Let's Save Our World By Saving The Energy

Why Green Design?

2010-05-01T00:52:00.000+07:00

People have become disconnected from the very life forces that sustain us, since the industrial revolution. We believe that we have power over Earth's ecosystems, rather than seeing ourselves as an intricate and essential part of life's cycle. As indicated by mounting scientific research from all corners of the globe, that approach is simply not sustainable, and our current way of living must be overhauled.

During the next century, as population doubles and resources available per person drop by one-half to three-fourths, humankind will have to drastically alter fundamental ways of thinking and operating in order to survive. The number one challenge that will face today's children as they enter adulthood will be how to reconcile the impact of their daily lives with the limitations of our global ecosystems.

Green design is one of the ways we can limit our impact on the world's systems. Justifications for green design are plentiful, but are summarized below as related to Environment, Health, and Children's Rights.

You must be the change you want to see in the world.
- Mahatma Gandhi

Environment

The data are overwhelming: demands we've put on Earth's ecosystems are not sustainable. It is no longer simply about feeling good, being better stewards of the land, or making strategic business decisions. It is about doing the only right thing.

Ray Anderson is CEO of Interface, one of the world's companies most committed to sustainability. He notes, "The imperative of our times, and all time to come, is that the industrial system adapt to its utter dependence on the natural world. If the limits on nature's ability to supply humankind's demands for eco-services: air, water, energy, materials, food, and waste processing are not respected, we will kill ourselves. We cannot live without those services. Earth is finite in its ability to supply them. Present ways just cannot go on and on and on without dire consequences."

In the recently released Millenium Ecosystem Assessment Report (the first ever global assessment of Earth's ecosystems, spearheaded by the United Nations, released March 30, 2005), paints a fairly grim tale about our ability to correct our course unless we act boldly and quickly. This landmark study, written by over 1,300 scientists from 95 nations, reveals that approximately 60% of the ecosystem services that support life on Earth are being used unsustainably. Scientists warn that the harmful consequences of this degradation could grow significantly worse in the next 50 years, seriously affecting human well being.

You'll never miss the water 'til the well runs dry.
- "Father of the Blues" Alabamian W.C. Handy

Health

Indoor Air Pollution

Children learn best when they are in environments that fully support their health and growth. Staggering increases in childhood illness, like asthma, allergies, chemical and environmental sensitivities, respiratory disorders, cancers, and ADD, have all been traced to indoor air pollution as a source

Indoor air pollution is linked, in turn, to standard exhibit construction materials: plexi-glass, laminates, fiberglass, plywood, paints, solvents, adhesives, carpeting, stains, finishes, wood, metal primers, wall coverings, sealants, particleboard, drywall compound, fabrics, and furniture finishes.

Indoor air is generally considered to be three times more toxic than outdoor air. Standard building materials emit low-level toxins years after initial construction. By some estimates, it can take up to ten years for some materials to finish off-gassing.

Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man.
- Stuart Udall

Children at Risk

Children are considerably more vulnerable than adults to environmental exposure. The Children’s Environmental Health Network has written an overview of this complex subject, which includes what types of exposures affect children and why in their article, An Introduction to Children’s Environmental Health. Their website also contains useful links and resources on the issue of children’s environmental health. Or, for a quick review of the key factors, look at our list of five factors work against children when they confront any indoor environment, greatly increasing the risk of toxicity and disease. As exhibit designers and builders, we have to be even more careful about the choices we make on behalf of young audiences.

Children's Rights and Needs

Our Obligations

The Convention on the Rights of the Child, a universally agreed upon set of non-negotiable standards and obligations developed by UNICEF, outlines basic human rights for children everywhere. Ratified by over 192 nations, The Convention reflects a new vision of the child and spells out children's rights to survival, to develop to their fullest potential, and to be protected from harmful influences, abuse, and exploitation. It is imperative that we consider our obligation to protect children's right to survival and to be protected from harm.

Children's Developmental Needs

Children's developmental needs are also threatened. Children need connections with Earth, especially direct experience with growing, living things, and the breadth of sensory variations that are exquisitely present in nature. Nature provides the best playground for open ended, timeless play that inspires wonder, awe, and the chance to marvel and imagine.

In our increasingly human-made world, children are losing opportunities to explore nature unencumbered by watchful adults. Few children today are growing up with childhood memories that many of us cherish—exploring meadows, building forts in vacant lots, or climbing trees in neighborhood woods. Children are losing more than safe outdoor places to play freely—they're losing opportunities to feel connected to the wonderful natural world that supports and sustains them.

Sustainable Materials Teach and Inspire

By switching to sustainable practices and greater use of organic natural materials, we help preserve and foster Earth's ecosystems, which will nurture and support our children's future, and help protect their growing bodies from harmful chemicals. When we create exhibits and environments made with sustainable, natural materials, children are also afforded the opportunity to practice the kind of freedom they experience in the outdoors—to roam and explore a diversity of natural surfaces, textures, smells, and sounds in a safe environment.

Natural materials enhance children's ability to see connections between themselves and the natural world, and help them develop empathy toward other living things. Natural materials offer a richer palette of sensory experiences than do synthetics. Young children learn through their senses--vision, hearing, and touch are teachers. Natural materials catch light in richer colors, reflect fuller sound, and offer luxuriant textures to touch. If we can't send today's children out to play with the same freedom, we can bring materials of the outdoors inside.

When we work sustainably, we model love for children and help them find that innate, subconscious connection and love with the rest of life. Children, like adults, are unlikely to work toward saving something they don't inherently love.

The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German Theologian

Living Pavilion Green Walled Garden Wave Coming to Governors Island

2010-05-01T00:29:00.000+07:00

When the energy crisis was declare with almost independent organization, more people going to try live green. It's like at NYC, USA. You can skip the beach and head straight to Governors Island, if you want to keep cool in NYC this summer! Although the much-anticipated eco-renovations are set to begin in 2012, the island is getting a head start by installing the winner of the first annual City of Dreams Pavilion Completion! Dubbed “Living Pavilion”, the temporary, low-tech and zero-impact structure is made of reclaimed milk crates that will be become a growing surface for an edible garden.

Designers Ann Ha and Behrang Behin’s plans for their “Living Pavilion” get us totally pumped for summer in New York. Not only is “Living Pavilion” a great place to relax and keep cool — the designers also considered the full life-cycle of the project by making sure every step contains as little environmental impact as possible.

The reclaimed milk crates form a rolling wave of life and growth. The “wave’s break” consists of a distribution of more crates full of crops that can be harvested and later distributed into the community. The wave shape provides many different orientations for solar exposure, allowing for a large variety of plantings with unique needs.

The pavilion will be a great place to find shade in the city’s hot summer months, since evapotranspiration from its planted surfaces will help keep its inhabitants cool. Materials include common structural items such as heavy-duty packaging straps and weather-treated wood. The designers worked with Kari Katzander of Mingo Design for green wall technology and plant selection and with Yunlu Shen of Buro Happold for structural analysis.

The international City of Dreams Pavilion Completion required contestants to create a pavilion that would be used as a central and temporary gathering space on Governors Island. The contestants were required to consider the full life-cycle of their proposals with as little environmental impact as possible. The designers were also required to consider the sourcing, materials, placement, dismantling and the future use of the pavilions. The competition was organized by FIGMENT, the Emerging New York Architect Committee (ENYA) and the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY).

“Living Pavilion” will be constructed in the courtyard of Liggett Hall on Governors Island this summer. The pavilion structure will be assembled in the spring and will open to the public from June 6th through October 3rd 2010. See you there!

Biodiesel Production from Algae Oil

2009-11-21T05:12:00.011+07:00

From last post, we know Algae can be produce become bio diesel oil. Here, I will share how to make Bio Diesel Fuel from Algae. One of process name for that, usually called Transesterification. Algae yields around 100,000 gallons of algae oil per year. In contrast, one acre of soybeans only produces about 50 gallons of soybean oil a year, while one acre of corn yields about 29 gallons of oil per year. The largest benefit to date is that the Algae farms can be built virtually anywhere.

Algae oil is highly viscous, with viscosities ranging 10–20 times those of no. 2 Diesel fuel. The high viscosity is due to the large molecular mass and chemical structure of oils which in turn leads to problems in pumping, combustion and atomization in the injector systems of a diesel engine. Therefore, a reduction in viscosity is important to make high-viscous oil a suitable alternative fuel for diesel engines.

There are a number of ways to reduce vegetable oil's viscosity. These methods include; transestrification, pyrolysis (Pyrolysis Definition from AFR), micro Emulsion (Emulsions & Emulsification – from Wikipedia), blending and thermal depolymerization. One of the most common methods used to reduce oil viscosity in the Biodiesel industry is called transesterification. It involves chemical conversion of the oil into its corresponding fatty ester.

Other methods of producing Bio-diesel from Algae Oil, other than transesterification, that have been considered to reduce the high viscosity of vegetable oil or algae oil are:

Dilution of 25 parts of plant / algae oil with 75 parts of diesel fuel
Micro emulsions with short chain alcohols (e.g. Ethanol or Methanol)
Thermal decomposition, which produces alkanes, alkenes, carboxylic acids acids and aromatic compounds
Catalytic cracking, which produces alkanes, cycloalkanes and alkybenzenes

However, when compared with the above, the Transesterification process appears to be the best choise, as the physical characteristics of fatty acid esters (bio diesel) are very close to those of diesel fuel, and the process is relative simple. Furthermore, the methyl or ethyl esters of fatty acids can be burned directly in unmodified diesel engines, with very low deposit.

Alternative Energy: Fuel From Algae

2009-11-20T22:16:00.004+07:00

Maybe we rarely hear about Algae. But we just know it only in biology subject in the schools or collages. Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms. The largest and most complex marine forms are called seaweeds. They are photosynthetic, like plants, and "simple" because they lack the many distinct organs found in land plants. For that reason they are currently excluded from being considered plants.

Though the prokaryotic Cyanobacteria (commonly referred to as Blue-green Algae) were traditionally included as "Algae" in older textbooks, many modern sources regard this as outdated and restrict the term Algae to eukaryotic organisms. All true algae therefore have a nucleus enclosed within a membrane and chloroplasts bound in one or more membranes. Algae constitute a paraphyletic and polyphyletic group, as they do not include all the descendants of the last universal ancestor nor do they all descend from a common algal ancestor, although their chloroplasts seem to have a single origin.

Algae lack the various structures that characterize land plants, such as phyllids and rhizoids in nonvascular plants, or leaves, roots, and other organs that are found in tracheophytes. Many are photoautotrophic, although some groups contain members that are mixotrophic, deriving energy both from photosynthesis and uptake of organic carbon either by osmotrophy, myzotrophy, or phagotrophy. Some unicellular species rely entirely on external energy sources and have limited or no photosynthetic apparatus.

Nearly all algae have photosynthetic machinery ultimately derived from the Cyanobacteria, and so produce oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis, unlike other photosynthetic bacteria such as purple and green sulfur bacteria. Fossilized filamentous algae from the Vindhya basin have been dated back to 1.6 to 1.7 billion years ago.

The first alga to have its genome sequenced was Cyanidioschyzon merolae.

Today, Algae is one of alternative energy that can be used for renewable fuel. Energy from Algae presents an opportunity you cannot afford to ignore. Deriving energy from algae is considered the Holy Grail of alternative energy. Algae, a third-generation biofuel feedstock, present one of the most exciting possibilities as a future solution to our energy problems, especially that of transportation fuel. In the last few years, activity in this field has been accelerating fast.

Why are algae so exciting from a renewable energy standpoint? For a number of reasons :

The yields of oil and fuels from algae are much higher (10-100 times) than competing energy crops
Algae can grow practically anywhere, thus ensuring that there is no competition with food crops.
Algae are excellent bio remediation agents - they have the potential to absorb massive amounts of CO₂ and can play an important role in sewage and wastewater treatment.
Algae are the only feedstock that have the potential to completely replace world's consumption of transportation fuels.
Algae are already being used in a wide variety of industries and applications, and many newer applications are being discovered. Such a wide range of end-uses enable companies to produce both fuels and non-fuel products from the same algae feedstock

Algae can produce several fuel products, there are:

Bio diesel
Hydrogen
Methane
Ethanol

Renewable Energy: Hydrogen Fuel

2009-11-20T17:24:00.004+07:00

Today, the fossil fuel slowly depleted. All of researcher in the world has trying to find the others kind of fuel. Now, the researchers has one of new solution. Hydrogen Fuel.

Hydrogen is one of two natural elements that combine to make water. Hydrogen is not an energy source, but an energy carrier because it takes a great deal of energy to extract it from water. It is useful as a compact energy source in fuel cells and batteries. Many companies are working hard to develop technologies that can efficiently exploit the potential of hydrogen energy. This page lists articles about hydrogen fuel as an alternative energy source.

Hydrogen fuel enhancement is a term used to describe the use of a mixture of hydrogen and conventional hydrocarbon fuel in an internal combustion engine (ICE). The hydrogen can be stored as a second fuel, reformed from the conventional fuel, or in theory produced through the electrolysis of water.

There has been a great deal of research into fuel mixtures, such as gasoline and nitrous oxide injection. Mixtures of hydrogen and hydrocarbons is no exception. These sources suggested that there could be fuel efficiency saving and reduced emission through the addition of hydrogen to conventional fuels. For example, one research project added hydrogen to an automobile engine to run the engine leaner:

Lean-mixture-ratio combustion in internal-combustion engines has the potential of producing low emissions and higher thermal efficiency for several reasons. First, excess oxygen in the charge further oxidizes unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. Second, excess oxygen lowers the peak combustion temperatures, which inhibits the formation of oxides of nitrogen. Third, the lower combustion temperatures increase the mixture specific heat ratio by decreasing the net dissociation losses. Fourth, as the specific heat ratio increases, the cycle thermal efficiency also increases, which gives the potential for better fuel economy.

Many of these sources have also warn that it would require modifications in ICE's air/fuel ration, engine timing, and other design elements to realize these advantages. This would be expected for any change in an engines fuel composition.

Hydrogen fuel enhancement from electrolysis has been promoted for use with diesel trucks and often with adaptation of the water-fuelled cars scam. However recent tests by consumer watch groups have shown negative results.

High Efficiency Energy Saving Lamp

2009-09-25T08:46:00.007+07:00

• High energy saving • Protection of eyes • Very quick installation
• Extended life span of 15000 hrs • High lighting quality • Improved power factor

Saving Comparison Table

* Depending on the fitting, deviation are possible

CASE STUDY

Consider the case of a office in the building with a total of 1000 luminaries using existing lighting of 36W T8 fluorescent lamps and standard electromagnetic ballast. With the T5 Fixture, we can convert the existing system to energy efficient system and calculate the electricity costs saved by the T5 tube.

Many enterprises are aware that their electricity bill is a large portion of their total operating cost, the application of T5 Fixture is simple. The saving rates guaranteed, thus adding to your bottom line profits.

The calculation is based on 24 operation hours per day and 365 days per years for 1000pcs of fluorescent lamp.
Electricity cost per unit (kWh) is $0.3045

Energy Saving Per Fitting = 48W – 28W = 20W

Energy Saving Per day = 20W x 24 hrs x 1000pcs = 480 kWh

Energy Saving Annually = 480 kWh x 365 days = 175,200 kWh

Amount Saved Per Year = 175,200 kWh x $0.3045 = $53,348.40

More: Home Energy Audit (Energy Star, US Only)

2009-09-03T11:10:00.002+07:00

Home Energy Audits

A home energy audit is often the first step in making your home more efficient. An audit can help you assess how much energy your home uses and evaluate what measures you can take to improve efficiency. But remember, audits alone don't save energy. You need to implement the recommended improvements. ENERGY STAR provides extensive information about home improvement projects to enhance energy efficiency, lower utility bills, and increase comfort.

You can perform a simple energy audit yourself, or have a professional energy auditor perform a more thorough audit.

Do-It-Yourself Audits

If you have five minutes and your last 12 months of utility bills, use the ENERGY STAR Home Energy Yardstick to compare your home's energy efficiency to similar homes across the country and get recommendations for energy-saving home improvements from ENERGY STAR. You will also need to enter some basic information about your home (such as zip code, age, square footage, and number of occupants). If you don't have your bills, contact your utility for a 12-month summary.

Hire a Professional Home Energy Auditor

If you are interested in getting specific recommendations for improving the efficiency of your home, consider contacting a professional Home Energy Auditor. A professional auditor can use a variety of techniques and equipment to determine the energy efficiency of your home. Thorough audits often use equipment such as blower doors, which measure the extent of leaks in the building envelope, and infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and missing insulation.

Your first step should be to contact your utility to see if they offer free or discounted energy audits to their customers. If not, you can hire a home energy professional, such as a certified Home Energy Rater, to evaluate your home's energy efficiency.

To find a Home Energy Rater, visit the ENERGY STAR for Homes Partner Locator .

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR

Where available, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR can help you cost-effectively improve your home's energy efficiency. Specially-trained contractors evaluate your home using state-of-the-art equipment, recommend comprehensive improvements that will yield the best results, and help you to get the work done.

Find out if Home Performance with ENERGY STAR is offered near you .

Simple Home Energy Audit

2009-09-03T10:56:00.003+07:00

An energy audit is an inspection, survey and analysis of energy flows in a building, process or system with the objective of understanding the energy dynamics of the system under study. Typically an energy audit is conducted to seek opportunities to reduce the amount of energy input into the system without negatively affecting the output(s). When the object of study is an occupied building then reducing energy consumption while maintaining or improving human comfort, health and safety are of primary concern. Beyond simply identifying the sources of energy use, an energy audit seeks to prioritize the energy uses according to the greatest to least cost effective opportunities for energy savings.

Home Energy Audit

An energy audit of a home may involve recording various characteristics of the building envelope including the walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, and skylights. For each of these components the area and resistance to heat flow (R-value) is measured or estimated. The leakage rate or infiltration of air through the building envelope is of concern which are strongly affected by window construction and quality of door seals such as weatherstripping. The goal of this exercise is to quantify the building's overall thermal performance. A simplified approach called the UA delta-T method [1] can be used for good approximate results. The audit may also assess the efficiency, physical condition, and programming of mechanical systems such as the heating, ventilation, air conditioning equipment, and thermostat.

A home energy audit may include a written report estimating energy use given local climate criteria, thermostat settings, roof overhang, and solar orientation. This could show energy use for a given time period, say a year, and the impact of any suggested improvements per year. The accuracy of energy estimates are greatly improved when the homeowner's billing history is available showing the quantities of electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, or other energy sources consumed over a one or two-year period.

Some of the greatest effects on energy use are user behavior, climate, and age of the home. An energy audit may therefore include an interview of the homeowners to understand their patterns of use over time. The energy billing history from the local utility company can be calibrated using heating degree day and cooling degree day data obtained from recent, local weather data in combination with the thermal energy model of the building. Advances in computer-based thermal modeling can take into account many variables affecting energy use.

A home energy audit is often used to identify cost effective ways to improve the comfort and efficiency of buildings. In addition, homes may qualify for tax credits from local and central governments.

Free energy audits from your utility company are a popular way to save up to 30% on your energy bill... but you can always do it yourself! See it on this video below.

Simple Way to Save Energy

2009-09-03T09:50:00.003+07:00

With the cost of energy skyrocketing, many people are turning to things like solar to shave their power bills. But you donate have to spend 10s of thousands of dollars to make a difference. Money reporter Stacy Johnson explains how little things can make a big difference.

Energy Saving For Pump and Fan Application

2009-08-31T14:44:00.004+07:00

This one of ways to saving your energy. Usually this applicable at industrial and building. On that application, 72% of electricity consumed is used to turn motors. You can follow me save our world by saving the energy, by click here and find out more.

If you have any questions or you need the details, don't hesitate to contact me.

Identify Hidden Cost in Mechatronic System

2009-08-10T12:50:00.005+07:00

When first time I work in EPC company, I had nothing experience about mechatronics system. Nevertheless, I'm studied it hard. Now, I can know all things about it.

Now, I has found hidden energy saving system in mechantronic system. I never realize that, but it's true. You and I can identify hidden cost and make the most of potential savings.

This saving can be used in industrial appliance like convenience food, pharmacy and process integrator. Please click here to find more about mechatronics energy savings. I got it from Sartorius Mechatronic System, German company.

Energy Saving Calculator Software for Motor (Pump & Fans) Application

2009-07-18T21:48:00.004+07:00

I had got it from Schneider Electric. Please click here for download.

Please use it wisely. This software has more powerful tools for energy saving calculation in motor and pump application, usually called HVAC Application.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Energy Saving Calculator for Motor (Pump & Fans) Application

2009-07-15T18:10:00.008+07:00

I have some reference for saving Calculation for Motor (Pump & Fans). Usually, this called HVAC Application. I had this calculation from Schneider Electric

Reference curves

Active power consumed by a frequency converter associated with a variable load torque (quadratic) load can be calculated as shown below.

The load torque can be defined

in the following way (mechanical friction is ignored):

C = k1 x n^2 (1)

with n = Motor rot

ation speed
k1 = Constant (varies as a function of application type)

Mechanical power of this drive is:

P = C x n
...using here expressi

on (1), we obtain:

P = k1 x n^3

In addition, the frequency converter supplies electrical power to the motor at efficiency of around 97%:

P SPEED DRIVE = P / 0.97

Mechanical power required to obtain a given flow is extracted from the following POWER-FLOW curves:

Fans

Flow	Downstream	Upstream	Variable speed drive
10	0.18	0.34	0.1
20	0.36	0.36	0.1
30	0.55	0.39	0.1
40	0.71	0.42	0.13
50	0.85	0.46	0.18
60	0.92	0.51	0.24
70	0.98	0.57	0.37
80	1	0.64	0.54
90	1	0.76	0.77
100	1	1	1

Pumping

Flow	Recirculation	With valve	Variable speed drive
10	0.71	0.39	0.1
20	0.79	0.49	0.1
30	0.86	0.58	0.1
40	0.9	0.68	0.13
50	0.94	0.75	0.18
60	0.97	0.82	0.24
70	0.98	0.89	0.37
80	0.99	0.94	0.54
90	1	1	0.77
100	1	1	1

For a valve according to manometric height H (with variable speed drive) :

Flow	H=0	H=0.5	H=0.85
10	0.06	0.15	0.35
20	0.08	0.18	0.37
30	0.1	0.22	0.41
40	0.11	0.27	0.45
50	0.13	0.35	0.52
60	0.22	0.43	0.58
70	0.34	0.53	0.66
80	0.51	0.66	0.78
90	0.73	0.82	0.9
100	1	1	1

The inclusion of a variable speed drive can satisfy these requirements by eliminating the use of control valves, which operate by reducing the effective cross-section of the pipe.

In addition, variation in motor efficiency as a function of its speed must be taken into account. To determine motor efficiency at a given speed, the following EFFICIENCY-SPEED curve is used:

Speed	Efficiency
10	0.7
20	0.78
30	0.85
40	0.89
50	0.93
60	0.96
70	0.97
80	0.98
90	0.99
100	1

Formulas

Without variable speed drive, active power consumed by a motor driving a pump or fan will therefore be:

P WITHOUT SPEED DRIVE = P RATED MOTOR x (1/s) x (I / In) x f1(Q)

... with s = Rated efficiency of motor according to speed

I / In = Current absorbed by the motor at 100% load / rated current

f1(Q) = Power as a function of flow for a fan or pump (see curves above for precise values)

The reactive power is obtained as follows:

Q = P WITHOUT SPEED DRIVE x (sin phi/cos phi)

With variable speed drive, active power consumed by a motor driving a pump or fan for a given flow will therefore be:

P WITH SPEED DRIVE = P RATED MOTOR x 1/s x (I / In) x f2(Q) x 1/v x f3(Q)

... with f2(Q) = Power as a function of flow with variable speed drive (see curves above for precise values)

f3(Q) = Efficiency as a function of speed (see curves above for precise values)

w = Motor efficiency correction factor as a function of speed
v = Variable speed drive efficiency

Reactive power consumption of the motor-variable speed drive assembly is zero.

When calculation of power consumed for a given flow has been completed, just multiply this by the number of hours of operation at this flow to obtain the energy consumption. The final result is obtained by adding together all the energy consumptions obtained for the various flows.

Energy Saving Calculator for Lighting System

2009-07-15T17:39:00.002+07:00

Here I had found some link that very usable for you if you want to know more about energy saving calculation and virtual appliance for lighting system. I found it from GE Lighting System and OSRAM.

For virtual appliance, you can click here for design for your living room with light based on Room Selection.

For Cost of Light Calculation, you can click here for make comparison.

You can use OSRAM CFL Energy Saver Calculation Tool for Customer, click here.

OSRAM DULUX SUPERSTAR

OSRAM DULUX SUPERSTAR meets the highest standards in quality and durability. Production processes based on the most cutting-edge technologies ensure a lifespan of up to ten years. Integrated Quickstart technology provides a rapid increase in luminous flux after power-on.

* Lifespan of up to 10 years
* Five-year guarantee
* Up to 80 percent less energy consumed than by conventional bulbs
* Patented Quickstart technology
* With E14 and E27 screw base
* From 8 to 24 W

OSRAM DULUXSTAR

OSRAM DULUXSTAR is the energy-saving lamp that slots into everyday life. A wide variety of compact versions ensure that even your smallest light source can become a big electricity saver. No matter what the size, DULUXSTAR burns bright for up to six years.

* Lifespan of up to 6 years
* Three-year guarantee
* Up to 80 percent less energy consumed than by conventional bulbs
* Wide range of different shapes
* With E14 and E27 screw base
* From 5 to 24 W, 30 W

For You can use OSRAM CFL Energy Saver Calculation Tool for Professional, click here.

OSRAM DULUX EL LONGLIFE

With up to 500,000 switching cycles and an extra long average life of 15,000 hours OSRAM DULUX EL LONGLIFE lamps meet the highest demands in terms of frequent switching and durability - in the professional/commercial sector and for high-quality domestic applications.

* Lifespan of up to 15,000 hours
* with an E14, E27 or B22d base
* in various sizes and wattages from 3 to 30 W
* in warm white, cool white and daylight colors
* also as Globe and Reflector versions

OSRAM DULUX EL

With more than 10,000 switching cycles and a long average life of 10,000 hours OSRAM DULUX EL lamps are the entry-level products for professional requirements in terms of frequent switching and durability.

* Lifespan of up to 10,000 hours
* with an E14, E27 or B22d base
* in various sizes and wattages from 5 to 24 W
* in warm white, cool white and daylight colors
* as CLASSIC A, CLASSIC B and Globe lamps

Energy Saving: Lighting Calculation (Unpredictable But Significant)

2009-05-25T17:57:00.008+07:00

When I ask to all my friends, my clients and my customers, are you have been saved energy from lighting system? All of them answered the result of saving from lamps or lighting system was not significant. Why? Because lamps just a little loads compare than others loads (motors, fans, pumps, etc). Yes, that's true. But otherwise, it's FALSE!!!

Why? Let's see the calculation example below after you read where are the energy saving placed.

In Lighting Systems, there are many way's to save the energies if we know and how to do that. I'll try to explain it in details.

Where are the saving placed ?

1. Lighting Control

Timer Switches to turn off lights after a fixed period has passed
Occupancy sensor / movement detectors to turn off lights when no movement has been detected for a certain period
Photoelectric cells / daylight harvesting sensor to control lights near windows. When bright exterior light is available, lamps are turned off or dimmed
Programmable timers to switch lights on and off at predetermined times
Dimmable light to maintain a low level of illumination at off-peak periods
Voltage regulators to optimize the power consumed. Ballast perform this function on fluorescent lighting. Voltage regulators are also available for other lighting types such as high pressure sodium lamps.

2. Types of Lamps

Nowadays, there are a lot of types of lamps. But, we not realize that each of lamps have different characteristic and specification. For the example, the old fluorescent lamp, with T12, usually have rated power up to 40W. Today, with same intensity output of light, you can use T8 with rated power up to 36W. The conclusion is you must know about the characteristic and the specification of lamp that will be used.

3. Reflectors

Around 70% of fluorescent tube's light is directed sideways and upwards to the light fittings surfaces.

High efficiency reflector has a spectral efficiency of over 90%. This means two lamps may be replaced by a single lamps. In this way it's possible to reduce energy costs attributed to lighting by 50% or more.

4. Changing Conventional Ballast (Electromagnetic) With Electronic Ballast

Conventional Ballast have power factor (cos phi) up to 0.45.
Electronic Ballast have power factor (cos phi) up to 0.95.
What are the differences? See the calculation in end of this page.

5. Don't want to change Conventional Ballast (Economics reasons), Use Special Capacitor For Lamps

If you don't want to change Conventional Ballast because you have economic reasons (usually for home application), I have the alternatives. Use Special Capacitor for lamps. This capacitor had special schematic wiring diagram, so why you must use Special Capacitor for lamps.

Conventional Ballast without special capacitor have power factor (cos phi) up to 0.45.
Conventional Ballast with special capacitor have power factor (cos phi) up to 0.95.
What are the differences? See the calculation in end of this page.

Near from the end, The Real Calculation...

When I go with my friend to one of his customer, I just ask for their existing lighting system. They says that using all systems as similar as my design system before I explain my design to them. But they have some systems that still not applicable yet. They said that after used the lighting system, they can save the electrical bills up to 50% / months. I'm aghast with their statement. It's same with my calculation that shown below.

For this calculation, electricity rate was from my region / my country electricity goverment factory. The calculation was only in one point that include two lamps in one housing / fitting. Power of each lamp was 4o Watt, works in 220VAC 50Hz. And applicable for industrial and home applicances.

USING CONVENTIONAL BALLAST NOR SPECIAL CAPACITOR AND T12 40W LAMP (pf = 0.45)

I = (2 x 40W) : (220 VAC x 0.45) = 0.808 A
P = 0.808 x 220VAC = 177.76 Watt
Electricity used per month (1 kWh = Rp. 480.-)
12 hours / day x 30 days x 177.76 Watt = 63,993.6 Watt.Hours = 63.994 kWh
Electricity bill per month (exclude basic load type value bill):
Rp. 480.- x 63.994 kWh = Rp. 30,716.93

USING ELECTRONIC BALLAST OR SPECIAL CAPACITOR AND T8 36W LAMP(pf = 0.95)

I = (2 x 36W) : (220 VAC x 0.95) = 0.344 A
P = 0.344 x 220VAC = 75.68 Watt
Electricity used per month (1 kWh = Rp. 480.-)
12 hours / day x 30 days x 84.26 Watt = 27,244.8 Watt.Hours = 27.245 kWh
Electricity bill per month (exclude basic load type value bill):
Rp. 480.- x 30.334 kWh = Rp. 13,077.6

TOTAL SAVING PER MONTH
Rp. 30,716.93 - Rp. 13,077.6 = Rp. 17,639.33

It's means you can save 57.43% / month

If you needs the details, please contact me.

Google Search Result

2009-05-25T15:03:00.001+07:00

Solar And Renewable Energy: Cooking With The Sun

2009-05-04T17:09:00.015+07:00

The sun has produced energy for billions of years. Solar energy is the sun’s rays (solar radiation) that reach the earth.

Solar energy can be converted into other forms of energy, such as heat and electricity. In the 1830s, the British astronomer John Herschel used a solar thermal collector box (a device that absorbs sunlight to collect heat) to cook food during an expedition to Africa. Today, people use the sun's energy for lots of things.

Being an engineer, this got me thinking, so I did some research and found a number of useful resources. The most inspiring book was ‘Cooking with the Sun: How to Build and Use Solar Cookers’ by Beth and Dan Halacy. So, I decided to make a Solar Stove in June 2007, with this website as reference.

Otherwise, in my country, Indonesia, Dr. Muhammad Nurhuda, lecture from Physics Division of Brawijaya University had develop a Solar Stove too, but its different with mine. (Source: Kompas, 13 Maret 2008).

Why use a Solar Stove?

The heat energy produced by the sun is immense. In equatorial regions the solar radiation can exceed 1000 Watts/m2. That is equivalent to half the power of an electric kettle whenever there is good sunlight. It only takes 10 – 15 minutes to boil water on a solar stove. And it’s free, as long as you have clear blue skies! If not, you can boil it in 30 minutes. The material costs are about $10 per stove which with some sponsorship is feasible to raise, and they are fun to make.

Firewood, Kerosene and Health issues

The ‘Manual for solar box cookers’ published by Technology for Life, Finland quotes: -

"About 2000 million people, over one-third of the population of the world, are daily dependent on firewood as the source of their cooking and heating energy. They live in the tropics, in the most favourable areas for the use of solar energy. Every year the cutting of firewood results in the loss of 20,000 - 25,000 km2 of tropical forests (UNEP).

The use of solar cookers also brings with in important health benefits. Diseases spread through contaminated water cause 80% of the illnesses in the world (WHO). Heating water to the pasteurization temperature of about 60 0C destroys disease organisms. This temperature is easily achieved with solar cookers. Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are the cause of death for millions of children in the world each year. The large majority of these casualties occur in the developing countries as a result of polluted indoor air due to cooking over open fires in houses without chimneys or ventilation. This problem could be greatly reduced by using solar cookers, which are, of course, completely smokeless."

In Indonesia, kerosene was become primary needs for the source of cooking. Nowadays, the kerosene was rare and the government change it with natural gas. But, it's not renewable energy and it's still to expensive than buy kerosene stove and kerosene's.

How does a solar stove work

There are two basic methods of collecting enough heat from the sun to cook. These are commonly described as the ‘Solar Box Cooker’ and the ‘Solar Stove’.

Solar Box Cooker

The basic principle is to collect the heat by letting the sun light pass through a clear glass plate into a well-insulated enclosure. The light ‘trapped’ in the box and turns into heat when it is absorbed by the black cooking pot. The secret of a good Solar Box Cooker is to have good insulation with no air gaps and a good lid reflector to get the most light into the box. Cooking times are not that quick, but temperatures of 150 0C are possible.

Technology for Life, Finland has documented the Solar Box Cooker with great accuracy. For more information, click this link.

Solar Stove

The Solar Stove uses a parabolic reflector to focus the sunlight to one point. This produces the effect of a massive magnifying glass. With an accurate reflector it is possible to get ‘times 100’ magnification. The reflector is aligned to point at the sun, and then the black cooking pot is placed on a grill at the focal point. Being black the pot absorbs most of the sunlight and creates sufficient heat for cooking.

Precautions for use of solar stoves

Do not look at the reflection of the sun at any time. Once the stove is in alignment with the sun, and the pot is at the focal point, then there should be no light scatter. If there is ‘stray’ light then the stove may need adjustment such that all the reflected light hits the pot (this will improve your cooking as well).

When adjusting the angle of the grill use thick gloves as the grill can get very hot.

Materials required

The most important material in the stove is the reflective aluminum sheet. This I was fortunate to obtain courtesy of my ex. employer. The size of sheet was limited to 400 mm x 620mm as this fitted nicely in my suitcase. The aluminium is available from a number of suppliers, but the reflective qualities are important. I used 0.3 mm AnocoilÓ grade 710.33 which is 86% reflective and almost mirror quality.

The main enclosure is cut from 4 mm thick ‘Triple A’ plywood. An 8ft x 4ft sheet will make 21 stoves and only costs $5. A few other bits of wood are required to make the framework within the stove (sizes detailed below).

As the focal point gets very hot it is necessary to make the grill and grill support from metal. I used mild steel and painted it silver, but any metal will do.

Parts List and Technical Drawings. General assembly drawing

To view and print all the drawings together click here…

To download an Assembly Drawing as an AutoCAD file 49KB click here…

To download an Assembly drawing as a DXF (Drawing Exchange File) 94KB click here…

To download a CorelDraw 8 Assembly drawing 50KB click here…

To download an Assembly drawing as a PostScript file 52KB click here…

To download an Assembly drawing as a Windows Metafile 34KB click here…

Description	Size	Material	Quantity
Base	710 x 570 x 4	Plywood	1
Side	710 x B x 4	Plywood	2
End	560 x A x 4	Plywood	2
Frame – side	25 x 25 x 700	Wood	2
Frame – end	25 x 25 x 510	Wood	2
Frame – corner	25 x 25 x 130	Wood	4
Rib drawings	560 x B	Cardboard	2
Rib	560 x C	Cardboard	2
Rib	560 x D	Cardboard	2
Rib	560 x E	Cardboard	2
Rib	560 x F	Cardboard	1
Cross Rib	700 x 60	Cardboard	2
Cross Rib	700 x 30	Cardboard	2
Grill	350 x 12 x 2.5	Mild steel bar	2
Grill support	Æ 16 x 430	Mild steel tube	1
Pin	Æ 5 x 105	Mild steel bar	1
Base support – long	75 x 25 x 580	Wood	1
Base support – short	75 x 25 x 100	Wood	1
Reflector	620 x 400 x 0.3	Anocoil aluminium	2

Tools Required

Useful tools include: Drill, jigsaw, hacksaw, vice, wood saw, sharp ‘Stanley’ knife, tape measure, square, metal file and hammer.

Optional tools include: Grinder and welder.

Building the solar stove.

We split the work up into three sections. Manuel Reynaga was in charge of the metalwork, David Coe organized the lads (and one girl) in cutting the cardboard ribs, and I was in charge of the woodwork. We rotated the work, so they all had a go at each discipline. I was amazed how keen they all were to get things done. Once they saw the water boiling on our prototype they all wanted one!

1. Woodwork

I made up some templates for the sides and base, and cut them out using a 'jigsaw' power tool. The edges were filed flat. We then cut the frame parts to length and nailed the whole box together around the frame. See drawing WOOD for dimensions. Once the enclosure was assembled we made up the wooden SUPPORT at the base. This had the main purpose of holding the 16mm bar and grill in place. The support was nailed to the underside of the wooden box. To help align the stove with the sun we made a sundial by fixing a nail through the support at the edge parallel to the 16mm bar. By adjusting the stove to eliminate any 'shadow' of the nail it is easy to find the sun's location. See drawing GA for details.

2. Cardboard

Finding enough cardboard for 10 stoves was surprisingly difficult, but the 'Lord provided' just enough. The reflector profile is spherical with a radius of 0.7 m (equal to the square size of the enclosure). This gives an almost parabolic shape with a focal point at 0.35 m from the reflector. We used the 'wine box' principle of interlocking cardboard to create the required shape for the reflector to fit into. Ideally the box should be square (0.7 m x 0.7 m) but as our aluminium was not big enough we had to make it only 0.56 m wide by 0.7 m long. I designed the rib shapes on the computer, but it only takes a bit of Pythagoras to work out each radius. See drawing RIBS and RIBSX for details. Each rib is 0.07 m apart and 11 ribs are required to make the shape (including the two wooden ends). Each rib has a different radius depending on its location. I have designed a GENERIC profile that can be scaled up to any size of stove.

3. Metalwork

The hacksaw, drill and vice came in very handy. The three main items are the BAR, GRILL and PIN. The bar pushes into the wooden base and is located in place with the pin. The grill is fixed to the bar with an M5 x 20 screw with a wing nut and spring washer. This allows the grill to be secure but also adjustable as the sun changes height. The bar and grill were painted silver to reflect more light. See drawing GA for details.

4. Reflector

Once all the parts have been made they can be assembled into the box. The cardboard ribs should just drop in and sit flush with the base. If there are gaps under some of the ribs then it is probably because the slots in the ribs are not deep enough. Fitting the reflector is the final thing to do. We marked the reflector on 15 degree angles and then cut through with a very sharp knife leaving an area in the middle uncut. Take care of your fingers, we only had one accident! See REFLECTOR drawing for details. We then placed the reflector on top of the box and ribs and cut the edges to length. The reflector was then taped down around the edges, which produced an accurate focal point. We used shiny aluminium foil to tape the reflector in place. We found that the best method was to tape alternate edges first. This enabled us to push the other segments firmly on top of the first segments. It is worth spending time in getting each segment just right as this affects the focusing.

Maintenance and caring for your solar stove

When not in use, keep the stove in the dry. To store the unit in winter, remove the grill and grill support and turn upside down.

A dirty reflector will slow down the cooking times. Clean the reflector with a dry cloth or 'alcohol' if available.

Cooking tips

Black pots work a lot better than silver pots. The pot needs to absorb as much light as possible and silver tends to reflect the light. Dull or 'matt' finishes absorb more light than 'shiny' surfaces.

Pots with close fitting lids keep the heat in and help the cooking process. Placing the stove in a sheltered area stops the wind from cooling the outside of the pot .

For Solar Cooking News Updates, please click here .

Solar Electricity

2009-04-30T12:12:00.003+07:00

Generate cheap, green electricity from sunlight

Solar electricity systems capture the sun's energy using photovoltaic (PV) cells. The cells convert the sunlight into electricity, which can be used to run household appliances and lighting.

PV cells don't need direct sunlgiht to work - you can still generate some electricity on a cloudy day.

How do photovoltaic (PV) cells work?
The benefits of solar electricity
Is solar electricity suitable for my home?
Costs, savings and maintenance
Find out more

How do photovoltaic (PV) cells work?

PV cells are panels you can attach to your roof or walls. Each cell is made from one or two layers of semiconducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers. The stronger the sunshine, the more electricity is produced.

PV cells come in a variety of shapes and colours, from grey "solar tiles" that look like roof tiles to panels and transparent cells that you can use on conservatories and glass.

The strength of a PV cell is measured in kilowatt peak (kWp) - that's the amount of energy the cell generates in full sunlight.

The benefits of solar electricity

Cut your carbon footprint: solar electricity is green, renewables energy ans doesn't release any harmful carbon dioxide or other pollutants. A typical home PV system could save around 1.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year - that's almost 30 tonnes over its lifetime.

Cut your electricity bills: sunlight is free, so once you've paid for the initial installation your electricity costs will be greatly reduced. A typical home PV system can produce 50% of the electricity a household uses in a year.

Sell electricity back to the Grid: if your system is producing more electricity than you need, or when you can't use it, someone else can use it - and you could make a bit of money. Read more about selling electricity.

Store electricity for a cloudy day: if your home isn't connected to the national grid you can store excess electricity in batteries to use when you need it.

Is solar electricity suitable for my home?

Solar panels are not light and your roof must be strong enough

To tell if solar electricity is right for you, there are a few key questions to consider:

Do you have a sunny place to put it? You'll need a roof or wall that faces within 90 degrees of south, and isn't overshadowed by trees or buildings. If the surface is in shadow for parts of the day, your system will generate less energy.

Is your roof strong enough? Solar panels are not light and the roof must be strong enough to take their weight, especially if the panel is placed on top of existing tiles. If in doubt, ask a construction expert or an installer.

Do you need planning permission? In England and Scotland, you don't need planning permission for most home solar electricity systems, as long as they're below a certain size - but you will if your home is a listed building, or is in a conservation area or World Heritage Site.

In Wales and Northern Ireland, you still need to get planning permission before installing a solar electricity system - though the legislation may soon change. To find out how to apply for permission, contact you local authority.

In Asia, especially in Indonesia, you still need to get planning permission from local goverment and PLN as goverment electric producer. But, I think it's no problem to install it without any planning permission for most home solar electricity systems.

Cost, savings and maintenance

Costs for installing a solar electricity system vary a lot - an average system costs between £8,000 and £20,000, depending on its size and type.

In general:
the more electricity the system can generate, the more it costs but the more it could save
solar tiles cost more than conventional panels
panels built into a roof are more expensive than those that sit on top but,
if you need major roof repairs, PV tiles can offset the cost if roof tiles

Savings can be considerable - up to 1.2 tonnes of CO2 a year, and around £250 off your electricity bill*. A 2.5 kWp system could provide around half of a household's yearly electricity needs.

Maintenance is generally small - you'll need to keep the panels relatively clean and make sure trees don't begin to overshadow them.

Find out more

What's suitable for your home?
To find renewable technologies to suit your home, try the Energy Saving Trust energy selector tool - coming soon

Generate Your Own Energy

2009-04-30T12:06:00.004+07:00

Renewable energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, and biomass heaters are becoming increasingly popular.

These are effective alternatives to fossil fuels and will help you to meet your own energy requirements and reduce your home's carbon dioxide emissions.

How To Achieve Energy Saving???

2009-04-29T12:00:00.006+07:00

30% savings are available through existing EE solutions, but to really understand where these opportunities are, let’s understand first the main differences between Passive and Active EE.

Passive EE is regarded as the installation of countermeasures against thermal losses, the use of low consumption equipment and so forth. Active Energy Efficiency is defined as effecting permanent change through measurement, monitoring and control of energy usage. It is vital, but insufficient, to make use of energy saving equipment and devices such as low energy lighting. Without proper control, these measures often merely militate against energy losses rather than make a real reduction in energy consumed and in the way it is used.

Everything that consumes power – from direct electricity consumption through lighting, heating and most significantly electric motors, but also in HVAC control, boiler control and so forth – must be addressed actively if sustained gains are to be made. This includes changing the culture and mindsets of groups of individuals, resulting in behavioural shifts at work and at home, but clearly, this need is reduced by greater use of technical controls.
- 10 to 15% savings are achievable through passive EE measures such as installing low consumption devices, insulating building, etc.
- 5 to 15% can be achieved through such as optimizing usage of installation and devices, turn off devices when not needed, regulating motors or heating at the optimized level…
- Up to 40% of the potential savings for a motor system are realized by the Drive & Automation
- Up to 30% of the potential for savings in a building lighting system can be realized via the lighting control system
- And a further 2 to 8% can also be achieved through active EE measures such as putting in place a permanent monitoring and improvement program

But savings can be lost quickly if there is:
- Unplanned, unmanaged shutdowns of equipment and processes
- Lack of automation and regulation (motors, heating)
- No continuity of behaviors

Energy Efficiency is not different form other disciplines and we take a very rational approach to it, very similar to the 6Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) approach.

As always, the first thing that we need to do is to measure in order to understand where are the main consumptions, what is the consumption pattern, etc. This initial measurement, together with some benchmarking information, will allow us see howgood or bad we are doing, to define the main improvement axis and an estimation of what can be expected in terms of gains. We can not improve what we can not measure.

Then, we need to fix the basics or what is called passive EE. Change old enduse devices by Low consumption ones (bulbs, motors, etc), Improve the Insulation of your installations, and assure power quality reliability in order to be able to work in a stable environment where the gains are going to sustainable over time. After that, we are ready to enter into the automation phase or Active Energy efficiency. As already highlighted, everything that consumes power must be addressed actively if sustained gains are to be made.

Active Energy Efficiency can be achieved not only when energy saving devices and equipment are installed, but with all kind of end-use devices. It is this aspect of control that is critical to achieving the maximum efficiency. As an example, consider a low consumption bulb that is left on in an empty room. All that is achieved is that less energy is wasted compared to using an ordinary bulb, but energy is still wasted!

Responsible equipment manufacturers are continually developing more efficient products. However, while for the most part the efficiency of the equipment is a fair representation of its energy saving potential - say, in the example of a domestic washing machine or refrigerator - it is not always the case in industrial and commercial equipment. In many cases the overall energy performance of the system is what really counts. Put simply, if an energy saving device is left permanently on stand-by it can be less efficient than a higher consuming device that is always switched off when not in use.

Summarizing, managing energy is the key to maximizing its usefulness and economizing on its waste. While there are increasing numbers of products that are now more energy efficient than their predecessors, controlling switching or reducing settings of variables such as temperature or speed, makes the greatest impact.

How Can Recycling Save Energy?

2009-04-21T19:44:00.002+07:00

This one was one of many kind ways to save energy. Recycling means to use something again. Newspapers can be used to make new newspapers. Aluminum cans can be used to make new aluminum cans. Glass jars can be used to make new glass jars. Recycling often saves energy and natural resources through conservation.

It almost always takes less energy to make a product from recycled materials than it does to make it from new materials. Using recycled aluminum scrap to make new aluminum cans, for example, uses 95 percent less energy than making aluminum cans from bauxite ore, the raw material used to make aluminum.

Natural resources are riches provided courtesy of Mother Nature. Natural resources include land, plants, minerals, and water. By using materials more than once, we conserve natural resources. In the case of paper, recycling saves trees and water. Making a ton of paper from recycled stock saves up to 17 trees and uses 50 percent less water.

What Can I Do to Save Energy?

2009-04-21T19:42:00.002+07:00

All of us use energy every day—for transportation, cooking, heating and cooling rooms, manufacturing, lighting, and entertainment. The choices we make about how we use energy—turning machines off when we’re not using them or choosing to buy energy efficient appliances—impact our environment and our lives.

There are many things we can do to use less energy and use it more wisely. Two main ways to save energy are energy conservation and energy efficiency. Many people think these terms mean the same thing, but they are different.

Energy conservation is any behavior that results in the use of less energy. Turning the lights off when you leave the room and recycling aluminum cans are both ways of conserving energy.

Energy efficiency is the use of technology that requires less energy to perform the same function. A compact fluorescent light bulb that uses less energy than an incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light is an example of energy efficiency. The decision to replace an incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent is an example of energy conservation.

ENERGY SAVINGS IS ATTITUDE!!!

2009-04-21T19:25:00.002+07:00

ENERGY SAVINGS IS ATTITUDE!!!

Basically, saving the energies is depending to our attitudes. While there are a number of factors influencing the attitudes and opinions towards energy savings – most notably the increasing cost of energy and a rising social conscience – it is likely to be legislative drivers that have the greatest impact on changing behaviors and practices. Respective governments internationally are introducing energy saving targets and effecting regulations to ensure they are met. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global target set at the Earth Summit in Kyoto in 1997 and finally ratified by 169 countries in December 2006 enabling the Agreement’s enactment in February 2005.

Under the Kyoto Protocol industrialized countries have agreed to reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2% by 2008-2012 compared to the year 1990 (however, compared to the emissions levels expected by 2012 prior to the Protocol, this limitation represents a 29% cut). The target in Europe is an 8% reduction overall with a target for CO2 emissions to fall by 20% by 2020.

Of the six greenhouse gases listed by Kyoto, one of the most significant by volume of emissions is carbon dioxide (CO2) and it is gas that is mainly emitted as a result of electricity generation and use, as well as direct thermal losses in, for example, heating.

Up to 50% of CO2 emissions attributable to residential and commercial buildings is from electricity consumption. Moreover, as domestic appliances, computers and entertainment systems proliferate; and other equipment such as air conditioning and ventilation systems increase in use, electricity consumption is rising at a higher rate than other energy usage.

The ability to meet targets by simply persuading people to act differently or deploy new energy saving or energy efficient technology is unlikely to succeed. Just considering construction and the built environment, new construction is far less than 2% of existing stock. If newly constructed buildings perform exactly as existing stock the result by 2020 will be an increase in electricity consumption of 22%. On the other hand, if all new construction has energy consumption of 50% less than existing stock, the result is still an increase of 18%.

In order to reach a fall in consumption of 20% by 2020 the following has to happen:

- All new buildings constructed to consume 50% less energy

- 1 in 10 existing buildings reduce consumption by 30% each year

Significantly, by 2020 in most countries 80% of all buildings will have already been built. The refurbishment of existing building stock and improving energy management is vital in meeting emission reduction targets. Given that in the west, most buildings have already undergone thermal insulation upgrades such as cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and glazing, the only potential for further savings is by reducing the amount of energy consumed. Action on existing built environment will almost certainly become compulsory to meet targets fixed for the coming years.

As a result, governments are applying pressures to meet the ambitious targets. It is almost certain that ever more demanding regulations will be enforced to address all energy uses, including existing buildings and, naturally, industry. At the same time energy prices are rising as natural resources become exhausted and the electrical infrastructure in some countries struggles to cope with increasing demand.

Technology exists to help tackle energy efficiency on many levels from reducing electrical consumption to controlling other energy sources more efficiently. Strong regulatory measures may be required to ensure these technologies are adopted quickly enough to impact on the 2020 targets.

The most important ingredient however, lies with the ability of those in control of industry, business and government to concentrate their hearts and minds on making energy efficiency a critical target. Otherwise, it might not be just the Kyoto targets on which the lights go out.

The message to heed is that if those empowered to save energy don’t do so willingly now, they will be compelled under legal threat to do so in the future.

All sectors are concerned and regulations impact not only new construction and installation but as well the existing buildings in industrial or infrastructure environment.

In parallel Standardization work has started with a lot of new standards being issued or in progress.

In building all energy use are concerned:

- Lighting

- Ventilation

- Heating

- Cooling and AC

For industries as well as commercial companies Energy Management Systems standards (in Iine with the well known ISO 9001 for quality and ISO 14001 for environment) are under process in Standardization Bodies. Energy Efficiency Services standards are as well at work.

So you still not want to save our earth by savings the energy?

SOCIAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO ENERGY USE

2009-04-18T10:34:00.002+07:00

Beside environmental problems associated with large-scale use of fossil and nuclear fuels and the problems with sustainability there are also social problems arising from present trends of energy utilization.

Political and economic problems

In the earlier stages of the industrial revolution, fuel sources were local and widely distributed. Industrial activity tended to grow in areas where local sources of coal were available. As the transport associated with industrialization spread and developed, fuels began to be transported from more and more distant places. Now, with the most accessible sources of oil and gas depleted, fuels are transported around the world from small number of major producing areas. The result is that the major industrial nations have become dependent upon supplies from those producing nations, in particular oil from the Middle East, and are highly vulnerable to disruption of these supplies. This vulnerability and dependence has been a major factor shaping world politics. A series of major economic and political crises has resulted from Sues crisis in 1956 to the 1970s, oil crisis to the Gulf war in early 1990s. Since the producing nations are generally weak militarily and the consuming nations are generally stronger, latter are under pressure to dominate the former economically, politically and if necessary, militarily to maintain access to oil (most important fuel today).

Oil price depends on political situation and each conflict in oil sensitive region leads to higher energy prices. World economy is thus shaped with such conflicts.

VULNERABILITY DUE TO CENTRALIZATION

A related aspect of vulnerability in the present form of industrialization is the centralized nature of fuel production and distribution. Electricity is generated in relatively few, very large power stations, and distributed through the country. Oil is imported in giant tankers, and converted to fuel in large refineries for further distribution. Concerns have been expressed that these large, vital installations offer potential target for terrorists or military opponents. As has been seen in recent years in the Middle East (Gulf War), the result can be massive ecological damage as well as economic devastation. The normal response to such vulnerability is to put greater resources into security and to increased level of protection. High level of centralisation leads also to problems with employment. Decentralized energy production and utilization which is the case of renewable energy sources can create much more new jobs than centralized fossil fuel installations.

MILITARY DANGERS FROM NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION

Nuclear weapon proliferation is one of the biggest threat to the world peace today with several countries already in or trying to be a member of “nuclear club”. In developed countries nuclear electricity industries grew out of nuclear weapons development. The earliest nuclear reactors were built to produce material for nuclear bombs. There has always been a close connection between the two terms of the technology used, so that military spending on research and development for nuclear weapons technology has in effect been a major subsidy for civilian nuclear electricity industries. Nuclear fuel is not directly useful for nuclear weapons. Much further processing is needed. However, for a country wishing to develop nuclear weapons without publicly revealing the fact, an obvious approach would seem to be combine weapons development with a nuclear electricity generation industry.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ENERGY USE

2009-04-18T10:18:00.006+07:00

Most important environmental impacts caused by energy sources are global climate change and acid rain – both of which have the origin in the combustion of fossil fuels and lead to global or trans boundary effects.

CLIMATE CHANGE
During the last few decades, concern has been growing internationally that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will change our climate in ways detrimental to our social and economic well-being. Climate change or global warming means a gradual increase in the global average air temperature at the earth’s surface. Abundant data demonstrate that global climate has warmed during the past 150 years. The majority of scientists now believe that global warming is taking place, at a rate of around 0,3 deg. C per decade, and that it is caused by increases in the concentration of so-called “greenhouse gases” in the atmosphere. The most important single component of these greenhouse gas emissions is carbon dioxide (CO2). The major source of emissions of CO2 are power plants, automobiles, and industry. Combustion of fossil fuels contributes around 80 percent to total world-wide anthropogenic CO2 emissions.

Another source is global deforestation. Trees remove carbon dioxide from the air as they grow. When they are cut and burned that CO2 is released back into the atmosphere. Massive deforestation around the globe is releasing large amounts of CO2 and decreasing the forests’ ability to take CO2 from the atmosphere. The second major greenhouse gas is methane (CH4). It is a minor by-product of burning coal, and also comes from venting of natural gas (which is nearly pure methane). Different fossil fuels produce different amounts of CO2 per unit of energy released. Coal is largely carbon, and so most of its combustion products are CO2. Natural gas, which is methane, produces water as well as CO2 when it is burned, and so emits less CO2 per unit of energy than coal. Oil falls somewhere between gas and coal in terms of CO2 emissions, as it is made up of a mixture of hydrocarbons. The amount of CO2 produced per unit of energy from coal, oil and gas is in the approximate proportion of 2 to 1,5 to 1. This is one of the reasons why there is a move towards greater use of natural gas instead of coal or oil in power stations, despite the much greater abundance of coal.

HOW GLOBAL WARMING WORKS

The earth’s atmosphere is made up of several gases, which act as a “greenhouse”, trapping the sun’s rays as they are reflected from the earth’s surface. Without this mechanism, the earth would be too cold to sustain life as we know it. Since the industrial revolution, humans have been adding huge quantities of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. More greenhouse gases means that more heat is trapped, which causes global warming. By burning coal, oil and natural gas increases atmospheric concentrations of these gases. Over the past century, increases in industry, transportation, and electricity production have increased gas concentrations in the atmosphere faster than natural processes can remove them leading to human-caused warming of the globe.

THE EVIDENCE
Recently, alarming events that are consistent with scientific predictions about the effects of climate change have become more and more commonplace. The global average temperature has increased by about 0.5 deg. C and sea level has risen by about 30 centimeters in the past century. 1998 was the hottest year since accurate records began in the 1840s, and ten of the hottest years have occurred during the last 15 years.

Official confirmation of global climate change came in 1995, when the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an officially appointed international panel of over 2,500 of the world’s leading scientific experts, found that “… the balance of the evidence suggests a human influence on the global climate.” It has been concluded that the temperature on this planet during this century has steadily risen with the higher concentration of carbon dioxide, at a rate in accordance with theoretical prediction and that this is an effect which would continue to raise the temperature for another 75 years even if carbon dioxide emission was stopped today.

The following are events which consistent with scientists predictions of the effects of global warming. The past two decades have witnessed a stream of new heat and precipitation records. Glaciers are melting around the world. There has been a 50 percent reduction in glacier ice in the European Alps since 1900. Alaska’s Columbia Glacier has retreated more than 12 kilometers in the last 16 years while temperatures there have increased. A huge section of an Antarctic ice shelf broke off. Some scientists think this may be the beginning of the end for the Larsen B ice shelf, which is about the size of Connecticut. Severe floods like the devastating Midwestern floods of 1993 and 1997 are becoming more common. Infectious diseases are moving into new areas. Corresponding with global warming, sea levels have risen, and climatic zones are shifting. All these changes exemplify the environmental impact of global climate change. Global warming and climate change pose a serious threat to the survival of many species and to the well-being of people around the world.

FUTURE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
The IPCC estimates that air temperatures will increase by another 1-3,5 deg. C, and sea levels may rise by up to 1 meter over the next 100 years. Changes of this magnitude will affect many aspects of our lives. Here are some of them :

Seas level will rise. Rising sea level will erode beaches and coastal wetlands destroying essential habitat and leaving coastal areas more prone to flooding. Just a 50 centimeters sea level rise would double the global population at risk from storm surges.
Food crop yields will be affected. A warmer climate will increase irrigation demands and the range of certain pests, but it will also extend the growing season for some areas. While some countries will find their food production increases with a warmer climate, the poorest countries that are already subject to hunger are likely to suffer significant decreases in food production.
More people will die from heat stress. Severe heat waves like the one that killed hundreds of people in Chicago in 1995 will become more frequent. Children and the elderly are most vulnerable to heat stress.
Tropical diseases will spread. Infectious diseases such as Malaria, Dengue fever, encephalitis, and cholera that are spread by mosquitoes and other disease-carrying organisms which thrive in warmer climates will be able to advance into new areas. This will lead to more incidents like malaria outbreaks in New Jersey and Dengue fever in Texas.

The water cycle will be disrupted. As the water cycle intensifies, some areas will experience more severe droughts, while others will have increased flooding. This variability will stress areas that are already prone to water quality and quantity problems.
Endangered species will suffer. Some of the most vulnerable plants, animals, and ecosystems will suffer major changes. Ten species at high risk from global warming are: Giant Panda, Polar Bear, Indian Tiger, Reindeer, Beluga Whale, Rockhopper Penguin, Snow Finch, Harlequin Frog, Monarch Butterfly, and Grizzly Bear.
Coral reefs will be harmed. Overheating of ocean waters, as a result of global warming, can lead to coral bleaching, which is a breakdown of the complex biological systems that corals have evolved in order to survive.

ACID RAIN
Another side effect of fossil fuels combustion and resulting emissions of pollutants is acid rain (or acid deposition). In the process of burning fossil fuels some of gases, in particular sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are created. Although natural sources of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides do exist, more than 90% of the sulfur and 95% of the nitrogen emissions occurring in North America and Europe are of human origin. Once released into the atmosphere, they can be converted chemically into such secondary pollutants as nitric acid and sulfuric acid, both of which dissolve easily in water. The result is that any rain which follows is slightly acidic. The acidic water droplets can be carried long distances by prevailing winds, returning to Earth as acid rain, snow, or fog.

Natural factors such as volcanoes, swamps and decaying plant life all produce sulphur dioxide, one of the contributing gases to acid rain. These natural occurrences form some kind of acid rain. There are also some cases where acid rain may be produced naturally, which is also bad for the environment but occurs in much lower amounts and quantities than that of those found in urban areas. Between the 1950’s and the 1970’s the rain over Europe increased in acidity by approximately ten times. In the 1980’s however, acidity levels decreased, but although many countries have started to do something about pollution that causes acid rain, the problem is not going away.

Acid rain is often phrased as “acid precipitation”. On the pH scale, rain usually measures 5.6. Anything below this measurement is said to be acidified rainfall. The chemical equation for acid rain is as follows:

Acid rain =
SO2 (Sulfur dioxide) + NO (Nitrogen Oxide) + H2O (Water)

Water solutions vary in their degree of acidity. If pure water is defined as neutral, baking soda solutions are basic (alkaline) and household ammonia is very basic (very alkaline). On the other side of this scale there are ascending degrees of acidity; milk is slightly acidic, tomato juice is slightly more acidic, vinegar, lemon juice is still more acidic, and battery acid is extremely acidic. If there were no pollution at all, normal rainwater would fall on the acid side of this scale, not the alkaline side. Normal rainwater is less acidic than tomato juice, but more acidic than milk. What pollution does is cause the acidity of rain to increase. In some areas of the world, rain can be as acidic as vinegar or lemon juice.

This acid rain can cause damage to plant life, in some cases seriously affecting the growth of forests, and can erode buildings and corrode metal objects. The primary component involved in corrosion is acid rain. It is estimated that the damage to metal buildings alone amounts to about 2 billion dollars yearly. The highest emissions of sulphur come from those sectors, which use the most energy and the highest sulphur-content fuels, that is solid fuels and high sulfur heavy fuel oil. Solid fuels are the most polluting fossil fuels locally and globally. These fuels range from hard coals to soft brown coals and lignite's, which have high proportion of combustion waste and pollutants such as sulfur, heavy metals, moisture and ash content.

One of the major problems with acid rain is that it gets carried from a mass acid rain producing area to areas that are usually not as badly affected. Tall chimneys that are built to ensure that the pollution that is produced by factories is taken away from nearby cities, puts the pollution into the atmosphere. When these particles get picked up by the moisture in the air, they form acids. As a result they become a part of the clouds. Then these clouds get carried off by wind, which means that when the rain falls it may be a long distance away from where the acidic particles were picked up from. An example of this would be Central and Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Sweden suffer from acid rain because of huge sulphur emissions from Eastern European power plants with low emission standards and because of wind blowing the particles over to their country.

DAMAGE TO TREES AND SOIL

When acid rain falls, it can effect forests as well as lakes and rivers. In many countries around the world, trees are suffering greatly because of the results of acid rain. A lot of trees are losing their leaves and thinning at the top. Some trees are affected so severely that they are dying. To grow, trees need healthy soil to develop in. Acid rain is absorbed into the soil making it virtually impossible for these trees to survive. As a result of this, trees are more susceptible to viruses, fungi and insect pests and they are not able to fight them and they then die.

DESTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS
Acid rain can have a severe effect on buildings. Materials such as stone, stained glass, paintings and other objects can be damaged or even destroyed. It slowly, but gradually, eats away at the material until there is virtually nothing left. Building materials crumble away, metals are corroded, the color in paint is spoiled, leather is weakened and crusts form on the surface of glass. In certain parts of the world many famous and ancient buildings are been damaged by acid rain. St. Paul’s’ Cathedral in London is having it’s stone work eaten away by acid rain. In Rome the Michelangelo statue of “Marcus Aurelius” has been removed to protect it from air pollution.

ACID RAIN AND LAKES
Acid rain damages soil when it falls onto the ground. It also has a noticeable effect when it falls directly into or is washed into lakes. Most of the animal and plant life in clean lakes and rivers are unable to tolerate acid rain. They can be poisoned by substances that the acid washes out from the surrounding soil into the water. All over the world there are examples of plant life and animal life suffering a lot or even not surviving the effects of acid rain. For example, thousands of lakes in Scandinavia are without any kind of life, whether it be animal or plant. Over the past years they have received a lot of acid rain as a result of the wind blowing the particles into their country form places such as England, Scotland and Eastern Europe. Since the 1930’s and 40’s some Swedish lakes have increased acidic levels in their rain water by up to 1,000 times.

The interactions between living organisms and the chemistry of their aquatic habitats are extremely complex. If the number of one species or group of species changes in response to acidification, then the ecosystem of the entire water body is likely to be affected through the predator-prey relationships of the food web. At first, the effects of acid deposition may be almost imperceptible, but as acidity increases, more and more species of plants and animals decline or disappear. As the water pH approaches 6.0, crustaceans, insects, and some plankton species begin to disappear. As pH approaches 5.0, major changes in the makeup of the plankton community occur, less desirable species of mosses and plankton may begin to invade, and the progressive loss of some fish populations is likely, with the more highly valued species being generally the least tolerant of acidity. Below pH of 5.0, the water is largely devoid of fish, the bottom is covered with undecayed material, and the near shore areas may be dominated by mosses. Terrestrial animals dependent on aquatic ecosystems are also affected. Waterfowl, for example, depend on aquatic organisms for nourishment and nutrients. As these food sources are reduced or eliminated, the quality of habitat declines and the reproductive success of the birds is affected. Both natural vegetation and crops can be affected.

HUMAN HEALTH

We eat food, drink water, and breathe air that has come in contact with acid deposition. Canadian and U.S. studies indicate that there is a link between this pollution and respirator problems in sensitive populations such as children and asthmatics. Acid rain also makes some toxic elements, such as aluminium, copper, and mercury more soluble. Acid deposition can increase the levels of these toxic metals in untreated drinking water supplies. High aluminium concentrations in soil can also prevent the uptake and use of nutrients by plants.

BAD AIR QUALITY

Beside greenhouse gases, SO2 and NOx emissions that cause acid rain, emissions of particulate matter contribute to bad air quality. Fuel combustion is the most important source of anthropogenic nitrogen oxides, while fuel combustion and evaporative emissions from motor vehicles are the main sources of anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Motor vehicles account for a considerable fraction of the total emissions of nitrogen oxides and VOCs in Europe and North America. NOx emissions also contribute to the formation of tropospheric photochemical oxidants. Photochemical oxidants, especially ozone (O3), are among the most important trace gases in the atmosphere. Their distributions show signs of change due to increasing emissions of ozone precursors (nitrogen oxides, or VOCs, methane and carbon monoxide).

According to World Health Organization air quality guidelines for ozone limit values are frequently exceeded in most parts of developed countries. In the lower troposphere, close to the ground, ozone is a strong oxidant that at elevated concentrations is harmful to human health, materials and plants. In the upper troposphere, ozone is an important greenhouse gas and contributes greatly to the oxidation efficiency of the atmosphere.

Smog over city.

There are reported several ozone and other photochemical oxidants effects on human health, materials, and crops. Increased ozone level can cause premature ageing of lungs and other respiratory tract effects like impaired lung function and increased bronchial reactivity. Increased incidence of asthmatic attacks, and respiratory symptoms, have been observed. Ozone contributes to damage to materials such as paint, textile, rubber and plastics. In the case of crops and some sensitive natural types of vegetation or plant species, exposure to ozone will lead leaf to damage and loss of production. Other photochemical oxidants cause a range of acute effects including eye, nose and throat irritation, chest discomfort, cough and headache. As a second consequence of increases in global trace gas emissions, a further decrease is expected to occur of the self-cleansing capacity of the troposphere. This would result in longer atmospheric residence times of trace gases and, consequently, an enhanced greenhouse effect and an increased influx of ozone-depleting trace gases into the stratosphere.

Heavy metals like arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) are also released during fuel combustion. Lead pollution as the result of road traffic emissions have decreased markedly since early 80s due to increased consumption of unleaded gasoline and use of catalysts in cars. Nevertheless this sector remains the main source of lead in atmosphere.
Beside emissions of pollutants there are also some other impacts of fossil fuel combustion on local environment. Here microclimatic impacts like origination of fogs, less sunshine etc. are the results of large amounts of water vapour effluents from cooling towers of power plants.

SEA POLLUTION

Damage caused by the transport of oil is related to the pollution of the seas. Here as the scale of oil production has increased during the twentieth century, the quantity of oil transported around the world, most of it by the sea, has also increased. To cope with this increase, in a highly competitive market, the size of oil tankers has increased to the point where they are by far the largest commercial ships. Even in routine operation, this results in large quantities of oil being released into the seas. The tankers fill up with water as ballast for return journeys. When this is emptied, significant quantities of oil are released as well.

Despite the fact that the transport of oil is generally a safe industry, the scale of it, and the size of tankers, means that when accidents do occur they have a large effect. Although the number of accidents is small in proportion to the number of tanker journeys, thousands of minor incidents involving oil spills from tankers, and oil storage facilities occur annually.
Between 1970 and 1985 there were 186 major oil spills each involving more than 1300 tonnes of oil. In 1989, the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground off Alaska, releasing 39.000 tonnes of oil to form a slick covering 3.000 square kilometres and causing widespread environmental damage. People usually tend to think of the seas as a vast reservoir which can soak up limitless quantities of whatever we put into it. In fact, the scale of pollution from oil is such that clumps of floating oil are now common almost anywhere in the world’s oceans.