Image shows a diaphragm, but this is not required

Electrolysis is actually a very simple process involving water, electricity and often an electrolyte (like salt, creating salt water).   A search on renergy cafe of electrolysis will produce many articles and videos of electrolysis is process.  But for our purposes we will be using a very simple model and picture to describe this process.

When electricity is run through water (sometimes containing an electrolyte)  two gasses are formed, hydrogen and oxygen.  Yup thats right H2O the elements in water.  This means that there are two parts hydrogen created for every one part oxygen.   In order for this process to work the rods must be used, they are called anodes on the positive side, and cathodes on the negative. The anode and cathode are placed in your water NOT TOUCHING, but close. Then when electricity is applied it flows through the anode, cathode but also through the water.  It is when this happens that the water is broken into is base elements.  The cathode, negative, creates two parts hydrogen gas and the anode, positive, creates the one part oxygen gas.

It is important to note that hydrogen is HIGHLY COMBUSTIBLE and although this is the reason is useful and being considered as a renewable energy, it is very DANGEROUS.  If you are going to try this at home, be careful and reference professional material for exact experiment details.  That being said, it is the combustibility that has enough energy to power a piston engine like that of a gasoline engine.

When the are briefly explained one begins to see that solar cells are not that complex, in fact there operation is a quite simple process.  The visible sun light shines onto silicon plates which convert the light into separate parts, positive and negative.  Knowing this we can look at solar cells as nothing more that batteries that require sunlight to produce electricity.  The only difference between solar cells and batteries such as AA-cells is the inter working reaction that produces the usable electricity.

To further understand, we must first answer “What is Electricity”??  Real simply, it is the ability for electricity (current) to flow between positive and negative (just as a river would flow from a higher elevation to lower one).  Just as a flowing river has a current that could carry an object down stream or turn a wheel partially submersed, the current in terms of electricity can power objects such as light bulbs iPods or just about anything put into its stream of current between +positive and -negative.  This is only a basic understanding of electricity, but it will do well for understanding solar cells.

Now lets talk solar cells.  Solar cells use two Specially created silicon wafers that are placed (stacked) one on top of the other. When these silicon wafers are struck by sunlight, within the silicon, electrons begin to break free, and if the top wafer and the bottom wafer are connected by metal, such as wire, the electrons begin to flow as current from one to the other.  As we learned from a moving stream, this flow of current can be used to power electrical items.  That is it, not that difficult.  Understand that this is a very simplified breakdown of the operation of solar cells, by searching RenergyCafe.com for solar cells will produce more in depth articles.

Solar energy can be seen at work all over the word in very common places,  highways, houses, cars and gardens.  As this amazing technology improves, it can be expected that it will be seen more and more in our everyday life.

House  #2
Designed by  an architecture professor at a leading national university.  This house  incorporates every ‘green’ feature current home construction can provide. The house is 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on a high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground.

The water (usually 67 degrees F) heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter electricity required for a conventional
heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.

HOUSE #1 is  outside of Nashville, Tennessee; it is the abode of the’environmentalist’ Al Gore.

HOUSE #2 is on a ranch near Crawford, Texas; it is the residence of the former President of the  United States, George W. Bush.

An  ‘inconvenient truth.’

Since 2005 energy inflation has meant an increase in household bills which has left everyone out of pocket. In the long-term the Government and the European Union aim to have everyone using some form of renewable energy. Currently there are grants and subsidies available for households to add solar panels or improve energy efficiency. By making your home more energy efficient, you can expect to save a lot of
money in the long-term and of course help to save the planet. However, in the short-term some of these home improvements can be a costly and time consuming exercise for most families.

By far the quickest and easiest way to save money is switching your energy supplier.  Depending on where you live and other factors, a household can save up to 325 pounds on their energy bills. It is very easy to switch energy providers and there are many free websites which will compare prices for you. When you switch ensure you choose a provider which will send you paperless bills, thereby saving paper.

There are also many quick and easy things to do in the short-term which can save money and the environment. Apart from the glaringly obvious recommendations such as switching off appliances, other tips include fitting insulation in your roof and walls, and using energy saving light bulbs. Again many local councils give grants for these things, especially if you are over 60 or on state benefits. Check with
your local authority for the energy packages in your area.

Jane Cocker
British author currently living and working in Buenos Aires

Though the fountain water now runs clear, Obama can make the White House itself permanently “green” by bringing Jimmy Carter’s solar panels back. With oil prices again on the rise and energy legislation pending in Congress, now is the time for Obama to highlight the importance of renewable energy to power our economy, curb the emission of climate changing greenhouse gases, and reduce our dependence on imported fuel.

President Carter had solar panels installed on the White House roof in 1977, the same year he established the Department of Energy in response to the oil embargo four years earlier which highlighted America’s dependence on foreign energy.  The energy generated from the solar panels powered the water heaters located in the White House residence.

There was barely enough time to draw a warm bath before President Reagan removed the solar panels after taking office in 1980 (most of the panels were subsequently acquired by Unity College in Maine, where they now, see more, provide hot water for the cafeteria) see more.  The early 1980s were not a particularly promising time for solar energy.  Solar tax deductions introduced by Carter were not renewed during this period and the Solar Energy Research Institute had its budget slashed by almost eighty percent.

Solar energy was quietly reintroduced to the White House grounds in 2002. Small scale panels were installed on a maintenance building to provide electricity and hot water.  A solar energy system was also installed on the White House cabana to heat President Bush’s pool and spa.  The panels were placed out of plain view and the White House issued no press releases on the installations.  There was scant media coverage (see more) of the solar energy systems and what little coverage there was came about six months after the installations were completed.

Obama should take the opposite approach.  Solar panels should be placed conspicuously on the White House roof to draw attention to his cap-and-trade plan, which has attracted opposition in Congress across party lines, and the critical need for a clean energy revolution.

Obama should also use this opportunity to showcase 21st century clean energy technology and current research initiatives in the renewable power sector. Solar energy alone has come a long way from the 500 kilowatts produced worldwide when panels were first installed at the White House in 1977. Global production of solar energy now generates over 2,500 megawatts (see more) of renewable power to fuel a cleaner world economy.  There is no need to wipe the dust from Jimmy Carter’s solar panels.

At the same time, although technological advancements in clean energy are occurring on a massive scale, continued innovation will only happen if demand increases for renewables.  Federal stimulus dollars directed at spurring renewable energy research and development should help lower the cost of equipment like solar panels and encourage average citizens to follow Obama’s lead by generating their own green electricity.

The passage of historic federal climate change legislation may not be feasible over the coming months.  When summer arrives and the hot sun and oppressive humidity dominate the day’s news, however, solar panels on the White House roof can serve as shining symbols of the homegrown power harnessed by renewable energy.  Perhaps as Obama is wading in the White House pool, he will catch a glimpse of the solar panels lining his home’s roof and spot a choice location for a wind turbine.

Written By Jason Marshall

Jason Marshall is a Boston attorney and a member of the Boston Bar

Association’s Telecommunications and Energy Committee.

With roots as ancient as the rituals of Mongolian nomadic tribes that have used them for centuries, yurts have found their way across time and space and can now be found all over the world. Classified as a type of tent, the yurt is a round structure that is much stronger and more weather-tight than a tent.

Yurt manufacturers produce a surprising variety of yurts for assembly on the site of your choosing. Some people use yurts as temporary lodging while waiting for permanent homes to be built, while others like the economy of a yurt as a permanent housing option in order to invest most of their housing budget on the land itself. Many manufacturers of modern yurts offer basic packages and also plenty of information about equipping yurts with plumbing, electricity, heating and air conditioning, fireplaces, and more. These functional additions are becoming more common as yurts are growing in popularity as permanent structures used as homes, guest houses, yoga and meditation retreats, and vacation getaways.

Blue Ridge Yurts owners say, “To live in a yurt is to reconnect with our natural origins, and rekindle our potential for living simply. The smooth round walls and soft light create an easy elegance. The tall ceilings and artfully exposed rafters provide a unique airy living space with unlimited possibilities. The low-impact design and construction makes it possible to go from conception to completion in a very short time span. Moreover, this uniquely efficient structural alternative, which can be designed with all of the modern amenities, can be acquired at a fraction of the cost, both to your purse and the Earth, of a traditional home.” Kathy Anderson and Sharon Morley head this women-owned company and both live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Pacific Yurts’ website illustrates the advantages of the yurt’s structure and shape. Some of the illustrations show:

• “An aerodynamic shape: The yurt’s aerodynamic shape allows the wind to easily flow around it rather than pushing against flat walls.
• “Roof Load: Roof loads are transferred down the rafters to the tension cable.”
• “The yurt’s natural strength: Rafters push inward on compression ring and outward on tension cable, which acts in a similar way to a hoop on a barrel preventing the rafters from moving/spreading outward.

Nalina Uehlein, owner of Spirit Mountain Yurts, describes Spirit Mountain Yurts’ design by saying, “The structure can collapse small enough to fit on one draft animal (or in a pick up truck) and can be set up again in a short amount of time. Lattice walls are formed by crossed wood pieces, much like a baby gate. In the yurts that we make, these wood pieces are joined together with nuts and ornamental bolts at the crossings. The lattice wall can be collapsed to take up very little room for transporting.”

If you want to explore the possibilities of yurt living, a fun and easy way to do this is to spend a while staying in a yurt that’s available for vacation lodging. Check out EcoBusiness Links’ Environmental Directory for a huge range of options. You’ll find tempting yurt destinations all across the US, throughout Europe, and in Australia.

Retrofit solar hot water heaters are the most cost-effective, learn more, way to utilize solar power in today’s market. By retrofitting, much of the labor and material “costs behind installation can be avoided by integrating the new, solar system into the old, “conventional water heater”. In many cases a new water tank is not needed and existing plumbing can still be used.

Solar hot water systems work using solar collectors to harness solar energy to heat up water, which is then transferred to the home via the pre-existing system. Systems can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 depending on the existing system but, either way, they will save money. Water heating, according to the Department of Energy http://www.eere.energy.gov/de/solar_hotwater.html, is second only to space heating in home energy usage. That being said, *a solar water heater can reduce heating bills by as much as 25 percent*; not to mention the savings in environmental impact.

Beside lower up-front costs, retrofit solar hot water systems pay for themselves rather quickly in energy savings. They often have payback periods less than five years! In addition, state rebates and
incentives http://www.dsireusa.org/ can take a considerable chunk out of the initial investment, making them even more lucrative for the green-minded homeowner.

Green is the new color of home building and remodeling, and every year more avenues are available to homeowners in that regard. Solar power in general is skyrocketing in terms of popularity and accessibility with retrofit solar water heating leading the way. Why not use the same sun that warms your face
every morning to heat your water every day? It is, after all, “free” energy!

Written by
Taylen Peterson
CalFinder
www.calfinder.com

‘Global Warming’ is a misnomer.  The problem is more than ‘warming’, and the
problem is worse than we knew and growing, especially in the poor world.
Over-grazing and over-planting, soil depletion and erosion, falling water
tables, shrinking forests, desiccating grasslands, expanding deserts,
recurring droughts, deteriorating water stocks – ocean and inland, and
globally worsening air pollution.  Why are these worse now?   Two principal
reasons:

1. Increased industrial production and consumption by more rich and ‘newly
wealthy’ consumers are depleting resources faster while overloading the
planet’s capacity to absorb the massive increases of pollution.

2. Human populations of many poor countries doubled over the last few
decades, especially in environmentally fragile regions.  Many areas are
losing their capacity to support life.

The problem is better understood as uncontrolled ecological degradation in
which the world’s oceans, forests and air lose their capacity to sustain
life.  When?  Sooner than we think?  A decade or two?  Next century?  Will
our economies collapse first?  What will that look like?

Energy is the key ingredient in these intertwined problems that entangle
each of us.  That’s right, every human on the planet is inescapably
affected: our livelihoods, even our very existence is threatened regardless
if we are a poor world villager or a rich world commuter.  The crisis is
global: rich countries can’t stay rich, and poor ones won’t advance out of
Neolithic poverty, until we begin making cheap, abundant, renewable, clean
energy.  And do it everywhere.

A dark-age beckons: over-complexity and continuing marginal decline
collapsed Rome and the Mayas.  Do we face a similar end of civilization?  Of
life?  Or might technological innovations stem the decline and reverse it?
Can we invigorate the rich world but ignore the poor one?  If we do, the
number of poor refugees on rich world doorsteps will keep swelling; that is,
the fortunate ones who get that far before their local biospheres collapse.

We know in our hearts that we are stewards, that our children and
grandchildren will inherit only what we leave them – prosperity or calamity,
that we are ultimately responsible.  Only humans can affect the planet’s
destiny, and their own, for good or for ill, forever.  Those are the stakes;
it’s for us to decide whether humanity and life on earth continues or not.
What are you going to do?

© Copyright Christopher W. Johnson, 27 February 2009

 This system work by first installing piping in the ground deep enough to get below the frost line or about 2 feet or more down.  This piping is filled with fluid which circulates the consistent temperature up to a unit called a heat exchanger located within the house or building.  The heat exchanger then does one of two things.  One, it cools the building by removing the heat from the air and sending it into the ground.  Two, by heating the already consistent temperature from the ground to the few degrees needed to heat the building.

 The cost for purchasing and installing this system is considerably more than a typical HVAC system but carries some perks that typical systems do not.  Depending on the size of your house and the earth it is resting on (stone, soil or near a pond) the system can typically cost from $15,000 to $40,000.  Many systems come with as much as a 50 year guarantee.  There are frequently tax savings which reduces the time involved in recouping the costs.  Furthermore, beyond the long term savings of a geothermal heat pump, is the short and long term benefits of global energy conservation. 

   Many federal and state incentives are being given to those who install the a geothermal heat pump system, to read more see http://www.geoexchange.org/

     Many see nuclear power as an optimal fossil to renewable transition energy.  It is not a solution for the long term and it is appearent that at some point we need to swith to an eniterly renewable energy system.  In the mean time is nuclear a safe solution?  Well… yes and no.  Nuclear waste is known to cause a wide variety of ailments from cancer to birth defects. In the defense of nuclear energy, the waste created has considerably less of an impact on our environment than buring coal. The waste that is created by nuclear power is stored in concrete containers at the plants and ultimately will be properly dumped in a remote desert area in Navada (Yucca Mountain). 

     There is a process of breeding nuclear fuel, creating plutonium, which can be used when uranium begins running thin, but this will only extend the recource and is not currently being used in any commercial application.  The bottom line is, in the short run, environmentaly, nuclear is a cleaner energy than coal, but it too will need to be replaced.