April 2, 2008

Power your Boat with the Sun

by Leroy Calstard

Solar power is quickly becoming a suitable renewable source of energy which many people are adopting. Lots of homes and businesses all over the country already have solar panels. Some use solar power to heat their homes while some use it for small items such as garage tools and routers. Many people think that solar power is a very new invention, however actually it has been around for over 100 years! It’s amazing that it’s taken so long to catch on.

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March 17, 2008

Climate Zones Help With Weather Predictions

by Ken Morris

Human beings are curious creatures, for the most part. One of the things men and women have always strived to understand is the climate that sustains life here on Earth. With the help of new technology and the cooperation of scientists around the globe, new information about the climate and the science of weather is being uncovered on a regular basis.

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March 9, 2008

Sun Sational Energy

The American Solar Energy Society is a national non-profit group that dedicates itself to promoting and advancing solar energy use to benefits the national as well as global environment. It is the ASES mission to promote widespread use of solar engery for the short term as well as long term.
The American Solar Energy Society publishes a bi-monthly magazine that has won a number of awards. Called Solar Today, it covers all facets of solar energy and other renewable energy technological breakthroughs. Continuous topics addressed in the issues include case study building, solar and other energy policies and projects on a community-wide scale.
ASES is the U.S. arm of the International Solar Energy Society, and as such dedicates itself to adoption and development of renewable energy including solar energy, wind energy, hydrogen energy, geothermal energy, ocean energy, energy from biofuels and overall energy efficiency.
Some specific and ongoing ASES projects include the promotion of regional and national short and long term solar energy sue, the organization of the national conference on solar energy, the annual nationwide solar tour, and the online newsletter, the Sunbeam. ASES also sponsors roundtable discussion on solar energy and related issues in our nation’s capital, distributes publications of interest to solar energy advocates, and organizes a network for solar action.
On its Web site ASES publishes answers to frequently asked solar energy questions. Here are some of the more commonly asked questions and their answers.
Can solar energy be used for my home or my business? How do I determine if I will have enough sun for it?
The answer is that there are few places where the solar energy would not be adequate to meet at least some of your solar energy system needs. A solar energy system designer in your area, or an installer or builder or solar architect can assess your requirements for power, your property, the type of system you would need, the availability of sun and other factors to make the determination if your solar energy system would meet your power needs. Typically, a solar energy system will give off plenty of energy even on a cloudy day. It will just give you less than on a sunny day.
The next question is about whether solar electricity can be used to heat a home or office’s water? The answer is that this is impractical, as a solar water heating system is much more cost effective. Similar, if you want to heat a small space you could do this best with equipment that creates solar thermal heat with passive solar designs or collectors that are transpired.
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July 17, 2007

An Untapped Source Of Eternal Energy: What Is Solar Energy?

The most exact definition of Solar Energy is plainly - “the energy from the sun”. It is a term used to classify the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun and intercepted by the Earth. It is the world’s most permanent and reliable source of energy and the most copious.

The uses of solar energy on earth include solar heating for buildings, solar heat for manufacturing or industry and electricity production. So what is solar energy? How does it affect us?

Solar energy is responsible for weather systems and ocean currents. It provides light, heat, and energy to all living things on Earth. It has many uses. It supplies electricity; it can be used to power cars.

Solar energy is also used as a power for satellites in space and in space shuttles. It could also power boats, generators during emergencies, toys, and even security systems.

The amount of solar energy that the earth receives is about 770 trillion kilowatts (kW), an amount 5,000 times bigger than the sum of all other energy, may it be terrestrial nuclear energy, geothermal energy or gravitational energy.

There are two types of solar energy. These are:

1. Thermal Energy
2. Electric Energy

What is the difference between the two types energy?

Thermal energy is kinetic energy. It is everywhere. It makes the earth hot and even heats up our homes. It helps us to dry our clothes. It is used as well to heat up water for household use or even pools. That is why thermal energy is called the heat energy because it is stored in the center of the earth as well.

Electric energy is widely known to us as the electricity. It is an essential part of nature and it is one of our most widely used forms of energy. This uses sunlight to power ordinary electrical equipment, such as household appliances, computers, and lighting.

Most applications of solar energy depend on systems including collectors, storage and controls. Storage is needed for a reason that solar energy is only available at daylight hours, but the demand for energy is needed both day and night. Controls are used to guarantee that the storage system works safely and efficiently.

The accessibility of solar energy is determined by three factors:

* The location is usually measured by latitude, longitude and altitude.
* The time.
* The weather.

Aside from knowing that solar energy is a free energy still, you have to realize that it also has advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages are:

* Solar energy is almost limitless; it will be available for as long as there are still humans in the earth.
* It is abundant. You will not worry of running out of it.
* It could provide more power than all known fossil fuel reserves.
* Solar energy is available during the day when electricity usage is really important.
* It is the most inexhaustible, renewable source of energy known to man.
* Solar energy can be absorbed, reflected, transmitted, and insulated.
* It can be collected and stored in batteries.

The disadvantages are:

* It is not suitable in cloudy areas.
* It is not available at night time.
* And it may require large land areas.

As a reminder, solar energy levels are lesser the farther north the site. Considering geography, season is an important determinant of solar energy levels because the Sun’s position and the weather vary greatly from summer to winter.

If man can harness the power of the sun the opportunities are limitless. Solar energy has so much potential that we owe it to ourselves to explore this awesome source of power http://www.solarenergynews.info

by: Taylor Descar

Popularity: 49% [?]


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February 6, 2008

An Untapped Source Of Eternal Energy: What Is Solar Energy?

The most exact definition of Solar Energy is plainly - “the energy from the sun”. It is a term used to classify the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun and intercepted by the Earth. It is the world’s most permanent and reliable source of energy and the most copious.
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Popularity: 49% [?]


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February 1, 2008

Sun’s Heat A Major Factor In Weather Types

by Greg Hansward

What makes weather, well, weather? The simple answer might be the Earth’s atmosphere and the changes that take place there. But take the investigation a step farther and ask how those changes occur. Or better yet, why they occur.

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March 17, 2008

Temperature - One Part Of A Complex System

by Peter Mason

When two people meet on the street, or in a shop, weather is usually the first topic of conversation. Sometimes, weather is the only thing spoken about! Why is it such a widespread topic, discussed and dissected in every language around the globe from Alaska to Murcia, Spain?

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