solar energy

What is Energy?

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In Layman terms, Energy is the amount of force or power when applied can move one object from one position to another or Energy defines the capacity of a system to do work. Energy exists in everybody whether they are human beings or animals or non living things for eg: Jet, Light, Machines etc..

Energy can have many forms: kinetic, potential, light, sound, gravitational, elastic, electromagnetic or nuclear. According to the law of conservation of energy, any form of energy can be converted into another form and the total energy will remain the same. For eg: a laborer when pushes the pile of bags, his potential energy stored inside him is converted into the kinetic energy from the movement of matter or when you burn the wood it's chemical energy is converted into the heat energy or when you charge your mobile phone the electrical energy is converted into the chemical energy which gets stored inside the battery's molecules.

The many different natural and renewable energy technologies highlighted throughout the website are by no means breakthrough. Many of the renewable energy technologies have been around for years, and as time goes by, are increasing in efficiency.

What are the sources of energy?

Energy are broadly classifies into two main groups: renewable and Non-renewable.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is energy which is generated from natural sources i.e. sun, wind, rain, tides and can be generated again and again as and when required. They are available in plenty and by far most the cleanest sources of energy available on this planet. For eg: Energy that we receive from the sun can be used to generate electricity. Similarly, energy from wind, geothermal, biomass from plants, tides can be used this form of energy to another form.

Here are some of the pros and cons of using renewable sources of energy:-

Pros

The sun, wind, geothermal, ocean energy are available in the abundant quantity and free to use.
The non-renewable sources of energy that we are using are limited and are bound to expire one day.
Renewable sources have low carbon emissions, therefore they are considered as green and environment friendly.
Renewable helps in stimulating the economy and creating job opportunities. The money that is used to build these plants can provide jobs to thousands to lakhs of people.
You don't have to rely on any third country for the supply of renewable sources as in case of non-renewable sources.
Renewable sources can cost less than consuming the local electrical supply. In the long run, the prices of electricity are expected to soar since they are based on the prices of crude oil, so renewable sources can cut your electricity bills.
Various tax incentives in the form of tax waivers, credit deductions are available for individuals and businesses who want to go green.

Cons

It is not easy to set up a plant as the initial costs are quite steep.
Solar energy can be used during the day time and not during night or rainy season.
Geothermal energy which can be used to generate electricity has side effects too. It can bring toxic chemicals beneath the earth surface onto the top and can create environmental changes.
Hydroelectric provide pure form of energy but building dams across the river which is quite expensive can affect natural flow and affect wildlife.
To use wind energy, you have to rely on strong winds therefore you have to choose suitable site to operate them. Also, they can affect bird population as they are quite high.

Non-Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is energy which is taken from the sources that are available on the earth in limited quantity and will vanish fifty-sixty years from now. Non-renewable sources are not environmental friendly and can have serious affect on our health. They are called non-renewable because they can be re-generated within a short span of time. Non-renewable sources exist in the form of fossil fuels, natural gas, oil and coal.

Here are some of the pros and cons of using non-renewable sources of energy:-

Pros

Non-renewable sources are cheap and easy to use. You can easily fill up your car tank and power your motor vehicle.
You can use small amount of nuclear energy to produce large amount of power.
Non-renewable have little or no competition at all. For eg: if you are driving a battery driven car your battery gets discharged then you won't be able to charge it in the middle if the road rather it is easy to find a gas pumping station.
They are considered as cheap when converting from one type of energy to another.

Cons

Non-renewable sources will expire some day and we have to us our endangered resources to create more non-renewable sources of energy.
The speed at which such resources are being utilized can have serious environmental changes.
Non-renewable sources release toxic gases in the air when burnt which are the major cause for global warming.
Since these sources are going to expire soon, prices of these sources are soaring day by day.

Why should we conserve energy?

Energy needs to be conserved to protect our environment from drastic changes, to save the depleting resources for our future generations. The rate at which the energy is being produced and consumed can damage our world in many ways. In other words, it helps us to save the environment. We can reduce those impacts by consuming less energy. The cost of energy is rising every year. It is important for us to realize how energy is useful to us and how can we avoid it getting wasted.

To start saving energy is not a big thing at all. We can start saving the energy from our home itself, just by turning off the lights during day hours, washing clothes in cold water or using public transport instead of using our own vehicle and later can implement these things on much wider scale at society level, then at city level then district level and finally at country level. You might notice a small change in your monthly bills by implementing these changes as they would be getting decreased more and more. With so many alternatives and so many techniques about there, if millions of people like us start doing these things, it will help us to save much more money and also help the environment.

What is Energy?

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Before getting into knowing what are energy sources we must know what energy is. Energy is the ability to do work. Energy helps in powering business, manufacturing and transportation of goods and services. There are many different ways in which the abundance of energy around us can be stored, converted, and amplified for our use.

Energy comes in different forms heat, light, thermal, mechanical, electrical, chemical and nuclear energy. We all use energy for our daily work like when we walk, jump, eat food, drive car, play etc. Energy is stored in different ways and can be transformed from one type to another.

So, the energy sources from which we gain energy are classified broadly into 2 groups namely: Renewable and Non-Renewable (Fossil Fuels)

Renewable Sources

Renewable Sources include solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydropower. Solar energy is the energy that we get from the sun. It is the major source of energy among all the nations. However, there are major drawbacks related to limited production as well as high costs that don't allow people to use it in a wider scale. Solar energy is responsible for growth of plants and indirectly, the existence of all animal life. Wind energy is used in large farm fields where they can use windmills to provide power for the accomplishment of agricultural tasks has contributed to the growth of civilization. This apart from solar is another clean and renewable source of energy. The major drawback is that it can be used only in the coastal regions and can be noisy too. Geothermal energy is the energy stored inside the earth. The center of the earth has temperature about 6000 degrees F. The heat that is stored inside the earth is used to produce steam,

which is then used to drive electrical generators. The main advantage of it is that it does not cause any pollution and no fuel is needed. However, hazardous steams and gases may come out from bottom that may cause harm to mankind. Biomass energy is the enrgy that we get from the organic materials. Biomass is simply the conversion of stored energy in plants into energy that we can use. Thus, burning wood is a method of producing biomass energy. "Bioconversion" uses plant and animal wastes to produce "biofuels" such as methanol, natural gas, and oil. It in turns causes pollution when you burn them but is relatively cheap and freely available. Hydroelectric energy is the use of running of water to generate electricity. To trap this energy a dam is built usually in a river or lake and water is allowed to flow through tunnels in the dam to turn the turbines and thus drive generators. No waste or pollution is caused and power can be generated through out the year but if the dam is built it may cause the flood in the large area and therefore getting the suitable site may be difficult.

Non-Renewable Sources

Non-Renewable Sources include fossil fuels (Coal,Oil and gas) and Nuclear energy. They're called fossil fuels because they were formed over millions and millions of years by the action of heat from the Earth's core and pressure from rock and soil on the remains (or "fossils") of dead plants and animals. Fossil fuels are relatively easy to use to generate energy because they only require a simple direct combustion. However, a problem with fossil fuels is their environmental impact. When used on a larger scale they may deplete from the earth after some years and also cause the great deal of air pollution. Coal is crushed to a fine dust and burnt. Oil and gas can be burnt directly. Although very large amount of electricity can be produced at one place, it has a lot of disadvantages. The major drawback is the pollution which in turn causes greenhouse effect which may lead to global warming. Also, coal fired power stations need huge amount of fuel. With the large drawbacks of fossil fuels, scientists across the world are moving there focus from fossil fuels to Nuclear energy. Nonrenewable energy source is the element uranium, whose atoms we split (through a process called nuclear fission) to create heat and ultimately electricity. Most of the nations have started building nuclear reactors in order to avoid using fossil fuels which contribute to global warming. Some military ships and submarines even have nuclear power plants for engines. Nuclear power produces around 11% of the world's energy needs, and produces huge amounts of energy from small amounts of fuel, without the pollution that you'd get from burning fossil fuels. Nuclear power is reliable and does not produce smoke or waste but if any thing goes wrong, a nuclear accident can be a major disaster.

People all across the globe use these energy sources to generate electricity for homes, business, factories and schools. We use this energy to light bulb, run computer, refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners etc. We use energy to run our cars and trucks. Both the gasoline used in our cars, and the diesel fuel used in our trucks are made from oil. Since, renewable sources are not used on much wider scale and use of Non-renewable sources cause pollution to the environment and may extinct if used in a hazardous manner, so the need of the hour is to conserve these resources and use them in an efficient manner to minimize the wastage and making this planet a better place to live in.

Introduction

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We all have been using sun's energy since years for numerous purposes but only recently we have started using the sun's energy for generating power. About 70% of the light that hit the earth gets reflected back to space and only the remaining 30% light is enough to meet up our needs for years to come. So, solar energy is the energy that we get from the sun. We get enough energy from the sun that it could meet up our power demands, if only we could harness it properly. The energy that is absorbed by the earth is used for drying clothes, used by plants in the process of photosynthesis, taken in by the ocean where the heat creates wind and heat currents and for heating up homes.

How Solar Energy Works?

When we get the solar energy from the sun it gets trapped and stored and can be used in various ways to generate power. Solar energy can be used as direct or indirect, active or passive. Basically there are 2 ways in which we can harness sun's energy:

Solar Thermal: Solar thermal is also known as solar water heating. In this process, solar energy is used directly to generate heat. Solar panels are used to trap the heat from the sun and are used to heat water in the glass panels. Glass panels are painted black so that they absorb maximum energy from the sun, then water is pumped through these pipes. These panels are positioned in such a way to maximize the absorption of heat throughout the day and can help in reducing the electricity bills.
Photoelectric Cells: This method converts the sun's energy into electricity. Photovoltaic cells are most popular form of converting solar energy into electricity. These cells are silicon based pieces of materials that absorb the sun's light. When the sunlight enters the cells, it causes the electrons to move. These electrons move in a certain direction which is known as current. This electricity is in the form of direct current. The electrical output from a single cell is small, therefore individual solar cells are arranged together in a PV module and the modules are grouped together to form an array. This power is then used to charge cells or inverters and this electricity can be used to provide sufficient power for common electrical appliances.

Solar energy is available throughout the world and in many parts of the world it is possible to capture that energy and use it to meet up our growing demands. The main benefit of solar energy is that it doesn't cause any or little pollution, is a free energy source and is available in abundant quantity. If utilized to it's full potential it can help us in overcome our dependence on fossil fuels and also can help us greatly in reducing the global warming.

Solar Power - Energy from the Sun

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Imagine a place, where everything from cars to homes and industries are powered by solar energy. Where the air is pure. Energy costs nothing. Power shortages are history. Man is finally at peace with the environment. Dangerous escalating pollution levels, depleting natural resources and out of control fuel prices, the world is looking to the skies for the solution.

The answer lies in tapping the unlimited, clean, eco-friendly energy of the sun. The sun is the key to the existence of life on the earth. It has been there for billions of years and continuously shooting its solar energy in our direction. The sun continues to warm our planet and we need to find some more efficient ways to harness it's energy to full potential. This energy has to be harnessed by technology in order to be converted into something that is usable by mankind. There are two types of solar technology that can be used to do this, one referred to as passive, the other active. Active solar energy trap light from the sun and then perform some action by producing the current for eg: Solar Panels. Passive solar energy simply trap solar energy for eg: GreenHouse.

As the demand for the fossil fuels grow, the idea to tap energy from the alternative energy sources continue to come, and solar energy in particular. For both the consumer and the environment can and will be life-changing once solar energy is adopted broadly. Today we use solar energy for various purposes from drying clothes, to generate power, to heat up our homes or heat water. The energy that sun generates is helping thousands of people from across the world. The idea to convert the solar energy into electricity is a noble one but the costs involved in installation and maintenance of solar kit are limiting the users from adopting this method. However, nations across the world are giving it a serious thought before it gets too late.

Through harnessing the power of the desert sun and feeding it into a electricity super grid, CO2 emissions could be slashed. Solar panel windows are latest weapon against global warming. Solar power is set for great things in the future and is the answer to all our needs.

Introduction

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Wind energy has been used since several years to power homes, sail boats, pump water from wells or heating and cooling homes and offices. Today with the ever increase in the demand for fossil fuels and with the prices soaring all time high numerous resources have been invested in the wind energy. Today less than 3% of total world energy demands are met by wind energy and in the years to come this figure is going to be much higher.

How Wind turbines Work?

Basically there are two types of turbines: vertical and horizontal. Both of them work in the exactly same way except the difference in their design. The process of producing electricity is the same in both the turbines.

Wind turbines consists of a rotor or blades which converts the wind's energy into mechanical energy (turbine). The energy that moves the wind ("kinetic energy") moves the blades. They(blades) spin a shaft that leads from the hub of the rotor to a generator. The generator turns that rotational energy into electricity which is then stored in batteries or transferred to home power grids or utility companies for use in the usual way. If you place an object like a rotor blade in the path of that wind, the wind will push on it, transferring some of its own energy of motion to the blade. This is how a wind turbine captures energy from the wind. At its essence, generating electricity from the wind is all about transferring energy from one medium to another.

How wind turbines work have to do with the size and shape of the rotors, the location of the turbine, height of the blades. Two or three bladed turbines are most popular now days because of more thrust and less wind resistance. Wind turbines can be made cheaper if more people opt for it. Mass production in case of wind energy will bring down the material and installation cost, which today is not possible for average consumer who needs cheap electricity.

Wind Turbines Impact

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Wind Turbines Impact

Wind energy is a renewable source of energy and offers green solution to ever increasing dependence on fossil fuels. Though it is not used worldwide on a larger scale but still in some countries it currently represents 10% of electric supply. In order to battle with the global warming induced climate change and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels the dependence on wind turbines is going to increase in the years ahead and sight of wind turbines will become more common occurrence.

Impacts

Noise Pollution: A major disadvantage of using wind turbines, is the noise pollution that it creates. Though it is used on a larger scale in some countries and are built in the large farm lands because nobody wants their home close to the wind turbines. Though technology is being developed to increase its efficiency yet it is not able to reduce the noise. Noise pollution also depends on the wind speed, the more the wind speed, the greater the noise pollution.
Affects Wildlife: Few studies have been done to determine the affect of wind turbines on wildlife and the evidence is clear that they pose threat to the lives of birds and bats. The presence of large turbines causes birds to avoid that site. In some areas birds have been found dead where large turbines are located. The installation of such large structures in wild areas after clearing of trees has a negative affect and may result in loss, degradation and fragmentation of habitat.
House Price Reduction: It has been noticed that the prices of houses near the wind farm development are reducued sustainably. The reason being that nobody wants to live near the wind farms having 300 foot blades. It also have a huge visual impact. Noise pollution accompanied by the visual impact has forced the people living in those areas to move outside the city.
Visual Impact: Though many people believe that wind turbines actually look nice but majority of them disagree. Surveys of public opinion show that most people who live near wind developments find them less intrusive once they are operating than they might have feared beforehand. Wind farm developers recognize that visual impact can be a concern for neighboring communities. Most countries with a wind power industry have established rules which exclude certain areas from development, such as national parks or nature reserves.
Impact Radar For Weather Service: Some experts believe that huge wind turbines in a large wind farm development having 300 foot blades are impacting the weather services by sending the signals back to the service station indicating the disturbance in the air. It may also affect the metrological ability to detect storms and high tides.

Facts of Wind Energy

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Wind energy is another form of renewable energy which is available in abundant and is renewable. So, there will always be constant supply of it. The initial cost to set up wind energy is very high and requires huge initial investment, but once it starts working, it is one of the cheapest form of electricity to maintain.

Below are few facts that many of you don't know. So, just have a look at them and see how wind energy can become as the major source of power generation if it is harnessed up to it's potential.

Wind energy is a form of solar energy which is caused by sun's heating of the earth's surface. The use of wind energy is growing rapidly because it is abundant, cheap, clean, widely available and environment friendly.
The wind turbines effectiveness depends on the location where they are placed. Ideally, wind turbines should be located where there are constant flow of wind throughout the year.
U.S, Germany, India, France, U.K, Spain, China, Italy, Denmark and Portugal are the top ten nations where wind turbines are used most efficiently.
Wind energy uses the kinetic energy of the wind and turns into electrical energy. Initial cost are quite steep but in the long run they prove to be much cost effective.
Most of the households across U.S. and U.K. take advantage of wind energy and have installed varied amount of small wind turbines to power their homes and to cut the electricity bills.
In the year 2005 wind energy accounted for less than 1% of the total electricity production in the world. In 2008, it was estimated about 1-2% of the world 's energy supply comes from wind energy source.
Wind energy approximately cost $1 million per megawatt to install and one megawatt of wind energy is enough to light up to 250-300 households.
The earliest known use of wind power is by the Egyptians some 5000 years ago, who used it to sail their boats from shore to shore on the Nile.
Wind turbines are relatively quiet. Improved engineering and appropriate setback from homes mitigates noise issues. At the appropriate setback from homes, a wind turbine makes the sound equivalent of a common kitchen refrigerator.
The opposition usually met from a proposed wind farm development comes down to the "NIMBY" factor (not in my backyard).

Wind Energy Basics

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Winds are caused by uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the roughness of the Earth surface and Earth's rotation. Winds flow patterns are changed by the topography of land, water and plants. Modern wind turbines use this flow of air to generate electricity. Humans use this wind flow for various purposes e.g.: generating electricity, drying clothes, sailing.

Wind energy today is the cleanest and most reliable way to generate electricity. Wind power neither produces any toxic emissions nor any heat-trapping emissions that contribute to global warming.

The fact that wind energy is most widely available, abundant and increasingly cost-competitive energy resources, making it a viable alternative to fossil fuels that harm our health and threaten the environment .

How fast the wind blows, how often and when has an important role to play in power generation costs. Power output of wind turbines increases as the cube of wind speed.

In other words, if the speed of the wind doubles, the production of electricity is increased about eight times. Thus, the winds with the higher speed are less expensive and easier to catch.

The term wind power describes the process by which wind is used to make the mechanical energy or electricity. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy of wind energy into mechanical power.

This mechanical power may be used for certain activities (such as milling of rice or pumping water) or a generator can convert mechanical energy to electrical energy at home, business, schools and other facilities.

How Do Wind Turbines Work?

Most wind turbines turn in the moving air like blades of propeller aircraft and supply power to an electric generator that produces electricity. Wind turbines, rather than working as a fan in your house that uses electricity to generate wind, use wind power to generate electricity.

The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft connected to the generator and produces electricity. Turbine blades are designed in such a way that wind causes them to rotate, which rotates the shaft at low speed, with a gear at the end that itself is connected to small gear on high speed shaft that runs through alternator housing.

The generator produces electricity using the same principle as a generator of your car (depending on the turbine). Magnetic Rotor inside the generator on high speed shaft spins inside loops of copper wire that are wound around an iron core. The rotor creates "electromagnetic induction" as it spins around the inside of the core through the coils, which generates electrical power. The current is regulated and transmission network (or home network system connection), after some changes, so it can use in our homes or sent to a battery bank for storage.

Wind Turbine Types

Modern wind turbines fall into two basic groups; the horizontal-axis variety, like the traditional farm windmills used for pumping water, and the vertical-axis design, like the eggbeater-style Darrieus model, named after its French inventor. Most large modern wind turbines are horizontal-axis turbines.

Wind turbines which are a part of renewable energy has been playing significant role in reducing our dependency on fossil fuels by offering some great solutions to generate electricity, currently represents over 10% of electricity in some countries.

Scientists predict that this percentage will increase in the coming years as more and more countries will allocate part of their budget in increasing their reliance on these renewable energy sources thereby reducing pollution levels and global warming. This is all part of the fight to reduce global warming induced climate change and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

Advantages & Disadvantages Of Wind Energy

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Excessive heating of earth due to burning of fossil fuels have forced people across the globe to generate power through wind. It is being used extensively in areas like USA, Denmark, spain, India and Germany. Like any other source of power generation, wind energy has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of Wind Energy:

Renewable Energy : Wind energy in itself is a renewable energy which means it can be produced again and again since it is available in plenty. It is cleanest form of renewable energy and is currently used many leading developed and developing nations to fulfill their demand for electricity.
Reduces Fossil Fuels Consumption : Dependence on the fossil fuels could be reduced to much extent if it is adopted on the much wider scale by all the countries across the globe. It could be answer to the ever increasing demand for petroleum and gas products.
Less Air and Water Pollution : Wind energy doesn't pollute at all. It is that form of energy that will exist till the time sun exists. It does not destroy the environment or release toxic gases.
Initial Cost : The cost of producing wind energy has come down steadily over the last few years. The main cost is the installation of wind turbines. Moreover the land used to install wind turbines can also be used for agriculture purpose.
Create Many Jobs : Wind energy on the other hand has creates many jobs for the local people. From installation of wind turbines to maintenance of the area where turbines are located, it has created wide range of opportunities for the people.

Disadvantages of Wind Energy:

Noise Disturbances : Though wind energy is non pollution, the turbines may create a lot of noise. This alone is the reason that wind farms are not built near residential areas.
Threat to Wildlife : Due to large scale construction of wind turbines on remote location, it could be a threat to wild life near by.
Wind Can Never Be Predicted : The main disadvantage of wind energy is that wind can never be predicted. In areas where large amount of wind is needed or winds strength is too low to support wind turbine, there solar or geothermal energy could prove to be great alternatives.
Suited To Particular Region : Wind turbines are suited to the coastal regions which receive wind throughout the year to generate power.
Visual Impact : Though many people believe that wind turbines actually look nice but majority of them disagree. People consider wind turbines to have an undesirable experience.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

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Rising sea levels and escalating pollution levels has generated worldwide interest and has given rise to new wind turbines designs. Wind turbines mainly are of two types: vertical axis(VAWT) and horizontal axis(HAWT). HAWT are the most common type of wind turbines built across the world. VAWT is a type of wind turbine which have two or three blades and in which the main rotor shaft runs vertically. They are however less frequently used as they are not as effective as HAWT.

The main difference between the VAWT and HAWT is the position of blades. In HAWT, blades are on the top, spinning in the air and are most commonly seen while in VAWT, generator is mounted at the base of the tower and blades are wrapped around the shaft. The main advantage of VAWT over HAWT is it's insenstivity to wind turbines and therefore can be mounted closer to the ground making it effective for home and residential purpose. Vertical turbines spin on the vertical axis and comes in various shapes sizes and colors. It's movement is similar to a coin spinning on the edge.

Here are some of the advantages of VAWT:

The turbine generator and gearbox can be placed lower to the ground making maintanence easier and lower the construction costs.
The main advantage of VAWT is it does not need to be pointed towards the wind to be effective. In other words, they can be used on the sites with high variable wind direction.
Since VAWT are mounted closer to the ground they are more bird friendly and down not dectroy the wildlife.
VAWT quiet, efficient, economical and perfect for residential energy production, especially in urban environments.

Despite these advantages VAWT's suffer from serious drawbacks. Let's have a look at some of them:

As the VAWT are mounted closer to the ground, less wind speed is available to harness which means less production of electricity.
VAWT are very difficult to erect on towers, which means they are installed on base, such as ground or building.
Another disadvantage of VAWT is the inefficiency of dragging each blade back through the wind.

VAWT's in general prodcues less energy as compare to HAWT mainly due to the additional drag that VAWT have - as they rotate into the wind. Both VAWT and HAWT might differ in their appearance and mode of operation, but they generate electricity by converting the wind energy into electrical energy by using a rotating shaft. In other words, wind turns the blades of the wind turbine around the turbines rotor. That rotor is connected to main shaft which in turn is connected to electric generator, which generates the electricity.

The most popular type of VAWT are: Darrieus Wind Turbine and Savonius Wind Turbine.

Darrieus Wind Turbine

Darrieus Wind Turbine are commonly knowmn as an "Eggbeater" turbine. It was invented by Georges Darrieus in 1931. A Darrieus is a high speed, low torque machine suitable for generating alternating current (AC) electricity. Darrieus generally require manula push therefore some external power source to start turning as the starting torque is very low. Darrieus has two vertically oriented blades revolving around a vertical shaft.

Savonius Wind Turbine

A Savonius vertical-axis wind turbine is a slow rotating, high torque machine with two or more scoops and are used in high-reliability low-efficiency power turbines. Most wind turbines use lift generated by airfoil-shaped blades to drive a rotor, the Savonius uses drag and therefore cannot rotate faster than the approaching wind speed. Savonius vertical axis wind turbine needs to be manually started. The slow speed of Savonius increases cost and produces less efficiency.

Introduction

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Geothermal energy as earlier has been explained is the energy that lies within the earth. It is one of the most renewable source of energy which is never going to extinct and can be found almost anywhere - as far away as remote deep wells or may be closer to your home. Energy inside the earth is never going to deplete and will remain as a source of heat, for millions and millions of years and we can harness that energy that is going to be cheaper and can help us to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and global warming and public health issues that result from their use.

How Geothermal Energy Works?

Our planet, Earth, is covered with the is covered with the thick outer shell called crust, which is made up of many different rock layers and plates whose components keeps on shifting and changing. Under Earth's crust, there is a layer of hot and molten rock called magma. Heat is continually produced there, mostly from the decay of naturally radioactive materials such as uranium and potassium. The amount with in the earth's surface contains 50,000 times more energy than all the oil and natural gas resources in the world. So, due to extreme heat inside the earth these rocks start developing cracks and release energy in the form of water or heat on to the earth's surface. To get that heat, water is pumped down an "injection well". Then it filters through the cracks in the rocks where they are at a high temperature. The water then returns via the "recovery well" under pressure in the form of steam. That steam is captured and is used to drive electric generators.

How much geothermal energy can be useful depends on several factors for eg: location, how hot the water gets, the rocks inside the earth and amount of water pumped into the area. If the rocks are not hot enough or cool down naturally this presents a problem for geothermal power stations.

The areas with the highest underground temperatures are in regions with active or geologically young volcanoes and these hot spots occur where the crust is thin and can let the heat through. The Pacific Rim, often called the Ring of Fire for its many volcanoes, has many hot spots, including some in Alaska, California, and Oregon. Nevada has hundreds of hot spots, covering much of the northern part of the state. For this reason geothermal power stations can be found in Italy, New Zealand, Iceland, Japan, the Philippines and the United States. These are all areas that contain volcanic rock.

Geothermal Energy

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The benefits of geothermal energy in the form of heating and cooling has been discovered by thousands of people worldwide who swear by the comfort it provides and the simplicity of its operation. Geothermal energy has proven themselves over the decades and several manufacturers and many contractors provide the competition you need to ensure quality installation and service at a fair price.

Geothermal Heating

A Geothermal heat pump is used to harness geothermal energy from inside the earth to heap our homes or to use that heat for industrial purposes. Geothermal heat pumps are built on the same basic premise as regular heat pumps. The difference is that the geothermal type draws heat from the earth instead of from outdoor air. The heat from the earth is considered to be stable and even. In addition to providing heating for your home, this type of energy can also provide air conditioning and in most cases, hot water.

In the winter, this process is reversed. The heat pump extracts heat from the relatively warm ground, usually warmer than the outdoor cold air, and pumps this heat into the conditioned space. This natural form of heating can also help improve humidity control by maintaining about 50% relative indoor humidity, making geothermal heat pumps very helpful in humid climates.

Geothermal Cooling

Geothermal cooling is a process by which shallow ground is utilized within a system to regulate temperature. By creating an earth loop of piping through the area outside your home, under the frost line, you can use this for cooling your home. During the summer you will remove the heat from your home and distribute it back into the earth loop outside your home. In the summer, the heat pump extracts heat from the conditioned space and sends it out to the earth loop to warm the relatively cool ground, or pond. This stable temperature is harnessed, using a geothermal device, to draw heat energy out of a system and thus transfer the cool temperatures into a warmer area.

The concept is a very simple one and has been around for many years. But, the technology we use now has provided us with the ability to use this system of heating and cooling your home efficiently and easily so that you have a virtually maintenance free and very low cost comfort system. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that approximately 50,000 geothermal cooling devices are installed in homes and businesses each year. The components inside the geothermal cooling pump last for roughly 25 years, while the copper or polyethylene loop placed in the ground has a lifespan of 50 years.

The main advantage of geothermal heating and cooling is that it does not use fuel or chemicals to regulate the temperature. Central air conditioning devices use materials that can be harmful to the environment. They also create carbon emissions that pollute the atmosphere. With the average home producing 5,550 tons of emissions each year according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, geothermal cooling is a viable option to cut greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining a comfortable home environment.

Geothermal Power Plant

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The earth's crust is a rich source of energy and fossil fuels are only part of the story. Thermal energy or heat is stored deep inside the earth. To put it in perspective, the heat in the upper ten kilometers of the Earth's crust is 50000 times the energy of all oil and gas reserves in the world!

The word "geothermal" literally means "Earth" plus "heat. Geothermal Resources is the largest source of energy worldwide and used by people for centuries.

This is a renewable resource and can be produced over and over again for years to come since earth has abudant amount of heat energy stored inside it, therefore it will not disrupt the ecological balance of our planet.

Geothermal power plants operating around the world are proof that the heat inside the earth is easily converted to electricity in geologically active areas.

Many municipalities, companies, universities and government agencies in the western United States fetch directly to the hot water from underground reservoirs. For owners of a house or building anywhere in the United States, the emergence of geothermal heat pumps brings the benefits of geothermal energy at their doorstep.

Deep underground there are rivers just like on the surface. They are really hot, as the magma is close to the river or around them, warming the surface of the rock.

Geothermal energy works by drilling holes in the underground river and extraction of groundwater to the surface. Once at the surface this hot water is circulated through pipes over an additional pipe containing a fluid that has a lower boiling point.

This low boiling point means that the steam will be capable of powering turbines to produce electricity. After the couple used to drive turbines, condensed and recycled back into the system.

Recirculation of liquid water means that geothermal energy is a renewable energy source and produce low emissions. Geothermal energy produce few emissions harmful gases as the water contains small quantities of nitric acid, sulfur and other contaminants that causes low pollution.

However, the amount released is less than 1% of carbon emitted or other conventional energy sources.

There are many advantages of geothermal energy. It is pure: geothermal energy plants do not have to burn fuel to produce steam turbines, which will help conserve and reduce consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels, which in turn reduces emissions of greenhouse gases.

Moreover, geothermal plants use less land per megawatt than almost any other kind of energy that does not damage the environment through dams and mining.

Geothermal plants are reliable and can be used 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Because geothermal power plant sits on top of the fuel source, they are less prone to the interventions in the production of electricity due to weather, natural disasters or issues of transport; therefore it is ideal for developing countries.

Advantages & Disadvantages Of Geothermal Energy

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As our reliance on fossil fuels have started to increase, geothermal energy is seen as the new source of power generation by digging out the heat stored inside the earth. Though not used fully due to factors such as location and high costs but in the years to come when fossil fuels would start to diminish, it will turn out to be the cheapest source of power generation. Geothermal energy suffers from its own advantages and disadvantages as described below.

Advantages of Geothermal Energy:

Significant Cost Saving : Geothermal energy generally involves low running costs since it saves 80% costs over fossil fuels and no fuel is used to generate the power.
Reduce Reliance on Fossil Fuels : Dependence on fossil fuels decreases with the increase in the use of geothermal energy. With the sky-rocketing prices of oil, many countries are pushing companies to adopt these clean sources of energy.
Environmental Benefits : Being the renewable source of energy, geothermal energy has helped in reducing global warming and pollution. Moreover, Geothermal systems does not create any pollution as it releases some gases from deep within the earth which are not very harmful to the environment.
Direct Use : Since ancient times, people having been using this source of energy for taking bath, heating homes, preparing food and today this is also used for direct heating of homes and offices.
Job Creation and Economic Benefits : Geothermal energy on the other hand has created many jobs for the local people.

Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy:

Not Widespread Source of Energy : Since, this type of energy is not widely used therefore the unavailability of equipment, staff, infrastructure, training pose hindrance to the installation of geothermal plants across the globe.
High Installation Costs : To get geothermal energy, requires installation of power plants, to get steam from deep within the earth and this require huge one time investment and require to hire a certified installer and skilled staff needs to be recruited and relocated to plant location. Moreover, electricity towers, stations need to set up to move the power from geothermal plant to consumer.
Can Run Out Of Steam : Geothermal sites can run out of steam over a period of time due to drop in temperature or if too much water is injected to cool the rocks and this may result huge loss for the companies which have invested heavily in these plants.
Suited To Particular Region : It is only suitable for regions where temperature below the earth are quite low and can produce steam over a long period of time. For this great research is required which is done by the companies before setting up the plant.
May Release Harmful Gases : Geothermal sites may contain some poisonous gases and they can escape deep within the earth, through the holes drilled by the constructors.

Geothermal Energy Facts

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Geothermal energy is renewable energy source and will continue to produce energy for over several years since it's available in abundant at few selected areas where volcanic activity takes place.

Below are few facts that many of you don't know. So, just have a look at them and see how wind energy can become as the major source of power generation if it is harnessed up to it's potential.

Geothermal energy is the renewable source of energy because energy is produced continuously inside the earth.
Geothermal energy is clean and safe and today supplies less than 10% of world energy.
U.S, Iceland, France, Russia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Mexico, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan and Portugal are the top nations where geothermal power is generated.
Geothermal energy has been in existence of over 100 years (since ancient times) when people used to harness it for taking bath, heating homes, cooking food etc.
The positioning of geothermal power stations is greatly affected by geological activity. Areas with active volcanoes and earthquakes are most suitable to extract geothermal energy.
Geothermal energy can be found in the form of volcanoes, hot springs and geysers.
Basically three types of geothermal plants to extract energy from beneath the earth: Dry steam, Flash steam, and Binary power plant.
In 1904, Italy was the first place to produce geothermal energy and today less than 10,000 MW is produced across the globe in 21 countries through geothermal energy.
Geothermal energy is used for heating homes and offices, generate power, grow plants in greenhouses, under roads and sidewalks to prevent ice formation.
Geothermal energy is one of the greatest sources of energy available on the planet but due the geological reasons, we are not able to harness the energy everywhere.
Today there are more then 40 geothermal plants across USA and by 2050 geothermal energy could produce 10% of the electricity.
Geothermal energy has very low emissions of greenhouse gases and the other gases that are produced during the process of extraction are not harmful to the environment.

Geothermal Energy Cost

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Geothermal energy is the clean energy and has enormous potential in fulfilling the energy needs for some of the countries. Geothermal energy does not produce waste or generate greenhouse gases and is actually free which means it costs nothing. Since it is the heat contained inside the earth and that heat will be produced for long period of time even when non-renewable resources would start to diminish.

However, to harness that energy comes with the price tag, since you need some method to extract that energy from inside the earh. The most common method to extract that energy is through the use of geothermal power plant. The other method which is mostly used by residential households is by the use of underground pipes. The investment costs, mainly in drilling and equipment of the pipes accompanied by the cost of the pump

The main factors which can influence the decision for the use of geothermal energy are geographical exploration to identify a suitable site, development of the site, construction of the power plant, hire skilled professionals who can operate the plant and transfer skilled manpower to those locations. Other factors which also come into the picture are cost to the environment, operation and maintenance.

If you are a residential consumer, the main costs associated with it are labor, fitting of long pipes under the ground. However that cost can soon be recovered within few years with the advantages that it offers in the long term. Homes can have residential solar powered systems that supply both heat and energy, along with a geothermal heating system.

If compared this cost to the installation of heating system that uses fuel or and any other energy source, that cost of installing and maintaining a geothermal heating system may cost more by a significant amount. But, once the system is installed the costs associated with the geothermal heating systems are much less than other heating systems.

Governments of various countries offer incentives and rebates to residential as well as industries to make use of geothermal energy where it is possible to harness that energy. Everyone pays huge bills to heat or cool their homes that has long winters or hot an humid summers. Geothermal energy offers a great solution to high energy bills. With this your dependence on the fossil fuels will be decreased and you will help in making this world pollution free.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

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Below 10 meters from the Earth the temperature remains nearly constant between 50Â° and 60Â°F (10Â°-16Â°C). Like the cave, this ground is warmer than the air above it during the winter and cooler air in summer.

Geothermal heat pumps harness this energy from beneath the earth and take advantage of this resource for heating and cooling of buildings.

Geothermal Heat pumps (sometimes referred to as Geoexchange, water source heat pumps), have been in use since 1940's. Geothermal Heat pumps use the heat below the earth's crust to heat homes and offices during winter rather, than the outdoor air temperature.

As a result, the system can achieve a relatively high yield (300%-600%) during the coldest winter nights, compared with 175%-250% for air-source heat pump to cool days.

During winter, the heat below the earth is used as the medium to heat homes, as heat is removed from the heat exchanger by the heat pump system and it is pumped into the indoor air delivery system.

During summer, the process is reversed as heat pump moves heat into the heat exchanger from the indoor air. Heat extracted by the heat pump can also be used to heat water, providing a source of hot water during summer.

In U.S., many areas experience varying temperature ranging from 45Â°C during summers to Sub-zero cold in winter. Few meters below the surface soil remains relatively constant temperature.

The ground temperature which normally maintains at 45Â°F(7Â°C) to 75Â°F(21Â°C) is warmer than the air above it during the winter and cooler air in summer.

The three main power plant designs which use geothermal as an energy source are: "dry steam", "flash steam", and "binary-cycle" power stations.

How Do They Work?

Geothermal heat pump doesn't create heat by burning fuel. Instead, the collection of the world's natural heat is extracted through a series of number of pipes during winter, called loops, installed below the surface of the ground.

The fluid circulates through the loop and transfer heat to the house. Electrically driven compressor and heat exchanger concentrate the Earth's energy and release it at high temperature inside the home. Channels distribute the heat in different rooms.

In summer, the entire process works in opposite direction. Underground loop draws excess heat from the house and allows it to be absorbed by the Earth.

It cools your homes in the same way as a refrigerator keeps your food cool - drawing heat from the inside, but not blowing cold air.

Traditional heat pumps use more energy than the geothermal heat pumps which draw their energy from below the ground.

Geothermal heat pumps not only save energy and money but also help in reducing air pollution. They are also more efficient in cooling of the house.

Geothermal Disadvantages

The cost of installing the geothermal system can be costly though the additional costs are returned to energy savings during the years 5-10.
The area needed to set up pipes can be quite large and may not be suitable for smaller developments.

Learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of geothermal energy.

Life of the system is about 25 years and 50 + years of internal elements of earth loop. Approximately 40,000 installed geothermal heat pumps in the United States each year.

Geothermal Power Plant

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Geothermal power comes from the slow decay of radioactive minerals such as uranium, which causes the rocks to become magma. Tectonic plate movement causes the movement of magma up from the edges, forming a reservoir in which geothermal steam and hot water can be recovered through wells.
Geothermal energy uses heat to produce steam, which in turn powers a generator to produce electricity.

Geothermal energy is generated deep in the ground, in the form of hot molten rock, or a Magma formed from the collapse of radioactive materials like uranium.

This energy becomes available to us at the borders of tectonic plates, when rubbing together and sliding under the another, casuing the magma to break from the edges and pushed to the Earth's surface forming a geothermal reservoir.

Types of Geothermal Power Plants

There are three types of geothermal steam plants depending on the way the energy is generated:

Dry Steam Power Plant : The first is the dry steam power plant which is used to generate power directly from the steam generated inside the earth.
In this case, we do not need additional heating boilers and boiler fuel, as steam or water vapour fill the wells through rock catcher and directly rotates the turbine, which activates a generator to produce electricity.
This type of power plant is not common since natural hydrothermal reservoirs dry steam are very rare.
Flash Steam Power Plant : The most common type of geothermal power plant, flash steam plants use waters at temperatures greater than 360F.
As this hot water flows up through wells in the ground, it is collected in a flash tank where drop in pressure causes the liquid to boil into steam.
The steam is seperated from the liquid which is then used to run turbines which in turn generate power. The condensed steam is returned to the reservoir.
Binary Steam Power Plant : This type of plant uses high temperature geothermal water to heat another fluid which has a lower boiling point than water.
This fluid vaporizes to steam, drives the turbines, then condenses to liquid to begin the cycle again.
The water, which never comes into direct contact with the working fluid, is then injected back into the ground to be reheated.
Since the most resources are with lower temperature the binary steam power plants are more common.

History Of Geothermal Energy

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History says that the first use of geothermal energy occurred more than 10,000 years ago in North America by American Paleo-Indians. People used water from hot springs for cooking, bathing and cleaning.

The first industrial use of geothermal energy began near Pisa, Italy in late 18th century. Steam coming from natural vents (and from drilled holes) was used to extract boric acid from the hot pools that are now known as the Larderello fields.

In 1904, Italian scientist Piero Ginori Conti invented the first geothermal electric power plant in which steam was used to generate the power.

With the above experiment, the first geothermal plant in USA started in 1922 with a capacity of 250 kilowatts. It produced little output and due to technical glitch had to be shut down. However, in 1946 first ground-source geothermal heat pump installed at Commonwealth Building in Portland, Oregon

During the 1960's, pacific gas and electric began operation of first large scale geothermal power plant in San Francisco, producing 11 megawatts. Today there are more than 60 geothermal power plants operating in USA at 18 sites across the country.

In 1973, when oil crisis began many countries began looking for renewable energy sources and by 1980's geothermal heat pumps (GHP) started gaining popularity in order to reduce heating and cooling costs.

As effect of climate change started showing results, governments of various countries joined hands to fight against it, for which Kyoto Protocol was signed in Japan in 1997, laid out emission targets for rich countries and required that they transfer funds and technology to developing countries, 184 countries have ratified it.

Geothermal power today supplies less than 1% of the world's energy in 2009 needs but it is expected to supply 10-20% of world's energy requirement by 2050. Geothermal power plants today are operating in about 20 countries which are actively visited by earthquakes and volcanoes.

What is Nuclear Energy?

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Nuclear energy is another non-renewable source that has gained popularity in the last few years. With the depleting resources and high energy demand the world is looking towards the nuclear energy as its source that is created from the nucleus of an atom. Nuclear energy, as the term says, is released from the very nucleus of an atom. This happens as a result of its mass being converted to energy. Even though nuclear power is safer than burning electricity for fossil fuels, it is still a hazard to our health and the environment.

Nuclear power is produced through two different processes: Nuclear Fission and Nuclear Fusion.

Nuclear Fission

Nuclear fission is the process of releasing the atomic energy by splitting the nucleus thus creating two products of roughly half the mass of the original. A nuclear reactor splits the nuclei of uranium atoms, creating large amounts of energy. This process also creates radioactive waste and radiation, which can contaminate the environment. Nuclear fission is the physical process responsible for all types of power generation, including that used in both nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants.

Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear fusion is the energy source of the future. It is what provides the sun and the stars with the energy to shine continuously for billions of years. Nuclear fusion is when multiple atomic particles join together to create a larger atom. Fusion reactors join hydrogen atoms together to form helium atoms, neutrons and other forms of energy. This is the same type of nuclear energy used in hydrogen bombs. Fusion has been used here on earth to produce nuclear bombs, but has not yet been controlled so that we can obtain useful energy. Unlike nuclear fission, there is no limit on the amount of the fusion that can occur.

The Future of Nuclear Power

Nuclear energy is a powerful force. Attempts have been made to find other constructive ways of harnessing it. Nuclear power is an important source of energy in many countries. 442 nuclear reactors are now operating worldwide with a total capacity of 300,000 MW. Two and a half times this number will be added by 2030 and four times as many by 2050, says the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the bastion of the global nuclear community.

Higher oil and gas prices make alternatives such as nuclear power more attractive and are expected to lead to growth in nuclear generating capacity worldwide. Improvements in reactor design enhance safety, increase efficiency, and reduce costs, making nuclear generation an economically attractive source of energy. Many countries, including the UK, have recently affirmed their intention to continue their use of nuclear energy for electricity generation, and although this decision has been condemned by anti-nuclear pressure groups, all the indications are that nuclear power will continue to be an important source of energy for us for a long time to come.

Environmental concerns about the disposal of spent nuclear fuel persist, and countries are addressing those concerns in different ways. The US is developing a disposal facility on government property, but this solution is itself controversial.

What is Biomass Energy?

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Biomass is a renewable energy because it contains the energy which comes from the sun. Biomass is basically an organic material made from plants and animals. Through the process of photosynthesis, chlorophyll present in plants absorbs the energy from the sun by converting the carbon-dioxide present in air and water from the ground in carbohydrates. The chemical energy that is present in plants is passed onto the animals and people that eat them. So, when these plants and animals are burned they turn back into carbon dioxide and water and release the sun's energy they contain. In this way, we can say that biomass is renewable source of energy because we can always produce more crops and plants and waste will always exist. As long as biomass is produced this source of renewable energy will last for ever. Examples of biomass include: plants, crops, trees and garbage.

Biomass in itself contains chemical energy. So, when you burn wood which is a biomass fuel, the chemical energy inside releases as heat. It can also be used to produce steam which can further be used to generate electricity. Using biomass for energy can cut back on waste and can also help in reducing the landfill. With the increase in costs people are trying to turn to more biomass and less fossil fuels

Pros:

Less dependence on fossil fuels
Reduction in landfill disposal
Easily available and inexhaustible fuel source
Has the potential to reduce greenhouse gases. Though it also emit carbon-dioxide, but carbon-dioxide released by it is largely balanced by the carbon dioxide captured in its own growth. Where as carbon-dioxide released by fossil fuels was captured by photosynthesis millions of years ago.

Cons:

Could contribute a great deal to global warming and particulate pollution if directly burned.
An expensive source and research is needed to reduce the cost of production of biomass based fuels.
Biomass conversion projects are limited and therefore on a smaller scale there is more likely a net loss of energy.
Land needed to produce biomass may be in demand for other purposes such as conservation or housing or agriculture use.

Importance of Recycling

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Recycling is important in today's world if we want to leave this planet for our future generations. It is good for the environment, since we are making new products from the old products which are of no use to us. Recycling begins at home. If you are not throwing away any of your old product and instead utilizing it for something new then you are actually recycling. When you think of recycling you should really think about the whole idea; reduce, reuse and recycle. We've been careless up to this point with the way we've treated the Earth and it's time to change; not just the way we do things but the way we think.

We should recycle because:

To Make Environment Clean
Conservation of Materials
To Save Energy
Reduce Garbage in Landfills

Recycling is good for the environment, in the sense, we are using old and waste products which are of no use and then converting them back to same new products. Since we are saving resources and are sending less trash to the landfills, it helps in reducing air and water pollution. Energy saving is important if we are to reduce the future effects of global warming. If we recycle one aluminium can, we are able to save enough energy to run a TV for around 3 hours. This will obviously depend on the energy consumption of your TV, but it gives you a great idea as to just how much energy can be saved during the process of recycling products.

It is believed that (the U.S.) cut approximately 40 million newspapers each day, leading to the equivalent of about half a million trees ending in landfills every week. We've been careless up to this point with the way we've treated the Earth and it's time to change; not just the way we do things but the way we think. Paper, plastic, glass, aluminum cans are examples of some products that are recycled in large quantities.

When you think of recycling you should really think about the whole idea; reduce, reuse and recycle. Think about it; if you don't need it, don't get it. If you have to get it, get something that can be used again and if you get something that needs to be recycled by the professionals, put it in the recycle bin. Conservation is an important part of recycling issue. When you produce less garbage it helps in reducing the landfills and also helps in giving the land back to the nature.

Recycling serve 2 purpose: First, it avoid landfills and helps in reducing air and water pollution and secondly, valuable material like aluminum cans and plastic and glass are reused in other forms and not wasted. Be mindful of what you do, pay attention to the items you buy and always check yourself to see if you really need it or if it comes in a package with less waste. We can all do our part and we will make a huge difference.

What We People Can Do?

There are handful number of things that you could do to save this planet.

Throw away all the garbage in your house that is of no use to you or you think you can't utilize it in some other way. If you don't have these boxes, you can easily purchase a suitable container for each recyclable product (e.g. paper, plastic, and glass), and then take these down to your local recycling centre.

Try to avoid the use of plastic bag and plastic paper as much as possible. They not only pollute the environment but also helps in filling landfills. Also, when you shop try to look out for the products that have least packaging. Every millions of dollars are spent only in packaging of these products which ultimately go to the garbage sites.

Why Should We Recycle

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Several reasons exist as to why we should promote recycling. Recycling helps us to convert our old products into new useful products. In other words, it is good for the environment. Since we are saving resources and are sending less trash to the landfills, it helps in reducing air and water pollution. Listed below are few reasons why we should all recycle old products.

Reduce pollution : The more you recycle old products the less you will require the need of buying new products. As a result there will be energy saving.

Reduction in the harmful gasses will not only help in cleaning the environment but will also clean the air we breathe. The more clean air we breathe the more positive impact it will have on our life.
Reduction in Landfills :Size of the landfills can be significantly reduced if we reduce our daily waste and recycle more. If we don't recycle the product the landfills site will become more common around the city which will certainly affect wildlife and environment. So to reduce it we must recycle as much as we can.
Conservation of materials : All the new products are made from the raw materials which are procured from harvesting the earth's natural resources. for eg: you need wood to make paper and wooden products.

If more trees are cut down to make such products it will affect wildlife and environment in a significant way. This can be reduced if recycle more and more paper and rely less on new products.
Save Energy : When there will be less demand for new products then of course less products will be produced which will help in saving the energy. Conservation of energy is the key element for the fight against climate change.
Save Money : When you will recycle old products and have less dependency on new products the obviously you will end up in saving some money. That money can then be used for some other purposes. When recycling is done on large scale the money saved can have huge impact on your monthly expenditure.

How Paper is Recycled?

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Paper is one the material that can be easily recycled. Recycled paper is paper that was made from paper and paper products that has already been used and recovered. People need to take their time and save the paper products so that they can be recycled. Paper recycling begins with us. We all need to show our interest in recycling to make it successful.

The Paper recycling activity can start at school, college, home, office, local community and even at drop off centers. We all need to understand what products can be recycled before staring the recyling process and how to properly prepare them for the recycling.

If you have a keen interest in knowing how the paper is recycled, you can make a visit to your nearby recycling plant and see how the waste paper undergoes recyling process. Most companies share process and information with people to make them understand better how the recycling process takes place and encourage them to participate in this process.

Paper is collected from the bin and deposited in the large recycling container along with the paper from the other recycle bins. This is the first process in the paper recycling process. Once the paper is collected from the recycle bins it is taken to the recycling plant where the waste paper is sorted and separated into types and grades.

The second process is pulping. In this process large amount of water is addded to the waste paper to produce pulp. Once pulp is produced it is then passed through a series of screens to remove larger pieces of contaminants for eg: inks, staples, plastic film and glue. The clean paper pulp is then placed in the machine that uses centrifugal cleaning to spin more of the debris from the paper pulp.

The paper is the left to dry and is rolled up to be sent to shops. Different materials are then added to the pulp to create different paper products such as cardboard, newsprints or office paper. The bleaching process needs to be done if paper is intended to be white.

The whole recycling process for a newspaper takes around 7 days. Study suggests that paper can be recycled approximately seven times. Each time the paper is recycled, it's length decreases which impacts it's strength. These recycled products always bear recycling logo so you can make sure that you buy environmentally safe techniques. This helps in cleaning the environment and reducing the landfills.

Tire Recycling

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Tires become totally unusable once they are torn and damaged. They then end up in taking up the space in our landfills which affects the environment and also results in climate change. They also become the home ground for mosquitoes and rodents which are responsible for carrying many diseases.

One major risk associated with disposal of tires is pollution of underground water. Many people burn their tires which releases some toxic chemicals into the atmosphere which may affect the health of the people. You must have seen street kids playing with the tires making another perfect recipe for disaster.

The best way to reduce the filling of tires in the landfills is to become involved in tire recycling. One of the major issue in tire recycling is the durability of tires as they are very hard to break down and therefore are seen lying in open space in large heaps.

With the market growing for recyling of tires, many companies are chipping in with the help of grants from the local and state governments and are finding some practical uses of putting that waste into some valuable uses. Recycling of tires involved taking in the old tire and converting them back into other type of products.

It is estimated several millions tires from private as well as commercial vehicles are discarded every year. Earlier only a few percentages of tires were recycled bit with more companies coming in and help given by government bodies, about 80% of tires are recycled which prevents old tires from taking up the space in landfill sites. We, people also need to contribute our effort in making this environment clean so as to make this place a better place to live in for our future generations.

Various recycling methods exist for tire recycling. Tires are being used by number of companies by substituting fuels like wood, coal and natural gas which are consumed in utility boilers. Tires are also being used as fuel at wood and paper mills throughout the nation. Another process involves heating up the tire in a reactor unit under high temperature without oxygen. Once the vapor is formed it is sent to water cooled unit where it is condenses into a liquid fuel forming diesel and other fuel oils

The products that can be made from the old tires include Fuels, shower tiles, carpet padding, rubber roads, speed bumps and several more. The good thing about tire recycling is that it can be recycled again and again though the process is really a intensive one. The benefits include reducing landfills space, releases less toxic chemicals into the air, Prevent the spread of diseases which could occur by piling of the tires in the landfills sites.

Now today with almost every tire can be recycled there is no reason of piling of the tires building up at landfills sites. With new technologies coming in new cost effective methods are being produced to produce new tires from the old ones by reducing the amount of toxic chemicals in the air.