Let’s start with the first source of renewable energy, solar power. Solar energy is free but most people are afraid of the cost of solar cells. A myth about solar cells is that they are expensive and not a feasible option for residential properties. Honestly, you can find service providers who will send you competitive quotes and a range of options based on your electricity consumption. You don’t need to invest USD100,000 when you need a solar panel that costs a thousand dollars.

In fact, if a thousand dollars is too expensive too, you can build your own. There are plenty of ‘do-it-yourself’ websites that will give you all the support you need. You can also consider purchasing, solar powered devices to help you avoid consuming electricity. For instance, you have solar powered cookers, solar powered heaters, air conditioners, etc.

Another source of energy, you must have heard about is ‘wind’. To harness wind energy, all you need to do is install wind turbines. If your home is close to the sea, offshore or at a high altitude you should consider this as a feasible option. It might seem expensive to install but you will save forty percent when compared to your electricity consumption. If you are a ‘go green’ advocate, you can have your neighbourhood switch to utilizing wind energy. A small wind farm (more than 10 windmills), can be an economical option and help you reduce a considerable amount on your electricity bill.

If you are lucky enough to have your home in the countryside or a farm, a very cheap alternative source of energy is biogas. Installing a bio gas plant is a one time investment, and you can switch your entire power consumption to this source of energy. Biogas produce methane gas that is created by fermentation of slurry (fermented house hold waste, animal waste, sewage, etc). Biogas is very popular alternative source of energy in developing countries and can be used globally.

There are plenty of renewable energy alternatives that are used today, and every effort is being made to reduce costs. If are flexible with the cost, you can always choose from bio fuel, geothermal energy, etc.

For those concerned about the environment, switching to a renewable source of energy can help you reduce your carbon footprint and eliminate your electricity bill.

The Original Post is Located Here: Use Renewable Energy for Your Home

Woody Biomass

Biomass power is the largest source of renewable energy as well as a vital part of the waste management infrastructure. An increasing global awareness about environmental issues is acting as the driving force behind the use of alternative and renewable sources of energy. A greater emphasis is being laid on the promotion of bioenergy in the industrialized as well as developing world to counter environmental issues.

Biomass may be used for energy production at different scales, including large-scale power generation, CHP, or small-scale thermal heating projects at governmental, educational or other institutions. Biomass comes from both human and natural activities and incorporates by-products from the timber industry, agricultural crops, forestry residues, household wastes, and wood. The resources range from corn kernels to corn stalks, from soybean and canola oils to animal fats, from prairie grasses to hardwoods, and even include algae. The largest source of energy from wood is pulping liquor or black liquor, a waste product from the pulp and paper industry.

Woody biomass is the most important renewable energy source if proper management of vegetation is ensured. The main benefits of woody biomass are as follows:

• Uniform distribution over the world’s surface, in contrast to finite sources of energy.
• Less capital-intensive conversion technologies employed for exploiting the energy potential.
• Attractive opportunity for local, regional and national energy self-sufficiency.
• Techno-economically viable alternative to fast-depleting fossil fuel reserves.
• Reduction in GHGs emissions.
• Provide opportunities to local farmers, entrepreneurs and rural population in making use of its sustainable development potential.

The United States is currently the largest producer of electricity from biomass having more than half of the world’s installed capacity. Biomass represents 1.5% of the total electricity supply compared to 0.1% for wind and solar combined. More than 7800 MW of power is produced in biomass power plants installed at more than 350 locations in the U.S., which represent about 1% of the total electricity generation capacity. According to the International Energy Agency, approximately 11% of the energy is derived from biomass throughout the world.

Biomass Resources
Biomass processing systems constitute a significant portion of the capital investment and operating costs of a biomass conversion facility depending on the type of biomass to be processed as well as the feedstock preparation requirements. Its main constituents are systems for biomass storage, handling, conveying, size reduction, cleaning, drying, and feeding. Harvesting biomass crops, collecting biomass residues, and storing and transporting biomass resources are critical elements in the biomass resource supply chain.

All processing of biomass yields by-products and waste streams collectively called residues, which have significant energy potential. A wide range of biomass resources are available for transformation into energy in natural forests, rural areas and urban centres. Some of the sources have been discussed in the following paragraphs:

A host of natural and human activities contributes to the biomass feedstock

1. Pulp and paper industry residues
The largest source of energy from wood is the waste product from the pulp and paper industry called black liquor. Logging and processing operations generate vast amounts of biomass residues. Wood processing produces sawdust and a collection of bark, branches and leaves/needles. A paper mill, which consumes vast amount of electricity, utilizes the pulp residues to create energy for in-house usage.

The Original Post is Located Here: Woody Biomass Resources

Hydro-Electric Power

Hydro power is the term usually applied to the power/electricity created from the force of running water. It is generally less expensive than the mining of fossil fuels and does not contribute to greenhouse gases and climate change. Unlike other alternative energy sources like the sun or wind, water can be stored which makes it a great way to create electricity.

Hydroelectric stations are built where there is running water, ie. rivers, dams and waterfalls, which can all be used to generate hydro-electric power. However, the most common locations are in dams, where water is stored.

To produce hydro-electric power, the water from rain or melting snow is collected and stored in a dam and then the flow of this water can be controlled through the opening and closing of the gates or pipes. The dam wall creates a high water level, which in turn creates a higher water pressure in the pipes to the turbine.

A large pipe carries the water from the dam down to the turbine, where the pressure of the water pushing against the blades, turns the turbines. The rotating turbine is connected to a generator which then produces electricity.

Interesting fact: Hydro-power is currently the leading source of renewable energy, providing more than 97% of all energy produced from renewable sources. Other renewable sources – solar, wind, biomass and geothermal – account for only 3% of the energy currently produced

Advantages of using energy from water

• It is renewable
• Hydro-electricity produces no gas emissions or waste.
• It is more reliable than solar and wind power – because water can be stored and there is more of it, more often.
• Hydroelectric stations are inexpensive to operate.

Disadvantages of using energy from water

• Large dams take up large areas of land and can result in the relocation of fish and other animals.
• Plant-life can be affected by a change in water quality.
• The power stations are expensive to build.

The Original Post is Located Here: Hydo Power