Harvesting Ground Heat Through Geothermal Heating Technology

Just below our feet lies an energy source that can easily help us warm both our homes and hot water tanks. This energy source is known as thermal energy and can be harvested using specifically designed geothermal heating technology. This article will give you a better idea of how this natural energy source has come into existence and how geothermal heating systems actually harvest this energy.

But how does this energy under the earths surface occur? Thermal energy is caused by a number of contributors. For example, heat radiates out from the earths core and warms the ground. The earth also absorbs energy from the heat of the sun. The strength of this heat energy trapped beneath the surface of the ground will of course depend where you are in the world. It does not really matter where you are in the world though as geothermal heating technologies are able to extract heat from the ground however weak that heat is.

The concept of harvesting heat energy that is present beneath our feet is far from new. In the Roman Empire water heated naturally underground by geothermal energy was put to use to keep their spas hot. In effect this was the start of basic geothermal heating systems. This harvesting of naturally occurring geothermally heated hot water is still used today in some parts of the world. Iceland, for example, makes full use of this naturally occurring energy source using geothermal power plants.

Geothermal heating systems such as the Ground Source heat pump are now used across the world with much success. As the name suggests the Ground Source heat pump collects heat from the beneath the ground and literally pumps this heat around a home or property. Ground source heat pumps use a series of pipes that are laid underneath the surface of the ground. The loop of pipes are filled with a solution has properties to absorb geothermal heat energy directly from the ground. The solution is pumped through the loop of pipes, and gathers heat as it travels. The solution eventually passes through the heat pumps the heat exchanger part of the system where the heat is extracted and refined. This harvested heat is then used to directly warm living spaces and heat hot water tanks.

Geothermal heating systems are forecast to become even more popular with households across the globe. In general many people want to become more environmentally friendly and do their bit to help save the planet. Most people are also becoming increasingly frustrated at the incredibly high prices they are paying for fossil fuels such as gas and coal. Alternative ways to heat homes that are eco-friendly and cheaper to run, such as Ground Source heat pumps and other geothermal heating technology, are the ideal answer.

Would you like to discover more about geothermal heating technology and the benefits of investing in a heat pump system for your home? A good starting point is to visit one of the companies that specialized in geothermal heating and renewable heating systems. One reputable and well established company is called EcoVision. You can easily find their website. EcoVision specializes in all types of environmentally friendly technologies, including geothermal heating. The EcoVision website is probably the best next step for you to discover more information.

About the Author
Rich Stevens writes articles for EcoVision. Discover more information about Heat Pump technology and how Heat Pumps work on the EcoVision website.

Ideas For How Businesses Can Take Advantage Of Solar Energy

Over the last few years, businesses have experienced drastic climbs in their energy costs, a trend that will only continue. If utility costs make up a good deal of your overhead, skyrocketing energy rates can have a devastating effect on your business. Solar energy is completely free, a gift from the sun every sunny day. Use this gift to save money and make profit. Here's a look at how businesses can take advantages of solar energy.

Cut Utility Costs
As utility rates continue to escalate, your company will not be as affected as much when you are already harvesting your own solar power. Every sunny day, you can watch the electric meter tick backwards, so you owe the electric company less every month. You won't be as affected by steep rate increases when a good portion of your energy is getting a suntan on the roof.

Emissions Trading
President Barack Obama has indicated that the US will enter a cap and trade program to control global warming. In the near future, greater governmental pressure will make for very valuable pollution cuts. You can use solar energy as a renewable resource to slash your company's emissions rates, selling resulting credits to more polluting companies. Make money from the sun with emissions trading and the advantages of solar energy.

Tax Credits and Rebates
Obama has also made it clear that he wants to invest in America's renewable energy resources. Many tax credits and rebates, both federal and local, now exist that make solar energy more affordable than ever. This is money on the table that's there for the taking. Solar energy always ends up paying for itself, but it pays the bill even quicker with the tax credits and rebates currently available.

Free Resource
Sunshine is always free. Invest in the infrastructure, and then the sunshine pays you back. Solar panels are almost completely maintenance free, so there are very little costs involved once you've got them up and running. They continue to pay for themselves several times over. Once you've invested in the structure, solar power becomes as free for your business as it is for the flowers. Visit the best San Diego solar installation company at SunPath solar to find out how you can go green with solar energy.

About the Author
Ryan Frank is an avid writer and blogger living in San Diego, CA.

How Much You Can Receive Off The Price Of A Solar System

Solar power relating to houses becomes more popular each year. Because the cost of manufacturing decreases it is quickly turning into an affordable and practical option for a lot of home-owners. The government is assisting individuals with tax concessions they offer to people that elect to go green.

Why Use Solar Power?

Solar power for homes is good for the environment as it does not contribute to green house gas emissions. Just the use of solar power to heat our water drastically reduces carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.

How does the Government help?

Solar Credits is the term assigned for the Australian government's latest solar subsidy for homeowners, businesses and neighbourhood communities. On 20 August, the program was authorised in government law, subsidising the expense of supply and install of a new solar renewable energy system (no means testing necessary). This program is in contrast to it's predecessor which was means tested for a home income of $100,000. It's the most recent in a variety of schemes, which unfortunately appear to change more often than most of us can keep up with.

The questions people most commonly seek the answer to are:

1. How much will I be able to receive off the price of a solar system?
2. How much will a solar system cost us currently?

Typically, if you would like a new 1kW system, you will get approximately $3,500 off the cost. If you'd like 1.5kW or more you'll then be able to reduce the cost by around $5,600.

So how much does this mean you could spend on a system?
Here are some ballpark figures with regard to costs. They'll differ by a thousand or so either way depending on the brand of panels and inverters suppliers use, as well as their particular overheads.

• Typical price of a 1kW solar system is approximately $8,500
• Government's Solar Credits Rebate is $3,500
• Cost to you personally to get 1KW of solar power is is around $5,000
• General cost of a 1.5kW solar system is $11,500
• Government Rebate is $5,500
• Cost for you to get 1.5KW of solar power is around $6,000

As you can see, the way in which the Solar Credits scheme works, the 1.5kW system is actually much better value. You get 50% more electricity for only about a 20% greater cost.

The solar credits scheme maxes out at 1.5kW. If you want a system bigger than that your solar credits will reach it's limit at about $5,600. The good news though is that you will be able claim around $560 per additional kW in Certificates Renewable Energy Certificates (RECS).

About the Author
eco-kinetics are quality providers of affordable Solar Power Systems and Solar Panels Brisbane. To find out more about how they help you with the Govt solar credit rebates check out their website today!

20 Facts And Figures About Solar Energy

Here are 20 exciting solar energy facts that could be of interest to those considering converting their homes into renewable solar energy (partly or entirely). These fun facts about solar energy could also be of interest to any aspiring solar energy enthusiasts.

20 Solar Energy Facts and Figures

1. Solar panel technology emerged in the 1800's.
2. The first "true" solar panels were created in the 1950s.
3. Solar cell's efficiency may be as little as 4% (organic cells) or as much as 40% (experimental multiple-junction solar cells). The higher the efficiency of the material, the more expensive it will be to manufacture it.
4. One 100W light bulb that's constantly on, costs around $100 per year.
5. One photovoltaic roof shingle can produce as much as 15W of electricity. Several solar roof shingles could run one 100W light bulb that's constantly on.
6. A solar cell with 10 percent efficiency output and a 100 sq centimeters (15.5 sq inch) surface can produce about 1W of power.
7. An average household uses about 9,000kWh of energy annually.
8. A 350 Sq foot panel that produces 15W of power per Sq foot would produce a total of about 9,000kWh of energy yearly, which could power an average household with all the energy that it needs.
9. An average homeowner that uses electricity from their utility grid could spend $50,000 in the next 25 years on their electric bills.
10. Tax incentives for buying solar can be as high as 30% of the purchased solar powered system's cost.
11. In the US, tax incentives can result in shortening the time for the panels to pay back for themselves down to as little as 6-8 years.
12. You can get solar panels for free from homeowners or businesses upgrading their systems.
13. Solar panels typically have a 20-25 year warranty and 40 year lifetime expectancy.
14. In order to achieve the most out of solar panels, they have to be facing south and be installed at 20-50 degree angles.
15. You can wire solar cells to increase the Voltage of the system (series wiring), to increase the Current of the system (parallel wiring), or to increase both, Voltage and Current (series/parallel wiring).
16. Solar powered systems with a battery can provide a homeowner with electricity even during the time of local power outages.
17. You do not have to connect a home in the woods to a power grid, if you provide it with a powerful enough solar power generator.
18. Solar energy is very safe for the environment, since it produces negligibly small amounts of elements, and only during the process of manufacturing the solar materials.
19. In the future, we may see cars and houses painted with a translucent solar paint to generate energy.
20. Solar energy won't run out until the sun ceases to shine, which is estimated to happen in about 5 billion years from now.

As you can see, there are numerous good solar energy facts. It's also a fact that the whole world is anticipating further drops in the price of solar material, so that everyone will be able to enjoy all of the solar power benefits at a reasonable cost.

About the Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.solarpanelmanual.com which focuses on solar energy. Please visit his web site to learn more about solar panel installation.

Wind Energy Or Solar Energy - Which Is Best For Your Location?

When choosing the best option for reducing your power bill, it is important to understand the benefits and drawbacks of two of the most popular energy sources: Wind Energy and Solar Energy.

Solar Energy

The earth does not produce energy on its own. Solar Energy creates two other sources of energy often utilized by homes and businesses: water and wind. Solar Energy is collected using various types of Solar Panels, which is then channeled into a home via "Grid-Tie" or "Off Grid" systems.

The Grid-tie systems collect solar energy and feed it directly into your electrical system through a grid-tie inverter. In this arrangement, the electric company is essentially the storer of any excess electricity collected throughout any given day. The advantage of this method is the cost savings in needing to purchase a battery bank to store the energy. If you happen to produce more electricity than you use, many electric companies will pay their customers for each extra Kilowatt Hour (KWH) of electricity fed back into their system. However, the amount electric companies pay their customers for the electricity is not typically as high as the amount they would charge you for the same amount.

Off-Grid systems are the same as Grid-tie, except they store the extra solar energy collected by solar panels into batteries. The off-grid inverters cost less, but there will be a substantial battery cost. The amount of batteries needed will depend on the number of solar panels you have. The more solar panels you purchase, the more batteries will be needed to store the energy.

Some areas of the country are more suitable for solar energy than others. Solar Panels need the direct rays of the sun in order to operate at peak efficiency. Cloudy areas such as Seattle, Washington are not going to produce as much solar energy as places like Phoenix, Arizona. While Seattle is one of the worst areas, if you were to make a line that went from Minnesota to Ohio to Maine, that area of the country fares only little better in its worst month. See a Solar Radiation map for more specific information in your area.

Wind Energy

Wind energy has the distinct advantage of being available both night and day. When the storm clouds roll in, blocking the afternoon sun, wind energy is there to pick up the slack. Interestingly, wind energy is actually produced by solar energy, albeit indirectly. As the sun's rays come in contact with the earth, some areas absorb more heat than other areas, and some areas receive more direct rays (e.g. the equator) than others (e.g. the North Pole). The warm atmosphere gases then naturally move to colder areas, creating wind.

Some areas of the country are more suited for wind energy than others. If you live in the southeastern section of the United States, wind energy is not a good option unless you live in a high elevation or near a coastline. A wind resource map can be located on the web site listed in this article.

Another important factor in determining whether or not wind energy is a good possibility for your home is whether or not you are able to place a wind turbine at a high enough elevation to produce a cost-effective amount of energy. Most guides recommend wind turbine installation at an elevation of 30 feet higher than the surrounding area. The higher your wind turbine, the more energy it is going to produce. Of course, this also means that initial installation costs will be higher as well. Overall, wind energy is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Just make sure your location is well suited for it.

Conclusion

It can be a very satisfying experience knowing that you are saving money and reducing your carbon footprint every time you see the wind blowing or the sun shining. With the federal government basically picking up 30% of the tab through tax credits, now is a great time to invest.

Thomas J. Martincic is the author and developer of the web site http://www.WindSolarEnergy.org. The web site contains a wealth of free information on wind and solar energy, provided in layman's terms.

Thomas J. Martincic

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Martincic

Electric Magnetic Energy - The Best Renewable Energy For Your Home Usage

Just about every homeowner these days is interested in renewable energy for their home usage. It's no secret that the best way to do green is to use alternative sources of energy and going green equals a reduction in electric bills and more money saved.

The best alternative energy source has to be electric magnetic energy even though it is probably the least most popular energy source available. This magnetic energy is becoming increasingly popular day by day and especially among those home owners who don't live in an area that gets enough sunlight or wind to utilize solar panels or wind turbines.

The machine that creates electric magnetic energy is known as a magnetic motor and it is becoming more relevant as the days go by. For many homeowners across the world this magnetic energy makes up most of their energy consumption. Meanwhile there are some homeowners that use this alternative energy source to fully power their household.

It might sound complicated at first but it's very easy to build your own magnetic motor and start generating free electric magnetic energy. Some people decide to buy one of these motors already assembled and other people try and hire an expert to build a magnetic motor for them. However, these experts will charge anywhere from $10,000 on up for just a weekend project.

Thankfully magnetic motor home guides are now available and you can use one to build your own motor by yourself. Electric magnetic energy is playing a significant role for home consumption especially for those living in areas that don't get a great amount of sunlight or wind.

If you decide to implement a Magnetic Motor on a full-scale, it will independently power your household using Free Magnet Energy, meaning, you won't have to pay anything to the power company. Click Here and take a look at how you can begin producing free energy using A Magnetic Motor.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karl_Landry

Various Renewable Energy Resources And The Best To Use At Home

So do you want to know about renewable energy?

I understand why a lot of people are interested in this subject. In fact, I am one of them myself.

Renewable energy is becoming a very important resource of power; even governments are conducting huge researches on this matter.

I want you to think about this for a second- What if all countries and individuals use renewable power, how would it be?

Well, it will definitely change the future of the planet.

Renewable energy

It is the energy generated from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, geothermal heat, and many other resources. These resources are naturally replenished.

Geothermal energy: It is obtained by trapping the heat of the earth itself. It can be done in some places from the surface and in others it has to be a few kilometers deep.

Hydropower: Energy in water can be harnessed and used. Water is about 800 times denser than air, so even a slow flowing stream or a moderate sea swell can yield a considerable amount of energy.

Bio fuel: There are various types of bio fuels that could be made out vegetable oils, animal fats, the sugar components of some plants and many other resources.

Solar energy: It is the energy derived from the sun through the form of solar radiation.

Wind energy: Air flows are used to produce energy.

Warning: These last two renewable energy resources are perfect for everyone to use at home or even at the office. You can easily buy or build your own solar panel and wind turbine, and produce green free energy.

You can go green and start using renewable energy resources!

You can get more information on renewable energy by clicking here.

Save money, save the environment, and use solar or wind power at your home.

Check this out to see available power systems.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Newmen

Renewable Energy With A Tesla Generator

In order to save electricity, more number of people around the globe are opting for alternate electrical sources to save on power bills. There are various options for renewable energy which are getting easier to use. Apart from solar energy and wind energy, there is an emerging trend of an alternate electrical source called a tesla generator. Based upon attraction and repulsion of magnetic poles, a perpetual motion is attained, which is later converted into electricity. Additionally, the magnetic generator has the capability to produce more electricity then it actually consumes.

This means that the creation of electrical energy doesn't need help from other energy source for operation. An individual will be able to produce free electricity after investing costs on materials used in setting up a magnetic generator. Anybody can build their own DIY tesla generator, but it is best advised to spend quality on researching about the blueprints and guides during the process. Ideally, the material cost would be around hundred dollars and building it would effectively reduce the power bill charges by about 20% to 50%.

In addition, these magnetic generators are reliable and offer electricity without any need for routine checking. The magnet has the capability of generating electricity nearly for four hundred years after which they would lose their ability. These magnetic generators are eco-friendly and safe to use, as they don't produce any harmful by-products. Typically, the tesla generator would involve less cost and provide free electrical energy for a life-long period.

About the Author:
Build your own Tesla Generator Today -
Tesla Generator

Present-Day And Future Alternative Energy Sources

The major past energy sources have included petroleum and coal. With the sharp increase in energy prices, depleting non-renewable sources of energy, the increase of green house gases impacting global warming, the future of using alternative 'green' sources of energy looks bright. Governments around the world are feeling the pressure of consumer demands for alternative renewable energy sources that will not harm the environment.

Wind Power is one method of producing 'green energy' that is becoming popular all over the world. Wind turbines are used to create power. Wind turbines can be placed wherever there is sufficient amount of wind. The higher the number of installed wind turbines, the more electricity will be produced.

Solar energy is one alternative energy source that is expected to see an increase in use in the future. This form of energy makes use of the sun for power and heat. Solar panels harness the power of the sun without polluting the planet and atmosphere. The solar panels power generators provide the electricity. The solar panels are installed on the roofs of residential and commercial buildings. In the future, larger solar panels will be built that can power hundreds of thousands of homes Solar energy requires does not require any other energy source to operate and it is free of pollution. Sunlight can be harnessed as usable heat or converted into electricity using photoelectric cells, solar panels, or using synchronized mirrors called heliostats that follow the sun as it moves. Methods for using solar power to replace a gas-powered engine by heating hydrogen gas in a tank have also been developed. There have been positive results with powering a generator.

Hydro Power is another alternative energy source with proven results. The flowing water drives the turbines which produces the energy. The energy created is dependent on the strength and force of the water flow because rapid flowing water drives the mechanisms that help with producing electricity. The current is then sent through a transformer where the electricity is transmitted over power lines. This is an eco-friendly form of energy and in the future, it is expected that more hydro power stations will be erected where there is a suitable water supply.

Current technologies for new renewable green energy sources, particularly solar power and wind power, are proving to be quite promising for the future. As well, Geothermal Energy which is heat energy extracted from the earth to create steam to power the generators that produces the electricity, is another potential future large energy source. There is also much research and development going into Nuclear Fission. Salinization of water at river estuaries as an energy supply is another possible source of alternative energy because many experts suggest that it will be millions of years before there is any impact. Nuclear fusion and artificial photosynthesis are two other energy technologies currently being researched as possible future energy sources.

Much of the traditional sources of energy are becoming unsustainable making new greener sources of energy the wave of the future. Many corporations, 'green' entrepreneurs, and governments are investing in the future of the planet and its inhabitants by investing in alternative renewable energy sources. An investment in 'green' energy means a future of low energy costs and a greener sustainable environment.

About the Author:
Alternative energy sources don't have to be hard to come by. If you want to experiment with green energy, look up for more resources online. There is a huge repository of information waiting for you there.

Renewable Energy From The Deep Ocean - Video