Ups and Downs to Renewable Energy Sources

Environmental and conservation issues are topics that are still going strong these days, with news of global warming, climate change, and dwindling resources practically everywhere we turn. It's all too simple to laud renewable energy sources just because they are. After all, if you can decrease your carbon footprint by lessening carbon emissions, that's a good thing – right?

As with many other things, though, there are both advantages and disadvantages to renewable energy. Whether you're dealing with off grid solar panels, dams, or gargantuan windmills, let's take peek at the difficulties you could – rather, will encounter.

1. Wind power. The list of pros is good, really. It doesn't produce greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and it can be come in handy in isolated, rural areas. The turbine itself would take up only a small area so the land around it can still be used – good news in farming areas.

However, the electricity produced depends entirely on the supply of the source, so if there's     very little to no wind, no electricity is generated. Windmills or wind turbines can also be     quite noisy – a definite drawback for people who like things quiet.

2. Hydroelectricity. There are two methods to produce this kind of electricity, with the first one relying on the movement of the tides. The other method, used in places that that are far removed from the deep ocean, involves dams being built. Outright, the advantages to this source are regular electricity production, and the durability of the dams.

However, the initial cost of building the dam is quite high, so it would have to operate for a     very long time for it to turn a profit. The construction could also alter the natural water table     level and shift the course of a steady water supply. The side effects this could have on     surrounding areas, especially for plant and wildlife, even varies from place to place.

3. Solar power. One could argue that any renewable energy we have is thanks to solar power. Like other renewable sources, solar power doesn't produce any pollution. Solar panels don't have that many wires or cords to worry about, and little maintenance is needed.

However, main drawbacks include the initial cost of having solar panels Rockhampton installed, and the efficiency, not to mention the weather – no sun, no electricity, after all.

Easy Ways to Save Money and Energy – Go Natural!

 

Everyone wants to save energy – if not to help the planet, then to save on cash. After all, the less you pay for your electricity bill, the more funds you have to go around for other matters. One way to do this is to use renewable energy, such as solar energy or wind energy. In fact, a large number of homes already have some form of renewable power installed.

However, the prices you'd have to pay outright can be a shock, and not everyone can afford solar panels Rockhampton right off the bat. There are ways to cut down on your energy consumption, though, so that you can afford that installation in the future.

1. Get energy efficient light bulbs. Not only do they help you shave a certain amount off your electricity bill, they also last longer so that you don't have to replace them often – saving more cash. They may be more expensive compared to standard light bulbs, but the possible savings will more than make up for that.

2. Turn off appliances when they're not in use and, if possible, unplug them. You can save up to 25% more energy if you do this, since even when not being used, appliances eat up energy. Turning lights off in rooms that aren't used will have have a similar effect, if only saving you less energy.

3. Insulate your home. When well insulated, a home uses up less energy when it needs to be heated or cooled, therefore saving you both energy and money. Changing out old windows and doors for more energy efficient models can help.

4. Water conservation is part of energy conservation, so don't forget to check your plumbing for leaks and the like. Keep the tap off when brushing your teeth instead of letting the water run, and re-use water where possible.

5. Open the blinds or curtains and make use of solar power in Rockhampton during the daytime. Not turning your lights on until late afternoon and evening can help slash your energy bill even more. Plus, sunlight is good for you anyway, so you're hitting two birds with one stone.

Not Enough Solar Batteries Gladstone and Other Storage Problems

 Video from: The Power Shop

Storage. Some would love to have more of it, others don't know what to do with it. Filing something away, or putting a box in a spare room – any way of setting something aside is a method of storage.

It isn't just physical storage, either. It could be for energy, such as solar batteries Gladstone to store (what else?) excess solar power – or the lack of such batteries. It could also be in digital form, like someone posting vacation photos to Facebook.

All told, finding a place to archive or set aside something brings with it its own brand of problems, each one unique to the circumstances. Here's a quick look.

1. Digital storage. When you think about it, the amount of data that's stored on the Web or in the 'cloud' is staggering. Millions, if not billions, of people posting photos, chronicling their lives one tweet at a time, posting journals.

While it means you don't have a huge box of photo albums or journals cluttering up your house, as technology advances, you could lose access to all those unless you backed them up somehow.  Let's face it – the amount of stuff you have on the Web would take days, maybe even months, to print out. You'd give your home printer a run for its money.

2. Email storage. Whether it's your own personal inbox, or the small business server your office uses to keep everything running, eventually, that inbox is going to overflow. Even starting a new email account won't stem the flow for very long.

3. Long-term storage. Some places have storage lockers that people can rent out for at least a month, and they can hold anything. However, if storage space is far from home, you're not likely to check it if something goes missing. You might even forget what exactly you'd stored in the locker.

Another problem with renting long-term storage lockers is when you forget to pay the rent for a set number of months (in California, it's usually 3 months). When that happens, an auctioneer can sell your stuff to pawn shop or antique shop owners.

What they earn from your locker's contents might not be enough to pay for, say, camping solar panels Rockhampton, but at least they earned something off of it – and you didn't.

Solar Power in Emerald and Other Renewable Energy Sources: The Real Problem

 Energy conservation. Besides 'going green', that's been a buzzword for several years now, especially since such incidents as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. These threats to the environment had, predictably, caused people all over to raise their voices and call for a shift to renewable energy.

However, despite all that cash poured into developing such sources, we're nowhere near being almost totally reliant on renewable energy – globally, at least. For instance, solar power in Rockhampton, Australia, is currently stagnant, if not declining. Why? It's all thanks to conventional sources (like coal) all but barring the building of new solar farms.

It's not just because of legislation from the 'competition', though. Renewable energy has both pros and cons, and these have a hand in delaying the development. Let's take a look:

1. Pro: It benefits the environment. Renewable sources don't deplete the Earth's resources and results in little to no greenhouse gas emissions, dramatically reducing air pollution overall.

2. Con: Large quantities are difficult to produce. No facilities producing renewable energy have yet to be able to answer the high energy demands of a certain area. In order to answer the power demands, we either need more facilities, or we need to drop our energy usage.

3. Pro: It has economic benefits. Renewable energy is cheaper compared to other ways of generating energy, and it has the potential to create job stability for thousands.

4. Con: The upfront cost can be daunting. Even if there will be savings over the years, the initial investment is expensive, especially when power plants are concerned. That's not including the planning, implementation, and the maintenance expenses, too.

5. Pro: It's reliable. Fossil fuels is running out, however slowly, leading to a rise in costs for all those connected to it. Unlike a shortage of fossil fuel, though, renewable energy won't affect an entire region if weather disruption and the like will impede production in one area.

6. Con: The supply itself isn't too reliable. Rain, wind, and sunshine aren't completely predictable. This means that solar power systems Gladstone, say, may produce a lot of electricity one day, and produce too little the next. It won't matter how efficient the equipment, if the supply isn't stable. 

Companies Contributing to Cutting Energy Costs on Us and the Ecosystem

It can't be said enough: we only have one Earth, and the more resources we use, the less there'll be for future generations. We're already seeing the effects of overconsumption – global warming, climate change, and many others that have been buzzwords for the past year or so.

That said, companies who are doing their part to help conserve energy, say, through investing in development of more efficient off grid solar systems in Gladstone or elsewhere. However they go about it, they can pave the way to a cleaner, greener future, one step at a time. 

Image from: iclipart.com

Here are a few who've gone into energy efficiency as a way to lower emissions and all that bad stuff.

1. BuildingIQ – This company based in San Francisco helped save $700,000 worth of energy. It's also helped a hospital in Australia to cut its energy consumption by 20% - a considerable feat, given that said building measures more than 400,000 square feet.

2. Google – There seems to be nothing this company hasn't tried, and several of its attempts to tackle climate and energy concerns have been quite successful. There's its energy-efficient data centres, and its purchases of renewable energy to offset its carbon footprint.

3. Starbucks – In 2013, the company was able to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) equal to a little under 55% of electricity used in global stores. They've also started implementing energy-saving measures in many of their branches. Not to mention they re-evaluate such measures to account for their usage.

4. Cenergistic – Operating for nearly 30 years, this company has developed energy conservation techniques and programs for their clients. They aim to help their clients change how they view and use energy, as well as cut costs by not using more power than they need.

5. AGL – An integrated energy company based in Australia, this firm owns and develops several renewable energy sources, with a wide power generation portfolio. It sources energy through such methods as landfill gas in Tasmania.

Since they also make it a point to help companies reduce energy consumption, they also offer services aimed towards that, such as electrical contracting Emerald.

A Who's Who for 5 Renewable Energy Sources

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Sustainable energy, also called renewable energy, has been one of the ongoing concerns in the past several years.

Since the world's conventional energy sources of coal, oil, and natural gas aren't inexhaustible, they're bound to run out. Countries are now finding alternative sources, so they can be eco-friendly. From wind turbines to off grid solar panels, which countries are leading the pack?

1. Bio-energy. Also known as bio-fuel, this energy is derived from wood, bio-ethanol, and biogas. The USA is ahead of the group here, with equal to at least 25 million tons of oil produced. Other companies doing just as well here are Germany, Argentina, Brazil and France.

2. Geothermal energy. Heat generated beneath the Earth's crust is used to produce electricity, so it has a low amount of carbon emissions.  Once again, the United States snags first place, with more than 3,000 mega-watts produced.

Development in other countries also in the running, such as the Philippines, Mexico, Indonesia, and Italy may make the US lose its place in the near future, though.

3. Hydroelectricity. The name is self-explanatory, as it's power taken from the movement of water, whether it's a moving body of water like the sea, or a reservoir, like a dam. China pulls ahead with more than 160 million tons of oil equivalent produced. Canada, America, Brazil, and Russia are right behind it.

4. Wind power. A resource that emits no greenhouse gasses at all, wind power can be used to generate just under half of a country's electricity needs, if it has enough wide-open space. According to the World Wind Energy Association, China has picked up its generation and use of wind power, with around 68 gigawatts' capacity.

5. Solar energy. In the first place, there'd be no wind, or bio-fuel, without the sun, since solar energy helps drive the winds and helps crops grow. But that's behind the point. When operating, photo-voltaic (PV) panels emit no greenhouse gases. The more efficient panels usually see more power generated. 

Germany is in the lead, where solar power is concerned, with more than 32 mega-watts of installed PV panels. Solar power in Australia is also in the running, along with Japan, Italy, and the United States. 

Solar Power and Other Renewable Energy Sources: 3 Ways to Introduce Them to Kids

With 'renewable energy' and 'conservation' being two common buzzwords these days, you'll want to make sure your kids understand the concepts. Teaching kids about renewable energy can be a bit tricky, though. There are terms better left until their older, for instance. Or they might not be able to picture what you're describing. 

Good thing there are ways to show them how these energy sources work, like how a water wheel can provide lifting power. Or how coloured paper can affect heat absorption, rather like off grid solar panels used to heat water. Here are a few examples.

• Wind. Making a pin wheel is the easiest activity. Using a square sheet of paper of any size, a pair of scissors, thin dowel, and a pin, you can show little ones how a wind turbine works. Just be sure to help the littlest ones when cutting the paper, and later attaching the wheel to the dowel.

• Water. Use a 2-litre plastic bottle, a small dowel, string, a small weight, and two corks, plus scissors - so keep a close eye on the kids. Cut the blades of the water wheel – 8 of them – from the upper half of the plastic bottle, and fill the bottom half with water. 

Cut lengthwise slits along one of the corks, and attach the end of the string to the other one, making sure the other end of the string is weighted. Stick each plastic strip in the cork so they all curve in the same direction.

Set your water wheel so one of the blades touches the water, and put it under the tap. Have the kids guess if the wheel can reel in the weight.

• Solar. Use a craft knife to cut a flap out of the top of a box, about 2cm from each side; fold the flap back and hold it open with some string and tape. Line the bottom of the box with black construction paper, and line the inside of the flap with the aluminium foil. Use folded newspapers to line the sides of the box for insulation.

This set up should give your kids a rough idea how solar panels Rockhampton work. Stick, say, a Pop Tart inside, on a clean plate or pie tin, and wait for it to warm. It'll be like you stuck it in the toaster.