

Because the Earth's tides are ultimately due to gravitational interaction with the Moon and Sun and the Earth's rotation, tidal power is practically inexhaustible and classified as a renewable energy resource (source: Wikipedia).

Thus, a tidal generator uses this phenomenon to get electricity. Greater tidal variation or tidal current velocities can dramatically increase the potential for tidal electricity generation. Tidal power or tidal energy falls under the form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into electricity or other useful forms of power.

The first large-scale tidal power plant (the Rance Tidal Power Station) started operation in 1966. Although not yet widely used, tidal power has potential for future electricity generation. Tides are more predictable than wind energy. Among sources of renewable energy, tidal power has traditionally suffered from relatively high cost and limited availability of sites with sufficiently high tidal ranges or flow velocities, thus constricting its total availability. However, many recent technological developments and improvements, both in design (e.g. dynamic tidal power, tidal lagoons) and turbine technology indicate that the total availability of tidal power may be much higher than previously assumed, and that economic and environmental costs may be brought down to competitive levels (source: Wikipedia).

Tidal power can also be classified into three generating methods:

Tidal stream generator

Tidal barrage

Dynamic tidal power

These methods are gaining in popularity because of the lower cost and lower ecological impact and involve kinetic and potential energy. However, there is still some questions on impact of these methods to our environment as well as its inconsistent price range which makes it harder for other countries to try this alternative.

Fossil Fuels: A Greener Pasture?

2011-03-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

Petroleum and natural gas are formed by the anaerobic decomposition of remains of organisms including phytoplankton and zooplankton that settled to the sea (or lake) bottom in large quantities under anoxic conditions millions of years ago.

Over geological time this organic matter mixed with mud got buried under heavy layers of sediment. The resulting high levels of heat and pressure caused the organic matter to chemically alter first into a waxy material known as kerogen which is found in oil shales and then with more heat into liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons in a process known as catagenesis.

There is a wide range of organic, or hydrocarbon, compounds in any given fuel mixture. The specific mixture of hydrocarbons gives a fuel its characteristic properties, such as boiling point, melting point, density, viscosity, etc. Some fuels like natural gas, for instance, contain only very low boiling, gaseous components. Others such as gasoline or diesel contain much higher boiling components.

Terrestrial plants on the other hand, tend to form coal and methane. Many of the coal fields date to the carboniferous period of earth’s history. Terrestrial plants also form type lll kerogen - a source of natural gas (source: Wikipedia).

The fossil fuels are then formed by natural resources i.e. dead organisms and anaerobic decomposition. It is believed to be typically exceeds 650 million years of age. The fossil fuels, which contain high percentages of carbon, include coal, petroleum and natural gas.

It was estimated by the Energy Information Administration that in 2007 primary sources of energy consisted of petroleum 36.0%, coal 27.4%, natural gas 23.0%, amounting to an 86.4% share for fossil fuels in primary energy consumption in the world.Non-fossil sources in 2006 included hydroelectric 6.3%, nuclear 8.5%, and others (geothermal, solar, tide, wind, wood, waves) amounting to 0.9 percent.World energy consumption was growing about 2.3% per year (source: Wikipedia).

Because they take millions of years to form, fossil fuels are non-renewable energy. The production and use of fossil fuels through years have raised environmental concerns. Many environmentalist points to use of fossil fuels as the root cause of global warming and harmful to our environment as well. That is why researchers investigated this matter and came up with energy efficiency alternatives. A global movement toward the generation of renewable energy is therefore under way to help meet increased energy needs.

It also was found that almost 90% of green house emissions came from combustion of fossil fuels. Combustion of fossil fuels also produces other air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds and heavy metals. Furthermore, researchers are also investigating the role of fossil fuels in the habitat of species and to our biodiversity.

The burning of fossil fuels produces around 21.3 billion tonnes (21.3 gigatones) of CO₂ per year, but it is estimated that natural processes can only absorb about half of that amount, so there is a net increase of 10.65 billion tonnes of atmospheric carbon dioxide per year (one tonne of atmospheric carbon is equivalent to 44/12 or 3.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide).Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases that enhances radiative forcing and contributes to global warming causing the average surface temperature of the Earth to rise in response, which most climate scientists agree will cause major adverse effects (source: Wikipedia).

Since technology before was not that significant, fossil fuels are largely use for petroleum for commercial use. The wide scale use of fossil fuels, coal at first and petroleum later, to fire steam engines during the Industrial Revolution era and at the same time, using natural gas or coal gas for gas lights became rampant. The invention of the internal combustion engines and its use in automobiles and trucks greatly increased the demand for gasoline and diesel oil, both made from fossil fuels. Other forms of transportation, railways and aircraft also required fossil fuels. The other major use for fossil fuels is for generators and as feedstock for the petrochemical industry (source: Wikipedia). Tar - a leftover of petroleum extraction, is used in construction of roads. This being cheaper and available to consumers leads to depletion of our natural resources leading to global warming.

Combustion of fossil fuels generates sulfuric, carbonic, and nitric acids, which fall to Earth as acid rain, impacting both natural areas and the built environment. Monuments and sculptures made from marble and limestone are particularly vulnerable, as the acids dissolve calcium carbonate (source: Wikipedia).

Fossil fuels also contain radioactive materials, mainly uranium and thorium, which are released into the atmosphere. In 2000, about 12,000 tonnes of thorium and 5,000 tonnes of uranium were released worldwide from burning coal.It is estimated that during 1982, US coal burning released 155 times as much radioactivity into the atmosphere as the Three Mile Island incident.However, this radioactivity from coal burning is minuscule at each source and has not shown to have any adverse effect on human physiology (source: Wikipedia **citation needed).

The environmental regulation led to control the use of fossil fuels. Thus, making it not affordable to common consumers and commercial establishments. Also, worldwide, some countries adapt Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allowing coal-based power plants to reduce emissions and targeting up to 70% by year 2018.

This aims to make fossil fuels more expensive, thereby reducing their use and the amount of pollution associated with them, along with raising the funds necessary to counteract these factors.

This also brought in a lot of solar companies and to encourage consumer to use other alternatives than fossil fuels due to its dangerous effect to our environment. The government also allotted a budget in giving out grants and loans to homeowners getting green and energy efficient – perhaps leading to a “greener pasture” for the next generation.

Warming Lakes

2011-03-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

We are all aware that the Earth’s climate is keeping warmer and warmer. The air temperature as well is rising due to that. And thus leads to warming of oceans and lakes.

Based from a study done by NASA, lakes have various surface temperature trends now worldwide. Over 200 large lakes around the world are warming dramatically with some as much as 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade which has a bigger impact on the pattern of our inland structure.

This leads to scientists’ concern. One reason for concern is that increased temperatures in lakes mean an increase in algal bloom. An alga is naturally found in lake ecosystems and is in fact the base of the food web in lakes, but when the numbers of algae in a lake rises, very quickly, a bloom results. Some algal blooms are harmless to life, but are simply unappealing. Water in that area might look terrible, smell foul or even taste bad (when water is drawn for drinking from that source). Other times, algal blooms can be toxic to fish, wild and domestic animals that use that source of water, and humans. Humans can get sick if the toxin is swallowed with lake water or can experience skin irritation if the toxin is touched (source: Jennifer Bergman).

This also leads to ecological imbalance. It was found out that rising lake temperatures gives birth to invasive species found in lakes. Examples of invasive species in the Great Lakes are zebra mussels and lampreys. Zebra mussels can live in warmer and warmer waters, which mean they can extend their living range to higher and higher latitudes. Lampreys seem to thrive in warmer waters growing bigger and bigger and are staying active for more of the year. Both of these invasive species are extreme pests that are killing off native species. In the case of zebra mussels, they are causing billions of dollars of damage to structures and ships and boats.

NASA was able to survey a large number of lakes all in one study with the help of satellite data. These findings are in line with what is being reported 'on the ground'. Here are three lakes that were included in the study:

1. Lake Baikal - This lake is located in Siberia. It is the largest and oldest freshwater lake in the world. It is in a very remote part of the world. The data from the lake shows that the surface waters have warmed a lot and that the food web in this lake has already experienced changes. Many are concerned that global warming will hurt the 2,500 plant and animal species that make their home in Lake Baikal, including the freshwater seal, found nowhere else in the world.

2. Lake Tanganyika - This lake is located in East Africa. This lake is the warmest it's been in over 1,500 years. Scientists expect that as the lake gets warmer, the number of fish will decline. This is in large part due to increased water stratification that many large lakes are experiencing. Stratification means that there are two layers in the lake. As the surface temperature of the lake gets warmer, those layers will be mixed less and less by wind. That means that valuable nutrients like nitrogen will not be moved from the deep lake to the surface of the lake. Algae will not have nitrogen and other nutrients for food and this in turn hurts the fish population, many who eat algae. An estimated 10 million people live near the Lake Tanganyika, and depend on it for drinking water and food.

3. Lake Superior - This lake is located between the northern U.S. and Canada. It is the deepest, coldest, and largest of the Great Lakes. Many researchers are interested in Lake Superior. One of the ways they study the lake is with buoys like the one shown in the image on this page. The buoys house instruments that measure things like air temperature, water temperature, cloud cover, wind speed and direction. Scientists can access the buoy data from their computers. Scientists say the summer temperatures of Lake Superior jumped 4-4.5 degrees Fahrenheit over the last 30 years. Warming in this lake means increased evaporation of lake waters. Increased evaporation results in lower water levels for the lake overall. Low lake levels affect property owners on lakes, those in the shipping industry, wildlife and plant life too.

Lake Baikal, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Superior aren't isolated cases - global warming affects the temperature of lakes around the world. Many of these lakes are experiencing the undesirable effects of warming such as an increase in algal blooms, the rise of invasive species, decreased numbers of fish and lower lake levels. Obviously, more study is needed for these areas that are home to so many people, animals and plants.

Developing Countries and the Role of Renewable Energy

2011-03-17T23:53:00.000-07:00

Although it is achievable to have renewable energy, not all countries can abruptly follow and turn green. Developing countries have abundant renewable energy resources and they are capable of manufacturing their systems inculcated in this.

Renewable energies like solar, wind, geothermal and biomass are some of these that they are developing. By developing such energy sources, developing countries can reduce their dependence on oil and natural gas, creating energy portfolios that are less vulnerable to price rises. In many circumstances, these investments can be less expensive than fossil fuel energy systems. Besides, they help to face the climate change urgency.

This is an alternative especially in remote areas where development and distribution of energy generated from fossil fuels can be difficult and expensive. Producing renewable energy locally can offer a viable alternative.

It was only in the early months of year 2000 that developing countries consider and express interest in renewable energies and it has increased in recent years due to environmental concerns about global warming, climate change and rampant pollution plus the fact that this can reduce costs of renewable energy technologies and improves efficiency and reliability.

Many recent trends reflect the importance of developing countries in advancing renewable energy. Collectively, developing countries have more than half of global renewable power capacity. China and India are rapidly expanding markets for renewables. Brazil produces most of the world’s sugar-derived ethanol and has been adding new biomass and wind power plants. Many renewables markets are growing at rapid rates in countries such as Argentina, Costa Rica, Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay
(source: Wikipedia).

As of 2010, an estimated 3 million households get power from small solar PV systems.
Micro-hydro systems configured into village-scale or county-scale mini-grids serve many areas. More than 30 million rural households get lighting and cooking from biogas made in household-scale digesters. Biomass cook stoves are used by 40 percent of the world’s population. These stoves are being manufactured in factories and workshops worldwide, and more than 160 million households now use them (source: Wikipedia).

Because of the worldwide demands for renewable energy, this also brings in a lot of opportunities to its constituents – bringing in business opportunity and employment. Renewable energy technologies can also make indirect contributions to alleviating poverty by providing energy for cooking, space heating, and lighting.

It also broadens its scope even in schools through providing electricity. Renewable energy for cooking and heating can reduce the time that children spend out of school collecting fuel (source: Wikipedia). This also paved way to eliminate traditional fuels which is hazardous to health and becomes an indoor pollution.

Millions of people use only traditional energy as biomass-wood, residues and dung, for cooking and heating. This constant use of this type of energy exposed them to indoor particulate and carbon monoxide concentrations considered in many times higher than World Health Organization (WHO) standards. "Traditional stoves using dung and charcoal emit large amounts of carbon monoxide and other noxious gases. Women and children suffer most, because they are exposed for the longest periods of time. Acute respiratory illnesses affect as much as 6% of the world population. The WHO estimates that 2.5million women and young children in developing countries die prematurely each year from breathing the fumes from indoor biomass stoves". Renewable energy can contribute to improve this situation by avoiding the exposure to indoor pollutants (source: Wikipedia).

Renewable energy can also provide power for supplying the fresh water and sewerage services needed to reduce infectious disease especially in the rural and remote areas where electricity is expensive and where some areas have a hard time putting up electricity due to location.

In developing countries, this method of renewable energy is oftentimes achievable if government would just steer a committee that would focus on its advantages and the
long-term effect brought about getting green. In two-three years from now, most countries would sure see its good effects and perhaps we could save our environment more.

Zero-Net Energy Building: What You Should Know

2011-03-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

How would we know if a certain building is energy efficient and sustainable? What is a zeronet energy building (ZNE)? A zeronet energy building is termed describing a building with zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions annually.

ZeroNet Energy buildings can be used autonomously from the energy grid supply – energy can be harvested on-site usually in combination with energy producing technologies like Solar and Wind while reducing the overall use of energy with extremely efficient HVAC and Lighting technologies. The ZeroNet design principle is becoming more practical in adopting due to the increasing costs of traditional fossil fuels and their negative impact on the planet's climate and ecological balance (source: Wikipedia).

This is gaining considerable interest as renewable energy cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The normal traditional building use consumes about 40% of the total fossil energy in the US and European Union. It is a necessity in developing countries to live in zero-energy buildings to save more. Many people live in huts, yurts, tents and caves exposed to temperature extremes and without access to electricity. These conditions and the limited size of living quarters would be considered uncomfortable in the developed countries.

Due to this, researchers all over the world, consider the development of modern ZeroNet Energy (ZNE) buildings. Along with the fast-paced technology and significantly improved facilities, this became possible to achieve through the goal of getting energy performance data. Today's advanced computer models can show the efficacy of engineering design decisions.

How do we measure energy consumption? It is through the cost, energy and carbon emission and relatively, we also measure importance of energy harvest and energy conservation to achieve a net energy balance. Although zero energy buildings remain uncommon in developed countries, they are gaining importance and popularity. The ZeroNet Energy approach has potential to reduce carbon emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

A building approaching ZeroNet Energy use may be called a near-zero energy building or ultra-low energy house. Buildings that produce a surplus of energy during a portion of the year may be known as energy-plus buildings. If the building is located in an area that requires heating or cooling throughout parts of the year, it is easier to achieve ZeroNet Energy consumption when the available living space is kept small (source: Wikipedia).

After the Tsunami

2011-03-15T00:41:00.000-07:00

These events are natural events that are beyond man’s control. This is also known as an “acts of God.” The impact on our end is unimaginable and sometimes horrifying. Properties, livelihoods, trees, and lives are lost in just a glimpse.Precious coral reefs and mangrove areas would be crushed by the huge tsunami waves which will lead to an environmental and economic setback that could take years to reverse and restructure.

In most respects the profile of a tsunami resembles that of a flood caused by a hurricane or cyclone. Therefore, disaster response guides consider Tsunamis as floods although the hydrological and engineering issues associated with saline water infiltration are vastly different. Innovative solutions were often necessary to deal with the special circumstances
presented by the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster.

With all these facts and evidences, now this is happening again in Japan. Added to that injury is the explosion and threat posed by their nuclear plants.

Transformation: Energy Conversion Efficiency

2011-03-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

Why do we need to transform energy from time to time? A question that perhaps has been discussed by so many researches but the basic goal was not emphasized why we need this process.

Energy transformation is the process of changing energy from one form to another. This process is happening all the time, both in the world and within people. When people consume food, the body utilizes the chemical energy in the bonds of the food and transforms it into mechanical energy, a new form of chemical energy, or thermal energy. Energy transformation is an important concept in the application of the physical sciences. The ability for energy to be transformed automates lights, entertains, and warms the world in an astounding multitude of ways.

The concept of energy transformation can be illustrated in a number of common activities. An engine, such as the engine in a car, converts the chemical energy of gas and oxygen into the mechanical energy of engine movement. A light bulb changes the chemical energy of the bulb into electromagnetic radiation, or light. Windmills harness the energy of the wind and convert it into mechanical energy in the movement of the turbine blades, which is then converted to electrical energy. Solar panels transform light to electricity.

Energy transformation can also be explained in terms of potential energy, the stored energy of a system, which can be converted into KE or kinetic energy - the energy of movement. For example, a roller coaster sitting at the top of a hill is said to have potential energy. This potential energy is gravitational, which is gained when the coaster moves up the hill. Once the coaster begins to move down the hill, the force of gravity is exerted and the potential energy is transformed into the kinetic energy of the car moving.

During energy transformations, potential energy is often transformed to kinetic energy and back again to potential energy. During any kind of energy transformation, some energy is lost to the environment. As a result of this loss, no machine is ever 100% efficient. Commonly, a portion of the energy lost during energy transformation is lost as heat. This can be observed in practice by noting the heat emitted by a computer, a car, or another type of machine that has been in use for a period of time.

The ability of a given machine or system to convert between forms of energy is called the "energy conversion efficiency." All systems have different energy conversion efficiencies. Water turbines for instance, have an extremely high energy conversion efficiency of nearly 90%, while combustion engines have from 10% to 50% conversion efficiency. Engineering and physics are constantly in pursuit of systems capable of achieving high energy conversion efficiency like developments of new energies and at the same time preserving our nature (source: J. Peska, Science Writer).

Thus, transforming energy is just like making the most out of something to make it more useful and more efficient to us and for our future generation.

Wind Energy and Its Consistency

2011-03-08T23:30:00.000-08:00

Like many other forms of renewable energy, the prime energy source of wind power is the sun. The sun heats the Earth's surface causing movements of air due to temperature and pressure differences. Wind power harnesses the kinetic energy of wind and converts this into mechanical energy. Historically windmills used this energy to turn machinery e.g. grinding corn or pumping water. In a wind turbine the energy is used to produce electricity by driving a generator or alternator.

The big question is whether this source of energy can really be sustainable. While the list of these 'sustainable' sources of energy is very long, wind energy is considered as one of the ideal examples of clean and renewable sources of energy. The easiest and most common source of energy is the wind energy. This as compared to solar energy and geothermal energy has not been widely accepted. Certain disadvantages of wind energy have been emphasized and most likely they are not into using this in the future as the main alternative. Let us take a look at some of the main challenges that questions wind energy from becoming truly sustainable.

We see three disadvantages of wind energy: commercial factors, natural or environmental factor and other factors. Natural Factors – Obviously, we cannot get enough amounts of wind everyday. So inconsistency occurs. We cannot expect the same level of wind to blow every single day, some days would be more winds others less. The intensity of wind tends to change on a daily basis. One day the wind would be perfectly suited for generation of wind energy. Another day the wind would blow with an extreme force; so much that it would take the blade of mill with itself. In some cases, the wind would be too calm to be of any use. Another nature related disadvantage of wind energy is that it adversely affects the bird population in a given area. In case of rural area, this can be extremely disastrous. The birds play an important role in our ecosystem and they are also a natural pesticide and can really help farmers especially in crop production. Loss in the bird population would mean the growth of pests and insects which could affect agricultural industry.

Commercial - Apart from the fact that wind is rather unreliable and inconsistent; a big commercial disadvantage of wind energy is that it requires a huge initial amount of money. The equipments use for wind energy is a simple wind mill but this costs a lot. The maintenance of windmills is not something which may be considered as cheap. In a number of cases batteries are to be used to store the energy and overcome inconsistency issues. This is not an option for large scale power generation projects.

Secondly, you would need big hectares of land to install these windmills. To make wind energy working, the number of windmills to be installed should be very high or else it is useless. These windmills would require big areas to act as wind mill fields. Purchase or lease of such large pieces of land is not really an economically attractive option. It is not possible to find such stretches of land in urban areas which is a great hurdle. If ever there is a good and economical land available, the question is the consistency of the amounts of wind coming through everyday.

Finally, the other factors on disadvantages of wind energy, is a mixed of both the above disadvantages. Windmills can create noise pollution and windmills make land looks so vague and idle.

Building-integrated PhotoVoltaics (BIPV)

2011-03-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about building-integrated photovoltaics or BIPV? They are photovoltaic materials that are used to replace conventional building materials in parts of the building envelope such as the roof, skylights or facades.

It is part where new buildings use it as ancillary source of electrical power as per the module of BIPV. The advantage of integrated photovoltaics over more common non-integrated systems is that the initial cost can be offset by reducing the amount spent on building materials and labor that would normally be used to construct the part of the building that the BIPV modules replace. These advantages make BIPV one of the fastest growing segments of the photovoltaic industry (source: Wikipedia).

The use of PV for buildings according to the history began in the 1970s. It is where aluminium-framed photovoltaic modules mounted on buildings that were usually in remote areas without access to an electric power grid. It was later on modified and use on roofs in the 1980s. These PV systems were usually installed on utility-grid-connected buildings in areas with centralized power stations. In the 1990s BIPV construction products specially designed to be integrated into a building envelope became commercially available.

This particular discovery helped save a lot of money and at the same time this helps the building infrastructure to become more stable and thus, enhances on becoming energy efficient. Building-Integrated Photovoltaic modules are available in several forms such as flat roofs, pitched roofs, solar shingles - modules designed to look and act like regular shingles, while incorporating a flexible thin film cell; and in facades.

Facades can be installed on existing buildings, giving old buildings a whole new look. These modules are mounted on the facade of the building, over the existing structure, which can increase the appeal of the building and its resale value (source: Wikipedia).

Glazing on the other hand is a transparent module that be used as an alternative to a number of architectural elements such as windows and glass doors or any similar materials related to it.

There is also what they call as transparent solar panels which use a tin oxide coating on the inner surface of the glass panes to conduct current out of the cell. The cell contains titanium oxide that is coated with a photoelectric dye.

For many building owners, this is an answered prayer. The government from different countries in fact supported anything for energy efficiency program. Including providing grants such as Green Loans Program in Australia, rooftop systems subsidy programs, and some other programs relating to the development of photovoltaic electricity generation ventures and the commercialization of PV technology.

Many other government agencies support energy efficiency programs and developed some more due to the increasing issue on global warming as well as making the most to save the energy and become more efficient. Billions and billions of dollars yearly are being spent to projects – great or small, in order to achieve the goal of being efficient both in buildings and in residential houses.

About Solar Array

2011-03-02T15:24:00.000-08:00

With all these things about getting green and using the proper installation products for energy efficiency, many of us does not know what a photovoltaic array (also called a solar array) is, and what it does in converting solar energy. Perhaps a little information about how this works and its efficiency would somehow help.

The cells convert solar energy into direct current electricity via the photovoltaic effect. The power that one module can produce is seldom enough to meet requirements of a home or a business, so the modules are linked together to form an array. Most PV arrays use an inverter to convert the DC power produced by the modules into alternating current that can plug into the existing infrastructure to power lights, motors, and other loads. The modules in a PV array are usually first connected in series to obtain the desired voltage, the individual strings are then connected in parallel to allow the system to produce more current. Solar arrays are typically measured under STC (Standard Test Conditions) or PTC (PVUSA Test Conditions), in watts, kilowatts, or even megawatts (source: Wikipedia).

The costs for this have been dramatically reduced in recentyears for more widespread use through production and technological advances. In year 2006 it ranged $3–10/watt while a similar size is said to have cost $8–10/watt in February 1996, depending on type. Others offer bulk discounts for bulk orders (compare solar companies rate).

For example, crystal silicon solar cells have largely been replaced by less expensive multicrystalline silicon solar cells, and thin film silicon solar cells have also been developed recently at lower costs of production yet. Although they are reduced in energy conversion efficiency from single crystalline "siwafers", they are also much easier to produce at comparably lower costs (source: Wikipedia).

Photovoltaic arrays are commonly used on rooftops to supplement power use both in urban and rural areas. It is being connected to the power grid which the energy produced by the PV array can be sold back to the utility in some sort of metering agreement.

The array that has the look of trees provides shade and at night can also be used as street lights. In agriculture settings, the array may be used to directly power DC pumps, without the need for an inverter. In remote settings such as mountainous areas, islands, or other places where a power grid is unavailable, solar arrays can be used as the sole source of electricity, usually by charging a storage battery (source: Wikipedia).

There are a lot of factors that affect PV performance. Most photovoltaic cells' electrical output is extremely sensitive to shading. Majority of modules have bypass diodes between each cell or string of cells that minimize the effects of shading and only lose the power of the shaded portion of the array (The main job of the bypass diode is to eliminate hot spots that form on cells that can cause further damage to the array, and cause fires.). When even a small portion of a cell, module, or array is shaded, while the remainder is in sunlight, the output falls dramatically due to internal 'short-circuiting' (the electrons reversing course through the shaded portion of the p-n junction).

Thus, this suggests that a PV installation should not shaded at all by trees, architectural features, flag poles, or other obstructions like continuously parked cars. Sunlight has tendencies to get absorbed by dust, fallout, or other impurities at the surface of the module and this could lead to cut down the amount of light that actually strikes the cells by as much as half or more. By keeping the module surface clean, it will increase output performance over the life of the module. Module output and life are also degraded by increased temperature. Allowing ambient air to flow over, and if possible behind, PV modules reduces this problem.

GREEN SCHOOL PROMOTION

2011-02-27T23:39:00.000-08:00

Did you know that even in schools, sustainable development is being promoted? Lifestyle about getting green inside and outside the classroom is one of the priorities of school administrations.

Schools are increasingly turning to "green" or sustainable design and its elements in the construction of new schools and the renovation of existing schools. This improves better quality on usage, consumption and environment.

Administration and educators teach students on the pros and cons of the sustainability and about green energy. They are teaching them the proper way of recycling, compositing, proper waste management and making use of alternative energy sources and investing in energy-efficient appliances. Many schools are already on the way to becoming sustainable schools. Many schools implemented a new HVAC strategy allowing for 100 percent outside air ventilation and reduced energy consumption. This strategy resulted in saving more than $100,000 annually in energy and an indoor air quality improvement of more than 300 percent (source: Green Education, an article).

Many schools around US and Australia are incorporating elements of sustainable design including the newest energy efficiency lighting system, T-5 fluorescents, solar tubes, other forms of daylighting, geo-exchange and heat recovery systems with energy reductions as much as 60 percent. Experiments and tests are being done if this is achievable and most of schools being tested agreed to this. Also in 2002, the first Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rated school in the nation opened outside of Statesville, N.C., Third Creek Elementary (source: Green Education, an article).

Within the overall architectural design of a building, particular attention is given to daylighting. What does dayligting do? Energy savings from daylighting are achieved in two ways - either from the reduced use of electric lighting, or from passive solar heating or cooling (source: Wikipedia).

The effect of daylighting has so many positive effects that they all agreed this should be implemented in schools and even adapted by government policies such as daylight saving time.

How to Go Green in School?

Below are the summaries for achieving this:

A mission and a goal statement for your school regarding GREEN and its effects is the best way to start.
Install solar panels on your campus.
Make people aware of your school's energy use. Posting your monthly usage and the difference on electricity bills plus the edge of it would help.
Environmental group for each student will create each student to get involved, be involved and stay involved.
Plant a tree and create a school garden for each batch of graduating students so that they would feel that they will be leaving a legacy in the campus as well as helping the school promote green concept.
Turn off all unnecessary electrical appliances after school class and over vacations and weekends.
Create a competition on energy essays, declamations, and even science-related projects out of waste materials.
Invite the local community to hear outside speakers present on environmental and sustainability topics.
Invest in a recycling program involving the entire school community.
These are just some of the ways to encourage schools in joining the bandwagon on getting green and promoting sustainable development in energy.

Space as a Source of Solar Energy?

2011-02-24T23:08:00.000-08:00

The concept of solar panels beaming down energy from space has long been discussed and considered before but did not materialize and push through due to the cost and practicality. Many scientists and researchers dropped the idea as this for them is “unachievable” in the future – not in Japan. The seemingly unimaginable and unattainable thing to happen in the future has found its place due to the longing solution for global energy crises and concerns about the environment.

Just like with the recent series of Japanese based anime Mobile Suit, the depletion of fossil fuels has forced humanity to turn to space-based solar power generation as global conflicts rage over energy shortages. The sci-fi saga is set in the year 2307, but even now real Japanese scientists are working on the hardware needed to realize orbital generators as a form of clean, renewable energy, with plans to complete a prototype in about 20 years (source: Farming Solar Energy in Space article).

Japanese researchers recently produced up to 180 watts of laser power from sunlight. They began ground tests of a power transmission system designed to send energy in microwave form to Earth. The laser and microwave research projects are two halves of a bold plan for a space solar power system (SSPS) under the aegis of Japan’s space agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Specifically, by 2030 the agency aims to put into geostationary orbit a solar-power generator that will transmit one gigawatt of energy to Earth, equivalent to the output of a large nuclear power plant. The energy would be sent to the surface in microwave or laser form, where it would be converted into electricity for commercial power grids or stored in the form of hydrogen (source: Farming Solar Energy in Space article).

According to Hiroaki Suzuki of JAXA’s Advanced Mission Research Center, they are doing this in preparation for finding solutions to the challenges posed by exhaustion of fossil fuels and global warming. JAXA says its potential advantages are straightforward: in space, solar irradiance is 5-10 times as strong as on the ground, so generation is more efficient; solar energy could be collected 24 hours a day; and weather would not pose a problem. The system would also be clean, generating no pollution or waste, and safe. The intensity of energy reaching Earth’s surface might be about five kilowatts per square meter—about five times that of the sun at noon on a clear summer day at mid-latitudes. Although the scientists say this amount will not harm the human body, the receiving area would nonetheless be cordoned off and situated at sea (source: Farming Solar Energy in Space article).

At a facility in Miyagi, Suzuki and JAXA researchers are testing an 800-watt optical-fiber laser that fires at a receiving station 500 meters away. A mirror reflecting only 1,064-nanometer-wavelength light directs it into an experimental solar panel. (He chose that frequency of light because it easily cuts through Earth’s atmosphere, losing no more than 10 percent of its pop.) A key task will be finding a material that can convert sunlight into laser light efficiently. A leading candidate is an yttrium-aluminum-garnet ceramic material containing neodymium and chromium (source: Farming Solar Energy in Space article).

The challenges are more than just the basic science that they have started doing. There are a lot more tests to be done that requires big structures in space: thin-film condenser mirrors, solar panels and a microwave transmitter stretching for kilometres and weighing 10,000 metric tons, as well as a 100-unit laser array of 5,000 metric tons that would be 10 kilometres long. The ground-based microwave antenna would have to be two kilometres long. So the big question is, are we ready for that big change? For that big challenge? If Japan, is trying out their best to find alternative ways and help preserve our planet Earth, we can also find simple ways in contributing to that and be open to changes when that happens.

Facts about Solar Energy for Homes

2011-02-22T23:27:00.000-08:00

Maybe you are wondering how many people are now using solar energy. The thing there is that solar products and houses benefit a lot on long term. Because of our awareness with the global warming and sustainable development, we must also learn how to have a passive solar energy at home.
As long as the sun shines, there are hopes about inventing different products out of solar energy and one thing good about it is that it is all for free.
Passive solar energy for homes makes the best use of the sun, the wind, the construction material and the site to ensure a house is as comfortable as possible inside all year round.

These basic fundamentals can help you and can even help you save more:

Layout and Positioning

Position your living areas to the south side of the house, which receives most of the sun throughout the day (north if you live in the southern hemisphere).

· Proofing

Make sure your walls, roof and floors are insulated and fill any gaps where draughts might come through. Check if there is a need to repair or rebuild the positions of all your insulations in and outside of your house. It will cost more if you ignore just a tiny opening or gaps in your walls, roof and floors.

· Ventilation

Position doors and windows opposite each other to allow for a cooling breeze to flow inside the house. This will help you save from turning in air-condition or electric fan for longer hours.

· Windows

Windows on the south side of the house should be bigger to allow more sun to penetrate the house during the day and windows on the north side smaller to prevent heat lost at night.

· Landscaping

Position trees and plants to direct a cooling breeze into your house, whiles shading it during summer. Plant more trees and put a little shading portion in your backyard to allow cool air.

· Shading

Make sure external shading structures are wide enough to block out the sun in summer, while still allowing the low winter sun to enter.

· Thermal mass

Polished concrete, tile or slate floors and brick walls will absorb the heat throughout the day and release it slowly at night, reducing the need to run expensive heaters. Carpet acts as an insulator and will not retain the heat.

These simple steps will give a big impact on saving a lot from using solar energy at home. This will also allow you to enjoy nature at its best at the same time, saving more money, promoting sustainable energy and contributing to our awareness on global warming issues.

The Relationship of Fossil Fuel and Global Warming

2011-02-22T23:17:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder why fossil fuels are being blamed for the uprising global warming issues? Coal, oil and natural gas are the three different forms of fossil fuels that are widely used. Through the process of anaerobic decomposition of organic matter under the surface of the earth, they are formed for millions of years.

It is through the industrial era that fossil fuel was discovered to be helpful and from then on being used largely.

At the present, they are the cheapest sources of energy available for the use of both household as well as commercial purposes. Petroleum is used to fuel our vehicles while coal and natural gas are used to produce electricity for our homes and offices.

How does this impact to global warming? Let us find out the relationship between fossil fuels and global warming.

The main function of the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere is to trap the heat obtained from sunlight and do not let it go beyond the atmosphere. It is because of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that our planet is warmer than any other planet of the solar system. When there is a rise in the percentage of carbon dioxide in the air, the amount of heat captured by the carbon dioxide also increases. This in turn contributes towards overall rise in the surface temperature of the earth which is also known as global warming.

But while we are burning fossil fuels as part of everyday life in both commercial and household, various types of gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous oxide are released. A significant proportion of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere is by burning of the fossil fuels. Evidence obtained from various research studies suggest that since the middle of the nineteenth century, there have been at least 25 percent increase in the carbon dioxide content in the atmospheric air. This is all because of extensive use of fossil fuels across the globe.

As a result, in the last decades or so, temperatures rise and increased more than 1 degree Fahrenheit and scientists believes this could go up in the next hundred years or so. Thus our planet will be much hotter in the next century.

Thus, this will have a severe effect on our climate. The weather conditions of various places of the earth will change drastically. Droughts and floods which we are encountering now will occur more frequently in many inland areas that have extreme weather condition and will badly hit our agriculture. All the glaciers of the earth will be melting at a much faster pace. As a result, the areas nearby the water bodies like the coastal regions and the banks of the river will get submerged under water. Many deltas, islands, thickly populated cities are likely to go under water. Thus you can see that the issues of fossil fuels and global warming and climate change intertwined with each other.

Combustion of fossil fuels not only gives out carbon dioxide into the air, it also releases many other harmful acidic substances like sulfuric acid and carbonic acid and cause air pollution. When in air, these gases undergo some chemical changes and return to the surface of the earth in the form of an acid rain bringing in huge impact in the entire environment.

This affects our environment through the soil and plant life and causes pollution. Large areas of land surfaces are dug up for the purpose of extraction of fossil fuels from their deposits under the earth. After the removal, this land becomes unusable and thus causes a permanent damage to the land and causes frequent earthquakes. Fossil fuels are transported from one place to another by tankers and ships. Any leakage in these tankers causes oil spills which affects our sea and including the sea creatures and our natural resources. Our biodiversity and ecology is being affected leading to imbalance ecology.

These talks about global warming and fossil fuels have long been an overrated issue that the government, private sectors and businessmen are debating and some skeptics still believe that it has nothing to do with what we are experiencing now.

This issue just like religion issue is a very long, vague and deep issue that we need to focus on. We all have a role to play in contributing or avoiding this to happen in the future.

If we take a small step in resolving this, then we can find solution. For this, we have to reduce our huge demand for energy or find alternative ways. It is so ironic though with the way we are living now, saving energy by walking on short distances and not using vehicles helps and by simply planting some more trees and avoiding cutting trees is also a good way because trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and trees absorb water from landslides and floods.

Those are some simple ways that we can do to help save our dying planet.

Green is In

2011-02-20T15:58:00.000-08:00

What is greenhouse gas emission? According to Wikipedia, the term defines as a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone.

In the Solar System, the atmospheres of Venus, Mars and Titan also contain gases that cause greenhouse effects. Greenhouse gases greatly affect the temperature of the Earth; without them, Earth's surface would be on average about 33 °C (59 °F) colder than at present.

In recent years, many large businesses have distanced themselves from those previous positions and some have even openly accepted climate change and global warming concerns, even asking for governments to provide regulation and guidance on the matter.

Developing countries have become aware of its effects to our environment despite the fact that many of them did not expect it to happen in such a faster time. Climate changes have been really becoming one of the main issues that the whole world is facing right now and that first world countries like US, Australia and elsewhere are finding ways to prevent it to become worse eventually.

As further reports about climate change impacts reveal a gloomy future, there are also concerns that some business interests would take this for granted and would take advantage on the situation and that the word “green” would play a greater role in this era.

According to a US article, some feel global warming is one of the biggest frauds of our era, with some even believing it is designed to harm the US economy and make the UN more powerful. While others feel it is simpler than that, and instead, climate scientists are able to make a lot of money by using fear as a tool to earn more research grants and yes even government grants turning everything at home into a “green” thing.

For many years a lot of skepticism and denial of the problem and even did not bother to this situation. But now that it is happening, it seems that everyone from different government agencies mostly from the energy and transportation sectors, have been sensitive enough and are looking for alternative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emission.

In fact, government agencies are now giving out grants and loans to go green in support for the greenhouse gas emission. Why only now? There are lot of us who ignored that fact since year 2000. Some even ridiculed and pressured media into “false balancing.”

Those areas that are flood-free 20 years ago have become the target of rising rivers, creeks that turned into a disaster to many of us.

Now, we have learned our lessons and most of the seminars and global talks are tackling this scenario and government focuses on research and technologies that could help prevent worse effects of global warming in the future. Some are even asking for regulation to help reduce their economic uncertainty, to provide a level playing field.

First world countries like the US who have been skeptic and quiet on this matter 10 years ago are now actively participating on climate change concerns showing to the world that this is a serious issue that has a domino effect on each and everyone of us.

Although this is a relative issue and a very sensitive one, each of us should play a role in finding alternative ways to preserve mother Earth.

In saying this, supporting government programs and making an exemplary role in our community is the key. From small actions of separating waste (non-biodegradable and biodegradable) to being conscious on what we buy in the department store (appliances etc), it will make a difference somehow.

Yes to Energy Saving Light

2011-02-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

Nowadays, we tend to look for alternative ways to save energy and find some more scientific breakthroughs regarding energy efficiency. One of these is the use and type of lamps we use in household, workplace, or even in commercial areas.

A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), also known as a compact fluorescent light or energy saving light (or less commonly as a compact fluorescent tube), is a type of fluorescent lamp. Many CFLs are designed to replace an incandescent lamp and can fit into most existing light fixtures formerly used for incandescent (source: Wikipedia).

Compared to general service incandescent lamps giving the same amount of visible light, CFLs use less power and have a longer rated life. CFLs radiate a different light spectrum from that of incandescent lamps. Improved phosphor formulations have improved the perceived colour of the light emitted by CFLs such that some sources rate the best "soft white" CFLs as subjectively similar in color to standard incandescent lamps.

The ballast permanently installed in the luminaire have non-integrated CFLs, and only the lamp bulb is usually changed at its end of life. Since the ballasts are placed in the light fixture they are larger and last longer compared to the integrated ones. Non-integrated CFL housings can be both more expensive and sophisticated. They have two types of tubes: a bi-pin tube designed for a conventional ballast, and a quad-pin tube designed for an electronic ballast or a conventional ballast with an external starter. A bi-pin tube contains an integrated starter which obviates the need for external heating pins but causes incompatibility with electronic ballasts (source: Wikipedia).

Due to the eye's sensitivity changes with the wavelength, the output of lamps is commonly measured in lumens - a measure of the power of light perceived by the human eye. The luminous efficacy of lamps refers to the number of lumens produced for each watt of electrical power used. A theoretically 100% efficient electric light source producing light only at the wavelength the human eye is most sensitive to would produce 680 lumens per watt.

The typical luminous efficacy of CFL lamps is 60 to 72 lumens per watt, and that of normal domestic incandescent lamps is 13 to 18 lm/W.Compared to the theoretical 100% efficient lamp, these figures are equivalent to lighting efficiency ranges of 9 to 11% for CFLs (60/680 and 72/680) and 1.9 to 2.6% for incandescents (13/680 and 18/680) – (source: Wikipedia).

While CFLs require more energy in manufacturing than incandescent lamps, this embodied energy is then offset by their longer life and lower energy use than equivalent incandescent lamps because CFL require more energy in manufacturing of incandescent lamps. This is in replacement of kerosene lamps which causes so many sickness particularly chronic ling disorders in household and even workplaces in the third world countries.

According to the European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) in 2008, the only property of compact fluorescent lamps that could pose an added health risk is the ultraviolet and blue light emitted by such devices. This radiation in return could impact worse and could aggravate symptoms in people who already suffer rare skin conditions that make them exceptionally sensitive to light. They also stated that more research is needed to establish whether compact fluorescent lamps constitute any higher risk than incandescent lamps.

If individuals are exposed to the light produced by some single-envelope compact fluorescent lamps for long periods of time at distances of less than 20 cm, it could lead to ultraviolet exposures approaching the current workplace limit set to protect workers from skin and retinal damage. Although CFLs, like all fluorescent lamps contain minimal amounts of mercury as vapor inside the glass tubing. Most CFLs contain 3–5 mg per bulb, with the eco-friendly bulbs containing as little as 1 mg.While mercury is being tagged as poisonous, even these small amounts are a concern for landfills and waste incinerators where the mercury from lamps may be released and contribute to air and water pollution.

In areas with coal-fired power stations, the use of CFLs saves on mercury emissions when compared to the use of incandescent bulbs. This is due to the reduced electrical power demand, reducing in turn the amount of mercury released by coal as it is burned (source: Wikipedia).

True enough, even the smallest thing such as bulb can give a deeper impact on energy efficiency and even contribute to our environment issues. And there will come a time that this will be focused on by the government and laws as this can give answer to our long quest in getting green and becoming energy efficient in our own way.

Can Salt Store Heat Energy?

2011-02-15T17:49:00.000-08:00

Sustainable energy is the provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources are most often regarded as including all renewable sources, such as plant matter, solar power, wind power, wave power, geothermal power and tidal power. It usually also includes technologies that improve energy efficiency (source: Wikipedia).

In getting a sustainable energy, we question sometimes the availability of its sources, for example - solar power. How can we use solar when there is no sun? What do you do when the sun is not shining and what about during night?

The answer - store sunlight as heat energy for such a rainy day.

The salts known as one of our ingredients in food preparation help the facility light up the night. Salt, also known table salt or rock salt, is a mineral that is composed primarily of sodium chloride. Salt is one of the oldest, most ubiquitous food seasonings and salting is an important method of preserving food. Because most salts only melt at high temperatures (ie table salt which is a compound of high elements and you have to burn it at 1400 Fahrenheit or about 800 degrees Celsius) and do not turn to vapor until they get considerably hotter; they can be used to store a lot of the sun's energy as heat. Simply use the sunlight to heat up the salts and put those molten salts in proximity to water via a heat exchanger. Hot steam can then be made to turn turbines without losing too much of the original absorbed solar energy.

The salt, as we all know, is a mixture of sodium and potassium nitrate, otherwise used as fertilizers thus allowing enough of the sun's heat to be stored that the power plant can pump out electricity for nearly eight hours after the sun starts to set.

"It's enough for 7.5 hours to produce energy with full capacity of 50 megawatts," says Sven Moormann, a spokesman for Solar Millennium AG - the German solar company that developed the Andasol plant. "The hours of production are nearly double [those of a solar-thermal] power plant without storage and we have the possibility to plan our electricity production." (source: Scientific American Article by David Biello).

There are a lot of ways that scientists tried to store the sun’s energy. Some tried batteries but it was too expensive. Water pumps or compressing air is possible but the resources are limited as well. Melting salts at temperatures above 435 degrees Fahrenheit (224 degrees Celsius), however, can deliver back as much as 93 percent of the energy, plus the salts are ubiquitous because of their application as fertilizers.

Thus renewable energy is achieved and a great alternative way in green energy.

This leads to scientists and researchers in quest for the utilization of salts instead of oil which is highly expensive in parabolic trough power plants, such as those that melt at lower temperatures and therefore would not freeze as readily during cold nights.

Combination of salts including calcium nitrate and lithium nitrate that melt below 212 degrees F (100 degrees C) are what other solar companies are looking in to and the benefits of these as well as its availability. Long-term research projects are also being done in the case of thermal storage technologies. In finding ways to store heat in sand or creating storage for salts – all for the goal of sustainability and at the same time save a lot of money.

The answer of whether salt can store heat energy is a big yes. The only thing that we need to discover is how can we store this and use it as a salt fertilizer on the ground. Who knows, that smallest ingredient in the kitchen may be the key in finding alternative ways for a better, sustainable energy in the future.

The Benefits behind the Waste

2011-02-13T23:17:00.000-08:00

Bioenergy is a renewable energy made available from materials derived from biological sources. In its most narrow sense it is a synonym to biofuel, which is fuel derived from biological sources. In its broader sense it includes biomass, the biological material used as a biofuel, as well as the social, economic, scientific and technical fields associated with using biological sources for energy. This is a common misconception, as bioenergy is the energy extracted from the biomass, as the biomass is the fuel and the bioenergy is the energy contained in the fuel (source: Wikipedia).

Any form of chemical energy from indirect or direct sunlight is called biomass. The one that includes agricultural products like woods, raw materials can be transform into biomass which leads to bioenergy.

Biomass also includes materials from biotic environment or living organisms which includes plants, animals and their by-products. Manure, garden waste and crop residues are all sources of biomass. Based from the carbon cycle, this is a very good source of renewable energy.

A good example of this is the waste that comes from animals also called as animal manure. This product can be used as fertilizers for plants and would help grow the crops.

There are also agricultural products being grown for biofuel production. These include corn and soybeans and to some extent willow and switchgrass on a pre-commercial research level, primarily in the United States; rapeseed, wheat, sugar beet and willow (15,000 ha in Sweden) primarily in Europe; sugar cane in Brazil; palm oil and miscanthus in Southeast Asia; sorghum and cassava in China; and jatropha in India. Hemp has also been proven to work as a biofuel (source: Wikipedia).

As mentioned from previous articles, biodegradable materials from industrial companies, forestry and agriculture and even through householders are beneficial either directly ir indirectly in producing bio gas or gasification to produce syngas or by direct combustion.

Biodegradable wastes materials as we all know includes manure, rice husks, sewage, straw and food waste (which is very rampant). These can contribute so much too on our waste management along with good source of fuel and helps in preserving our nature and climate change issues.

You can get bioenergy from almost everything, and yes, at the same time help save our environment. There are a lot more benefits that this bioenergy from waste materials can give us. All we need is an open-minded government to help develop this and if campaigns for information dissemination about the benefits of biomass are being distributed, even a simple householder can help save energy and our environment as well.

When Heat and Energy Collides

2011-02-09T23:12:00.000-08:00

While everybody else is concerned about the rampant flooding that has been happening globally, it seems the never-ending quest to solve energy crisis is here to stay and stay for long. We are running the risk of exhausting fossil fuel reserves and different science and technology institutions are working hard to look for an answer for this problem. Scientists are banking heavily on properties of thermoelectric materials, which is of great importance for their practical application. This material turns heat into electricity more efficiently than anything available today.

It has been found that thermoelectric materials can be used for the development and utilization of new cooling methods. This improvement can help eradicate the use of greenhouse gas. The researchers are optimistic about thermoelectric materials in the group of clathrates, which create crystals full of ‘nano-cages’. Thermal conductivity of the nano-cages can be reduced if a heavy atom is placed inside those cages.

Recent advances using nanotechnology, however, have revived this moribund field, and have car makers such as General Motors and BMW taking notice, hoping to increase fuel efficiency and eventually replace alternators and possibly even internal combustion engines with thermoelectric generators (source: Free Power for Cars, Kevin Bullis).

According to General Motors senior analyst Francis Stablers, as much as 70 percent of the fuel energy burned up in car engines doesn't go toward moving the vehicle along or powering the CD player. Instead, it's dissipated as waste heat. Stabler says a new generation of thermoelectric materials can convert heat to electricity well enough to be used for taking the burden of electricity generation off the engine, thereby saving fuel. Researchers still need to find ways to make these materials cheaply and consistently, however, before they can be widely deployed. But certain niche uses could help the technology get established (source: Free Power for Cars, Kevin Bullis).

Thermoelectric materials are more environmentally friendly and can be used to build up vehicles that are more fuel-efficient. Thermoelectric materials have exceptional unique properties; these materials can be assembled into units, which can convert the thermal difference into electrical energy or vice versa – electrical current to cooling.

For efficient use, the material should supply a high voltage and have good electrical conductivity. But the thermal conductivity of the material should be low. This low thermal conductivity is very important because it will lessen the “electrical” wear and tear of a device. Car manufacturers are finding the thermoelectric materials very attractive for the conversion of wasted heat into electrical energy (source: Alternative Energy article, 2008).

In summary, if the majority of heat coming from vehicles is wasted, by using thermoelectric materials, it can turn into a very useful tool in developing power. This material transforms heat into electricity by using the difference in temperature across the different sides of a device. If we attach a thermoelectric device into a car’s exhaust pipe, it can produce electricity which can be used for driving the car or charging a battery.

If the technology proves to be reliable, Stabler says, it could eventually replace alternators altogether and run electrical water and oil pumps, relieving the extra work for the engine, boosting performance, and saving fuel. John Fairbanks, technology development manager at the U.S. Department of Energy, suggests that if all GM cars alone used this technology, it would save roughly 100 million gallons of gas per year (source: Free Power for Cars, Kevin Bullis).