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My next door neighbors are from there and recently returned.

There is no where safe in Haiti.

That is the UN at work.

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My friend. The UN does nothing. My neighbors went back for her moms funeral. They had to wait until the day of the funeral to tell friends and then the did it at night because otherwise they would have been robbed.

Your generator wouldn’t be there a day before it was stolen and sold.

The UN is there as a token to say they do something. The armed drug lords are better armed then they are. Children have been raped in front of the soldiers and they do nothing because that is not part of their mandate.

This is the UN that never is talked about. It’s a joke and a farce.

admin answers:

Solar panels currently being manufactured, have a design life of 20+ years.

Home-size wind turbines have a wide range of design lives. The turbine life is influenced by conditions of use — high winds, ice on the blades, etc.

I would recommend that you purchase your home-scale wind turbine from a seller who offers a guarantee to repair or replace the unit if it fails under normal use. A 5-year or 10-year guarantee period would be ideal.

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A hand crank won’t provide very much power. Forget powering your TV or refrigerator.

You may be able to make something work with a 12V generator connected to a stationary bicycle. Use it to charge a battery which will power an inverter to operate your appliances. You’ll be spending plenty of time pedalling, so make sure you have very efficient appliances.

You could supplement battery charging with a small wind charger and photovoltiac panels.

admin answers:

Many people are not using solar energy for their daily need, probably for 3 main reasons:

1. Lack of awareness
2. Cost of installation
3. Breaking off from the grid electricity or Integration to the grid electricity

Until lately, most people are not fully aware of the enormous energy that could be directly tapped from the Sun. It’s still costly to obtain the pvcs for collecting the sun rays to covert to energy and where most areas are connected by grid system, how does a standalone electricity generator blend.

You will find a lot more information in the following website:

www.environbusiness.com/AEEE/solar.html

Cheers

admin answers:

This is a very important question!

I am a big fan of Dr. Jack Edwards from the university of Colorado. In 1997 he wrote a paper titled “Crude Oil and Alternate Energy Production Forecasts for the 21st Century; The End of the Hydrocarbon Era” Jack was an optimist and formerly in charge of Shell’s Research Centre in Houston. I will read some of his key predictions on “Peak Oil”.
Conventional Light Oil – 2025 All Oil – 2035 All Natural Gas – 2035 All Coal – 2040. Conventional Oil Peaks at about 38 Billion Barrels per year globally and tails out at 9 Billion Barrels by 2100. All other energies from fossil fuels face the same basic fate by 2100 as a percentage of Peak (9/38=23.6%) by 2100. The reasons for the decline vary, some are supply based, some are economics based and some are environmental (coal). He estimates that at Peak Oil that Nuclear will be about 5 Billion Barrels Equivalent or roughly 6% of total supply (I believe the actual current figure is about 8%). He shows Nuclear expanding to about 15 Billion Barrels or roughly 16% of total supply by 2100. The interesting fact is that by 2100 we will HAVE to obtain 35 Billion Barrels or about 37% of Energy from Solar, wind and Geothermal. Currently we obtain less than 3% from these sources!
None of Jack’s thinking revolved around such things as “cap and trade” and its chilling effect on the supply curve!If NA is ever going to achieve the substitution of the fossil fuel supplies with the alternatives, we will require that ALL sources of fossil fuels be exploited fully. Otherwise we will neither have the energy nor the economy to reach a 12 fold increase in solar, wind or geothermal let alone the substitution of another 22% of the energy supplied by coal! Theadagee of “it takes money to make money” is true and can be stated as “it takes energy to make energy”.

The Nuclear Industry will be essential in meeting energy demand, however the rush to meet the lofty goals of substitution will require absolutely enormous quantities of Capital and has the potential to create a catastrophic environmental and security quagmire! I am most afraid if the fact that there are environmental approvals (Nuclear) pending in my country, that in my technical opinion, are a catastrophe waiting to happen! Nuclear has a vital role to play, however when these kinds of $$$ are involved, big corruption and big mistakes are also in abundance. When I was in University, I learned that the Geotechnical aspects of Nuclear site selection were paramount in the decision tree. In reality economics are paramount and the Geotechnical safety issues are out 10th out of the top 10 considerations. Politics is the #1 consideration.

I fear for the long term economy of North America. There are going to be very major changes on the horizon, however it is possible to accomplish energy security but at a huge cost. The biggest risks relate to the economic uncertainty that current geopolitical movements such as “global warming” are causing. While these uncertainties exist…Capital will do nothing! This will make the problem deeper and broader, and the economy will continue to suffer.

admin answers:

Browse: Home / Clean Energy / Solar Panels In Cold Climates
Solar Panels In Cold Climates
By Anna on November 26, 2008

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to live in a hot climate in order to benefit from clean renewable energy sources such as solar power. In fact solar panels convert sunlight into electricity more effectively in colder temperatures…………………………..This phenomenon is due to the fact that the colder a material is, the better it will conduct electricity. Therefore, solar panels will produce less electricity in a hot climate than in a cold climate given that the amount of sunlight is equal. It is true that colder climates tend to have less sunlight than hotter climates, but the reduced availability of sunlight is offset by the increased efficiency of solar panels in colder temperature.

A good example of this principle in action is the Photovoltaic Solar Power Plant in Colorado, near Alamosa. It is home to one of the largest photovoltaic solar plants currently operating in the United States.

I hope the above is informative…

admin answers:

Harbor freight has some solar panels for sale, they’re usually less than 50 bucks

admin answers:

I understand your objective Richard, but would sincerely recommend that you re-consider how you should go about achieving it.

I don’t recommend 12v batteries for your project and certainly don’t recommend using anything less than first quality batteries – you can still find them at low prices.

A better storage solution is deep cycle 6volt batteries. The 6v batteries will do a much better job, last longer, allow a deeper discharge and a higher number of re-charge cycles.

You want your batteries to be the same size, type and age to work together best. I use 4- 6v batteries in my RV along with a single solar panel and can stay out in the desert for days without ever having to fire up my generator.

Here’s a link to a great article on the subject:

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Big Business is beginning to look at global warming through eyes blinded by dollar signs. Climate change is replacing tech and bio tech as the major investment theme of the future. Wall Street’s analysts are devising ways to cash in on weather.

Discussions have changed to talk of what a 1-degree rise each year in temperature would do to profits. Global warming is becoming a major market-moving force that represents a generational shift likely to influence how people invest for decades. The world’s biggest financial services firms are investing massive amounts of time and brainpower trying to pinpoint what stocks and sectors will benefit or be hurt by Global warming.

There are at least 74 companies in 18 countries that can profit from changing weather patterns. Global warming will change world economy. There is a company in California which manages the largest pension plan in America that has committed $800 M to invest in clean technology. At this time 90% of global warming is the result of human activity.

Temperatures around the globe could raise 2 to 12 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100. This will result in more intense heat waves, stronger tropical storms and a rise in sea levels that will swamp low-lying cities and farmland. When I was boating through rice fields in India last summer I wondered how these people would survive even a few inches rise in water. Most of the farmers live at sea level.

Corn will be used to create ethanol. If corn is used to provide even 10% of the nation’s automotive needs, it would use 35% of America’s corn crop. Since 25% of all food prices are affected by the cost of corn, we could face a corn vs. Food situation. Farm leftovers can be used to create cellulosic ethanol for fuel. Farm equipment companies should do well because farmers will be rethinking harvesting techniques. They will also retool their machines for the new fuels. Monsanto is working on creating more drought resistant crops.

Energy conversion devices and sun power are becoming buzz words. Windmills. Fuel cells. Solar panels. Several companies are developing types of clean solar panels with the hope of rivalling oil and coal, deemed “dirty” fuels. Eco technology is still too mature to make a lot of money. Solar will only create a tenth of the world’s energy. Technology that makes dirty energy sources like coal and oil cleaner. There will be more money made on the dirty stuff. Nuclear power generators are also on the rise. The new nuclear energy is much cleaner and produces no carbon.

Ethanol, hydrogen, clean diesel, bio diesel fuels hold promise for the future. Hybrid cars are the way of the future. The major car manufacturers are working on increased efficiency. Investing in hybrid vehicles and components and batteries etc will be good investments.

The insurance industry will change incredibly. So many energy and utility companies will all have to face different challenges due to the effects of weather. Suddenly they realize climate and profits are closely related. Investors will start to lean more toward green investments.

I also think security and protection companies might do well because the displacement of people and shortages could result in an increase in crime.

The world’s demand for energy is accelerating as China and India grow. Heavy construction and engineering companies that build power plants will do well. The smart ones will build ecologically sensitive plants will steal market share. They will find ways to make plants more efficient and cleaner. One technology, clean coal, puts devices in smokestacks that pull the carbon out of the exhaust and plow it back into the soil.

After Hurricane Katrina, folks are rethinking the option of coastal real estate. People will develop an aversion to locations on the water and severe-weather-prone areas. People will flee Florida for the Smokey Mountains for example. This covers Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. This is already happening. Also the high insurance premiums for living near the water affect property values.

Small parts and components that go into everything from washers and dryers to fighter jets and elevators could play a gigantic factor in curbing energy use. We already have the technology to reduce the world’s power use by 30% overnight. About 11% of the savings could be achieved with efficient electric motors inside washing machines, conveyor belts and other motors that use half the energy of older technology. Another 11% could be saved in transportation using hybrids. The last 8% can be saved with energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs. Currently businesses that focus on energy efficiency are already becoming more profitable.

The wealthier nations are in better condition to deal with these things. It is the poorer nations that will have serious difficulties. Holland could just disappear. A great deal of landmass will also be lost, which will drive up the cost of real estate everywhere.

That is how America sees the future according to Global Warming. In its usual entrepreneurial way, Americans see the silver lining of this problem as an opportunity for positive change and innovative growth.

admin answers:

Hi Nischal, i’m interested in Alternative Energy. Its not only Solar panels, it can also be wind generators, in India, Solar panels r being used to heat water, but not very efficiently, i’m keen on making small wind generators that will charge car batteries, n when there’s no wind, the batteries will run small appliances like lights n fans, for starters.
About running cars on spirit, first, the process of making spirit should be easy n non-toxic. N second, You need an adequate n constant supply of it to be sure You don’t get stuck when You r away from the spirit refill station.

Let me know if You r interested in doin more research on Alternative n Free Energy, i do have a few sites.
All the best.

admin answers:

No. Air drag is one of the chief components in auto efficiency. What you describe would increase air drag.
As far as the solar part goes most cars have about 12 square feet of surface in the sun when the car is in the sun. 12 square feet can produce 900 watts. In four hours that would be 2700 Watt hours. A gallon of gasoline is about 37,000 Watt hours. What means is is that it is going to take over 100 days to produce the energy of one gallon of gasoline and everything has to be perfect.

I came accross a new, proven and tested home made wind power system and solar power system which eliminates our electricity bills. It was written by a Renewable energy enthusiasts Michael Harvey the diy called Earth4energy. You can get your copy to save energy and help environment while eliminating your power bills. Get it from here:

http://how-to-build-cheap-solar-energy.blogspot.com/

admin answers:

Solar energy is good because it is a renewable resource, we can use it over and over again. Its does not damage the environment. However it can be costly and it can only work during the day.

admin answers:

He doesn’t think that coal is any kind of solution, someone has totally mis quoted him to you. But to your question in the case of Hawaii, why not solar, wind and ocean current generators?

admin answers:

You need an adult to proof-read this…
I saw some grammatical errors. You have good organization, but you need to make sure you have transitions between paragraphs!

admin answers:

They already are, the Honda FCX and Toyota FCHV are both available for lease in some areas. The price for either car is probably prohibitively expensive which is why they’re only for lease, the fuel cell itself is very costly.

Right now, the hydrogen fuel cell is a poor idea for cars for the simple reason that it always requires more energy to separate it from whatever it’s bonded to than you can get back out by utilizing it. There are ways to make it more efficient but it’s still a losing proposition. As an energy storage medium it’s not efficient enough. Until we can use it in a fusion reactor it’s not likely to become our energy source whether it’s reformed from natural gas, made via electrolysis or by catalyzing metals. It’s just more efficient to use the energy directly instead of making the hydrogen and then either burning it or using it in a fuel cell.

Batteries or capacitors are better means of storing electricity and that electricity can be produced using a variety of renewable sources – with smart investment we could change to renewable power generation and electric cars within a few years.

I could be proven wrong of course, Honda is going ahead with it’s plans for the CVX and Toyota is doing the same. I do like the possibility of home charging and you can use the generator to power your home in the event of a power outage, as long as you continue to get natural gas supplied. But natural gas reformed into hydrogen isn’t terribly efficient and still relies on the fossil fuel model with associated problems.

If you use a high-efficiency method like QSI Nano claims to have developed and pair it with solar thermal tech then you may have a winner. This is even more true if the work by the Weizmann Institute proves practical, see http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/04/weizmann-institute-scientists-demonstrate-novel-approach-for-splitting-water-into-hydrogen-and-oxyge.html#comments

admin answers:

No but you should look into solar, I read awhile back that they were working on some type of generator for RV’s and they did come out with some green RV but the price was around $200.000………..

admin answers:

Not only cars and calculators, they are used in a variety of fields. They are used in transportation signalling like light houses, aircraft warning lights and road traffic warning signals. Moreover in remote places where energy supply is unavailable, solar energy is used. It is also used in home appliances like solar cookers and solar water heaters. Solar cells are used in electricity supply. In addition solar batteries can also be used which could store power generated from the sun and discharge the power as needed(through an inverter).

admin answers:

They’re called Amorphous silicon cells. They’re about 7% efficient.

admin answers:

Not unless you can figure out a way to produce a semi-conductor at home. Basically a solar cell (photovoltaic cell) is a couple of layers of silicon P type and N type. Electrons become excited when light quanta penetrates into the P layer. The excited electrons move to the N type and (very oversimplified) create electricity.

I doubt you would have the facilities to create the materials at home.

admin answers:

TV, lights and small appliances, yes. Washer, maybe. Dryer, not likely unless it’s gas – consider a clothesline. Electric range or oven, no. Hot tub, no unless it’s converted to a gas heater.

The raw panels are about $3-8 per watt. So for 6Kw figure about $18k for the panels. The charger/inverter and batteries, figure $2-3k more. Figure about $30k including the installation.

You might also consider a generator. The off-grid houses I’ve seen tend to have them, even if they have batteries too. Add $3k for that.

Do you have a creek? Consider small-scale hydro too.

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What a bunch of crap. It really shows how corrupt our legislators are when they’ll only support the bailout bill if there are some goodies for their own causes. I wonder how many of them actually thought it was a bad idea but decided it was a good way to get what they wanted.

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Solar energy can be produced from solar radiation. Sunlight travels through the upper parts of the earth’s atmosphere. Once this sunlight reaches the surface of the earth, it must be captured so it can be turned into an usable energy source. At the earth’s surface, it is called infrared radiation where it is captured through the aid of photovoltaic or solar cells.Once captured, the sunlight is absorbed into these photovoltaic/solar cells. These photovoltaic/solar cells are then used to convert the sun’s energy into electrical energy. These cells are non-mechanical devices that are made from silicon alloys. Most of the solar collectors resemble black, flat boxes that sit on building rooftops. In the most common design, pipes in the box carry liquids that transfer the heat from the box into the building. This heated liquid then heats the water in a tank or is passed through radiators to heat the air. Below are the common usage of Solar Energy:

Residential

The number of PV installations on buildings connected to the electricity grid has grown in recent years. Government subsidy programs (particularly in Germany and Japan) and green pricing policies of utilities or electricity service providers have stimulated demand. Demand is also driven by the desire of individuals or companies to obtain their electricity from a clean, non-polluting, renewable source. These consumers are usually willing to pay only a small premium for renewable energy. Increasingly, the incentive is an attractive financial return on the investment through the sale of solar electricity at premium feed-in tariff rates.

In solar systems connected to the electricity grid, the PV system supplies electricity to the building, and any daytime excess may be exported to the grid. Batteries are not required because the grid supplies any extra demand. However, to be independent of the grid supply, battery storage is needed to provide power at night.

Holiday or vacation homes without access to the electricity grid can use solar systems more cost-effectively than if the grid was extended to reach the location. Remote homes in sunny locations can obtain reliable electricity to meet basic needs with a simple system comprising of a PV panel, a rechargeable battery to store the energy captured during daylight hours, a regulator (or charge controller), and the necessary wiring and switches. Such systems are often called solar home systems (SHS).

Commercial

On an office building, roof areas can be covered with glass PV modules, which can be semi-transparent to provide shaded light. On a factory or warehouse, large roof areas are the best location for solar modules. If the roof is flat, then arrays can be mounted using techniques that do not breach the weatherproofed roof membrane. Also, skylights can be partially covered with PV.

The vertical walls of office buildings provide several opportunities for PV incorporation, as well as sunshades or balconies incorporating a PV system. Sunshades may have the PV system mounted externally to the building, or have PV cells specially mounted between glass sheets comprising the window.

Industrial

For many years, solar energy has been the power supply choice for industrial applications, especially where power is required at remote locations. Because solar systems are highly reliable and require little maintenance, they are ideal in distant or isolated places.

Solar energy is also frequently used for transportation signaling, such as offshore navigation buoys, lighthouses, aircraft warning light structures, and increasingly in road traffic warning signals. Solar is used to power environmental monitoring equipment and corrosion protection systems for pipelines, well-heads, bridges, and other structures. For larger electrical loads, it can be cost-effective to configure a hybrid power system that links the PV with a small diesel generator.

Remote Applications

Remote buildings, such as schools, community halls, and clinics, can benefit from solar energy. In developing regions, central power plants can provide electricity to homes via a local wired network, or act as a battery charging station where members of the community can bring batteries to be recharged.

PV systems can be used to pump water in remote areas as part of a portable water supply system. Specialized solar water pumps are designed for submersible use or to float on open water. Large-scale desalination plants can also be PV powered using an array of PV modules with battery storage.

PV systems are sometimes best configured with a small diesel generator in order to meet heavy power requirements in off-grid locations. With a small diesel generator, the PV system does not have to be sized to cope with the worst sunlight conditions during the year. The diesel generator can provide back-up power that is minimized during the sunniest part of the year by the PV system. This keeps fuel and maintenance costs low.