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 [...]

The sun beats on the earth with enough energy each hour to supply the energy needs of the entire world for a year.  The question is how would any of this energy be captured?? The answer is solar cells.  Solar cells sound very complicated, especially when you refer to them my their technical name, Photovoltaic Cells. [...]

House  #1 A 20 room  mansion (not including 8  bathrooms)  heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate  guest house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes  more energy than the average American household does in a year. The  average bill for electricity and natural gas [...]

Since moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue just three months ago, President Obama and the First Lady have added their personal touch to the White House landscape.   There is an organic vegetable garden ( see more ) on the South Lawn.   A gleaming new swing set ( see more ) has been installed a short distance away and within sight of the Oval [...]

Everyone is talking about energy efficiency. Many energy providers have already begun to catch on to the fact that using renewable sources might be a good idea, and have started to use solar and wind power alongside coal and gas to create energy. Eventually it is hoped that energy providers will rely more on renewable [...]

“It is possible to meet our shelter needs without draining natural and personal resources. Yurts can help you re-envision your understanding of home from that of a market commodity to a concept of sacred space in which you can nourish your soul and find your place in the world. Whether or not you actually move [...]

Homeowners looking to “paint their house Green”, so to speak, have several options available to them, learn more .  Going green not only helps the environment by lessening the home’s carbon footprint, but also saves money by making it more energy efficient. One of the many ways to improve your quality of living while preserving our natural [...]

The phrase ‘Global Warming’ leaves some of us weary after hearing it for what seems like decades.  No catastrophes have occurred yet, so we wonder if the skeptics might be right?  On the other hand, we’re just beginning to learn how interconnected, yet fragile, our earth’s environment actually is, that forests are shrinking and deserts growing [...]

It is true, with a geothermal heat pump you can save between 30% and 40% on your electric bill according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.  Geothermal Heat Exchangers as they are referred to, rely on the simple fact that the temperature under the earth stays at a consistent temperature of 45 – 70 degrees (typically about [...]

According to the World Nuclear Association , 30 countries world wide operate 435 nuclear power plants and create 16% of the worlds power.  This is a substantial amount of energy created with out burning coal, but is it renewable?  The truth is uranium is not renewable and at this time there is no process in use which creates [...]

     Toyota announced that the 2010 Prius will come with an option for a solar panel, and is expected to get 50mpg. This roof mounted solar panel is made by Kyocera and is used to power the AC unit thus reducing the overall energy needed to power the Prius. The idea of solar panels on cars is [...]

The western side of the United States is located along a section of what is called the “Ring of Fire,” a line of seismic and geothermal activity.  This region in particular is capable of generating a substantial amount of the United States power that is currently being powered by coal.  According to the Geothermal Education Office  right now [...]

I receive many calls for people who want to generate all of their electricity with solar power. They are usually shocked when I tell them what it will cost. Perhaps I can explain why …   Let us start with electricity. You buy electricity from the power company.The power company charges you a “delivery” charge [...]

     Many advancements, like the ones made by Ohio State University (see Solar Energy Breakthough at OSU ) indicate that in the not so far future solar energy has the potential to begin significantly supplementing our energy needs.  The current photovoltaic cell does offer us a glimpse at future solar possibilities. Unfortunately, due to its bulky size to output ratio and the [...]

Many have speculated that GM’s new electric car will revolutionize the way we travel and begin to diminish our demand on oil.  But has GM taken the volt far enough?  Obviously if I am asking a loaded question like that the answer is no, but the answer is also a real eye opener to the potential of electric vehicles.  In 1996 GM [...]