Wind Generator Blades: The Power of Wind Energy

Coal Beats Solar as Analysts Favor Peabody Energy (Update1) (Bloomberg)

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:50:58 +0000

March 17 (Bloomberg) — Wall Street’s contribution to the debate on how to curb global warming: Buy coal, sell solar. Peabody Energy Corp. , the biggest coal producer, is rated a “buy” by 79 percent of analysts, while 44 percent recommend First Solar Inc.

Bloomberg Energy Fight: Coal KOs Solar (TheStreet.com)

Story Submiter — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:49:00 +0000

Coal stocks come out on top of solar in a new report from Bloomberg, adding to the negative sentiment surrounding renewable energy stocks.

Nebraska lawmakers advance bill for wind energy (AP via Yahoo! Finance)

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:49:00 +0000

Nebraska lawmakers have given first-round approval to changes designed to lure wind-energy companies that would export the energy from the state.

Villaraigosa proposes raising DWP rates to boost solar energy (Daily Breeze)

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:02:12 +0000

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pitched his latest plan Monday to create jobs and boost solar energy use through a DWP rate hike, but one city councilman and other critics said it was no time to ask customers to pay more.

Japan eyes solar station in space as new energy source (AFP via Yahoo! News)

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:59:44 +0000

It may sound like a sci-fi vision, but Japan’s space agency is dead serious: by 2030 it wants to collect solar power in space and zap it down to Earth, using laser beams or microwaves.

Originally posted 2009-11-08 17:22:30. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Malaysia could lead in solar energy: Chin (Business Times (Malaysia))

Story Submiter — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:59:43 +0000

There is no reason why Malaysia, which has all-year-round sunshine, could not to be among the leaders in the solar power market, says Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Peter Chin.

Originally posted 2009-11-12 17:57:25. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Building A Wind Generator

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:59:42 +0000

Building a wind generator is a much more cost effective solution than buying one. The average price of a 1000 watt wind generator is USD $2500. I would have to save up for more than a year to be able to buy one. That’s why I built my own wind generator.

It’s not as difficult as you might think either. A wind generator has some basic parts. I’ll deal with the tower first.

Many people have researched and found that buying a wind tower is very expensive. That’s true, but when I built mine I actually made $100 getting it. You see, many people these days have switched to satellite television, but they still have those television towers up. I was doing some construction at a house and noticed this. I asked the guy if I could buy it off of him. He told me “I’ll give you $100 dollars to take that thing away.

The next part of a wind generator is the generator. I really like wind generators because they allow you to produce AC or DC power. This is good for several reasons. First, if you don’t have the money for a battery system you can hook up an AC motor and generate AC power for your house. As you can afford batteries you can switch the motor to a DC one and charge the battery system.

Now for the most important part of your wind generator- the blades. Another trick that we’ve learned to make blades is to use PVC tubing. I know it sounds crazy, but a correctly cut PVC pipe works great as a wind generator blade. The plus side of using PVC as blades is that they are very strong.

The last piece you need for your wind generator is the vane. This can be made out of anything. Mine is a triangle I cut out of some plastic.

Assembling the wind generator is usually a whole day job– good for a weekend– you need to set up the tower and secure it with 5 guy wires. These wires are important as they provide stability so your wind generator doesn’t fall down. You will have to mount the turbine on the top- which should be done before you set up your tower. Make sure to attach the wires to the generator because I’ve forgotten.

You will probably want to do some load testing on your generator to see the wattages it produces at different wind speeds.

Andrew Oke is very interested in renewable energy.He has 16 years experience living off the grid, and has completely built his own renewable energy system. Visit his website at Living Off The Grid

Originally posted 2009-11-03 15:39:31. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Solar Water Heater Sytems

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:59:41 +0000

In general, solar water heater systems can be more costly to purchase and setup than standard gas or electric water heating systems. However, by using a solar heater you will definitely save money on the long run.. By selecting to use solar energy technology you can expect to save around 50 to 80% on your electricity bills.

Gathering energy coming from the sun to heat water is not a new idea at all. Such technology using solar power for heating water exists since the year 1800. Producing warm water with solar energy can be employed about every where in the world and the sun and some special equipment is the only thing needed.

The key parts of a solar water heater are the solar collectors that grab and concentrate the energy coming from the sun and the storage tank. Such simple setup is usually called passive solar power. When mechanical and electrical devices such electric pumps are installed in the system to push the water it is then called solar active. To keep the water hot for long period of time a good insulation should be made to the storage tank.

Usually you will find two types of solar water heater: the two-tank and the one-tank and solar collectors exist in quite a few designs but in general glazed flat-plate collectors are widely used on solar water heater systems. Solar collectors can be fixed on the roof of your house or on the ground and in both cases, for best performance they should preferably be pointing south.

Installing a solar water heater will not cover all your hot water needs this is why you also need a traditional electric or gas water heater for days of bad weather where there is no sunshine. Despite this little inconvenient you can expect to make substantial savings.

Armand Hadife is the owner of www.outdoor-solar- lights.com
www.home-solar-systems.com
www.wind-power-generator.com

Originally posted 2009-11-10 16:28:58. Republished by Old Post Promoter

29 governors push wind-energy goals (USA Today)

Story Submiter — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:59:40 +0000

A coalition representing governors of 29 states is urging the government to take steps to boost wind energy.

Energy agency offers solar credit workshop (Marin Independent Journal)

Story Submiter — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:17:50 +0000

The Marin Energy Authority will offer a public workshop Monday about net metering, which allows ratepayers to turn meters backward and to receive a credit when their solar energy system generates more power than is used on site. Related posts:

Wind Generator Blades: The Power of Wind Energy

Coal Beats Solar as Analysts Favor Peabody Energy (Update1) (Bloomberg)

Related Reading:

Bloomberg Energy Fight: Coal KOs Solar (TheStreet.com)

Related Reading:

Nebraska lawmakers advance bill for wind energy (AP via Yahoo! Finance)

Related Reading:

Villaraigosa proposes raising DWP rates to boost solar energy (Daily Breeze)

Related Reading:

Japan eyes solar station in space as new energy source (AFP via Yahoo! News)

Related Reading:

Malaysia could lead in solar energy: Chin (Business Times (Malaysia))

Related Reading:

Building A Wind Generator

Related Reading:

Solar Water Heater Sytems

Related Reading:

29 governors push wind-energy goals (USA Today)

Related Reading:

Energy agency offers solar credit workshop (Marin Independent Journal)