Installing A Solar Power Water Heater - Will You Save Money
by Adrian Fletcher Solar power water heater systems are a way to save money on your utility bills (heating water is usually one of the most costly uses of electricity or gas) so should you install a system or not. This article will ask if it makes sense economically for the home owner to install a solar water heating system. Solar power water heater systems are usually used in conjunction with the existing hot water system. They consist of a method of collecting thermal rays from the sun. They use a solar collector that can simply be a water container that has added features to absorb the sun’s heat or a length of tubing that also has sun absorbing features added to it. Water is circulated through the tank or tubing based on it’s temperature. As it passes through the tank or tubing it is heated up and is then passed to the regular boiler or plumbing system in the home. So the saving on energy bills comes when the boiler does not have to use as much electricity or gas to heat the water up to an adequate temperature for the home. But does this cost saving justify the hassle of putting in a solar water heating system and the associated cost ? To start with, you should look into your existing hot water system. Saving money is not only about looking at free sources of energy but making your use of energy as efficient as possible. You should consider installing the latest energy saving boiler and get proper lagging to insulate the tank. The boiler should be the right size for your hot water needs. An over sized boiler will cost more over time. Once

Oriental Hornet: Expert Solar Power Harvester
Do you know who is the most competent solar power expert, according to a research team from Tel Aviv University? It is the humble common Oriental hornet found in our gardens! Much to the astonishment of the scientists and researchers, the hornet utilizes solar power much like a plant and it produces electricity. [...] Read More...

Posted in: Environment, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power]]>
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Greenest Destination in New York City
New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge Park is getting even greener with the addition of a solar powered electric vehicle (EV) charging station ? the first of its kind in New York City. Brooklyn Bridge Park has already added a number of green areas with lush grass, making it a great spot for both locals [...] Read More...

Posted in: Environment, Politics, Solar Power]]>
Infinyte I4: A Purely Electric Catamaran Cruiser
While solar-power electric hybrid vehicles are a proven success story on the roads, the time is ripe for the appearance of solar-electric watercraft. Already a pontoon boat – Loon – is available in the market. It is solar-electric powered and can seat eight passengers. Now a smaller one – the purely electric run, Infinyte [...] Read More...

Posted in: Electric Cars, Future Energy, Transportation]]>
Pepsi?s New Green PET Bottle
PepsiCo is one of the leading food and beverage businesses in the world. Since 2010, it has been focusing on protecting the earth’s natural energy resources with competent use of soil, water, power and finding and focusing on innovative ways to do so. Recently PepsiCo developed the world’s first plastic bottle made entirely from [...] Read More...

Posted in: Environment, Industry, Inventions]]>
Flying Wind Farms: Future Power Harvesters
How would you like swarms of kite-like airborne turbines spinning at high altitudes sending power down via nano-tube cable tethers to generate power for your community? This could very well be a true picture of future power harvesters according to NASA. A federal fund of $100,000 is being reserved for exploring these high-altitude, nano-tube [...] Read More...

Posted in: Future Energy, Wind Farms, Wind Power]]>
Hydrogen Generation & Storage Made Easy with Nano-Technology
Fuels like gasoline, based on hydrocarbon, create pollution and carbon footprint. Hydrogen has been claimed to be a good alternative to replace fossil fuel since the 1970s. But hydrogen’s potential has not been realized even partially mainly because of storage and commercial production difficulties. There have been research being done on renewable energy sources [...] Read More...

Posted in: Fuel Cells, Future Energy, Hydrogen Fuel]]>
Artificial Electronic Super Skin ? Powered By Stretchable Solar Cells
Zhenan Bao, Stanford researcher, is keen to create “Super skin.” Taking her previously created super-sensitive sensor a step ahead, she is now creating a super skin that will be self-powered with renewable clean solar energy. Bao and her team have designed polymer solar cells that are flexible and can be stretched to power the [...] Read More...

Posted in: Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power]]>
South Saigon Yacht Park: Modern and Green Clean Living
Vietnam is setting an example in setting up a stunning green center with the ongoing project called South Saigon Yacht Park. Right in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, the state capital, plans are afoot to create a green oasis to spread the message of green revolution across the country. This Yacht Park [...] Read More...

Posted in: Environment, Industry]]>
PowerMod: To the Rescue
Think of the earthquake that happened at Tahiti, or havoc-provoking typhoons like Katrina; or the recent plane crash that took so many lives. With man-made or natural disasters occurring unexpectedly at all corners of earth, there has been a sharp demand for dependable portable energy sources that can make rescue efforts a lot [...] Read More...

Posted in: Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power]]>
Common Algae for Biofuel Butanol Production
There have been various methods tried for reducing fossil fuel dependency and containing carbon footprints for a healthier and more eco-friendly future. Corn-produced ethanol has been used for mixing with gasoline but there have been side effects like corrosion from ethanol. Also huge tracts of precious farmlands need to be diverted for corn production. [...] Read More...

Posted in: Biofuels, Future Energy, Transportation]]>
The Empire State Building: Brighter & Greener
Yes, as of 2011, The Empire State Building, one of the world’s largest buildings has achieved the distinction of becoming the largest buyer of green renewable wind power. The Empire State Building will be using more than 100 million kWh of wind energy in the coming couple of years approximately. It will be totally [...] Read More...

Posted in: Environment, Solar Power, Wind Power]]>
MiraQua: A Tiny Miracle
Today there seems to be more and more and yet more vehicles on the road than ever. Everybody wants to have their own transport and a smaller car with least carbon emission seems to be an ideal solution for this inexhaustible number of cars that seem to be coming up. Tiny cars electrically driven [...] Read More...

Posted in: Electric Cars, Future Energy, Transportation]]>
Ceria Mimics Plant Life
Newer and more exciting devices are being invented to harness renewable energy – especially solar energy. One such device is a prototype which uses one of the rare earth metals – ceria, otherwise known cerium oxide – utilizing its natural propensity of alternatively exhaling and inhaling oxygen as it heats up or cools down. [...] Read More...

Posted in: Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power]]>
The New Role of Microbes in Bio-Fuel Production
Currently biofuel is produced from plants as well as microbes. The oils, carbohydrates or fats generated by the microbes or plants are refined to produce biofuel. This is a green and renewable energy that helps in conserving fossil-fuel usage. But a new research has led to a new discovery of getting the microbes to [...] Read More...

Posted in: Biofuels, Future Energy, Inventions]]>
Laser ?Scribing? to Increase Solar Cell Efficiency
Over the years, thanks to the devoted research work going on for increasing the efficiency of solar cells, today solar cells are no longer flat shaped or unyielding. Ultra thin film-type solar cells have now been manufactured which are quite flexible and adaptable for use in corners, curvilinear and other structures. Today almost 20% [...] Read More...

Posted in: Future Energy, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power]]>
E-Reader Going Green: Biblio Leaf
Glad tidings for book lovers with green ethics! Maybe the e-reader does not consume much power. But if you love to read online and think you should do your bit towards using renewable energy, you have Toshiba and KDDI joining the ranks of LG to provide solar-powered e-readers. Biblio Leaf is the new kid [...] Read More...

Posted in: Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power]]>
Flat Tower: Innovative Architectural Solution
High-rise buildings and skyscrapers have been the most favored architectural solutions for highly populated cities. It is a commendable idea for combining height – growing more vertically – and for its small footprint without hogging precious soil which is at a premium in most cities. But sporadic eruptions of skyscrapers do not add to [...] Read More...

Posted in: Environment, Industry, Inventions]]>
Solar Tracker Solar Panels
A German owned company IMO has set-up a plant in USA that will make the largest solar tracker solar panels to tap solar energy. As per Ruediger Unverzagt and Klaus Pless, respectively the CEO and vice-president of this company, these solar tracker solar panels are the largest in Summerville in South California. IMO is [...] Read More...

Posted in: Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power]]>
Power from Two Energy Sources?
Alternative sources of energy are clean and green but the catch is they generate less energy compared to fossil fuels. So now the scientists are trying to use different sources of alternative energy at the same place and same time to generate power. Attempts are being made to combine two forms of external energy [...] Read More...

Posted in: Future Energy, Inventions]]>
Generating Electricity from Wing Waves
Just like wind mills and wind turbines that generate power and electricity from the wind, scientists are now working to generate power from the sea. Stephen Wood, an assistant professor of marine and environmental systems at Florida Institute of Technology’s College of Engineering is working on this technology for its advance and proper use. [...] Read More...

Posted in: Hydro Power, Inventions, Wave Power]]>

you have worked this out, there a 5 things to think about when it comes to the viability of a solar power water heater. These are : The annual amount of hot water used by your family - Take an average over a few months or record a whole year if you have the time. If you are taking an average remember that usage may increase in colder seasons and factor this into the total. When the hot water is used - You will get more benefit form the heated water at the peak of the sun’s thermal energy (midday) than at night, however you are more likely to use it at night. What the current heating system is and it’s compatibility with the solar system. How much the solar water system will cost - this depends on the size of the system which depends on your usage of hot water. With this said, the future should see solar systems drop in price as people become more interested in then. The cost of the energy that your current hot water system uses - this will undoubtedly rise in the future as most of these fuels are finite. The price to find, extract and transport the raw materials will increase and this will be past onto the consumer. So it seems clear that in the future it will make sense to get a solar water system but it cannot really be quantified. But what about the here and now ? when you investigate possible systems you will be given indications of the saving you can make. You can factor this into the predicted annual usage of your home and get a figure on how much savings can be made. Again it is not rigorous but it will give you an idea.