Alternative Energy for the Home
April 17, 2009 by admin
Filed under Alternative Energy, Alternative Fuel, BioFuels, BioMass, Featured, Purchase Alternative Energy Products
The trend toward homes that are powered by alternative energy sources, ranging from wind turbines and solar collection cells to hydrogen fuel cells and biomass gases, is one that needs to continue into the 21st century and beyond. We have great need of becoming more energy independent, and not having to rely on the supplying of fossil fuels from unstable nations who are often hostile to us and our interests. But even beyond this factor, we as individuals need to get “off the grid” and also stop having to be so reliant on government-lobbying giant oil corporations who, while they are not really involved in any covert conspiracy, nevertheless have a stranglehold on people when it comes to heating their homes (and if not through oil, then heat usually supplied by grid-driven electricity, another stranglehold).
As Remi Wilkinson, Senior Analyst with Carbon Free, puts it, inevitably, the growth of distributed generation will lead to the restructuring of the retail electricity market and the generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. The power providers may have to diversify their business to make up for revenues lost through household energy microgeneration. She is referring to the conclusions by a group of UK analysts, herself included among them, who call themselves Carbon Free. Carbon Free has been studying the ever-growing trend toward alternative energy-using homes in England and the West. This trend is being driven by ever-more government recommendation and sometimes backing of alternative energy research and development, the rising cost of oil and other fossil fuels, concern about environmental degradation, and desires to be energy independent. Carbon Free concludes that, assuming traditional energy prices remain at their current level or rise, microgeneration (meeting all of one’s home’s energy needs by installing alternative energy technology such as solar panels or wind turbines) will become to home energy supply what the Internet became to home communications and data gathering, and eventually this will have deep effects on the businesses of the existing energy supply companies.
Carbon Free’s analyses also show that energy companies themselves have jumped in on the game and seek to leverage microgeneration to their own advantage for opening up new markets for themselves. Carbon Free cites the example of electricity companies (in the UK) reporting that they are seriously researching and developing ideas for new geothermal energy facilities, as these companies see geothermal energy production as a highly profitable wave of the future. Another conclusion of Carbon Free is that solar energy hot water heating technology is an efficient technology for reducing home water heating costs in the long run, although it is initially quite expensive to install. However, solar power is not yet cost-effective for corporations, as they require too much in the way of specialized plumbing to implement solar energy hot water heating. Lastly, Carbon Free tells us that installing wind turbines is an efficient way of reducing home electricity costs, while also being more independent. However, again this is initially a very expensive thing to have installed, and companies would do well to begin slashing their prices on these devices or they could find themselves losing market share.
Related Websites -
Alternative Energy For Homeowners As home heating costs rise, and energy in general gets more expensive, many homeowners are turning to alternative means to power their homes. While many systems require a lot of effort to implement, there are quite a few that can be easy to install and quite economical. Whether it is...... -
How And Where To Recycle Your Old Clothing. Although everyone loves to get new clothes to put on their back, at some point in the future that item of clothing may no longer be wearable. But instead of throwing it into the dumpster, there are a few companies out there that will recycle their product once you are...... -
Available Energy Rebates For Going Green At Home. Looking to increase the energy-efficiency of your home this year? Well, you are in luck - if you purchase an energy-efficient product or renewable energy system for your home, you will probably be be eligible for a decent-sized Federal tax credit. Not bad, considering that whatever you do is also...... -
Iowa Family Enjoys Wind Power Home As wind turbines become more and more popular on farmlands in Iowa, there is an increasing demand for people to have their own wind power home turbine. And this is what the Skadow family of Polk County successfully did. Since the beginning of last year, the Skadow's decided to go...... -
Healthy Green Alternatives Push Asbestos Out of the Home Today's article is written by Joe Lederman, an Awareness Coordinator at the Mesothelioma Cancer Center. When purchasing or remodeling a home or building, there are many variables to consider. Homes which were built prior to 1980 have a strong likelihood of containing asbestos materials. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that......
Biofuels That Look Like Gasoline
April 15, 2009 by admin
Filed under Alternative Energy, Alternative Fuel, BioFuels, BioMass, Ethanol, Featured, Hybrid Cars
The offspring of Jay Keasling’s synthetic biology research and vision, Emeryville, CA-based Amyris Biotechnologies has made a double impact. First, the company, with more than $40 million of backing from the Bill Gates’ Institute for One World Health charity, developed a microbial route to the anti-malarial compound artemisinin. In and of itself this work was a stunningly successful scientific achievement, and the resulting process has been licensed to Sanofi-Aventis for low-cost manufacturing and distribution in the third world.
But how does that relate to biofuels? Well, producing the anti-malarial drug relied on the engineering of a metabolic pathway to produce a key intermediate that is in the class of chemicals called terpenes. Chemically, terpenes are hydrocarbons, similar to diesel or gasoline, and are therefore very good fuel compounds. Thus, the same basic science that led to artemisinin can be applied, with appropriate tweaking, to produce fuels based on terpenes. And according to the company, a desired fuel compound can be selected based on its properties (flash point, cloud point, boiling point, density, fuel value, etc), and then the pathway to produce it can be designed. Voila! You have a designer fuel. And being hydrocarbons with properties similar to gasoline, terpenes do not suffer from the limitations that alcohols (particularly ethanol) have as fuels. If you want to put something into your gas tank or jet engine, a designer hydrocarbon is likely to be superior to any alcohol. At least that is what Amyris argues.
Amyris has the backing of a well-heeled group of VCs: Kleiner Perkins, TPG Biotech, and DAG Ventures. In the area of bio-based production of gasoline-like fuels, Amyris is at the head of the class. Economics remain to be proven, but Amyris has formed a joint venture with the second largest Brazilian sugar producer, Crystalsev, to get access to inexpensive sugar feedstock, and the first demonstration plant is scheduled to be built right on the sugar plantation in Brazil by 2010. It will produce a biodiesel (with the interesting name of “No CompromiseTM”), currently being piloted at Amyris’ Emerville facility. Amyris promises that a bio-gasoline and a bio-aviation fuel are not far behind. If any company can make terpene-based fuels successfully, Amyris appears to be that company.
|
David Rozzell maintains a web site and blog dedicated to the latest developments and news in biofuels, biocatalysis, and industrial biotechnology. For informative, sometimes amusing, always opinionated analysis go to http://www.bio-catalyst.com He has 25 years of experience in biocatalysis and industrial biotechnology, and speaks frequently at international symposia. He is available for consulting projects. Contact him at david@bio-catalyst.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Rozzell
|
Related Websites -
Hybrid Diesel Electric VW Golf Everyone is already aware of what a hybrid electric car is, but there is a way for automakers to take this concept a step further, and that is to create hybrid diesel electric cars. Although at current this is more of a European tradition, the Volkswagen company is bringing it...... -
Thinking Of Going Hybrid? Now Might Be The Time. If you have been contemplating purchasing a hybrid car, now might be the time, at least according to Edmunds.com. While we are in the process of getting rid of one car altogether, with gas prices going up and tax incentives going down, if we were buying a car, we would...... -
EarthTalk: Buy A New Car Or Keep The Old? Dear EarthTalk: Is it better to drive an older, well-maintained car that gets about 25 miles per gallon, or to buy a new car that gets about 35 miles per gallon? It definitely makes more sense from a green perspective to keep your old car running and well-maintained as long...... -
Tips and Considerations to Buy a Hybrid Car Many people find themselves considering whether or not they should buy a hybrid car. With the rising costs associated with gas and maintenance of regular gas-driven vehicles, it is becoming less and less affordable for people to own vehicles in this day and age. As a result of the increases...... -
Green Electric Hybrid Car There is a revolution going on right now that has many consumers purchasing electric cars, hybrid cars and other green vehicles and cars as a means of increasing the efficiency of their vehicles while decreasing the emissions that their cars create while they are on the road. While one way......
Alternative Vehicle Review
December 20, 2008 by admin
Filed under Alternative Energy, Alternative Fuel, BioFuels, Ethanol, Featured, Hybrid Cars
Alternative fuel vehicles are automobiles that are powered by fuels other than gasoline. There are many alternatives that are now being used and tested in order to decrease our dependency on fossil fuels. Some examples of alternative fuel vehicles include:
Hybrid – Hybrid vehicles are powered by both a combustion engine and an electric motor. Advanced technologies for hybrids include regenerative braking, assisted power generated by the electric motor, and the process of powering down when idling. Hybrid cars are one of the most popular alternative vehicles on the market today.
Electric – These vehicles use an electric motor and electric controls instead of the internal combustion engine. Some advantages to the electric car include very low maintenance and zero emissions. Electric cars also do not give off as much noise pollution as a normal car. Some disadvantages include limited travel distance before having to recharge and slow acceleration.
Hydrogen – Hydrogen vehicles convert hydrogen to power through either a modified version of the internal combustion engine, currently available on the market today, or via hydrogen fuel cells which are still in development. Some obstacles in the development of hydrogen fuel cells is cost, fragility of the cell itself and poor performance in freezing temperatures.
CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)- CNG vehicles run on compressed natural gas as opposed to gasoline. This kind of car is more environmentally friendly than a gasoline vehicle, and when compared to all the other alternative methods, is the safest. One complaint of CNG vehicle owners is the large fuel tank compared to that of conventional gasoline tanks, which limits trunk space.
Ethanol (e85)- E85 vehicles are powered by ethanol, a fuel made from corn and other natural products. These vehicles release no fossil based carbon dioxide. One disadvantage of this type of fueled car is that it is can be very difficult to start in cold weather. However, there are cold conversion kits on the market today that can eliminate this problem. Some people have simply added a couple gallons of gasoline to the tank prior to the cold season to eliminate the problem as well.
Propane – Propane vehicles are powered by propane fuel instead of gasoline. These vehicles are up to thirty percent less expensive than conventional gasoline vehicles to operate. Propane was approved by the 1990 Clean Air Act as an alternative fuel, and vehicles powered by propane produce thirty to ninety percent less carbon monoxide than gasoline engines.
Biodiesel – Vehicles that are powered by biodiesel are very similar to diesel vehicles in operation except for the fuel itself. Biodiesel vehicles can run on a combination of natural oil and an alcohol such as ethanol or methanol or exclusively on waste vegetable oil, from restaurant fryers or other food industries.
Limited petroleum sources combined with rising gasoline prices and consumer demand will encourage vehicle manufacturers to produce and develop alternative fuel vehicles. These vehicles, in the long run, will reduce transportation costs as well as benefit the environment.
|
Please visit alternative fuel vehicles for more information and gas saver tips to increase fuel mileage. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Taylor_Turnstone |
Related Websites -
Benefits of Hybrid Diesel Cars Now that gasoline prices are soaring, many more people are beginning to opt for hybrid diesel cars and ordinary diesel powered cars as well. If you are one of the types of drivers that has appreciation for a diesel engine in place of a regular, ordinary gasoline engine, then one...... -
Glossary: What is a Hybrid Car? As hybrid cars gain in popularity, many people find themselves asking "What is a hybrid car?" To answer this question, we are supplying a mini lexicon of hybrid car terms and hybrid car technology terms. Let this be a foundation that you can build upon as you learn more about...... - Green Electric Hybrid Car There is a revolution going on right now that has many consumers purchasing electric cars, hybrid cars and other green vehicles and cars as a means of increasing the efficiency of their vehicles while decreasing the emissions that their cars create while they are on the road. While one way......
- Turn off the car radio when you're parked to save gas Is this a recent trend? A (usually) young male drives up to a store in his ride, parks, shuts off the engine, unrolls the window, cranks the volume on the radio, and goes in to buy something? As soon as a colleague at work mentioned this, I started seeing it......
- Buying a Used Green Hybrid Car Given the newness of green hybrid electric cars, you might not think it's easy to find a used one for sale. They are out there, though. Many people who are financially fortunate enough to be able to do so tend to swap out cars every 2 or 3 years so......
Is BioDiesel Good or Bad for the Environment?
December 20, 2008 by admin
Filed under Alternative Energy, Alternative Fuel, BioDiesel, BioFuels
The Biofuel Debate – What’s all the fuss about?
There has been much talk of biofuels and in particular biodiesel being touted as a more carbon friendly alternative to traditional petroleum based fuel…
- Because biodiesel is made from renewable resources (unlike fossil fuels) and it has lower emissions compared to petroleum diesel
- Because it is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar
- Because it is made entirely from renewable resources such as soybeans, sunflowers, rapeseed and palm oil as well as waste vegetable oil (used cooking oils)
it surely follows biodiesel must be better for the environment…or is it?
Over the last few years through the Kyoto Protocol, governments have discussed the global issue of climate change with a view to setting targets to reduce greenhouse gases. Whilst there has been general agreement that something needs to be done and targets have been set, the United States is the only developed country that has not ratified the treaty and yet it is one of the significant greenhouse gas emitters.
The dilemma seems to be that biodiesel is undoubtedly greener than traditional petroleum based fuel. On the other hand however, as there is no stipulation how and where this fuel is produced, could this ‘green’ fuel actually be doing more harm to our environment than good?
Let’s look at some of the contributing factors to this debate…
Biodiesel – The Good
As an alternative fuel, biodiesel would seem to be a very good alternative to fossil based fuels:-
- Mitigating the effects of greenhouse gas emissions
- Making best use of the remaining limited supplies of fossil fuels
- Reducing air pollution along with the associated health risks to the public
- Benefiting domestic economies by reducing the dependence on importing foreign petroleum
- Relatively easy to produce in small or large volumes
Biodiesel – The Bad
The main problem with bio-fuels today is the source of the raw materials:-
- Biodiesel and ethanol are produced from plant oils and from edible crops meaning competition for basic foodstuffs, food or oil?
- Rain forests are being converted to palm oil production (palm oil is a key ingredient of food and other consumables…it can also be used to produce biodiesel)
- Current crops cannot keep pace with the bio-materials needed for producing biodiesel
Does this mean if we replace traditional petroleum based diesel with biodiesel we’ll compromise our supply of foodstuffs?
Biodiesel – The Future
The Biotech Industry has begun to help with the need to find alternative fuel sources for the future by looking at how to get more from less:-
- Increased production of more plants
- Improving crop yields – corn, a common biofuel crop in the USA, yields under 200 barrels (per square mile per year) whereas Jatropha for instance can yield over 2,000 barrels
- Use of marginal land – look at crops (see below) that can be grown on arid land rather than take away arable farmland needed for essential food production. Using arid land in the poorer regions could provide social and economic benefits for that region
New sources that lessen the threat of environmental impact include:-
- Algae – grows quickly, renews quickly but to be a viable option cost effective harvesting remains a challenge
- Jatropha – can be grown in arid climates, has a high yield compared with traditional biocrops, has the potential to increase fertility of the land
- Camalina – Researchers say the Camelina plant is an excellent source of biofuel; it can be grown in arid land, with less water, fertilizer and pesticides
Biodiesel – Many Complex Issues
Diesel engines were in fact originally designed in the early 1900′s to run on biodiesel made from oil seed crops and not to run on petroleum-based diesel. Was it a mistake not to encourage the development and take up of biodiesel back then instead of depending almost solely on petroleum?
Despite agreement in principle that biodiesel has a role to play in helping to reduce emissions unless politicians give clear guidelines about the future of renewable fuels there will continue to be a haphazard take up around the world. Most governments have been proceeding with caution and rightly so but mixed messages from governments around the world have only added to the uncertainty around the use biodiesel fuel. What should be the governments role be in promoting the use of biodiesel?
We live in a world today that has largely grown up in a throw away society without due regard to the consequences of waste. This wasteful attitude has been exacerbated by the lack of proper education in the basic skills of survival. It is only relatively recently that modern day governments have begun to encourage large scale recycling.
The challenge we face is to educate the public about the issues surrounding biofuels and what is good or bad. Honest debate not influenced by individual hidden agenda’s is the only way to arrive at political choices that embrace all the issues surrounding the use of biofuel.
So, is biodiesel good or bad for the environment?
One thing is for sure, first generation biofuels once thought to be the alternative fuel source of the future, have come under increased scrutiny recently. It is becoming clear that more information is needed about the potentially destructive elements of first-generation biofuels and the impact they have on the environment.
Environmentalists are concerned that the inadvertent consequence of using biodiesel fuel is unrecoverable damage to the environment. Furthermore, developing a dependence on traditional first generation biocrops may result in food competing with fuel over the use of land. We need to determine what the true balance is between good and bad from an environmental perspective.
Clearly governments need to further embrace the concept of reducing greenhouse gas emissions but should they be more proactive in finding a green source for our fuel as well?
Instead of destroying forests maybe we should look to new more “green” raw materials for producing biofuels. We must embrace the promotion of second and third-generation biofuels in an effort to help solve many of the current problems surrounding the use of first generation biodiesel.
|
Alan Folkard is an avid devotee and follower of all things Biodiesel and supports the adoption of biodiesel as an alternative fuel provided a way can be found to balance the good and bad from an environmental perspective. Learn more about what biodiesel is. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Folkard |
Related Websites - Common Misconceptions About Biodiesel Dispelled. Posting will be light this week as I will be away for most of the week, so please bear with me. Thanks! This is from Gas2.org, a website dedicated to discussing the future of fuel. This is just a very quick synopsis of only the first 5 myths, but for......
-
RBS may still have a few more surprises up their sleeve- most of them unpleasant. As the Royal Bank of Scotland’ struggles to push itself out of the quagmire created by Sir Fred and his crew, unpleasant surprises continue to emerge. A recent statement by incumbent CEO Stephen Hester made at the recent British Property Federation conference. The bank's losses on real estate loans could...... - Are Biofuels Worse For The Environment Than Oil? Let me state for the record that I have been against the development of biofuels for a long time. I think it is just the taking of one kind of burning fuel and replacing it with another, and in the mean time nothing changes. We are still extracting something from......
-
Glossary: Hybrid Car Technology Hybrid cars are gaining in popularity and this is leading people to want to know more about hybrid car technology. As a result, we have put together this brief glossary of hybrid car technology terms, the least you need to know. This will be a good foundation for you to...... -
Voting For The Environment - Where The Democrats Stand. While I understand there are very big issues that the next President will have to face, one of my personal concerns is how they are going to treat issues pertaining to the environment. Prior to Edwards dropping out of the race, he had my vote based on his concern for......
How Do You Make Biodiesel at Home?
December 18, 2008 by admin
Filed under Alternative Energy, Alternative Fuel, BioDiesel, BioFuels
Biodiesel, as an alternative fuel, has a number of benefits, but one of the most exciting things about Biodiesel is that anyone can make it at home. Imagine being able to make your fuel for your vehicle or even to create energy for your home? That would translate into major savings for you.
Making Biodiesel is not really that difficult of a process. If you are able to, it is a great idea to get involved in making your own Biodiesel because you get to save more money in the long run when you use home-made Biodiesel.
Material Supplies for Biodiesel
Producing a small amount Biodiesel at home entails minimal requirements You need the actual ingredients to make the Biodiesel alcohol, lye substance and vegetable oil. Mixing the fuel requires some input supplies: empty plastic bottles, duct tape, a blender and measuring cups. You have to ensure that production inputs for Biodiesel should be solely intended for that purpose and never use again in the kitchen for cooking.
When your inputs are available, you are ready to begin learning how to make Biodiesel.
Safe Procedure
Making Biodiesel is a relatively safe process. Running the risk of inviting fire or explosion is minimal. Indeed the main safety measure you have to watch out, inflicting burns to yourself due to flames. Just be careful and realize the mixture does get hot.
You will undertake the simple procedure of Biodiesel production which entails combining the inputs, letting it to settle, splitting the byproduct and Biodiesel and then cleaning the Biodiesel. The timeframe can take place from a few days to a few weeks. That depends on the extent of cleanliness of your vegetable oil.
Low Volume or High Volume
The production of a Biodiesel can be in a small scale or a large scale basis. Tapping biodisel is sensible if your goal is to make a few gallons of Biodiesel at a time. If you are running your lawnmower or other lawn equipment then A Biodiesel kit is recommended. It is simple to use and will entail minimal inputs.
If you are after more production of Biodiesl like for fueling your automobile, you have to invest on a Biodiesel processor. This promotes efficiency and effectiveness, thus you can generate a higher volume of production. With a processor you will need some more supplies but you can find ease in making Biodiesel since the processor does most of the work for you.
Related Websites - Benefits To Using Master Resale Rights Products To Make Money Are you considering using master resale rights products to make money but are not sure this is a good idea? Then you need to know the many benefits to using these products to help you easily make more money with your online business. Knowing these benefits will help you make......
- Biofuels Could Do More Harm Than Good, Says Nature Conservancy. I have written before that I don't think that biofuels are the way of the future, and it seems that the Nature Conservancy and the journal Science think the same. A new study says that biofuels will actually make global warming worse, rather than helping us escape from it. From......
- Making Your First Online Sale With Clickbank Selling products is not an easy task. If you do it in the real world, selling products to potential consumers is tiring and stressful, some consumers might even yell at you for being persistent. But, promoting and selling products on the World Wide Web is totally a different kind of......
- Available Energy Rebates For Going Green At Home. Looking to increase the energy-efficiency of your home this year? Well, you are in luck - if you purchase an energy-efficient product or renewable energy system for your home, you will probably be be eligible for a decent-sized Federal tax credit. Not bad, considering that whatever you do is also......
- Can You Really Make Money Online? There are many people from all walks of life searching for ways to make more money, and the internet seems to be full of opportunities. Usually when you start searching for jobs or work at home possibilities, you get bombarded with a lot of hype! You know the old saying,......