How solar works? (just the basics)

Just like any new technology (although solar energy is not new, since we've been harnessing solar energy since the Greeks and Chinese used it thousands of years ago), there is a learning curve involved especially when we try to implement it with general public. The solar energy that the Earth receives from the sun in one hour is more than enough energy that the entire human population consumes in one year. If you ever wondered how solar power is integrated with your utility grid, please take a look at this interactive flash animation by clicking here

Or you can watch this simple YouTube video below just to get the basics of how to tie your home with the utility grid.....


Here is a little picture of how the grid tie works with installing solar modules....

Lets analyze Coal's future

Carbon capture could become commercial within 10-15 years. And while it holds the potential to significantly cut heat-trapping emissions, it may be noticeably more expensive than current technologies and thereby cause consumers to pay more.

According to the Government Accountability Office, current carbon capture and sequestration technologies would increase the cost of power by 30 percent to 80 percent, albeit it has greater potential to reduce carbon emissions than other ideas. The alternative to such progressive technologies is one that centers on improving efficiency gains, or reducing the amount of coal that is burned so as to limit emission levels. But those "ultra-supercritical" generation technologies are expensive and may only be worth it if the nation attaches a price to carbon and therefore increases the costs of coal. Otherwise, utilities may find it cheaper to build natural gas plants and particularly if the price of such fuel remains relatively low.

Coal now generates about half of all electricity in this country. By 2035 -- and because of pressures to reduce the level of harmful emissions -- it is expected to provide about 44 percent of all such power, says the U.S. Department of Energy. Coal now accounts for about a third of all carbon dioxide emissions. To that end, the Energy Department will spend $600 million to help commercialize advanced coal generation technologies.
Source: Ken Silverstein, EnergyBiz Insider, Editor-in-Chief


You might wonder, hey what about the "clean" coal technology that you see the ads for all the time?

Well according to IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme CO2 Capture and Storage Database; Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies Program at MIT, CO2 Capture and Storage Project Database, "There are no homes in America powered by 'clean' coal."

Clean coal technology is a marketing term used to describe technologies being developed that aim to reduce the environmental impact of coal energy generation.

If thats not enough, according to the article “Big Coal Campaigning to Keep Its Industry on Candidates' Minds,” Wall Street Journal, Oct. 20, 2008 (link); IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme CO2 Capture and Storage Database (link); Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies Program at MIT, CO2 Capture and Storage Project Database (link): "The coal industry is spending millions advertising 'clean' coal, but not a single 'clean' coal power plant exists in the U.S. today."

"While you might have heard the phrase ‘clean’ coal during the presidential campaign, it's actually an oxymoron." Brian Williams, NBC News, Nov 18, 2008 (video)


Source: You can find more fun facts and quotes about "clean" coal by -------> clicking here


Take a look at these facts about Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): Click here
Decide for yourself: what is the future of coal?

Here is the clean coal's dirty little secret:


And on the other hand, maybe coal IS clean


My opinion: Coal is not going anywhere, anytime soon. But, we can change this!

For people who buy bottled water

If the video doesnt work, please click on the link below
http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/

Fun Fact

If we stop every single thing that is polluting out environment TODAY, meaning, we shut down every coal plant, every oil and gas plants, every fossil fuel producing plants, every manufacturing plant, factories, we stop driving every car, bus, airplane, cargo vessels and boats, any vehicle, edifice, non living objects that gives out CO2 in this world, in 100 years the water level would have risen 3 feet due to global warming.

Does anybody realize how serious of a problem this is?

Not that we are going to stop puffing out CO2 anytime soon, we need an alternative solution to energy now more than ever!

Enlighten yourself: Global Warming

Did you get your pollution today?

10 Harsh Realities of the US Coal Industry

Excerpted from the Union of Concerned Scientist Clean Energy report
You can download a PDF version by going here: Facts on the pollution caused by the US Coal Industry

A typical-sized 500 megawatt coal-fired electricity plant in the United States puts out each year:

1. 3.7 million tons of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main greenhouse gas, and is the leading cause of global warming. There are no regulations limiting carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S.
2. 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide (SOx) is the main cause of acid rain, which damages forests, lakes and buildings.
3. 10,200 tons of nitrogen oxide. Nitrogen oxide (NOx) is a major cause of smog, and also a cause of acid rain.
4. 500 tons of small particles. Small particulates are a health hazard, causing lung damage. Particulates smaller than 10 microns are not regulated, but may be soon.
5. 220 tons of hydrocarbons. Fossil fuels are made of hydrocarbons; when they don't burn completely, they are released into the air. They are a cause of smog.
6. 720 tons of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas and contributor to global warming.
7. 125,000 tons of ash and 193,000 tons of sludge from the smokestack scrubber. A scrubber uses powdered limestone and water to remove pollution from the plant's exhaust. Instead of going into the air, the pollution goes into a landfill or into products like concrete and drywall. This ash and sludge consists of coal ash, limestone, and many pollutants, such as toxic metals like lead and mercury.
8. 225 pounds of arsenic, 114 pounds of lead, 4 pounds of cadmium, and many other toxic heavy metals. Mercury emissions from coal plants are suspected of contaminating lakes and rivers in northern and northeast states and Canada. In Wisconsin alone, more than 200 lakes and rivers are contaminated with mercury. Health officials warn against eating fish caught in these waters, since mercury can cause birth defects, brain damage and other ailments.
9. Trace elements of uranium. All but 16 of the 92 naturally occurring elements have been detected in coal, mostly as trace elements below 0.1 percent (1,000 parts per million, or ppm). A study by DOE's Oak Ridge National Lab found that radioactive emissions from coal combustion are greater than those from nuclear power production.
10. A 500 megawatt coal-fired electrical plant burns 1,430,000 tons of coal, uses 2.2 billion gallons of water and 146,000 tons of limestone a year.

Give Earth a hand

Purpose

The purpose of this blog is to create awareness among people about green renewable energy (in particular solar energy). To make people think about our fragile earth and to convince people to start living a greener and cleaner life. To spark an idea inside the minds of people to go green. To flourish without destroying.