The recent revelations of a International Energy Administration whistleblower that the IEA may have distorted key oil projections under intense U.S. pressure is, if true (and whistleblowers rarely come forward to advance their careers), a slow-burning thermonuclear explosion on future global oil production. The Bush administration’s actions in pressuring the IEA to underplay the rate of decline from existing oil fields while overplaying the chances of finding new reserves have the potential to throw governments’ long-term planning into chaos.

Whatever the reality, rising long term global demands seem certain to outstrip production in the next decade, especially given the high and rising costs of developing new super-fields such as Kazakhstan’s offshore Kashagan and Brazil’s southern Atlantic Jupiter and Carioca fields, which will require billions in investments before their first barrels of oil are produced.

In such a scenario, additives and substitutes such as biofuels will play an ever-increasing role by stretching beleaguered production quotas. As market forces and rising prices drive this technology to the forefront, one of the richest potential production areas has been totally overlooked by investors up to now Central Asia. Formerly the USSR’s cotton “plantation, the region is poised to become a major player in the production of biofuels if sufficient foreign investment can be procured. Unlike Brazil, where biofuel is manufactured largely from sugarcane, or the United States, where it is primarily distilled from corn, Central Asia’s ace resource is an indigenous plant, Camelina sativa.

Of the former Soviet Caucasian and Central Asian republics, those clustered around the shores of the Caspian, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have seen their economies boom because of record-high energy prices, while Turkmenistan is waiting in the wings as a rising producer of natural gas.

Farther to the east, in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, geographical isolation and relatively scant hydrocarbon resources relative to their Western Caspian neighbors have largely inhibited their ability to cash in on rising global energy demands up to now. Mountainous Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan remain largely dependent for their electrical needs on their Soviet-era hydroelectric infrastructure, but their heightened need to generate winter electricity has led to autumnal and winter water discharges, in turn severely impacting the agriculture of their western downstream neighbors Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

What these three downstream countries do have however is a Soviet-era legacy of agricultural production, which in Uzbekistan’s and Turkmenistan case was largely directed towards cotton production, while Kazakhstan, beginning in the 1950s with Khrushchev’s “Virgin Lands” programs, has become a major producer of wheat. Based on my discussions with Central Asian government officials, given the thirsty demands of cotton monoculture, foreign proposals to diversify agrarian production towards biofuel would have great appeal in Astana, Ashgabat and Tashkent and to a lesser extent Astana for those hardy investors willing to bet on the future, especially as a plant indigenous to the region has already proven itself in trials.

Known in the West as false flax, wild flax, linseed dodder, German sesame and Siberian oilseed, camelina is attracting increased scientific interest for its oleaginous qualities, with several European and American companies already investigating how to produce it in commercial quantities for biofuel. In January Japan Airlines undertook a historic test flight using camelina-based bio-jet fuel, becoming the first Asian carrier to experiment with flying on fuel derived from sustainable feedstocks during a one-hour demonstration flight from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The test was the culmination of a 12-month evaluation of camelina’s operational performance capability and potential commercial viability.

As an alternative energy source, camelina has much to recommend it. It has a high oil content low in saturated fat. In contrast to Central Asia’s thirsty “king cotton,” camelina is drought-resistant and immune to spring freezing, requires less fertilizer and herbicides, and can be used as a rotation crop with wheat, which would make it of particular interest in Kazakhstan, now Central Asia’s major wheat exporter. Another bonus of camelina is its tolerance of poorer, less fertile conditions. An acre sown with camelina can produce up to 100 gallons of oil and when planted in rotation with wheat, camelina can increase wheat production by 15 percent. A ton (1000 kg) of camelina will contain 350 kg of oil, of which pressing can extract 250 kg. Nothing in camelina production is wasted as after processing, the plant’s debris can be used for livestock silage. Camelina silage has a particularly attractive concentration of omega-3 fatty acids that make it a particularly fine livestock feed candidate that is just now gaining recognition in the U.S. and Canada. Camelina is fast growing, produces its own natural herbicide (allelopathy) and competes well against weeds when an even crop is established. According to Britain’s Bangor University’s Centre for Alternative Land Use, “Camelina could be an ideal low-input crop suitable for bio-diesel production, due to its lower requirements for nitrogen fertilizer than oilseed rape.

Camelina, a branch of the mustard family, is indigenous to both Europe and Central Asia and hardly a new crop on the scene: archaeological evidence indicates it has been cultivated in Europe for at least three millennia to produce both vegetable oil and animal fodder.

Field trials of production in Montana, currently the center of U.S. camelina research, showed a wide range of results of 330-1,700 lbs of seed per acre, with oil content varying between 29 and 40%. Optimal seeding rates have been determined to be in the 6-8 lb per acre range, as the seeds’ small size of 400,000 seeds per lb can create problems in germination to achieve an optimal plant density of around 9 plants per sq. ft.

Camelina’s potential could allow Uzbekistan to begin breaking out of its most dolorous legacy, the imposition of a cotton monoculture that has warped the country’s attempts at agrarian reform since achieving independence in 1991. Beginning in the late 19th century, the Russian government determined that Central Asia would become its cotton plantation to feed Moscow’s growing textile industry. The process was accelerated under the Soviets. While Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan were also ordered by Moscow to sow cotton, Uzbekistan in particular was singled out to produce “white gold.”

By the end of the 1930s the Soviet Union had become self-sufficient in cotton; five decades later it had become a major exporter of cotton, producing more than one-fifth of the world’s production, concentrated in Uzbekistan, which produced 70 percent of the Soviet Union’s output.

Try as it might to diversify, in the absence of alternatives Tashkent remains wedded to cotton, producing about 3.6 million tons annually, which brings in more than $1 billion while constituting approximately 60 percent of the country’s hard currency income.

Beginning in the mid-1960s the Soviet government’s directives for Central Asian cotton production largely bankrupted the region’s scarcest resource, water. Cotton uses about 3.5 acre feet of water per acre of plants, leading Soviet planners to divert ever-increasing volumes of water from the region’s two primary rivers, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, into inefficient irrigation canals, resulting in the dramatic shrinkage of the rivers’ final destination, the Aral Sea. The Aral, once the world’s fourth-largest inland sea with an area of 26,000 square miles, has shrunk to one-quarter its original size in one of the 20th century’s worst ecological disasters.

And now, the dollars and cents. Dr. Bill Schillinger at Washington State University recently described camelina’s business model to Capital Press as: “At 1,400 pounds per acre at 16 cents a pound, camelina would bring in $224 per acre; 28-bushel white wheat at $8.23 per bushel would garner $230.

Central Asia has the land, the farms, the irrigation infrastructure and a modest wage scale in comparison to America or Europe all that’s missing is the foreign investment. U.S. investors have the cash and access to the expertise of America’s land grant universities. What is certain is that biofuel’s market share will grow over time; less certain is who will reap the benefits of establishing it as a viable concern in Central Asia.

If the recent past is anything to go by it is unlikely to be American and European investors, fixated as they are on Caspian oil and gas.

But while the Japanese flight experiments indicate Asian interest, American investors have the academic expertise, if they are willing to follow the Silk Road into developing a new market. Certainly anything that lessens water usage and pesticides, diversifies crop production and improves the lot of their agrarian population will receive most careful consideration from Central Asia’s governments, and farming and vegetable oil processing plants are not only much cheaper than pipelines, they can be built more quickly.

And jatropha’s biofuel potential? Another story for another time.

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices similar to batteries that directly convert chemical energy of a fuel into electrical energy and heat. They are different from batteries in that they consume reactant, which must be replenished, while batteries store electrical energy chemically in a closed system.

Fuel cells are very useful as power sources in remote locations, such as spacecraft, remote weather stations, large parks, rural locations, and in certain military applications where conventional power may be difficult to obtain.

Although fuel cells are usually classified by their operating temperature and the type of electrolyte they use, they are not constrained by the maximum Carnot cycle efficiency as combustion engines are, because they do not operate with a thermal cycle.

There are many benefits to fuel cells, first, they are not dependent on dwindling oil supplies, running instead on hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, and second, fuel cells are much less polluting and about twice as efficient as typical steam-turbine electricity production. They are an extremely clean source of power because they combine hydrogen and oxygen the two elements that make up water, the main byproduct.

Fuel cells are no longer tomorrow’s technology, the stuff of science fiction and space travel. They are used in many different applications that may not seem like a significant achievement, however the ways in which they can be used are growing every day.

Fuel cells are proof that there are smart, safe, and clean alternative power sources. It is proof that we can be self sustaining and that dependence on fossil fuels will one day soon be obsolete. Fuel cells have been referred to as continuous batteries when they are supplied with fuel as the can be sustained for a long periods of time.

Fuel cells are ideal for power generation, either connected to the electric grid to provide primary power, supplemental power or backup assurance for critical demand, or installed as a grid-independent generator for on-site power in areas that are inaccessible by power lines. They are being used in many different ways in the world today.

· Buses

· Boats

· Trains

· Planes

· Scooters

· Laptop computers

· Cell Phones

These are just a few of the things that can fuel cells can power. There are many more and still more are in development.

Fuel cells are used in many different commercial and industrial applications, and are being seriously scrutinized to become the key component of the nations plan to secure energy for the future.

Biofuels are simply liquid fuels manufactured from plant and animal materials.  Because this matter is biodegradable, it is not only capable of powering vehicles and heating homes, but the waste is then absorbed once again into the earth, nurturing new life able to provide future renewable energy sources.

Bioethanol, commonly referred to as just ethanol, is the most common biofuel currently in production.  Canada’s federal government has taken note of ethanol’s potential as an alternative renewable energy and created a plan requiring gasoline to contain 5% ethanol by the end of this year.  The plan would also require diesel fuels to contain at least 2% ethanol by the end of 2012.  As a matter of fact, the provincial government of Manitoba has taken a leadership role in the biodiesel industry by creating mandates requiring similar percentages as those devised by the federal government that will go into effect in 2010.  This precedes the federal mandate by two years.  Manitoba is known for its prairie lands, the crops that grow there, and the animals that graze upon these crops.  The amount of plant and animal materials available for the production of biofuels is great.  Manitoba has inspired the provincial government of British Columbia to adopt similar strategies.

The corporation of Raven Biofuels Limited was established to research and develop technologies conducive to efficient and prolific use of biofuels throughout Canada, and they have identified British Columbia as a starting point.  Joining Raven Biofuels International Corporation (RBIC), their goal is to pay RBIC a fee providing them exclusive rights to biofuel development in Canada.  Their intent is to build the first commercial biorefinery and place it in Kamloops, British Columbia.  Though it may seem as though a monopoly or trust would emerge from this partnership, the goal is to set an example and to provide guidance to other potential commercial endeavors.  Municipalities have partnered with British Columbia’s provincial government to create the BC Bioenergy Strategy, which has already garnered $25 million to fund a Biofuel Network focused on furthering biofuel energy technology not just in British Columbia, but throughout Canada.

What are they, and how do they work?

Hydrogen can be burned in a combustion engine or be converted back into electricity through a fuel cell. In an internal combustion automotive engine, gasoline or hydrogen can be used in a dual-fuel system that will suffice until a widespread hydrogen infrastructure can be built. These dual fuel cell systems are much like the electric hybrids like Toyato’s Prius, yet they use hydrogen rather than electricity to supplement the gasoline.

In the long-term, with an infrastructure in place, hydrogen-on-demand vehicles can use either a hydrogen compound for internal combustion, or a fuel cell can create electro-mechanical energy and water. A fuel cell isn’t as complicated as a conventional gas or diesel engine and isn’t subject to high temperatures, corrosion or some of the structural weaknesses found in other types of engines. This affords a flexibility and durability for Hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen is processed through the fuel cell and combined with oxygen to create electricity. This newly formed energy is sent to pistons to propel the car forward (or reverse if you like). These fuel cell cars promise zero emissions and pollutants, with the only tailpipe emission being water vapor. Fuel-Cells are basically a combination of a battery and an engine making them a very unique advancement in car propulsion systems. Every year more and more efficient fuel cells are churned out by engineers and factories propelling the hydrogen car possibilities forward. Fuel-Cell conventions and conglomerates abound and with more and more government grants focusing on Fuel-Cell and Hydrogen Car development, the future continues to get brighter for Hydrogen Fuel-Cell cars.

While there is concern that putting hydrogen fuel cell cars on the road is as bad of an idea as was the ill-fated Hindenburg, experts say the two aren’t related, and recent advances in car technology include development of safe, on-board hydrogen storage systems.
Infrastructure and hydrogen highways.

If you’re not familiar with the term, a hydrogen highway is a chain of hydrogen-equipped filling stations along a road. What will it take to make it happen? Norway started the HyNor Project in 2006; Japan has several stations, as does Germany, and California now reports having 25 stations in place from San Diego to Sacramento. All of these stations will add to a momentum of change and will hopefully give rise to a new determination to improve on present Hydrogen powered vehicle prototypes in order to begin to switch our fleet of petroleum based cars. The Hydrogen car will arrive even if it takes time: The future is now.

The main difference between concentrated solar power (CSP) energy systems and other solar power systems (such as photovoltaics and solar heating), is that concentrated solar power uses mirrors and reflectors in order to focus concentrated sunlight on a specific location.

How Concentrated Solar Power Systems Work
A simple but accurate comparison to Concentrated Solar Power is the use of a magnifying lens to focus sunlight on a specific area. But the target of a CSP system is to heat fluids, not ants or other luckless insects.

The fluids heated by this concentrated solar energy are then turned into steam. The steam is in turn forced through a fan, and is used to drive a regular steam turbine, which uses its turning motion to generate electricity through electromagnetic means.

One advantage of concentrated solar power is that it is completely compatible with the contemporary power generators which are used in conventional power plants. But in the case of CSP solar energy, the “fuel” used to generate steam is sunlight, not fossil fuels such as oil and coal.

You may be surprised to learn that in the USA, several CSP power plants are already up and running – and that they have performed reliably for the past fifteen years.

At the time of this writing, the least expensive method of using solar power to produce electricity is the to use concentrated solar power systems.

Research and development projects are underway, with the aim of reducing costs even further, so that the cost of producing electricity with solar power can eventually compete with the costs of energy production in modern conventional power plants.

Concentrated Solar Power is one of several methods of generating solar power and alternative energy on a broad scale. Another example of broad scale solar power production is the use of solar power towers. These towers use an assortment of moving mirrors (called heliostats) to continuously reflect sunlight toward a central area at the top of the tower. These heliostats are set up so that they follow the movement of the sun, thus maintaining the strongest reflecting power possible.

It’s pretty interesting how people are becoming more aware of their environment nowadays. This can be seen on the increasing amount of environment friendly products in the market these days. Additionally, they’ve become aware of the various factors that contribute to the threatening pollution in the environment. Hence, companies started developing less toxic emitting products that also do well to the environment and one of the most prominent of this kind would be hybrid cars. As starter, here’s the history of the hybrid car.

It’s All About Steam
The concept of creating environment friendly or alternatively powered vehicles started with the idea of vehicles running with the use of steam. Between 1665 to1885 a couple of ideas regarding steam powered vehicles were noted. First off would be astronomer and Flemish Jesuit priest Ferdinand Verbiest, who had plans for a small four-wheeled unmanned steam car. Next would be Nicholas Cugnot who built a carriage powered by steam that was able to run for 6 miles/hour. Lastly would be Goldsworthy Gurney who was able to create a steam car that could run an 85 mile journey in just 10 hours.

Then Came Electricity
It was also quite early when people started conceptualizing and later on creating electricity powered cars. It was in 1839 when Scotsman Robert Anderson first created an electrically powered vehicle. Then, significant development was noted during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. In fact, it was during this time when a lot of companies started making use of electricity to power their vehicles.

Electric Cabs
Additionally electrically powered cabs became prominent during the 1897, because this is when the London Electric Cab Company started their regular service by the use of cars which were made by Walter Bersey. It was called the Bersey Cab. This cab uses a 40-cell battery with a 3 HP electric motor. People were able to drive it 50 miles in between charges.

The First Porsche Hybrid
It was during 1898 when Dr. Ferdinand Porsche was able to build his very first car, which was called Lohner Electric Chaise. This car was also 1st front-wheel-drive. Then, the second car that he made was a hybrid. Here, he used an internal combustion engine so that the car’s generator would spin. In effect, it produced power to be used by electric motors, which could be found on the wheel hubs. Just using batteries, the car was able to travel about 40 miles.

Going Large Scale
In the past, manufacturers weren’t really able to create as much cars as they wanted. This is because they weren’t equipped with the right tools and machines to do so. However, as technology developed, car companies were able to make big batches of production.

In fact, by 1900, American car companies were able to create made 936 gasoline, 1,575 electric 1,681 steam car. People were also becoming more open with the use of electric cars. This can be seen on a poll which was conducted during the 1st National Automobile Show, where patrons actually favored electric cars for their 1st choice, while steam cars placed second on a very close fight.

During the first couple of years in the 20th century, thousands of hybrid and electric cars were actually created. However, when Henry Ford’s car line arrived along with the start of self-starting gas engines, this signalled the rapid decline of hybrid cars during 1920.

Fuelled Cars Taking The Limelight
When fuelled cars were introduced, this became a very significant period of time for hybrid cars. Simply because people started opting for gasoline fuelled cars than those that were hybrids. Additionally, car manufacturing companies, like Ford also created lines of gas fuelled automobiles that were quite cheap to buy. Since these cars were cheap, people started buying the cheap gas cars than those more expensive hybrid cars.

Hence, gas fuelled cars took the limelight for quite some time. In fact, up to now, gas fuelled vehicles are still on the spot light.

However, hybrid cars were still somewhere in the backdrop. Sadly, only those that were creating cars for themselves or those that stayed in rural areas and had the means to create their own cars still hold on to this kind of vehicle.

Nevertheless, people have become aware of the benefits of hybrids nowadays. Hence, they are coming back into the picture. Ironically, most people think that such cars were only invented recently. However the colourful history of the hybrid car simply shows that it started quite early and was only overshadowed by gas fuelled cars due to convenience and money matters.

In the 1890s, though, the first electric cars were actually built at home in the U.S. and actually shown to the general public. To thank for that first electric car we have William Morrison, whose electric car was one of the first to be successfully tested. By the time 1893 had rolled around, there are already several models of electric-powered cars that were showcased in Chicago.

If you have the impression that electric cars are solely known to the public as the new economic fad, think again. Made by Pope manufacturing company in New York City, 1897 saw electric taxis around the city. In fact, by 1899, Thomas Edison was also involved with these ideas, even though he never saw his developments come to fruition.

In 1900, 28% öf vehicles in the U.S. were powered by electric motors, and over one-third of the driving populations in New York City, Boston and Chicago were actually driving electric cars. Had Henry Ford’s new automobile, the gas-powered Model T Ford, not come along eight years later, the electric car could have possibly been the more common vehicle. Unfortunately, Henry Ford’s Model T had taken over electric cars by far by the 1920s.

Around 1966, environmental awareness actually became a concern, prompting the US Congress to actually pass legislation regarding pollution, air cleanliness concerns, not to mention rising gas prices. As a result, the popularity and demand for electric cars has increased.

While most consumers think of old hybrids as being the 1998 Toyota Prius, the first actual hybrid vehicle was constructed from a Buick Skylark by a man named Victor Wouk in 1972. The Federal Clear Car Incentive Program in 1970 brought forward this need for hybrid cars, and Wouk’s hybrid was no different, having been built specifically in response to this Act. Later, in 1974, Vanguard-Sebring built an electric vehicle known as the CitiCar, and was another attempt to respond to the Incentive Program. Unfortunately, the company and program were both out of the picture by 1980.

Although there was an actual act passed by Congress to research and develop hybrid vehicles in 1976, General Motors didn’t actually start its research on their first hybrid vehicle, the EVI, until 1988. Thankfully, the entire country got a kick in the pants when California passed a Zero Emission Mandate in 1990 that required at least 2% of vehicles be ZEV compliant by 1993, and then 10% of those vehicles by 2003. Unfortunately, both of those goals had not been met by 2003, which still left the country in a position to research hybrids.

Finally, in 1997, Toyota was able to make a breakthrough, and the Toyota Prius was released to the commercial mass-market, selling over 18,000 vehicles in one year alone. It didn’t take long after that, and in the next three years, Chevy, Toyota, Nissan, Ford, and GM began to release hybrid vehicles, but they were full of kinks and problems. By 2004, most of them were scrapped and recycled.

In 2006, hybrid vehicles began to see a resurgence in production. This time, the kinks were worked out and now, hybrids will soon become the new standard. The fact of the matter, though, is that while the packaging may be new, the actual technology behind the hybrid has spent a century being developed.

By energy, I mean the fuel that drive our cars, give us electricity and enables us to enjoy modern amenities we feel so vulnerable without. Fossil fuels have been the prime source of energy for human society since the beginning of the industrial revolution. These fossil fuels have been the muscles, which have enabled us to progress and develop to such dizzying heights. We face a problem in the 21st century because our stocks and reserves of these fossil fuels are running low; this news is worsened by the fact that these reserves cannot be renewed. Many governments and private agencies have started promoting Alternative Energy Solutions to overcome the looming energy crisis caused by the depletion of the non renewal’s sources of energy that all fossil fuels – coal, all oil and natural gas – represent.

Alternative Energy Solutions include all prime movers that can use a renewable natural resource to produce energy. This may be wind, thermal energy from the earth, and wave action in the shores and solar energy from the sun. Alternative energy resources can also include new technology like fuel cells. However the primary fuel humanity has long depended on has been oil. We now know from our own projections that the oil reserves in the world are slated to be unviable by 2050. Simply put, the world is running out of gas! In addition, not to mention, time.

The utilization of other forms of energy is therefore very important. When we speak of alternative energy, it usually means the production of electricity via the use of some natural and renewable resource. What are these renewables, one may ask. Someone else may extend this line of questioning and say: Are these renewable resources as efficient as the fossil fuels? Below are some answers.

Wind energy is the word that comes to mind whenever people talk of renewable energy sources. Humans have harnessed the wind to drive machines since medieval times. In the 21st century we use wind turbines to produce electricity. As a source of power, wind is an excellent option. Wind turbines generate electricity by rotary motion that is caused by the airflow.

Some of the negatives associated with wind energy and wind turbines lie in the unpredictability of wind. For example, no wind means the turbine does not rotate and electricity is not generated. Sites are another problem; rows and rows of wind turbines are just not feasible in a city of a few million people. The most important issue however lies in cost effectiveness, most power companies are still reluctant to invest in or buy their power from companies that use wind turbines. This is changing as governments around the world have started subsidizing power generation through alternative sources like wind.

There are other possible sources of renewable energy; tidal energy uses the energy of the ocean and is an effective though rather geographically limited source of power, thermal energy from the earth taps geysers and other underground sources of heat. This is a very important source of energy in places like Iceland – it is also geographically limited in its suitability. Nuclear energy can be considered a potentially inexhaustible source of power. However, it could have many dangerous complications and most environmentalists fear its use.

New technological innovations like fuel cells are still a long way off from truly becoming substitutes to the fossil fuel powered internal combustion engines that have driven us all this far down the road. Indeed looking at all the possible sources of alternate energy and especially renewable, wind and hydroelectric projects are the only two viable long term sources, solar power is a potentially huge alternative source of energy but it has a technological handicap-we do not posses the engineering expertise to make better solar cells. Solar cells are also very costly to produce and are not cost effective – even less so than wind.

Given all the setbacks we currently are unable to overcome, it will still be some time yet before we can throw away the polluting but efficient, fossil fuel guzzling machines that we so fondly know as cars. The use of alternative energy sources is a very important area of research and demands humanity’s attention.

As soon as fuel supplies run out on us, we may have to go back to that ultimate transport machine to take us places: our legs.

Generally, the hybrid cars are designed in such a way that they have two different  engines- a gasoline engine to start and stop the car and an electrical engine to actually move the car. When two such engines are used, the car need not necessarily depend wholly on gasoline, which in turn brings down the cost of the gasoline being used.

Hybrid cars can also be categorized based on their modes of operation as series hybrid cars and parallel hybrid cars. In the former type, the gasoline engine starts the car and then the electrical engine takes over control of the car. The gas engine is also responsible for charging the batteries.

In the latter type of parallel hybrid cars, both the gas and electric engines are used to start and stop the car and also to enhance the power of the vehicle whenever needed and parallel hybrid cars are more fuel efficient than their series counterparts.

It is widely claimed that hybrid cars increase the efficiency of the fuel. This is justified by the fact that hybrid cars are made up of light weight materials. Therefore, the load on the hybrid car is brought down to a great extent and hence it does not need more fuel to move. The size of the engine of a hybrid car is less than that of other cars.  In addition, the tires of the hybrid cars are firmer than those of regular cars.

Evidently, hybrid cars emit lower amounts of carbon di oxide into the atmosphere, reducing the green house emissions as much as fifty percent. One more advantage of a hybrid car is that it has a self charging feature and so, there is no need to plug into an outlet which is very convenient while going on a long journey. The battery is recharged while it is running slow or not in motion.

In conclusion, it can be authentically stated that hybrid cars are more economical than other vehicles because they consume only fifty to sixty percent less fuel and are undoubtedly environment friendly. But the high cost of the hybrid car is a drawback but that can be overcome if more and more environment-conscious people come forward to purchase hybrid cars, due to the obvious benefits. Hybrid cars offer a good chance for every car user to contribute his part in saving the greenery of the earth and make it a better place to live in!

So, how can solar power be used on a smaller scale at home as clean source of energy?

Basically, there are four main ways how to solar power your home:

Passive Solar Design:

To think that Americans consume up to 50% of their energy to heat, ventilate and air-condition their homes, a large amount of money and energy could be saved by using passive solar design at home.

Passive solar design is the strategic use of the sun’s energy to heat, light and ventilate your home naturally. For example, having a home that faces the sun, that has large, low-emissivity windows, and that is built from heat-retaining materials will tend to be naturally warmer in winter.

And like the Romans used the sun to light up their temples, careful placing of windows and mirrors in our homes can increase natural lighting, helping us reduce the need for electric lighting.

A natural air conditioning solution would be to plant deciduous trees on the sun-facing side of your home. This would provide cool shade in summer, but allow warm sunlight though in winter.

A solar chimney can be installed for ventilation, where the air in the chimney is heated by the sun and rises, causing fresh, cool air to rush in through the home and up the chimney.

Solar Cooking:

Solar cooking is the cleanest and cheapest way to prepare food. Although it is widely used in third world African countries, where fuel and electricity is not readily available, there is no reason we cannot use it during summer at home.

A solar cooker is made from a series of reflective panels in a parabolic shape that focus the sunlight on a box or pot, in which the food is cooked. It usually caters for up to five people, and can make a variety of boiled, roasted and baked dishes.

The one drawback of solar cooking is that it tends to take three to four times longer to cook food in. But if you weigh that against the unlimited power savings and its portability, having a little patience is not that bigger deal.

Solar Water Heating:

Solar water heating has a number of uses, and thanks to technological developments, modern solar water heating systems can be used at home to completely replace conventional boilers or geysers.

As cold water is pumped through a solar collector, the pipes absorb the sun’s energy, and heat the water, which is then stored in an insulated tank for later use. Usually the water can get so hot that it has to be mixed with cold water before it can be used.

Solar Electric Power:

Also known as photovoltaic power, many homes are starting to make their own power at home with solar electric panels. These panels are made up of small silicon cells and need to be directly aimed at the sun to be most effective.

As the sun’s rays penetrate the solar panels, electrons in the cells become charged, creating a current that is stored in deep-cycle batteries. When electricity is needed, the stored power is passed through an inverter to change the DC to AC, which can then be used to power various household appliances or connected to the grid for net metering.

Other than providing you cheap, clean renewable power, solar electric panels have become affordable and simple enough for anyone to install at home. In fact, with the right information it is possible to make your own solar power for under $200, as compared to getting a professional installation for a couple of thousand dollars.

With these four ways on how to solar power your home, there is no need for you to rely on the utility companies or the government for heating and lighting at home. Right now it is very possible for us to use solar power at home. It is just a matter of everyone having the determination, energy consciousness and environmental awareness to take action and harness the sun’s free, natural power.