consumerenergy

Is "Twenty in Ten" Possible?

2007-03-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

President George W. Bush, during his State of the Union Address in January of this year, outlined his administrations goals. One of these goals is to cut down the dependency of the United States on foreign oil. He dubbed it the “Twenty in Ten” which is a reduction of twenty percent on gasoline consumption over the next ten years.

In order for this goal to be achieved, the President recently urged legislators to pass bipartisan legislations aimed at making vehicles produced in the United States more fuel efficient. He urged the Congress to pass laws which support the “Twenty in Ten” goal of the administration by the start of the summer season when the prices of gasoline is once again expected to rise.

Aside from urging the Congress to enact laws, the President also showed his dedication to the energy independence goal for the country by visiting facilities where developments are made in the alternative fuel industry. Recently, the president visited a General Motors assembly plant in Fairfax and he also did take time to drop by Ford’s assembly plant in Kansas City where he toured the hybrid vehicle assembly and addressed the workers.

Both the said facilities by the two biggest car manufacturers in the United States are producing hybrid vehicles which are geared towards fuel economy. These facilities are also making good steps forward in the development of green cars like flex fuel vehicles which can run on E85 fuel which is a combination of bio-ethanol and conventional gasoline. The vehicle being produced and developed at these facilities are even more fuel efficient than Volvo cars equipped with Volvo performance chips.

“Twenty in Ten” is divided into two fronts and both of which complement the other. And if both fronts are properly addressed, the goal will be quite possible to achieve. One half of the goal is the demand side or the demand for fuel by vehicles. The demand for foreign oil by vehicles in the United States is aimed to be cut down by lowering the fuel consumption of not only large vehicles but also of smaller cars.

The President urges the Congress to enact laws which will lower the standard fuel consumption of vehicles sold in the United States. The other half of the goals is concerned about the supply side. In this regard, the President proposes a legislation which will increase the amount of mandatory alternative fuels produced in the country. The proposed mandatory fuel production will be increased to 35 billion gallons in the year 2017 - this is nearly five times of the current target.

The country needs to step up its production of domestic fuel to reduce the amount of fuel imported from other countries around the world.

Glady Reign is a 32 year old is a consultant for an automotive firm based in Detroit, Mi. she is a native of the motor city and grew up around cars hence her expertise in the automotive field. You can visit Volvo performance chips, for more information.

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Anadarko sells $860 million in natural gas assets to Exco, sees more sales in first half

2007-02-03T23:14:00.000-08:00

HOUSTON (AP) - Anadarko Petroleum Corp. said Friday it sold natural gas properties to Exco Resources Inc. for $860 million (660.5 million) in cash as part of a plan to reduce debt associated with two major acquisitions last year. continued....

House of Representatives Repeals Many Tax Breaks for "Big Oil"

2007-01-22T19:14:00.000-08:00

By Brian Carr

In a move expected by many, the Democrat controlled House of Representatives passed new legislation which will repeal many of the tax breaks "Big Oil" - companies like Exxon Mobil and Chevron - enjoyed under the last six years of Republican legislative and executive control. In addition to the reduced tax breaks, oil companies will be forced to pay more drilling royalties.

During this past election, many Democrats ran on the platform that "Big Oil" needed to have many of the tax breaks enacted by the Bush Administration revoked - especially considering Americans were coming off of a summer of gas prices well over $3 per gallon while oil companies enjoyed record billion dollar quarterly profits.

In addition to revoking "Big Oil's" favorable tax status, the House's bill will force major oil companies to increase the amount of money they must pay in drilling royalties. These lower drilling royalties were negotiated to help encourage oil drilling throughout the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico.

According to published reports, much of the money "Big Oil" will now have to give up will be earmarked for research and testing of other alternative, renewable fuel and energy sources. Unfortunately, while I'd love to believe the Federal Government would actually put all of this money towards renewable energy sources, I have a feeling much of this money will be misappropriated.

While it remains to be seen how the repealed tax breaks will effect gas prices (I'm sure it won't cause the prices to drop any) it is nice to see elected officials actually doing what they said they would do during their campaigns.

Please visit Daily Fuel Economy Tip for more gas saving tips like this. The better driver you are, the more gas and money you'll save. It's a win/win situation!

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Reducing Dependency on Foreign Oil

2006-12-16T22:22:00.000-08:00

By Gregory J Johnson

Every once in a while we are made aware of an opportunity that
is a Win, Win situation for everyone involved. Such is the case
with something as basic as the oil we put in the crankcase of
every internal combustion engine we own. Think about how many
barrels of the crude stuff we would not have to import if we
replaced it with American made synthetic motor oil. That is just
the icing on the cake. That is just one of the Wins in this
equations. The benefits of using synthetic oil are numerous.

I will explain how we can save money, save time, increase fuel
mileage, decrease wear and tear on the equipment as well as help
the environment just by taking a few simple steps.

Synthetic motor oil saves us money first by increasing the
efficiency of our vehicles by reducing the amount of friction
between the moving parts from 2% to 5%. The energy is
transferred to the wheels where it equates to increased gas
mileage of two or three miles per gallon.

Another money savings is realized in fewer oil changes. Oil
drain intervals, depending on whether you use a blend or fully
synthetic oil, will be increased to between 7,500 miles and
30,000 miles. Considerable savings when looking at this formula.

Synthetic oil saves us time because we are not spending it at
the Quick Lube Shop or the Repair Garage. By reducing friction
and wear on the moving parts the vehicle will last longer. In
many cases for many thousands of miles more.

The environment is a big winner in that engines run cleaner and
the disposal of used oil is much less frequent. As much as 10
times less. If you change oil10 times in 30,000 miles that would
equal on an average sixty quarts or fifteen gallons as compared
to six quarts or one and one half gallons with synthetics.

How is this possible and why haven’t I heard of this before now?
I believe the Oil Companies have done a marvelous job of
maintaining a demand for their inferior product. After all they
are in the business of selling oil.

Chemists have been working on synthetic formulas for over 130
years. For the past 35 years it has been available commercially
with Amsiol “The First in Synthetics,” and has proven itself as
the superior product. By educating the public at the benefits of
using Synthetic Lubricants it will become the standard the same
as Steel Belted Radial Tires have replaced the Bias Tires of
years past.

About the Author:

Greg Johnson is a retired Airline Captain. His jet equipment was
dependent on synthetic lubricants to survive in the extreme
operating environments of our atmosphere. The technology needs
to be the standard in our internal combustion engines. He is an
Amsiol Dealer http://www.FourWindSynthetics.com and the Owner of
http://www.SyntheticOilRevoiution.com Newsletter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregory_J_Johnson

Get Better Gas Mileage Now - Tips, Information To Help You!

2006-12-12T17:58:00.000-08:00

By Ernest R Peterson

Today an increase in gas prices clearly affects each one of us. This in turn has many families tightening their budgets at the increased cost at the gas pump. However one approach to decrease your cost at the pump is to increase your gas mileage. Though this may seem an obvious solution, nevertheless there are a number of ways to improve gas mileage that are easy to do.

One of the best ways of increasing gas mileage is to maintain your vehicle. At all times you must ensure that the tires are properly inflated. You can increase your gas mileage significantly by having the right amount of pressure in your tires. Ensure that when you have your oil changed, that your air filter is checked. Having a clean air filter also affects gas mileage. By checking that you properly maintain your car not only enhances gas mileage, but it also helps prolong the life of your car. With people constantly watching their budgets more strictly, they tend to drive their cars for longer periods of time.

Another way of increasing gas mileage is to keep a watch on your driving habits. There are a number of things that each driver does regularly that can impact gas mileage. Decrease your speed is perhaps the most published tip. By sticking to the speed limit you can to a great extent improve your gas mileage. This also increases your safety and the safety of others on the road. When driving in the city try to avoid rapid acceleration. As rapid acceleration greatly decreases gas mileage. Another tip is excessive breaking also uses more gas. In order to get the most out of each gallon of gas try to avoid doing this. Excessive breaking or riding the break is often a habit that young drivers get into, because of lack of confidence. Have talk with your teenage drive as it pays to discuss this matter.

For those who are in the market for a new car and are concerned about getting the best gas mileage possible, one can consider one of the hybrid cars. There are more models to opt from due to the rise in gas prices. A number of the hybrid models offer extremely good gas mileage. The hybrid car is improving in appearance, availability and performance. The reason behind this is that the high price of gas has pushed many manufactures to increase their production of the hybrid car to give consumers better gas mileage. Due to the increase in the number of hybrid cars produced, there is no longer the waiting list to contend with when purchasing one. In fact a number of car dealers have a number of hybrid models to select from on their showroom floor.

Additionally to changing your driving habits to increase gas mileage, you can also cut down on the number of trips you make with your vehicle. You may want to consider walking or riding a bike if going a short distance. Another good tip is to try to fit in as many errands into one trip as possible so that you will decrease the miles you drive. You will definitely save money at the pump by improving gas mileage by simple changes in your habits.

Ernest R. Peterson provides readers with up-to-date commentaries, articles, and reviews for href="http://www.cars-info-guide.com">cars, href="http://www.cars-directory-guide.com">car accessories as well as other related information.

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Solar Panels and Your Home

2006-11-14T17:56:00.000-08:00

By Richard Chapo

Whether you are going on grid or off grid, solar panels are the foundation of harnessing the power of the sun for heating a home or the water you use.

There are many different ways to supply your home with power. Electric power is the most common of these, with most homes throughout the United States and even the world using this form of power. Other types of power or heating fuel for home use include oil or petroleum, natural gas and even coal and wood. All of these power sources are easy to use and obtain, but are not very eco-friendly. Solar power is a much better choice for green energy, and solar panels can make this type of power a possibility for any house.

Solar power involves using solar panels, which are flat crystal structures that catch sunlight, to convert the sun's energy into electricity and heat. These crystals, which are called photovoltaic cells, are used to convert the sun's rays directly into electricity. PV cells create that electricity because when sunlight strikes the cells, electrons are dislodged – creating electrical current. This electrical current is then conducted via wires, and either used to directly power household appliances, or gets stored in large rechargeable batteries.

Solar panels work because they are large collections of PV cells, lined up and made into flat sheets known as panels. These panels are erected on the top of a home's roof, or occasionally on the side of a hill on the home's property, where ever sunlight hits in the strongest way. Solar panels tend to work best in areas and angles where the greatest amount of sun can be absorbed for the longest part of the day, so if you live in a really shady or generally cloudy area of the world, solar panels may not work for your home.

Some states in the US offer discounts on property taxes, as well as incentives to purchase a home solar panel system. Another incentive is the fact that you will no longer have to be connected to the “grid”, or have to purchase electricity or other types of power in order to power your home. At this time, it is debatable whether or not solar power is considerably cheaper than other forms of heating and power, but it is believed that in the long run, solar power will cost you less per year to power your home. Finally, the biggest incentive for most households is the fact that solar power is much more ecologically friendly than the alternatives.

Choosing to purchase solar panels can be a great way to contribute to a greener environment, as well as a way to provide a renewable energy source for your family. The potential for lower energy costs can also be a great reason to choose solar energy for your home and family.

Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com - a directory of solar companies.

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Consumer Energy

Solar Energy - Nuclear Energy - Alternative Energy

Solar Roofing Shingles

2006-11-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

By Gregg Hicks

Find out how to generate power on the roof of your house with solar roofing shingles.

No matter where you’re located, the price of electricity, the available sunshine and incentives by local and state governments have made it very appealing to install solar roofing shingles on your home or business.

In the beginning, solar power from the roof was considered too expensive for most homeowners. The initial expense has been reduced and often your electrical company will pay you for any excess power generated by your solar roofing shingles.

Solar roofing shingles are shingles that look very much like ordinary shingles but they allow your roof to generate solar electric power. Solar roofing shingles install just like traditional asphalt singles. Once you hook them to your home’s electrical system, you’re generating solar power that can drastically reduce your electricity bill.

Solar roofing shingles don’t require any additional support structures. They can withstand the elements of weather just as normal shingles. Some will even handle up to 80 mph wind loads.

Solar Roofing Shingles

If you’re wonder how they look, they’re designed to be aesthetically pleasing and can be integrated into almost any architectural style. They won’t stick out and look like an intrusion on the roof of your home. It doesn’t matter whether you’re remodeling or doing a new construction, solar roofing shingles are available for your project.

Most solar roofing shingles are made for a twenty year power output and do come with warranties. They are lightweight and can be installed directly on fire-resistant roofing underlayment.

If you’re planning to use solar roofing shingles, be sure to check with your local and state governments. Many offer assistance and other types of incentives for those choosing to use and produce solar energy. Some tax credit may even be available.

While the cost of solar roofing shingles is still higher than traditional shingles, with the incentives and the reduction of your electric bill you should be able to re-coup your investment in a short period of time. It’s well worth the effort to harness the power of the sun by using solar roofing shingles.

This article was written by Gregg Hicks of http://www.reliableremodeler.com which provides Internet-based home improvement information and services. Offering homeowners a simple, quick, and free way to access, qualified home improvement remodeling contractors.

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Junior Uranium Miners Flooded by Dollars

2006-11-05T15:38:00.000-08:00

By James Finch

Since the October 23rd announcement of Cameco’s Cigar Lake uranium mine flooding, several junior uranium companies have behaved in the same way mining markets sometimes react to a major exploration discovery. The massive cobalt-copper- nickel discovery at Voisey’s Bay in Labrador comes to mind. Call it a world-class exploration discovery in reverse.

When a junior exploration company makes a discovery, investors pile into the nearby moose, antelope or orangutan pasture hoping their favorite company will catch a piece of the discovery trend. It’s called an ‘area play,’ and most fail to repeat the prime mover’s success. In this case, the exploration discovery was the force majeure clause in Cameco’s supply contracts with U.S. and other utilities, leaving them with empty hands to fuel their nuclear reactors. Many had been counting upon readily available uranium supply about two to four years hence.

Unlike the typical area play, this one is not geographically isolated to one region. Any company, which can quickly get uranium out of the ground, becomes the horse to bet on. And investors have been flooding their favorite juniors with new money to help propel them into production faster.

The discovery deposit now being mined by the junior uranium companies is the ‘complacency’ of the world’s utilities. Twenty years of relatively inexpensive uranium lulled utilities into believing nuclear fuel would always be available. True, there is no shortage of uranium below the Earth’s surface or in the oceans, but it’s not cheap to extract. During the uranium depression of the 1980s and 1990s, environmentalists re-wrote the rule book, sending the permitting costs into orbit. Unless one is opening a mine in Namibia, as Paladin has done, or mining in Kazakhstan, one can have ‘environmental delays,’ that can last a number of years.

In his Weekly Insights, FNArena editor Rudi Filapek-Vandyck wrote last night, “Cigar Lake was scheduled to ramp up over three years from the end of 2007 to reach full production of over 8000 tonnes of U3O8 a year.” He put the loss of that much uranium supply to the market in context, “Australia's largest producing mine, Energy Resources of Australia's (ERA) Ranger mine produced around 5200 tonnes in the year to June 2006. BHP Billiton's (BHP) Olympic Dam mine produced just under 4000 tonnes during the period. Paladin Resources' (PDN) Langer Heinrich project in Namibia, still on schedule to ramp up in December this year, is forecast to produce circa 1180 tonnes per year.”

Which Junior Uranium Miners Can Help Replace

Cigar Lake’s Lost Uranium Production?

The cold, hard reality of Cigar Lake’s lost uranium production dawned upon the crowd of uranium suppliers, near-term producers, fuel brokers and global utility fuel managers when the announcement was made at the commencement of last week’s Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) Annual Uranium Conference in Quebec City. Cigar Lake’s mine flood was the big story – the trapdoor that spelled ‘doom’ for utilities lacking secure uranium supply sources beyond 2008.

Investors quickly reacted to the news with frenzied bidding for shares in near-term producers SXR Uranium One and Paladin Resources. Potential near-term producers Energy Metals Corp and UR-Energy got the nod. Others among this elite category began attracting the aggressive investor dollars: Forsys Metals, Uranerz Energy and Strathmore Minerals.

Logic dictated the loss of Cigar Lake would drive up the uranium price much higher, possibly to the very limit utilities might pay for nuclear fuel to ensure their reactors would not be closed down for lack of the now very-precious uranium oxide. “Where is the safe haven for my money?” investors asked. On the face of it, the answers appeared to be simple: (a) go the near-term producers and (b) uranium friendly U.S. states, such as Wyoming and Texas.

We tapped on the Chief Executives of companies we featured in Chapter Nine of “Investing in the Great Uranium Bull Market,” for their insights into the Cigar Lake disaster. SXR Uranium One Chief Executive Neal Froneman wrote bluntly, “The challenges of bringing new mines into production are very significant.” He hopes to not err with overconfidence on his flagship uranium mine in South Africa, “I do not under estimate the challenges of bringing even Dominion into production even though it has a low technical risk.” But he added, “Investors are now recognizing the low risk nature of Dominion.”

Froneman was clear about his views on becoming a U.S. uranium producer, “Our entry into the United States looks well timed, and at $60/pound a steal. We have always envisioned supplying U.S. uranium to U.S. end users. The uranium supply constraints will make this a natural progression.”

He wasn’t as optimistic about the time projections of some developing projects as many investors, writing, “Supply constraints for the next few years will intensify as imminent producers will not meet their promises.” Froneman concluded, “This will drive uranium prices much higher.” Another insight he brought to our attention, “We have put our money where our mouth is by being totally unhedged.” Why is that important? He told us, “We have avoided bank debt so that we can avoid being forced by banks to hedge our uranium production.” And so, that will indeed help uranium prices climb higher.

We exchanged phone calls and emails with Bill Boberg, Chief Executive of UR-Energy about Cameco’s catastrophe. He wrote, “I will that it did not happen, but it is a reflection on the current thin uranium supply and demonstrates why some of us juniors working to bring mines into production in the next few years are worthy of investment.” He added, “I think all juniors, but especially those with production relatively near term, have benefited from Cameco’s bad news.”

But why do we see such strong market activity in the juniors? “I think we have been seeing increasing knowledge of the uranium sector in the past couple years and, with that, an increase in market activity,” he told us. “The StockInterview guide to the uranium sector has been a real player in that increase in knowledge base by investors. The rapidity at which the Cigar Lake flooding affected the market activity in junior uranium stocks is a reflection of the knowledge that uranium supply is tight, and that the Cigar Lake flooding made it even tighter for the next few years.”

The biggest percentage gainer among junior uranium development companies on Monday, as a result of the recent 7-percent jump in the spot uranium price, was Strathmore Minerals. We talked with Strathmore Minerals Chief Executive Dev Randhawa about the company’s 20-percent price rise accompanied by nearly 2.8 million shares of trading. “Investors are looking for a stable environment,” Randhawa told us. “The market is demonstrating how tight supplies really are.” He also pointed out there was in his company by foreign interests, but would not specify anyone in particular. “Strathmore is a turnkey operation in the United States with proven resources and a highly qualified technical team with many decades of in situ recovery mining experience,” he explained.

“All along our strategy, with David Miller, was to acquire uranium properties which could be produced at, or less than, $30/pound,” he said. “When we first started this strategy, there were only three or four other companies on the radar screen, so we got the jump on many of the best uranium properties.” He explained, “We are well diversified in the United States, Canada and have holdings in Peru.” The company is reportedly the largest landholder in the Athabasca Basin as well.

We asked about his Dieter Lake property in Quebec, which previous work suggests might contain as much as 110 million pounds of U3O8 contained. Because it is not compliant with National Instrument 43-101, we don’t hear much about it. How does the recent spot uranium spike affect moving forward on Dieter Lake? “Projects and properties which were not previously on the radar screen are now going to be economic,” Randhawa responded. “Dieter makes sense now,” he added.

Strathmore Minerals also benefited from across the pond on Monday, after Jamie Strauss, Head of Institutional Sales for London-based Hargreave Hale, issued a buy recommendation. His thumbs-up for Strathmore blew the company’s shares past the strong buy recommendation and C$2.50/share price target issued by Bart Jaworski of Raymond James on October 20th.

In his desk notes, Strauss wrote, “…the quality and diversity of its asset base, increasing confidence that the company is approaching the title of ‘near term producer’, a highly competent technical team and above all a valuation which offers not only equity funds the opportunity to invest but also consolidators within the industry…” Strauss added, “Using code-compliant resources only, Strathmore could therefore more than double the share price before hitting fair value.” Strathmore Minerals, along with SXR Uranium One and Energy Metals, are among the favorites of Sprott Asset Management.

While numerous uranium mining executives rejoiced over the spot price jump to US$60/pound, one CEO took it with a grain of salt. When we phoned Uranerz Energy Chief Executive Glenn Catchpole for his reaction to the market’s behavior, he took it in stride. After we informed him of the 7 percent jump in spot uranium, he dryly responded, “We as a company can benefit – the company will benefit from the increased prices.” He did acknowledge Uranerz was getting large trading volume. “We thought the stock would dip, but it hasn’t,” he told us, referring to large number of share which recently became free trading. Other than that, it was business as usual for Catchpole – getting his in situ uranium recovery operation through the final hurdles to join the ranks of uranium producers. After all, if Cameco won’t be mining uranium in Cigar Lake in the foreseeable future, someone has to.

Until then, we anticipate mining analysts will be upwardly revising their price targets on these and other companies. And so the flooding will continue, perhaps at both Cigar Lake and in the junior uranium sector.

James Finch contributes to StockInterview.com and other publications. Find out about the 304-page book, “Investing in the Great Uranium Bull Market,” by visiting
http://bookstore.stockinterview.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Finch

Highlights on a Few Reputable Biodiesel Makers

2006-10-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

By Win Paulson

Biodiesel has recently been recognized as a viable alternative energy source and fuel additive by several international groups. Its many advantages over conventional petroleum based diesels include being environmentally friendly due to causing no harmful emissions, as well as being readily biodegradable. Biodiesel also enjoys a certain amount of sponsorship from environmental groups because certain types of biodiesel are made from waste cooking oils, allowing easy recycling of something that would otherwise go to waste after use.

Furthermore, it's performance specs initially show as much efficiency as normal diesel fuels, but it also gives the added advantage of increasing the lubrication of the engine parts it runs through, improving engine efficiency in the long run by as much as 30% as well as cleaning out the engines, making them run smoother, and prolonging their lifespan.

Several firms in recent years have placed research into producing biodiesel, and with funding from various investors and even government sponsors, these firms have come up with safe and effective fuels. Some reliable names in the biodiesel industry include the following companies:

NBB

This is not a manufacturing company per se, but merits first mention because it is the National Biodiesel Board. Its main goal is to promote the overall production, trade, and development of biodiesel in the United States. NBB subsidiaries and sponsored corporations have to pass strict standards, so they can assure the public of safe and effective forms of biodiesel.

Pacific Biodiesel

Situated in Hawaii, Pacific biodiesel specializes in the creation of fuel from cooking oil byproducts. Their approach is extremely environmentally friendly, employing used vegetable and animal cooking oils as their source of fuel production. Their manufacturing plant takes these used materials that would normally simply be discarded, and processes them into useable biodiesel. The unused portions of the oil are also used, and are converted in another facility into soap and detergent products.

Footprint Recycling

These manufacturers also specialize in the recycling of cooking oil into biodiesel. They make a distinction between conventional biodiesel and WVO, or Waste Vegetable Oil. Their definition of biodiesel is that is processed directly from soybeans and coconut oil, while waste vegetable oil (WVO) diesels are made especially from recycled vegetable-based cooking oils.

Minnesota Soybean Processors

Minnesota, together with its famous adjoining city St Paul, form the economic engine that drives the Upper Midwest of the United States. The Minnesota Soybean Processors are a conglomerate that specializes in the production of soybean related products. One of their main products is soybean-based biodiesel, and one of the strengths of this group is that they have tie-ins with other Minnesota based institutions to further their research and development, including the state sponsored University of Minnesota.

Biofuel Industries

Based in Texas, this company eschews the usual approach of other biodiesel manufacturers. Instead of utilizing waste vegetable oil or soybeans as a fuel source, they convert other plant oil into biodiesel. Actually, they originally focused on vegetable oil biodiesel, but as time went by this particular group made a point of branching out. Their specialty is in finding sources aside from WVO and soybeans to use as a base material for creating biodiesel. Currently, their research includes using coconut oil and palm oil, and they are continuously exploring other oilseed plants as viable options for alternative fuel.

About the Author: Win Paulson is a contributing editor at http://www.info-biodiesel.com where you will find information and resources on biodiesel. Head to FlexFuel-Info.com for information on other biofuels and renewable energy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Win_Paulson

A Closer Look At The Alternative Energy Sources Of Solar And Wind Power

2006-10-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

By Gregg Hall

More and more scientists today agree that global warming is a serious issue and that the cause of global warming is carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. Politicians, too, are being swayed as they see increases in property damaged, injuries, and even deaths due to natural catastrophes which appear to have gotten worse in recent decades. Because fossil fuels appear to be the source of worldwide atmospheric change, people have began to look to other methods of producing energy. In addition to causing atmospheric change, there's the reality that we will run out of fossil fuels. The world's economy is based on fossil fuels but they are a finite resource. Eventually we will run out of them. Fossil fuels are not a sustainable resource. Two methods of producing energy which have little impact on the environment and are sustainable are solar and wind power.

First, we'll take a look at solar power. Solar power is, of course, power derived from the energy of the sun's rays. The limitation with this energy source is the sun itself. The sun will never run out, except at night. Solar power sources have been designed to compensate for the downtime of night or cloudy days, but solar power works best in sunny climates. Solar power is generally used in one of three ways: to generate heat, to generate electricity, and to desalinate salt water. Solar powered heating systems are usually either active or passive in design. An active solar heating system uses pumps to circulate water which has been heated by the sun. Passive solar heating systems use the nature of water to create circulation. This method relies on the fact that heat energy wants to move into areas of lesser heat. In generating electricity, solar power is harnessed by photovoltaic cells which convert the suns energy into electricity. These cells have been widely used to power calculators for decades. In solar desalination, the power of the sun is used to evaporate water to separate it from the salt and other undesirable minerals.

Another type of clean, renewable power comes from the wind. Wind power, while growing in popularity, still accounts for barely 1% of the world's power supply. This is hard to believe considering how much the wind blows! Wind power is usually harnessed using wind turbines. A centuries old version of harnessing wind power is the windmill. These lovely structures used the wind to grind grains and pump water. Today's wind turbines are advanced machinery employing the latest technologies. More and more "wind farms" are sprouting up around the world. These huge arrays of wind turbines can be found on land and offshore. The biggest ones in the US are land-based farms in California, Oregon, and Washington. There are also more and more popping up the Midwest. Because of energy costs and damage done to the environment, alternative energy sources are receiving a great deal of interest. Two of the most promising are solar and wind power.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as href="http://www.sciencekitsandbooks.com">science books at http://www.sciencekitsandbooks.com

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Global Warming could be Global Opportunity for Solar Energy

2006-10-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

By Lance Winslow

Many people dread the future of world climate change and they believe that global warming will have a significant impact on fresh water supplies, ambient air temperatures and life on Earth. Many global warming alarmists are also calling for the complete abandonment of burning fossil fuels in our cars and burning coal to make our electricity.

Of course industry analysts and the top research and development institutions in the United States have found a way to burn coal without polluting the environment or atmosphere using new clean coal technologies. Nevertheless, the global warming alarmists are telling us we are headed so fast for a climate cliff that it may be too late to stop it and therefore life in world human civilizations will change forever and we may need to close down our factories, power plants and stop driving cars immediately sometime in the very near future.

If all this is true then global warming could be a global opportunity for the investment in solar energy. If the temperatures are going to be hotter and the sun is going to bake us, then obviously we should soak up some of the sun's energy through solar technologies and get our free energy from the sun. What do they say about what you should do when life gives you lemons; make lemonade! Why not turn a negative into a positive and make good use of the solar energy? Please consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow, a retired entrepreneur, adventurer, modern day philosopher and perpetual tourist.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Public Relations for Hydro-Electric Power Plants

2006-10-07T00:46:00.000-07:00

By Lance Winslow

Hydroelectric power plants often do not get the credit they deserve. Hydroelectric power is some of the cheapest energy around. Hydroelectric power is so cheap that if we only had more water and more dams we could lower our nation's energy costs by 50%. It is important for hydroelectric power companies to explain to the public how they are so vitally important to our nation's power infrastructure.

All too often we hear of complaints from environmentalists who say mean spirited things about hydro-electric power and complain that the intakes of hydroelectric power plants such in fish and they get killed. This is not true in all cases many times the fish will go right through the hydroelectric power plants and come out the other side like nothing happened.

Although, even when environmentalists understand this they still complain about the fish, which are unable to get up river through the system and they do not mention that many hydroelectric power plant dams have built ladders for the salmon to get up river. Hydroelectric power plants need to promote themselves as clean energy and this means they need a robust public relations and community goodwill program in place.

We need to cut the hydroelectric power plants some slack and it would be good if they would promote themselves and alert the public as to how valuable they are to our civilization. Perhaps you will consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Direct Mail Marketing and Direct Mailing Strategies for Companies Selling Solar Power

2006-10-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

By Lance Winslow

Solar Energy is really moving fast due to so many innovations and new technologies these days. Solar Companies have a huge potential to sell lots of products and save people money on their energy bills and take advantage of tax incentives for alternative energies. Many people do not realize that the Return on Investment for a home or small business solar system is much faster than a decade the prior.

Of course a solar company must get in new customers so they can tell friends because word-of-mouth advertising and a referral network is best form of advertising and marketing. But how do they get these original customers in to buy so they can be satisfied and become believers in solar technologies to tell their friends?

Well perhaps a robust yet inexpensive marketing and advertising program might do the trick. Let me explain; you see, Direct Mail Marketing and Direct Mailing Strategies for Companies Selling Solar Power makes a lot of sense really.

Companies selling solar power equipment, panels and batteries should send out direct-mail marketing pieces to high net worth households within a 25-mile radius and also to all the small businesses in the area. Please consider direct-mail marketing and direct mailing strategies for your solar power company in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Petrol, Diesel, LPG, Hybrid - What's Best For You

2006-09-30T08:28:00.000-07:00

By Paul Clarke

Oil

The main criteria of a car’s eco-friendliness is generally seen as the energy it uses in its operation. Cars have primarily run on oil-based fuel in the form of petrol or diesel for over a century. But we are now at the point where demand for oil is rising so much, and reserves are declining, that oil is actually running out. Oil prices have always been volatile and they react to speculation about events ranging from terrorism to hurricanes, but rising demand and diminishing reserves mean that overall, oil is just going to keep on getting more expensive. However despite this, most cars today still rely on oil as their primary source of energy; and oil is obviously a key contributor to carbon emissions, and climate change.

Petrol

Petrol has been the most popular fuel for cars in the UK for years; petrol engines are generally quiet and smooth, they are responsive and their performance is good. Petrol is currently slightly cheaper than diesel. Petrol engines emit around 10% more carbon dioxide (CO2) than diesel. However petrol cars pump out less toxic emissions than diesel. Unfortunately at the moment there is no single source of fuel which can compare with petroleum in terms of its instant bulk availability, energy density and (relative) cheapness.

Diesel

Diesel engines are more economical than petrol engines, therefore they emit less CO2. New 'common rail' diesels are approximately 10% more efficient than older diesels, and direct-injection diesel engines give the best fuel economy, diesels emit more particulates than petrol – but diesel engines with a particulate trap help prevent emissions of sooty particulates – ie. the clouds of smoke that you’ll experience if you follow old buses through towns. So diesel engines will generally provide you with more miles per gallon than their equivalent petrol models – just look at the differences between similar vehicles in our Green Car Guide. Diesel is currently more expensive to buy than petrol, and the forecasts are that diesel prices will continue to rise more steeply than petrol in the near future.

Diesel engines have always been seen as slow and noisy, however technology has seen some remarkable advances in recent years; for instance Honda has developed their own diesel engine that is designed to be quiet, refined, clean and with instant response – fighting against all the old stereotypes.

LPG

Over recent years, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) has been a viable fuel option in the UK. LPG produces fewer emissions than petrol and diesel but fuel consumption is worse. It’s been possible to convert many existing cars to run on LPG by after-market conversions, and some manufacturers such as Vauxhall have had new cars in their range that are dual-fuel, which are designed to run primarily on LPG with petrol back-up. There is a reasonable network of filling stations.

LPG, and natural gas in heavier vehicles, has been an attractive proposition in the past primarily due to its cheaper cost, as it has enjoyed less fuel duty. However there is no guarantee that the Chancellor will maintain this in the future, and although there are some emissions improvements over petrol, LPG is still derived from a fossil fuel and therefore still releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

CNG

Some vehicles, usually heavier vans or trucks that normally run on diesel, but also cars such as the Volvo (V70 Bi-Fuel), can run on CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), which again results in lower CO2 emissions than standard petrol cars, but the fuel is not as efficient as diesel. Finding CNG for refuelling can be a challenge.

Petrol-Electric Hybrids

Petrol-electric hybrid vehicles run on a combination of a conventional petrol engine and an electric motor powered by an energy storage device such as a battery pack. In simple terms they work on the principle that an electric motor provides the power at low speeds such as in urban driving, and they switch to petrol for driving at higher speeds. The batteries are recharged while driving and hybrids use regenerative braking, which means that energy is put back into the battery when braking, which improves energy efficiency.

Hybrid technologies improve fuel efficiency and therefore provide considerable fuel savings compared with a normal petrol vehicle – as well as carbon emissions savings. While models might cost more than conventional cars, running costs can be two-thirds that of equivalent petrol-fuelled vehicles.

Because of their lower CO2 emissions, hybrids also benefit from reduced vehicle excise duty and are treated favourably in Budgets. In addition they are exempted from the London Congestion Charge.

However at the moment there are a limited number of hybrid vehicle choices; there are currently just four hybrids available in the UK; the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic hybrid, Lexus RX400h and Lexus GS450h. As they are still a relatively new technology, there aren’t many available second-hand and so they are quite expensive.

Toyota’s first Prius (launched in Japan in 1997) didn’t sell in great numbers, however a new model has been introduced and this is now proving more successful. Although it looks like a normal car, it is designed around energy efficiency, and has many clever technological features that assist fuel consumption, including air conditioning and brakes powered by electricity rather than by sapping energy from the petrol engine. Lexus, part of Toyota, has introduced a hybrid version of the RX300, known as the RX400h. This is an SUV and because of its size, it still only returns around 35mpg compared to the Prius’s 65.7mpg.

Although the official fuel economy figures for cars such as the Toyota Prius at 65.7mpg sound great, they only really achieve maximum economy benefits in built-up areas where they primarily run on electric rather than petrol although the Prius can only drive for around a mile on battery power before needing to revert to petrol; in real-world motoring it seems difficult to attain the official figures. On a motorway run, a good diesel is likely to be more economical. Nevertheless hybrids are still one of the best options that the consumer has today to achieve better fuel economy, especially if much driving is done in towns, along with the financial benefits such as lower tax and escaping London’s Congestion Charge.

Only petrol-electric hybrids are currently available; diesel-electric hybrids will achieve even better fuel consumption – watch out for these appearing in the not-too distant future.

Battery-Electric cars

Electric cars use a battery and electric motor to power the vehicle, meaning they have no emissions at the point of use. Due to the capacity of the battery, their range is normally limited to about 40-60 miles between recharges, which means they are only really suitable for city-based users.

Electric vehicles can be recharged by plugging them into an existing electrical socket, and some city councils are installing electric recharging points in car parks or on-street. However, they are only truly ‘green’ if they are recharged with electricity from renewable sources such as windfarms.

Electric cars are not subject to road tax and, as an added bonus for London drivers, they enjoy 100 per cent congestion charge discount. Drivers living in areas where they have to pay for residential parking permits might also find that they get a discount on this cost.

Electric cars are often regarded as the ideal non-polluters, but it’s not quite that simple. They’re obviously good for lack of tailpipe emissions and are near silent, but they need to carry rechargeable batteries. These batteries are not really energy sources, they are energy storers. This creates two issues. Firstly they are heavy and bulky with very low energy densities. Secondly, the original source of energy, for recharging, has to be questioned, because if it’s not renewable, those vehicles will indirectly contribute to climate change. There is a further drawback; if their batteries are lead or cadmium-based, there is a serious pollution problem if they are not properly disposed of at the end of their life.

The only electric car available in the UK at the moment, although this is about to change, is the G-Wiz, a small car for about-town use, claimed to be the greenest, most energy-efficient and cheapest car to run in the UK. It has two front seats plus two children size seats, which can be folded down for luggage. It is in insurance group 1, exempt from VED and the London Congestion Charge, and qualifies for free or discounted parking in some London areas. The G-Wiz is claimed to consume just one quarter of the energy of a similar-sized petrol car and costs around just £1.64 a day to run, equivalent to around 600 miles per gallon.

Goingreen, the company behind the G-Wiz, should be commended on their efforts in bringing such a vehicle to the market, and for some people, in the centre of London for example, it can provide motoring with very low running costs. However it’s not practical for everyone - its drawbacks include the fact that it needs a 6 hour recharge – you literally need to plug it in! – and its range and speed are limited. Apart from all that, its design is just not as cool, trendy and sophisticated as cars such as the Smart or even the Toyota Aygo.

In summary, viable electric vehicles are still around the corner while hybrids, bio-diesel and bio-ethanol vehicles are here now.

Biofuels

Biodiesel

Biofuel has traditionally been in the form of biodiesel, currently available in various types and qualities, primarily from vegetable oils, such as from recycled cooking oils, and from crops such as rapeseed oil, both of which avoid the carbon emissions of mineral diesel. However there is no wide availability, unless in industrial quantities, and it is more commonly used to blend with normal diesel. There’s at least one company that is currently building up a world-wide biodiesel production and refining capacity but it’s not ready yet.

A wide range of car manufacturers supply cars rated as totally compatible with biodiesel and even older models may be compatible. It’s recommended that if your fuel runs through rubber pipes they must be replaced with plastic equivalents. Biodiesel will remove dirt in the engine left by previous use of petro-diesel and deposit it in the filters, therefore the filters need to be changed after the biodiesel has been used for a while. Biodiesel will work in most modern diesel engines (but not petrol!) but there are warranty implications - all vehicles should be checked for their compatibility for running on biodiesel.

D1 Oils is a British company which recognises the increasing demand for biodiesel and aims to become a global, sustainable, low cost supplier of crude vegetable oil and biodiesel refiner. It has developed plantation rights and established refinery operations in several international regions, creating a supply chain from seed selection through to the sale of biodiesel to end users. Currently it has four operations centred in the UK, South Africa, Asia Pacific and India. There are also projects in Madagascar and Saudi Arabia. The main plant source is the Jatropha tree which can grow in desert areas with a minimum requirement for water.

Grassolean is a US site where you can find information on starting your own Biodiesel project.

Green Fuels Ltd was formed to bring affordable and sustainable biodiesel technology to the UK and European marketplace. They market decentralised plant for making biodiesel on a scale suitable for home, business or locality. They also provide training.

Low-Impact Living Initiative (LILI), www.lowimpact.org a non-profit organisation helping to protect the environment by promoting sustainable alternatives. They run hands-on courses throughout the year including several on making your own biodiesel and there's even one on vegetable oil as a motor fuel. They can also supply and deliver biodiesel to your home.

Bio'petrol’ - Ethanol and Methanol Vehicles

Ethanol and Methanol are viable vehicle fuels which are an alternative to petrol in internal combustion engines, giving considerable carbon emission benefits if the fuel is derived biologically. It’s cleaner inside the engine as well as outside. Vehicles usually require adaptation to convert from petrol to ethanol if the concentration exceeds 10% (E10) (manufacturers tend to be conservative and warranties usually state that no more than 5% ethanol should be added, however, most cars seem to run on E10). The required engine modifications to convert from petrol to ethanol are more extensive than those to convert diesel to biodiesel. Several manufacturers are working to produce vehicles that will run on an 85% proportion (E85) and in the Americas and Canada, Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) can run on E85 as well as gasoline (petrol). Where ethanol can be produced in abundance, notably Brazil, the fuel is used widely. The alcohols also have potential for the raw source in fuel cells.

Recently, biofuels that can run with petrol have been introduced in the UK. The Saab BioPower and the Ford Focus Flexi-Fuel are the only two new vehicles on the market that are designed to run on biofuel. For more information see items in our News section.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen fuel cells are seen as the fuel of the future. Although they are charged with very bulky hydrogen, it can be supplied in a liquid hydrocarbon compound and that way, theoretically, the density problem can be solved. To be climate-friendly the compound must be renewable (bio(m)ethanol for example), not petroleum based. One of the biggest attractions about hydrogen is that the only waste it produces is water.

Various manufacturers are developing prototype cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells however they still demand much research and development to be commercially viable in vehicles and it will be a number of years before they are widely available, together with the fuel, in the UK.

Other technologies

Citroen has developed ‘Stop & Start’ technology, currently used in two of its models. The normal petrol engine shuts down if the car stops in traffic in normal driving. You still pay a premium over standard models for this technology, but they are cheaper than hybrids – but the fuel savings are not as great - the fuel consumption does not improve significantly at all; like hybrids, they offer greatest benefit in urban areas.

For more information about green cars you can buy today see www.green-car-guide.com

Paul Clarke is the founder of the Green-Car-Guide.com which is designed to help motorists make an informed choice about environmentally-friendly cars, saving them money on fuel and car running costs. The Green-Car-Guide.com was the first website of its kind in the UK and was launched on 21st September 2006. For further information please go to
www.green-car-guide.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Clarke

A Guide to Insulation for Your Home

2006-09-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

By Richard Chapo

As energy prices increase, warming and cooling your home is becoming more and more expensive. Upgrading your insulation is one way to fight the increased costs.

A Guide to Insulation for Your Home

Insulation acts as a blanket for you home. During cold winters, it serves as a barrier to keep as much of the warm air produced by your heating system as possible in the home. In summers, it servers the opposite role of keeping warm air out and cool air in. All and all, this makes it a pretty flexible building material when you think about it.

The key to keeping your heating and cooling costs down is to understand insulation and use the best possible type for you home. To assist in this regard, every community maintains building codes calling out for minimum levels of insulation. Unfortunately, these minimum levels often are insufficient, a particular problem with new homes given that builders use them as the standard to minimize the cost of construction. Nearly every home could significantly cut heating and cooling costs if they upgraded their insulation.

Insulation comes in three basic forms – flexible insulation, loose-fill insulation and reflective insulation. Flexible insulation is the most familiar, to wit, the rolls of pink stuff you see at construction projects. Loose-fill insulation comes in bags and is actually sprayed into walls. Reflective insulation is used like flexible insulation to fill stud walls, but works by using a material that reflects the radiating heat in a structure. There is also rigid insulation, but it is rarely used.

When considering insulation in your home, there are two key issues to address. First, the insulation in your home should have an “R” value, which represents the insulations resistance to the transfer of heat. If you really want to cut utility costs, you should replace your current insulation with a brand that has double the R value you currently have installed.

A second issue to consider is coverage. You might be surprised to learn that insulation is missing in certain key areas of your home. Heat rises, so checking the insulation in your attic should be your first step. You should also consider placing a seal around the entrance to the attic from the interior of the home. This space is almost always unsealed and acts as a highway for heat to escape.

Insulation is hardly a sexy topic when it comes to home improvements. While it may be bland, improving it can save you thousands and thousands of dollars.

Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com - visit us to find out more about building your own home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Chapo

Natural Energy Resources

2006-09-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

By Kum Martin

As we continue to depend on gasoline, coal, and natural gas, the prices of these things have increased dramatically. This is putting a strain on even the wealthiest families. Winters in the Northeast can be brutal, and with rising energy costs it is no wonder that many people struggle every winter to pay their utility bills. Families have to make tough choices and figure out what they can possibly live without in order to pay their high utility and gasoline bills.

The cost of fuel for our vehicles continues to rise at an alarming rate. Many people need gasoline in order to drive to work, but with the rising costs of fuel, many have found alternative methods for transportation. One option they have sought out is using ethanol to fuel their cars. Others have cut back on their driving habits and eliminated long drives and even vacations to conserve fuel. Scientists are working extremely hard to manufacture alternative fuels for our vehicles and have made a lot of progress in creating gasoline alternatives. Aside from creating alternative fuels for our vehicles, there are numerous companies working on alternative energy sources for our household utilities.

We need to take advantage of our natural resources such as water, wind, and the sun and use them as sources of energy. Solar energy is an expensive venue to start, but in the long run it is cleaner and eventually it can become a cheaper way to heat a home. Many houses are being built with solar panels, which allow the sun to warm a home with less air pollution than a home heated with natural gas.
Water is an excellent source of power. Places like Niagara Falls supplies power to millions of people. Water is powerful and available in mass quantities, so it can easily supply energy to thousands of people at one time. Wind is also becoming a reliable source of energy and many locations atop hills are using wind driven turbines to provide energy to communities.

All of us need to conserve energy and continue to work on finding ways to use our natural resources to help cut down on pollution for a cleaner world.

Check Out More Articles:

natural gases causing global warming, environmental pollution reproductive health,
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Congress Needs to Wake Up to Nuclear Waste Disposal, Part 1

2006-09-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

By James Finch

Over the past 24 years, each time your house or business consumed a nuclear-generated kilowatt-hour of electricity, you were billed – by mandate of the U.S. government – one-tenth of one penny to pay for the storage of nuclear waste. And those pennies add up. Since 1982, the Nuclear Waste Fund has grown to more than $28 billion. The plan back then was to safely dispose of the nuclear waste left over after providing 20 percent of the nation’s electricity through nuclear energy. Instead, like a ticking time bomb, about 40,000 metric tons of spent fuel rods are chilling out in 141 concrete cooling ponds never intended for long-term use. Many are within a few dozen miles of large cities, such as New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Miami.

Now, at least nine states are heating up over the localized nuclear waste issue. On September 13th, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan joined state attorneys general in California, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Wisconsin in calling on Congress to reject legislation enabling the federal government to designate nuclear waste storage facilities in all states with nuclear power plants, superceding objections by the state’s governor or state and local zoning and environmental laws.

The endless merry-go-round of deciding upon a final resting place for nuclear waste has been studied for more than two decades, has cost taxpayers more than $9 billion and has actually been solved. Unless of course, you are talking about an ideal solution which is required to be as satisfactory for up to one million years from now as it might be some 10,000 years into the future. That appears to be the most recent verdict – let’s keep nuclear waste in temporary storage scattered across geologically challenged locations, some near major cities, for decades to come, because a minority of environmentalists are “uncomfortable” with a well-studied, scientifically satisfactory centralized disposal site in a remote location. Instead of moving forward with a site, which will reportedly store the waste safely for 10,000 years (and probably up to 80,000 years), the environmental lobby would prefer a toxic risk for tens of millions of Americans from ‘overcrowded’ temporary storage sites. They would like to stall matters until scientists can prove a centralized storage site can survive all potential abuse for up to one million years.

Unfortunately, even if Congress acts in early 2007, the best-case scenario for a centralized nuclear waste repository brings us to 2017. And that would require quite a few politicians and bureaucrats coming to their senses. While they haggle over whether the nuclear waste can be safely stored for 10,000 years (which a number of scientific studies confirm that it can), or whether the waste site must store the spent nuclear fuel for one million years, electricity consumers are annually paying $1 billion for temporary storage.

The amount of nuclear waste accumulating since U.S. utilities began powering our homes with nuclear energy comes to about 54,000 metric tons over the past forty years. To put this in perspective, it would take up the size of a football field with a depth of less than 10 yards. Nuclear energy does not generate carbon dioxide emissions. By contrast, the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere through fossil fuels is enormous. According to one of the world’s leading environmental scientists, James Lovelock, who recently authored “The Revenge of Gaia” (Basic Books, 2006), one could freeze the annual carbon dioxide emissions and create a mountain one mile high and twelve miles in circumference. And that’s each year. Using the same yardstick since the 1960s, we would have 40 such mountains of carbon dioxide, but one small football field of nuclear waste.

A Mountain Which Can Solve the
Current Waste Disposal Issue

After passage of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) chose nine locations in six states as potential permanent repository sites. The DOE whittled this list down to five sites after various technical studies and environmental assessments. After intensive scientific study, the DOE chose its finalists: Yucca Mountain, Nevada, Deaf Smith County, Texas and Hanford, Washington. Following lengthy environmental studies of all three sites, Congress amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act in 1987 and designated Yucca Mountain to be studied as the final destination for nuclear waste.

“We’ve been studying Yucca Mountain for 22 years,” Steven Kraft told us during a recent telephone interview. Mr. Kraft is mechanical engineer who serves as the senior director for Used Fuel Management at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), and was part of the Recovery Team following the Three Mile Island accident in March 1979. “It is the most studied piece of real estate on the face of the earth. There isn’t anything we don’t know about it.”

Why didn’t they pick someplace far away like Mongolia, Siberia or Greenland? “You’re making the assumption that somehow the remoteness of a location makes it okay,” Kraft responded. “You’re talking about places where there are geologic instabilities or the geology is very difficult to understand.” There are also proposals suggesting ice sheet disposal, deep ocean disposal, or simply blasting the waste into outer space. “Yucca Mountain meets all of the requirements, and I can’t think of a better site,” Kraft explained. “They have an awful good rock body down there that has withstood a lot of scientific scrutiny. It is by happenstance of geology they have a good location.”

And what is the key to geology? “What makes Yucca Mountain such a good site is, in the formation below the repository, are naturally occurring zeolites,” Kraft pointed out. Water softeners rely upon zeolites as ion-exchange beds. “Zeolites strip out a lot of the radionuclides and belays the flow of water,’ he explained. “By the time you get to the accessible environment, the dose rate stays well below EPA standards.”

No location is perfect. Even if all nuclear power plants were turned off today, more than 108 million pounds of nuclear waste would require disposition. You can’t burn nuclear fuel pellets. Nuclear waste is not flammable; it is too weak to explode. Each year, the nation’s 103 reactors produce another 2,000 metric tons of waste. It has to end up somewhere. The Yucca Mountain area is geologically stable. The last volcanic eruption – a small one – occurred 80,000 years ago. About 12 to 15 million years ago, large eruptions north of Yucca Mountain laid down the sturdy bedrock which formed this mountain.

The Yucca Mountain area only receives about seven inches of rainfall per year. Ninety percent runs off the side of the mountain ridge and mostly evaporates or is absorbed by vegetation. The proposed repository is 1000 feet underground. And the site is 1000 feet above the water table. Rainwater seeping through rock fractures is negligible and would likely be trapped inside the mountain.

James Finch contributes to StockInterview.com and other publications. His archived articles can be read at www.stockinterview.com. His latest 304-page book, Investing in the Great Uranium Bull Market, was recently endorsed by one of the world’s top scientists, James Lovelock: www.stockinterview.com/book_offer_visitor.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Finch

Electric Vehicles and How They Work

2006-09-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

By Richard Chapo

With all of our oil problems, the idea of the electric vehicle has risen from the ashes. Here is a guide to electric vehicles and how they work.

Most of the people in the world will either drive or ride in a vehicle in their lifetime. Most of these vehicles will be powered by an internal combustion engine, which will run on either gasoline or diesel fuel. While these vehicles have been the standard for nearly a hundred years now, new engine types have started to make an impact on the vehicle scene, which include electric and hybrid engines. Electric engines are the cleanest engines available to consumers today, so it's important to learn about electric vehicles and how they work.

Electric vehicles usually look just like “normal” vehicles on the outside, except for the lack of a tailpipe (and exhaust system). Internally, however, and under the vehicle, a big difference can be seen. There is no gas tank (as electric vehicles do not burn fuel) and battery packs are often found either under the vehicle or in the trunk. These batteries are the same type that are used to start a gasoline powered vehicle, only there are many more of them used in conjunction to store energy to power the vehicle. There is also a regulator attached to the batteries to make sure that the amount of energy produced and used by the vehicle is constant, and that none of the batteries burn out.

Another interesting thing to note about electric vehicles and how they work is the fact that almost everything besides the engine in an electric vehicle is the same as that in a gas powered vehicle. The transmission, brakes, climate control systems and air bags all function in the same way. The electric motor itself is the true difference. There are three types of electric motors that are available on the market today: the AC Brushless (good top speed, but low acceleration), the AC Induction (ok top speed, best acceleration, but highest price) and the Permanent Magnet (middle of the road in performance). Any of these motors can be used to create an electric vehicle.

While an electric vehicle moves, the momentum generated while braking can be used to charge the batteries for power. Called regenerative braking, this specialized braking system can help you recover up to 15% of the energy used for acceleration by applying the momentum generated in the braking process to the batteries. While this does not provide enough recharge to fully run your electric vehicle, it can help to extend the amount of driving you can do.

There are other aspects of electric vehicles and how they work that can be discussed, such as battery types and other additions to make your vehicle more energy efficient. Electric vehicles may not be the speediest or easiest to maintain vehicles available today, but with new technology being developed all the time, electric vehicles will eventually become a great alternative to polluting combustion engine vehicles.

Rick Chapo is with Solar Companies - information on renewable energy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Chapo

Is Alternative Energy a Good Investment Today?

2006-09-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

By J.S. Kim

Although you hear a lot about alternative energy being a good investment today, I think that it’s still a lot more hype than reality. Yes I’ve heard the arguments for alternative energy investments such as high oil prices now make the development of alternative energy sources more appealing on a cost-benefit scale. And I know that major oil companies are pumping billions of dollars into developing alternative energy. Still, considering that Exxon declared over $9 billion in profits, not revenues, in just one quarter in 2006, several billion earmarked for alternative energy development is not a lot. And while I’m also aware that companies like Vesta Wind Systems has jumped by 40% in the last six to nine months, I still think that alternative energy investments are more of a trading strategy rather than investment strategy for the time being.

As you know we always discuss investing here, not trading, meaning that we wish to hold almost all of our investments for at least six months or longer, not just a couple of weeks or months. Although alternative energy is real, and it does work there are many reasons to be skeptical before jumping on board.

First of all, most crisis as presented by the media serve multiple interests, none of which includes the public at large. This is ironic because the major media all over the world seems to be deathly silent regarding real crises that do affect the public at large, such as one of the largest looming financial crises today. Anyone remember the travesty that was touted every single day in the media for at least a solid month leading up to New Year’s Eve 1999 that was called Y2K? And that whole “crisis” passed with not even a blip on anyone’s screen. But Y2K did serve many corporate interests. It served the media’s interest because by attracting scores of readers and viewers and higher advertising revenues, and it served the technology industry’s interests by resulting in millions, if not billions of increased sales of computers and software by fearful consumers.

I would not be one bit surprised years later to find out later that the public relations branches of technology companies were the ones that manufactured and released the lion’s share of Y2K stories to the media for public consumption. Likewise this is why I’m skeptical of the Peak Oil crisis. Personally I think Peak Oil has been manufactured by big oil to justify higher crude oil prices. The term Peak Oil conjures up images of scarcity, and we know that scarcity in the supply-demand yield curve leads to higher prices. Furthermore, the media is happy to disseminate the Peak Oil theory because any type of crisis generates more advertising revenue for them. Personally I think that most of the crises we hear about in the media are junk, cooked up in the back offices of public relations divisions of the very industries the well-publicized crises will benefit.

If anything, the threat of lost imports from Venezuela as Venezuela continues to strengthen trade relations with China poses more of a threat to the U.S. economy that the Peak Oil crisis. Over the next six years, China will invest over USD $5 billion in oil exploration and production in Venezuela and Venezuela will increasingly become less dependent upon the U.S. not only for its oil exports but also for oil infrastructure as China increasingly fills both of these needs.

With sophisticated 3-D and 4-D seismic imaging equipment today, we know that big oil has unearthed some huge reserves of oil in deep sea territories. In the past it was impossible to drill at the depths that oil and gas companies drill at today. But now, with the rapid development of deep-sea drilling technology, drilling at depths of 3,000 meters (over 10,000 feet) is not only becoming more common, but are leading to some significant oil and natural gas discoveries. In fact knowing that exploration is increasingly going deep sea, I bought a Norwegian company that specializes in building deep sea drilling infrastructure called Acergy and in a little over two months I’m sitting on nice fat 25% profits. At this point I’ll employ tight stop-losses on the stock but I still wouldn’t be surprised to see it go much higher in the next year. The point is, I don’t buy the Peak Oil crisis. And if the Peak Oil crisis isn’t real, and there is still a trillion more gallons of oil to be pumped out of the ground, big oil can and will kill any alternative energy sources from making it into the mainstream. There will be just too much profit at stake.

Case in point. Many people believe that some of the alternative energy sources being discussed today like fuel cells and so forth are new. In fact they aren’t new at all and have been around for decades. They just have never made it into the mainstream because big oil has always successfully killed their development. In 1834, Thomas Davenport invented the battery electric car. In 1889, Thomas Edison built an electric vehicle using nickel-alkaline batteries. Over a hundred years later, in 1996, U.S. auto giant General Motors manufactured electric cars that ran at speeds of up to 135 kilometers an hour, released zero emissions, and cost only USD $0.16 per litre to operate. What happened to a car that was much more friendly to both the consumer and the environment that the petrol powered car? Big oil killed it because it was big oil unfriendly.

So for this very reason, though I may be wrong, I think the future for alternative energy is just that – in the future.

This article may be freely reprinted on another website as long as it is not modified, changed, or altered in any way and as long as the below author byline is included along with the active hyperlink exactly as is.

J.S. Kim is the Managing Director of SmartKnowledgeU™. He has over thirteen years of experience in finance and financial services, and has earned a BA in Neurobiology from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master in Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MBA with a concentration in finance from the McCombs Business School, University of Texas at Austin. He is the inventor of the revolutionary MoneyPing™ investment strategies, a novel approach to learn how to build wealth, not just dreams.

To learn more at J.S. Kim's blog "The Zen of Investing", click the following link, Learn to Invest Money and Achieve Financial Freedom

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Electric Vehicle Invented

2006-09-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

By Richard Chapo

Many say the electric vehicle will never exist, but popular hybrid vehicles are a variation of them. To under electric vehicles, it is prudent to know who and when they were invented.

The electric vehicle has been heralded for many years as the vehicle of the future. This type of electrically powered vehicle is better for the environment and less expensive to run than traditional gasoline powered vehicles, and can be built from existing vehicle parts with a few modifications. With all of the focus on hybrid and electric vehicles in recent years, you might think the time when the electric vehicle was developed was relatively recently, but this is not the case.

So, when was the electric vehicle invented? Historians have recorded that between 1832 and 1839 (the exact year is uncertain), Robert Anderson of Scotland invented the first electric powered vehicles. This crude model was not exactly what would be considered a vehicle by today's standards, but was definitely the forefather of electric vehicles today. Around 1842, more practical and usable electric vehicles were developed in America by Thomas Davenport, and in Scotland by Robert Davidson.

While the evolution of the electric vehicle invented more possibilities, France and Great Britain were the only two countries to really start focusing on the electric vehicle, in the late 1800's. In 1895, the United States finally got on board with developing electric powered vehicles, after an electric tricycle was built by A.L. Ryker. The first commercial version of an electric vehicle or vehicle was found in 1897, when the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company of Philadelphia built a fleet of electric powered taxis for New York City.

The years 1899 and 1900 were the best years in the history of electric vehicles for the United States, as electric vehicles outsold any other type of vehicle in these two years. Production of electric vehicles peaked in the year 1912, and these type of vehicles enjoyed success into the 1920's, after which there was a marked decline in the demand for electric vehicles. As more and more road systems were developed crossing the US, the need for longer range vehicles became apparent. Coupled with the finding of oil in Texas, which meant gasoline was more affordable for everyday use, combustion engines quickly became the more popular engine for vehicles.

Today, the electric vehicles invented in the last half of the 20th century are seen as the wave of the future for eco-friendly vehicles. The same problems still plague electric vehicles that did so in the 1920's, including slow speeds and short ranges, but hopefully with new technology, electric vehicles will be able to replace the polluting combustion engine vehicles we drive today.

Rick Chapo is with Solar Companies - information on alternative energy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Chapo

Beyond China's Coal Fields: Expanding Its Gas Resources

2006-09-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

By James Finch

In the first half of 2006, China's total power consumption reached 1.3 trillion kilowatt-hours, an increase of 12.89 per cent over the same period a year ago. But the country only generated 1.23 trillion kilowatt-hours during the first six months of this year – a shortfall of 700 million kilowatt-hours. According to China Electricity Council Secretary-General Wang Yonggan, power shortages will continue to plague China, but he hopes they will somewhat ease. At the beginning of 2005, twenty-five Chinese provinces suffered power shortages. This had been reduced to nine provinces this past January, and recently the number of provinces suffering power shortages had fallen to four.

China relieved its widespread power shortages over the past six months because of its new power stations, but officials insist the power industry must try to reduce energy consumption per unit of GDP by 20 percent to comply with the latest five-year plan through 2010. Power deficits are still expected in East China, North China and part of South China during peak summer months even though China spent more than $9 billion in the first half of 2006 to improve its power transport capacity.

But how will China continue to fuel its power stations so they can generate electricity? Nearly 84 percent of China’s power is thermally fueled, mostly by coal. China’s 30,000 coal mines produced more than two billion tons in 2005. This is not likely to be drastically reduced over the next two decades, but China is making an effort to exploit other resources. Drawing almost 14 percent of its energy from hydroelectricity, the country plans to dam up all five of Asia’s major rivers in order to keep its generators going. China has helped drive up the price of uranium with its plans to dramatically increase its nuclear energy program.

Reducing the Coal Consumption Rate

Slowly, China is trying to wean itself off coal. Over the first six months of this year, China reduced its coal consumption rate, as measured by kilowatt-hour, by less than two percent compared to the first half of 2005. While China has stated it plans to expand its hydro, nuclear and renewable energy programs to increase their share of electrical power production, the country ambitiously hopes to more than double the amount of natural gas in its energy mix. Currently providing a little more than three percent of the energy mix, the Chinese have often announced they want natural gas to provide eight percent or more, by the time the Eleventh Five Year Plan ends in 2010.

“It’s doable,” Phil Flynn of Alaron Trading Corp told us. “It’s going to be tough and very expensive, but I think they can reach that percentage.” However in February of this year, the China Daily newspaper reported the bulk of China’s gas-fired power plants could be closed down because of a natural gas shortage. For example, four gigawatts of installed capacity were not used in Eastern China, in the latter part of 2005, because the country could not obtain sufficient gas supplies to power the plants. China’s National Development and Reform Commission plans to increase the country’s gas power capacity to 30 gigawatts, but the head of China’s Electricity Council announced that gas shortfalls would probably make this target impossible to achieve.

Husky Energy’s Recent Gas Discovery Spurs More Exploration Activity

It is not for lack of trying. In June, Husky Energy announced a deep gas discovery beneath the South China Sea, about 155 miles south of Hong Kong. The area had been abandoned decades earlier when shallower wells had come up dry. Fu Chengyu, Chairman of Husky’s Chinese partner China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) called the gas discovery “a tremendous breakthrough for us.” The find may reportedly contain 3.5 trillion cubic feet of gas. Last week, Husky Energy and CNOOC signed three new production-sharing contracts to drill for oil and gas in deepwater blocks in the eastern and western South China Sea.

While Husky Energy may be Calgary-based, it remains controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing. China’s big announcement in mid July invited the more autonomous foreign oil companies to explore in as many as nine blocks in northwestern China. The target is the Xinjian’s Tarim Basin, which has proven reserves of six billion tons of oil and eight trillion cubic meters of natural gas. Analysts heralded this as China’s biggest step forward in cooperating with major foreign oil and gas companies since 1994. China is eager to move these projects further in order to keep its 2200-mile natural gas pipeline running at capacity to supply its major coastal cities in eastern China.

Australian LNG Helping China’s Energy Mix

In late September, the city of Shenzhen, in China’s southern province of Guangdong, will begin generating electricity powered by Australian gas. Northwest Shelf Australia LNG PTY plans to annually ship over three million tons of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for the next 25 years. The LNG contract valued at $25 billion is Australia’s largest resource contract. It angered many Australians when CNOOC became the first foreign country to own a stake in Australia’s gas reserves. The gas had been allocated for domestic use in Australia. The deal entitled the Chinese firm to own about 1.1 trillion cubic feet of gas and another 210 million barrels of liquids of Western Australia’s gas project. Because of previous long-term contracts with Japan, China may not be able to sign new gas deals with Australia until after 2010.

“Right, we see in the LNG (liquefied natural gas) business a kind of unprecedented situation: unprecedented demand from not only new emerging buyers China and India, but also the U.S.” China plans to build over a dozen more new LNG terminals along its southern coast similar to the one in Guangdong province, which will serve cities in the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong and power plants in the Delta region. Several LNG projects, under construction or waiting for approval, would impact Shanghai, Beijing and other multi-million population centers. Despite the size of this and other deals, it is not enough. “The actual demand is so big that neither onshore nor offshore gas or LNG will be able to meet the demand on its own, said Azfar Shaukat, director of Mott MacDonald Group’s oil and gas studies. “It has to be a combination of them.”

China’s Coalbed Methane Development

What can China do about its coal mines which drive the country’s electrical production? Although official figures are lower, as many as 6000 Chinese die in the country’s 30,000+ coal mines every year. More suffer from air pollution and black lung. By comparison in the United States, the American Lung Association estimates about 24,000 premature deaths are caused every year by air pollution from coal-fired power plants. About 40 percent of the emissions of carbon dioxide, which contribute to greenhouse gases and global warming, come from coal burning. Imagine how much larger a problem this has become for the Chinese?

Nonetheless, coal mining will stay with China for at least the entire 21st century. More uses from China’s coal mines could make these resources indispensable. Rising petroleum costs have forced China to move forward to convert coal to oil products. Thirty coal liquefaction projects are now in the detailed planning or feasibility study stage. The Chinese plan to spend more than $15 billion in order to produce 50 million tons of oil from coal liquefaction by 2020.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, a former mining engineer, has been sympathetic to the plight of coal miners. New restrictions and regulations have increased the safety for coal miners. One of those upon which there is greater emphasis is capturing the methane from coal seams before the mining process begins. Methane gas in coal seams is the culprit behind widespread pollution and coal mining deaths. Nearly a decade ago, China United Coalbed Methane (CUCBM) was formed to capitalize upon the wasted methane released into the atmosphere during the mining process. Following the developments in New Mexico’s San Juan Basin and Wyoming’s Powder River Basin, the Chinese are determined to utilize the ‘unconventional gas,’ also known as coalbed methane (CBM) as an important energy source.

In early July, Jimmy Rogers told us, “Longer term, natural gas production is declining in North America.” A few weeks later, in our interview with Sprott Asset Management CBM research analyst Eric Nuttall he echoed those remarks, saying, “North American natural gas production has been in decline for several years.” Nuttall added, “Most incremental production is coming from smaller, more expensive-to-drill, thinner economic, higher decline pools and reservoirs.” He pointed to CBM as where the action would be, “The growth areas have largely been unconventional.” And that is where the Chinese may be headed in order to obtain additional gas reserves.

A researcher for China United Coalbed Methane (CUCBM) wrote, “By 2010 and 2020, the shortage for the natural gas supply in China will be 30 billion to 40 billion cubic meters and 90 billion to 100 billion cubic meters respectively.” Professor Sun Maoyuan wrote on behalf of the CUCBM, “It is estimated that the coalbed methane resource is between 30 trillion and 35 trillion cubic meters, which is equivalent to the resource of natural gas. In China’s 13 major coal-bearing basins, 10 coal-bearing basins are located in North China with 22.27 trillion cubic meters of coalbed methane resource, accounting for 68% of the total coalbed methane resource in China.” He explained China’s goal was to reach 10 billion cubic meters by 2010 and double that goal five years later. He wrote, “It is estimated conservatively that coalbed methane will account for 20 – 25 percent of the gas energy.”

Since 1998, when CUCBM signed its first production-sharing contract (PSCs) with Texaco, nearly thirty such CBM concessions have been awarded. Major oil companies, and those with the closest connections to Chinese government officials, were the earliest awarded, such as Arco, Phillips, Greka and Australia’s Lowell oil. Smaller U.S. firms, such as Far Eastern Energy, were later invited to participate.

One Example: Pacific Asia China Energy

By 2005, Canadian public companies were awarded CBM concessions – the first Canadian publicly traded firm to obtain not one, but two, production-sharing contracts was Pacific Asia China Energy (TSX: PCE). This has worked out well for this young company. An evaluation by leading CBM appraisal firm, Sproule International of Calgary, assessed the “most likely case” scenario for the company’s Guizhou property in southern China at 5.2 trillion cubic feet. Since then, the company has been drilling to confirm this estimate, and recently announced recent drill results “strongly correlate” with the independent technical report.

We asked the company’s vice president of exploration, Dr. David Marchioni about China’s view on CBM as part of the energy mix away from coal. He told us, “The central government is pushing hard for CBM exploration and mine degasification, which will yield CBM. They have announced a new formal policy promoting CBM and starting studies for new gas pipelines.”

Has CBM registered on the radar screen yet? “CUCBM themselves is actively exploring,” Marchioni said. “And CUCBM has production at present, but at fairly low volumes.” Pacific Asia China Energy (PACE) may become an important test case, with its massive 970 kilometer square concession in south-central China’s Guizhou province, in which the company would earn 60 percent by funding the exploration and pilot program. Would this help China’s energy mix? “What would have impact is if PACE or any other players could produce CBM at high volumes and that ‘it works’ in a big way,” Marchioni explained. “The technological learning from this and the news of success would encourage others.”

There are other reasons why a small company, such as PACE, would find enormous opportunity in China. “We would not be able to afford a sizeable concession (like this) in Canada or the western world,” Steve Khan, executive vice president of the company told us. Our investigation showed a comparable CBM concession, to what PACE holds in China, could cost more than $100 million in one of Alberta’s prolific coalbed methane areas.

A concession this size is not something the Chinese government didn’t want. Nor is it far removed from a population center. Within a radius of 500 miles, there are in excess of 240 million people. “The growth is so significant that any source from energy, including CBM, is being secured by the Chinese government,” Khan said. “The uniqueness about PACE is that we’re not looking to produce gas and sell it into the market. We can produce and sell it to the market which we are in. Industrial consumers there are short of gas to run their factories. Many of them are seeking out companies like us to contract for the secure delivery of gas.”

One of the problems, which companies developing energy relationships in China face, is convincing investors to focus on the positive aspects of the country’s dramatic GDP growth and its insatiable asset to obtain sufficient energy to maintain this rate. “North Americans are a little less attuned to what’s happening in China than the Europeans,” Khan explained. “When we visit the London fund managers, they look at this as a great opportunity, and they are investing more funds into that part of the world.”

Those who appear to be most eager in what PACE has are the Chinese. The company presented at a provincial coal symposium earlier this year. Because the national government has mandated the reclassification of existing coal areas before they can be mined, and because PACE has a joint venture with Mitchell Drilling of Australia, and their proprietary Dymaxion® drilling technology, one major door could open later this year. “We hope to be able to put in a pilot project on one of those coal mines,” Khan said. “The Chinese coal mines are very actively pursuing us to push that agenda forward because they are in need of that reclassification.”

CONCLUSION

By 2010, it’s a good bet China will have invested tens of billions to build up its energy portfolio. Many warn of a slowdown in early 2007, and it might give a much-needed breather to China’s runaway growth. Or this might be a brief pause in China’s remarkable transformation from an agricultural economy into an industrial superpower. The United States had some fifteen depressions as the country entered and passed through its own Industrial Revolution. It would not be surprising if China experienced volatility during this critical five-year plan. Four years from now, China might very well avert its potential energy crisis. In the meanwhile, this might suck up a great deal of the world’s energy sources, or drive energy prices to record highs. Nonetheless, it will be an exciting and erratic period while the rest of the world watches China out-perform the rest of the world’s economies.

James Finch contributes to StockInterview.com and other publications. Visit http://www.stockinterview.com to download your free copy of “Investing in the Great Uranium Bull Market: A Practical Investor’s Guide to Uranium Stocks.” You can always write to James Finch at jfinch@stockinterview.com

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Consider Geothermal For Your New Home Heating System!

2006-09-04T12:50:00.000-07:00

By Bill Prudehome

One thing is for sure energy prices are going to continue to rise. If you are considering replacing your heating and cooling systems or if you are building a new home then you should consider the advantages of using geothermal! One of the most energy efficient methods of heating and cooling your home is to use a geothermal heat exchanger.

Some geothermal systems even provide hot water for your home.

Geothermal heating and cooling is not science fiction, it is a proven method of supplying heating and cooling and its acceptance, and installation is growing daily. Savings on yearly energy bills can be as much as 60 percent. In the US, the federal government and many states are providing tax incentives and credits if you install a geothermal HVAC system. Other countries including Canada also have incentive programs. Check out your local electrical utility or government website.

How does it work?

It uses technologies that have been around for many years - pumps and heat exchangers. A well is drilled on your property. The water from the well is pumped through a heat exchanger in your home where a portion of the latent heat in that water is removed and used to heat your home. In the summer, as the water temperature is cooler than the outside air the system provides air conditioning to your home. In climates where temperatures fall below 0 degrees, supplemental heating using gas, electricity, or fuel oil may be incorporated into the system.

Electricity is used to power the pump and the circulation fans. There is no cost to the homeowner for the actual heat. No gas or fuel oil is consumed.

A geothermal system is not only cost beneficial, it is very environmentally friendly and it conserves our precious fossil fuels.

Interested?

For additional information on geothermal heating and cooling systems, follow the link.

For additional information on geothermal HVAC systems for your home or for information on other home renovation projects, visit Renovation Headquarters.

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DC To AC Power Inverters

2006-08-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

By Josh Riverside

Inverters are the essential step between a battery's DC power and the AC power needed by standard household electrical systems. In a grid connected home, an inverter connected to a battery bank can provide an uninterruptible source of backup power in the event of power failures, or can be used to sell extra alternative energy power back to the utility company.

A "DC to AC" power inverter, also termed DC to AC converter, electronically converts DC power from a battery to 60 hertz AC power at 120 volts like in homes. Batteries produce power in direct current (DC) form, which run at very low voltages but cannot be used to run most modern household appliances. Inverters take the DC power supplied by a storage battery bank and electronically convert it to AC power. An inverter used for backup power in a grid connected home will use grid power to keep the batteries charged, and when grid power fails, it will switch to drawing power from the batteries and supplying it to the building electrical system.

Most modern inverters also include over voltage and under voltage protection, protecting sensitive equipment from dangerous power surges as well. All the DC to AC power inverters requires a 12-volt input, but there is a wide range of models available in the market depending on the output wattage that they supply. A few of the most widely used models are 150 watts, 325 watts, 600 watts, 1500 watts and 3000 watts. The lower wattage, models can be directly connected to a cars cigarette lighter socket, while the larger ones must be directly wired to bigger batteries.

Typical applications for a DC-AC power inverter include microwave ovens, televisions, video recorders, computer and power tools and monitoring/communications equipment.

Power Inverters provides detailed information on Power Inverters, DC To AC Power Inverters, Emergency Power Inverters, Car Power Inverter and more. Power Inverters is affiliated with How to Replace a Circuit Breaker.

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