The increased interest in solar power is largely due to three factors:
- One is our escalating energy bills.
- Second is our depleting fossil fuel reserve.
- And finally the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels.

Solar power addresses these concerns quite well:
- It uses sunlight for generating energy, which is available for free
- It is harmless to the environment. This is why many domestic and commercial establishments are switching to solar power to meet their energy requirements.
- Moreover, solar power is of great value for use in remote locations where you do not have conventional sources of power.
- Solar power is also widely used by owners of Recreational Vehicles (RV) and luxury boats.

Solar Power is being used Commercially
Solar power has now developed to the point where it is commercially viable. In My home town in Ontario Canada they are presently in the second stage of the largest solar farm in North America. This not only tells us that it is both economical to set up but can generate very economically the suns energy into electricity which we all use in so many ways today. Not only that but it is in Canada (not the Mohave Desert) so solar energy is viable anywhere in the world.

Solar Power for your home
Solar power is being noticed for its widespread use at more and more homes. Solar powered lights are quite common for garden lighting. These are easy to set up and no cost to operate. Some people are using solar power even for indoor lighting. What makes solar power a viable energy source for your home is it has no recurring cost and a very low, almost negligible, maintenance cost.

Photovoltaic Tiles for Your Home
You may be concerned by the big bulky size of solar panels in regards to the use of solar power at your home. However, this concern has largely been addressed with the development of small solar photovoltaic cells and the solar photovoltaic roof shingles. The solar photovoltaic roof shingles or tiles look quite similar to your normal roof shingles and give you freedom from the large solar panels.

You can use photovoltaic tiles to supply electrical power for your home use. This electrical power can be used to heat water, and even heat your house. Some people also use solar power to heat the pool. The solar power generated by the PV shingles is just like the normal power you use for your everyday needs.

Solar Water Pumps
Solar power is being used to power water pumps in remote areas. Although windmills used to be the main source of power for the water pumps, recently the solar power has increasingly become the preferred source.

One of the big helps today in getting set up for using solar energy is that the government provides grants to people toward purchase and installation of solar power devices such as solar energy panels and solar photovoltaic singles.

Using solar power really gives you a double benefit as you are not only preventing environmental damage but also you are also cutting down your electricity bills. If you are not able to use solar power for your house on your own, you still have the option of buying the solar power from the grid.

Go solar Go green

Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I might remember some of it. Involve me, and I will master it. This old tried and true adage is one of the core concepts of PicoTurbine Company. The kits the company produces come with activity suggestions to get the young people into hands-on learning situations.

Some of the company’s suggestions are:
- To demonstrate how heat can be produced by wind energy (the company’s specialty) through using a “picture wire” for the heating element. PicoTurbine has found that people typically think of wind energy as being “cold” energy, and are pleasantly surprised to see how wind can be used for generating heat in the home.
- Another project suggestion that the company offers is to have different groups split off in the classroom and make some miniature wind turbines. Then compare them and see which ones produce the most or least electricity, and which ones need of the least amount of wind power to start turning. For very young children, they have them look at which ones look the nicest.

PicoTurbine has a core curriculum in mind for teachers to help their pupils learn. They look at several renewable, alternative sources of energy including solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass in addition to wind-produced energy. They teach how when we use more alternative sources of energy, we decrease our nation’s dependence on foreign oil supplies. Often these oil supplies come from nations we cannot really call our “allies”. They also help them realize alternative energy is already becoming cost effective when set against the fossil fuels that we are so reliant on currently.

Their curriculum points out that wind farms and solar arrays are already letting their makers enjoy commercial success. I bet you don’t even realize how in the last two decades, the cost of photovoltaic cells expressed in terms of per-watt has gone from nearly $1000 to just $4! Isn’t that incredible? And it is predicted by analysts that by the year 2015, the cost per watt should only be about $1 (in today’s dollars).

They also have not forgotten that students also need to be taught about the hidden cost of fossil fuels: pollution and environmental degradation. Air pollution from burning fossil fuels has been shown through studies to increase incidences of asthma attacks, heighten the effects of allergies, and even cause cancer.

There is much we as adults could also learn from their kits. Things like how switching over to clean, green energy found in the alternative forms would prevent air pollution and help save our environment. Maybe you want to check them out.

There are three kinds of OTEC.

Closed Cycle OTEC
Closed cycle OTEC uses a low-boiling point liquid such as propane to act as an intermediate fluid. The OTEC plant pumps warm sea water from the surface of the ocean into the reaction chamber and uses it to boil the intermediate fluid. This results in the intermediate fluid’s vapor pushing the turbine of the engine, which thus generates electricity. The vapor is then cooled down by using cold sea water from the oceans depth.

Open Cycle OTEC
Open cycle OTEC is not that different from closed cycling, except with the Open Cycle there is no intermediate fluid. It uses the sea water itself to drive the turbine engine. Again using warm sea water found on the surface of the ocean and then turning it into a low-pressure vapor under the constraint of a vacuum. Then by releasing the low-pressure vapor in a focused area it has the power to drive the turbine. Then after it has generated sufficient electricity the deep cold ocean’s waters are used to cool down the vapor and also create desalinated water for human consumption.

Hybrid Cycle OTEC
There is also a hybrid cycle OTEC that is really just a theory for the time being. The theory is to make maximum usage of the thermal energy of the ocean’s waters. Actually there are two sub-theories to the theory of Hybrid Cycling.
The first involves using a closed cycling to generate electricity. This electricity is in turn used to create the vacuum environment needed for open cycling.
The second idea is to integrate two open cycles such that twice the amount of desalinated water is created then with just one open cycle.

Some Additional Advantages of OTEC
- In addition to a closed cycle OTEC plant being used for producing electricity, it can be used for treating chemicals.
- Both open cycling and closed cycling OTEC plants, are also able to be utilized for pumping up cold deep sea water which can then be used for refrigeration and air conditioning.
- Furthermore, during the period when the sea water is moderated and made ready to go back into the sea, it can be used for mariculture (a specialized branch of aquaculture) and aquaculture projects such as fish farming.
There is clearly quite an array of products and services that we could derive from this alternative energy source.

OTEC is a potential alternative energy source that needs to be explored much more than it presently has been. And this exploration needs to be funded better in order to discover cost effective ways of utilizing it. The greatest hurdle to get over with OTEC implementation on a wide and practical level is cost. With the processes presently being used to drive OTEC it is difficult to get the costs down to a reasonable level. The advantage of Ocean Thermal Energy would be it is very clean burning and would not add pollutants into the air. However, with our current technologies, OTEC plants would disrupt and perhaps damage the local water environments.

Using algae for making biofuels is showing some real promise for several reasons.
- Algae is one of the most efficient plants on earth photo synthetically. That means it is very efficient at turning sun light into plant food in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, and oils. The more efficient a plant is at converting solar energy into this chemical energy, the better its potential is from a biofuel perspective.
- The biofuel that can be made from algae has a molecular structure similar to petroleum. This makes it easy to use in traditional motors and engines.

As companies assess a plants biofuel potential they are looking at
- Its scalability (can we produce it easily)
- Any technical challenges there might be at producing it. When looking at the technical challenges the real question is what are our abilities to address the challenges?
- How it rates as far as its environmental performance is concerned.
- And the ability to produce it economically.

Algae offers several advantages over other biofuel alternatives.
- Unlike sugarcane, corn, or soy, algae can be grown using land and water that would otherwise not be able to be productive.
- Algae actually consumes carbon dioxide which would reduce greenhouse gasses.
- Even more important, algae have a higher potential bio-oil yield per acre than other alternatives. It is believed it could easily yield 2000 gallons per acre per year verses 50 to 650 gallons for the other alternatives, soy, corn, and sugarcane.
- Algae is also a very productive plant. It can be grown in a couple of days. This is part of the reason for the higher yield. It also makes the process of testing different variables and their fuel making potential faster and easier. This is especially true when comparing it to other crops where the growing time is a season long.

When it does go forward it will certainly be considered as a jet fuel and in fact this is already happening.

Last January a flight demonstration with a two engine aircraft using sustainable biofuels was performed, the first by a US carrier. This was a joint effort and used an algae based biofuel for this demonstration flight.

The algae based biofuel blend performed as well as or better than traditional jet fuel. It also had a 1.1 percent increase in fuel efficiency over traditional jet fuel. The greenhouse gas emissions (carbon emissions) related to using a biofuel of this nature are estimated to be reduced by 60 to 80 percent, compared with traditional jet fuel.

This was the first sustainable biofuel demonstration flight by a commercial air carrier using a two engine aircraft and the first biofuel demonstration flight by a commercial carrier using fuel partially derived from algae. Not only that, but because of the way the fuel was made, no modifications were necessary to the aircraft or the engines.

There is still some uncertainty as to whether an algae-based biofuel will prove commercially viable and it is felt that they will need a window of five to ten years before they know for sure.

Algae, though, is showing real promise as a source for a biofuel energy alternative.

We still have a long way though to be able to refine and make these biofuels economic and practical. We have yet to develop biofuels that are as energy efficient as gasoline made from petroleum a study by Oregon State University says. Energy efficiency is the measure of how much usable energy is able to be made from a certain amount of input energy. This University study found corn-derived ethanol is only 20% energy efficient while gasoline made from petroleum is 75% energy efficient. Biodiesel fuel was a lot better at 69% energy efficiency. A study that did turn up positive was cellulose-derived ethanol which charted at 85% efficiency. That is even higher than that of the fantastically efficient nuclear energy.

Even the stock market seems to be saying things are changing. Oil futures have been down on the New York Stock Exchange recently. Analysts from several different countries believe this is because people are predicting a surge in biofuel availability which would offset the value of oil. This has dropped crude oil prices on the international market to around $40 per barrel. Not only that; but the grain futures market is starting to “steal” investment activity away from the oil futures market. Investors are definitely expecting better profitability to start coming from biofuels. It is being predicted by a majority of analysts that biofuels will be supplying seven percent of the entire world’s transportation fuels by the year 2030. If the government goes forward with subsidizing firms distributing biofuels and continues the push to promote the use of eco-friendly fuel, it is expected that growth in demand for diesel and gasoline will slow down dramatically.

There are several countries that are seriously involved in the development of biofuels.

- Brazil, which happens to be the world’s biggest producer of ethanols. It produces approximately three and a half billion gallons of ethanol per year.

- The United States is the world’s greatest fuel user and is not doing too bad as it is already the second largest producer of biofuels behind Brazil.

- Canada is in the mix and has started to seriously produce biofuels.

- The European Union’s biodiesel production now has a capacity in excess of four million (British) tonnes. The EU’s biodiesel fuels are 80 percent derived from rapeseed oil and soybean oil. A marginal quantity of palm oil comprises the other 20 percent.

In the continuing battle on global warming and with diminishing oil reserves Biofuels are an important weapon in our arsenal. Unlike other alternative fuels, biofuels force little or no changes in our modes of transport used by most consumers today. The technology used to create biofuels is getting better all the time and the “bio” parts of the ingredients are totally renewable. It is certainly a move for the better.

In the US there are also moves towards finding and using alternative energy. One such initiative is by the BP Corporation. It has established an Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) located at the University of Illinois, to establish extensive new research and development efforts into clean burning renewable energy sources. Most prominently this means biofuels for cars and trucks. Their investment will be $50 million (US) per year over the next decade. The University has established a partnership with BP, and it will be responsible for research and development of new biofuel crops. They will also be researching the biofuel-delivering agricultural systems, and machines that will produce renewable fuels in liquid form for automobile consumption. The University will specifically concentrate on efforts in the field of genetic engineering related to creating the more advanced biofuel crops. This institute will also focus on technological innovations for converting heavy hydrocarbons into pollution-free and highly efficient fuels.

There is also a battle raging in the US, between Congress and the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) on geothermal energy, its potential, and the role of federal research. The GEA’s concern is Congress’ irrational insistence on terminating the geothermal research program. The GEA says that recent studies by the National Research Council, the Western Governors’ Association Clean Energy Task Force and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology all support expanding geothermal research funding. This is necessary in order to develop the technology necessary to utilize this vast, untapped domestic renewable energy resource. Supporters of geothermal energy are amazed at the small amount of awareness people have about the huge benefits this research could have to the US, both practically and economically. Did you know that geothermal energy is already less expensive to produce in terms of kilowatt-hours than the coal that the US keeps mining? Geothermal energy is readily available, sitting just a few miles below our feet and is easily accessible through drilling. Some companies are already producing geothermal energy in the US and around the world. Geothermal energy is certainly economically viable and is already a billion dollar per year business.

It is important that we support these alternative energy sources whenever and however possible.

While electric bills and fuel bills are constantly rising, the cost of installing and hooking up a turbine is steadily coming down as demand rises. The cost of wind turbines is decreasing because the various companies producing the turbines are enjoying more commercial success and their research is making the turbines more and more efficient. People are motivated to get away from the traditional energy sources and turn to wind power for their energy for several reasons.
- The cost of energy generated by a wind turbine is zero.
- For personal reasons including desire for greater independence.
- The desire to live remotely or rurally without having to “go primitive”.
- Political concerns such as fears of terrorist strikes on oil fields or power grids,
- Concerns about the environment.

As people move in this direction it gives more businesses opportunities to profit from wind turbine production and maintenance, which drives their costs down for the consumers.

In more than half the states and many of the provinces in Canada at this time, homeowners who remain on the grid but who also choose to use alternative forms of energy are eligible for rebates or tax breaks from their governments. These breaks and rebates can end up paying for as much as 50% of their total “green” energy systems’ costs. In addition, there are as many or more states and provinces that allow these homeowners to sell their excess energy back to the power company under what are called “net metering laws”. The rates that they are being paid by the local power companies for this energy are standard retail rates. This means that the homeowners are actually profiting from their own energy production.

A push is on to get the federal governments to mandate these breaks and incentives in all states and provinces. Japan and Germany already have national incentive programs in place. However, many times these laws are handled regionally by state or provincial law which makes them a little more difficult to implement. There is also some resistance from power companies who feel that it’s unfair that they should have to pay retail rates to private individuals. They think they should only have to pay the wholesale rate for this electricity. However, the companies seem to be more worried about losing short term profits than about the benefits, especially in the long run, of the increased use of wind turbines or wind farms which is really quality power that strengthens the grid.

Having a reduced electric bill or none at all while enjoying the advantages of the modern lifestyle is a really great feeling.

Carbon Free is a group that has been studying the growing trend toward alternative energy use in homes in North America and England. A Senior Analyst there says that inevitably the growth of alternative energy sources will lead to the restructuring of the retail electricity market and its generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. Power providers may have to diversify their business to make up for revenues lost through household energy generation.

These changes are being driven by the fact that the government is backing alternative energy research and development. They are also being driven by the rising cost of oil and other fossil fuels, concern for the environment, and the desire to be energy independent. It is believed that meeting all the energy needs of your home by installing alternative energy technology such as solar panels or wind turbines will be revolutionary to the homeowner. It has been compared to the changes the Internet has had on home communications and data gathering. People have concluded that, assuming traditional energy prices remain at their current level or rise, this kind of alternative energy generation will have deep effects on the existing energy supply companies.

Energy companies themselves are jumping in on the game and are seeking to leverage these home generation alternatives to their own advantage. They are looking for ways of opening up new markets for themselves. It is reported that electricity companies in the UK are seriously researching and developing ideas for new geothermal energy facilities. (Geothermal energy comes from the heat within the earth and people around the world are using it to heat their homes and other buildings as well as heat water and produce electricity.) These companies see geothermal energy production as a highly profitable wave of the future. Geothermal power is cost effective, reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.

Another conclusion of this group has been that solar energy hot water heating technology is an efficient technology for reducing home water heating costs. Although it is initially fairly expensive to install in the long run it pays off. However, solar hot water heating is not yet cost-effective for corporations, as they require too much specialized plumbing to implement solar energy hot water heating.

Lastly, we are told that installing wind turbines is an efficient way of reducing home electricity costs. However, again initially it is a fairly expensive thing to have installed, but the prices are coming down.

The above are a very few of the alternative sources of energy available out there. The technology used to harness the power of renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind power, geothermal power and biomass has advanced considerably in recent years. All of these options for alternative energy are now more economically viable than ever before.

It’s a great time to start making the switch.

Other health aspects include helping with problems that are associated with dry air such as dry skin, swollen nasal passages, and sinus headaches. They can help when a person has the flu or a sore throat to soothe the nasal and respiratory passages. Portable units can also be used to provide relief to those who have dry skin, and/or dry eyes.

Adults are not the only ones to benefit from the use of room humidifiers. The health aspects of room humidifiers also greatly benefit children. It is common for young children to suffer from 6 to 8 upper respiratory tract infections every year. By increasing air moisture in your home, and/or your child’s room, you can not only alleviate his/her symptoms, but can also help to prevent them all together.

There are two kinds of humidifiers, warm and cool mist. When choosing a room humidifier for a child, be aware that a cool mist unit is recommended. Warm mist units can run a risk to accidental burns.

In order to keep your room humidifier in optimum working conditions, there are several things you must do to keep it free from mold, fungi, and bacteria that can be harmful to your health. By following the manufacturer’s instructions for care and cleaning you can make sure you keep your room humidifier safe. Instead of using tap water, which can contain minerals that my promote a germ-friendly film as well as scale build up, try using distilled or dematerialized water.

Room humidifiers are most often used during the winter. In order to prevent the growth of mold, spores, and dust mites, the level of humidity should be kept under 50%. The tank should be emptied, surfaces should be dried, and it should be refilled with clean water on a daily basis.

One important thing to remember is that bringing your home’s humidity to the proper level can not only benefit you health-wise, but can also save you money each year. You will pay less for your heating bills when you feel warmer at a lower temperature. That means that everything in your home, from your plants, to your pets, whether it’s your furniture, or your loved ones, and most of all to you, all can benefit from its results.

Room humidifiers can be found in various stores and also on the internet. It is wise to do your research before purchasing a unit to find which brand and type best fits your needs. A room humidifier is a wonderful item to have in your home. Having your home properly humidified should not be considered a luxury, but a necessity.

Home renovations are essential as it not only makes your home more beautiful but it also increases its life span besides increasing its market value. Not only that, it gives you the chance to make necessary changes to the home in tune with the changing needs of your family. However, it is good to keep in mind the effect of the remodeling work on your home’s environment as well as in line with its general architecture.

In order to do this, the materials you use for the renovation work need to be environment friendly. If you are not aware of where to get environment friendly material, one place you can go is online and search for companies that provide green materials or products made from green materials. Even your local construction supply store will be able to give you information regarding such companies.

- Basically, these products should not be chemically treated and their harvest or production should be done in an environment friendly manner.
- Green products use paints that do not have volatile organic compounds
- And insulation that is made from recycled items such as bamboo, cork or cotton.

One of the most common and widely used materials for home renovation is wood and care needs to be taken to minimize tree-felling. You should only use products made from wood that are certified to be safe for usage by Forest Stewardship counsel.

Kitchen counters and other household items should preferably be made with recycled goods like paper, plastics and some special types of wood. Besides being environment friendly, green materials need less maintenance than other construction materials and last longer.

It’s not always easy to find eco-friendly materials for home renovation and as such you may need some extra research time either on the Internet or by inquiring through the merchants and building materials supply companies.

This search might test your patience but I’m certain you’ll be pleased with the outcome. To help you in this search check out some of the Green superstores such as the Environmental Home Center, Green Building Supply and Oikos which offer a wealth of greener and healthier building supplies and materials. Also, BuildingGreen.com offers a free online “GreenSpec” database with detailed listings for over 2,000 environmentally preferable building products.

Other Ways Of Making Your Home Improvement Environment Friendly

Besides using green materials you need to consider the use of other methods of incorporating Green. Like utilizing solar or energy saving methods. You could include skylights to help bring sunlight into your room rather than using electrical energy. Or incorporating solar panels in your roof can provide free energy for various purposes in an eco-friendly manner besides cutting down on your power bills. We could also use natural insulation and energy-efficient windows to replace our existing windows to make your house more environmentally friendly.

In view of the damaging effects that global warming is producing in our lives, it is essential that we turn more to green materials for our construction and home renovation needs. I have to be honest with you that it can take more money to “go green,” so it sometimes needs to become a choice for ethical reasons. Environmentally friendly materials and products can bring long-term energy savings, but the initial costs of green materials may be more than that of traditional building supplies. Yet it is important to remember that going green can also be something simple and easy that still can make a difference.