Posts Tagged renewable energy sources
Energy Smart Miami: Cisco behind the Smart Grid
We’ve all heard quite a bit of talk, speculation, argument and proposition regarding a solution to our country’s energy problems. Besides our desperate foreign oil dependence, the US also contributes a large portion of the greenhouse gases that pollute our planet- so clearly a solution is eminent. The beacon of hope has been placed on the shoulders of a futuristic ‘smart grid’ – an energy efficient and eco-friendly grid that can power our country and perhaps save our economy.
A host of naysayers have argued the feasibility of such a high-tech energy grid- a network that can seamlessly integrate renewable energy sources like solar and wind, can connect to major city centers from long distance, and can regulate itself intelligently depending on where energy needs to be allocated. ‘Smart Meters’ would need to be implemented in homes, apartments and business centers to provide constant feedback to the grid.
Despite the backlash to the initiative, president Obama’s administration has gone forward with allocating stimulus money towards constructing the smart grid. One of the historic first steps has been taken today as the city of Miami proposes leading the initiative with a 0 million project to create a smart grid within Florida. The smart grid, ‘Energy Smart Miami,’ will be built by network powerhouses Cisco Systems and General Electric, among several other companies wanting to get their feet wet with the new wave of green smart technologies.
Miami Mayor Diaz described the project (from energysmartmiami.com): “The Energy Smart Miami Initiative is an investment in the future of our city, our residents and our neighborhoods, and is an important step towards creating the green jobs of the future and building a clean energy economy. This initiative meets the Obama administration’s goal of investing in alternative and renewable energy, ending our addiction to foreign oil, addressing the global climate crisis and creating millions of new green jobs. I look forward to working with our partners in the private sector to create a model of putting the economic stimulus plan in action and breaking ground right away.”
The central focus of ‘Energy Smart Miami’ will be installing over 1 million smart meters to homes and business around Miami, which will provide instant energy usage feedback to Flordia Power and Light Company. These meters will also allow Miami’s citizens and business owners to better monitor and regulate their energy usage by providing up-to-date statistics.
Cisco Systems, the world’s leader in network hardware and technology, will contribute by creating the infrastructure and network for these systems . It will be the company’s task to create energy management data and controls for customers, as well as to implement the project’s security and communications technology. In other words, Cisco hardware will play an integral role in providing the backbone for the entire grid.
John Chambers, Cisco’s CEO, commented on the company’s role in creating the grid: “An intelligent energy infrastructure can accelerate American leadership, create jobs, help increase our standard of living and drive sustainable growth. Cisco believes that as the U.S. builds out a smart, secure energy grid for the 21st century, networking technology will serve as the platform and public-private partnerships will be key to the success. We are proud to be part of this important effort in Miami.”
If the city of Miami, Cisco and others can successfully take on the first of the smart grids, it will set a president for the rest of the country. It takes the US that much closer to the gargantuan task of transitioning into a enlightened age of energy conservation and environmental sustainability.
Tags: energy economy, foreign oil dependence, global climate crisis, greenhouse gases, renewable energy sources
What is Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is energy that is derived from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat. These are naturally replenished as opposed to non-renewable energy such as fossil fuels.
Though most renewable energy projects are large scale, they can be made smaller. These are residential and rural off-grid applications where renewable energy is crucial. Some of these technologies, including wind power devices such as turbines, are often considered to be quite beautiful and are a subject of many pieces of art.
The three main energy sources are the sun, wind, and water. Most renewable energy sources are powered by the sun. The amount of heat radiation into space is equal to incoming solar radiation, which results in the level of energy that is the Earth’s climate. The hydrosphere of water absorbs a large percentage of the incoming radiation, and wave motions then play a role in the process of transferring mechanical energy between the atmosphere and the ocean. These things all contribute to renewable energy. This energy is instantly replenished as it is used.
Wind generators range from around 600 kW to 5MW of rated power. Wind turbines are most common for commercial use. Areas where winds are strong and constant are preferred sites. These include high altitude sites and offshore sites. Because wind speed is not constant, the annual energy production is not as large as other generators. Globally, long-technical potential of wind energy is believed to be five times the total of current globe-wide wind production. This would be 40 times the current electricity demand.
Water power, also known as hydropower, is energy in the form of water. This can be found in things as minor as a slow flowing stream of water. Hydroelectricity is a term used for large-scale hydropower generators. Micro-hydro systems can produce up to 100 kW of power. These are used in water-rich areas. Damless hydro systems are able to derive kinetic energy from rivers and oceans without using a dam.
Ocean energy is another popular renewable energy source which harnesses the power of the sea. With the use of current power and ocean thermal energy conversion, an immense amount of energy is collected. Tidal and wave power are also an energy system used within ocean energy harnessing.
Solar energy is the most commonly known renewable form of energy. It can be used in both residential and commercial situations. With the use of photovoltaic solar cells, it is possible to collect enough energy for 75%-100% of residential needs. It is possible to collect electrical energy as well as radiant energy which allows for heating of water, for the generation of cool air, and more. Solar energy can also be used for floor-coil heating or to heat swimming pools.
Conventional fossil fuels are, by their nature, finite and will ultimately be depleted. Integrating renewable energy sources into our power supply reduces greenhouse emissions today and provides a path for the transition to a world without fossil fuels tomorrow.
Tags: incoming solar radiation, renewable energy projects, renewable energy sources, scale hydropower, what is renewable energy
More Biosphere Reserves Named
Climate change is on the rampage, devastating many countries with different phenomena such as violent storms of unprecedented strength and rising sea levels that threaten to devour lowly elevated countries. If left unattended, climate change may grow to an extinction level event. To answer to the call to take action, the United Nations, as the biggest organization of independent countries had launched its campaign for the shift to sustainable energy also sometimes called clean or green energy.
Sustainable energy is the act of providing energy that sufficiently meets the demands of today without sacrificing the capability of the next generations to meet their needs come their time. All renewable energy sources such as such as plant matter, solar power, wind power, wave power, geothermal power and tidal power usually fall in this category. Sustainable energy sources may also include technologies that make energy generation more efficient. Conventional fission as well as other types of nuclear power can also be classified as sustainable. Such classification however, is very controversial because of the different dangers nuclear power brings along such as peak uranium, radioactive waste disposal and the risks of disaster due to accident, terrorism, or natural disaster.
The United Nations being the global leader for the advancement of sustainable energy has started helping create and develop sites for enhancing current techniques as well as developing new methods of generating green energy. The UN has recently named 13 more international sites dedicated to the development and testing of alternative approaches to environmentally sensitive economic growth, bringing the total number of such sites to 534.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had announced that all 534 sites are now focused on the advancement of Biosphere Technology, which involves the process of turning common waste into green electricity. The UN, in a press release, defined biosphere reserves as “places to test different approaches to integrated management of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine resources and biodiversity,” the UN agency said in a press release.”
One of the latest Biosphere Sites is located in San Fernando, Philippines and aims to introduce the production of green electricity in the country, and other parts of the globe.
Tags: radioactive waste disposal, renewable energy sources, rising sea levels, sustainable energy sources, united nations educational scientific and cultural organization
An environmentally house for everyone
Without exceeding in alarmism is a fact that he sees the buildings and their emissions as a major advocate of climate change and all the consequences that this temperature change has led at all levels both for the environment in the global ecosystem.
And ‘in fact estimated that globally more than half of global energy needs to be used for construction, production and maintenance of residential buildings is that they work. Just in research in sustainable building have turned it the latest technology involving the use of materials with low environmental impact such as laminated wood and cork, which often also employ renewable energy sources for their livelihood.
It ‘s a construction technique that is also becoming popular in Italy with a trial game from the Alpine regions that always takes the form of wood panels for construction and housing which have always been well advanced in the field of renewable energy and their daily use. No accident that the largest photovoltaic plants are located in this region and many of the industries that manufacture wooden houses have their production centers here, the starting point for a business that is expanding more and more throughout Italy.
The wooden buildings, however, in addition to being residential building in itself, can also become additions to the expansion of existing housing but also accessories and material for the remediation of buildings that need maintenance and restoration. And ‘in fact essential for any type of building that isolation from the outside that minimizes heat loss is always monitored and reinforced. They alone can reduce the overall impact that buildings have in the world. To implement this, however, is entirely necessary to reevaluate what is the planning and construction logic that has offered in recent years and the means of producing wood: a house, office or any building to be efficient in the right place than isolation from the outside material needs to be in the right direction to make the most of natural light, which is essential especially in workplaces where the use of artificial light has been abused and can cause discomfort as well as in eye employees.
For orientation, the isolation is the fundamental type of energy source that is used for heating the building. Those currently employed are surely more oil, gas and other highly polluting forms of energy and space are increasingly obtaining alternative sources of energy such as biomass, solar, wind and other experimental forms. Certainly the initial investment is no small thing, the return to saving money and energy is evident, however. A good start would be to involve local governments in order to accomplish systems that foster public buildings, a small gesture but it could set an example for many private citizens and especially raising awareness of environmental protection. Also, if you evaluate the appearance of plant and specialist equipment, the more widespread use of these forms of energy would certainly increase the labor market, now so unpromising.
Tags: alpine regions, construction technique, global ecosystem, renewable energy sources, trial game
The Best Source of Environmentally Friendly Energy
In today’s Market households are looking for ways to Conserve funds and at the same Point help out the environment. Renewable energy sources such as the magnetic generator can dramatically aid with both of these causes. By utilizing the generator, households today can drastically save money while at the same time help Safeguard the Ecosystem.
Why is it that renewable energy systems seem to be the only things that we buy for our homes and businesses that we expect to “pay for themselves”? Do we Want our toilets to pay us back, or do we Basically expect them to flush as soon as we push the lever? When we Purchase appliances, we may Pick out the one with the Energy Star label because, in the long run, it will Lower our energy usage and save us money. But, do we Look for our appliances to pay us back, to put back into our pockets their Initial expenses?
In fact, we know they will decrease in value. We Assume that they will be worth A smaller amount than we paid for them the day after we Acquire them. The same holds true for our cars. When we buy a car, do we Insist on the car to pay us back? No, we Resign ourselves to the idea that it will always be encumbered in expenses: fuel, insurance, tires, maintenance and repairs, and it will decrease in value, but we Acquire it anyway. After all, we all need transportation to get where we would like to go.
From the first day that we flip the breaker in our renewable energy system to “on”, you will be saving, both money and natural resources. Depending upon the efficiency of the appliances in our homes and businesses, we’ll conserve, anywhere from a Small to a Sizeable amount, on your utility expenses, thereby giving ourselves a Boost in our monthly discretionary spending. Additionally, the warranties on The largest part of renewable components meet or exceed those on the appliances we Normally buy and, as utility costs Increase, The Magnetic generator energy systems will actually appreciate in value.
We all have a responsibility to Upcoming generations to Lend a hand insure that we are taking Charge of our earth so they have the same opportunities as we do.The point is to get started on the Channel To help Establish our own energy
The world is potentially at the Stage of being self sustainable. We Maintain the technology to develop energy to power houses with sustainable resources such as solar and wind but the cost of these products are still what is holding us back. One such product which is making leaps and bounds is the Magnetic Generator. These have been on the market for quite a period but with recent developments they are much more Inexpensive and efficient
Most people tend to contemplate solar and wind power when thinking of a Home-based Natural energy supply. While more and more Individuals are starting to perceive the reward of a third alternative that of magnetic power. If you are genuine About discovering more With reference to How To Put together A Magnetic Generator For Your House. Check out and Set out to Learn the Measure of the savings on your power bill.
Tags: energy star label, market households, renewable energy sources, renewable energy system, renewable energy systems