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A Simple Way To Offset the Environmental Effects of Driving Your Car
We all love our cars. They give us the freedom to come and go as we please, to get to work, to visit family and friends, to go shopping...on our own schedule. But automobiles also effect the environment by polluting the air we breathe and, in...
Global Dumbing?
I am beginning to wonder if scientists have been getting it all round. All this time, people have been worried about the Ozone, a giant asteroid, or some breakout of a bio-hazardous agent by a terrorist organization being the doom of mankind. We...
National Parks - Get Out of Your Car!
The national park system in the United States is full of beauty
and surprises. Still, you'll be wondering if they're worth it
when you run into the crowds of other visitors.
Road Side Viewing
Sure, millions of people visit our national...
Shedding Light on Cheaper Solar Energy
Renewable sources of energy are the key to solving two of the worlds most pressing yet seemingly irreconcilable problems. On the one hand the developing world needs vastly to increase access to affordable energy because, at present, 1.6 billion...
The Top 10 Benefits of Spiritual Environmental Design
What would your life be like if you were surrounded by "feel good" people, places, and things so that your spirit really gets the chance to soar? This top ten, taken from CoachVille's Personal Environments Community at...
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Advantages and Disadvantages of SOLAR ENERGY
Many of us know that solar energy is good, but few really understand why.
Therefore, I compiled a comprehensive list of solar energy advantages and disadvantages that will enable you to make an educated decision whether on not Solar Power is right for YOU.
Solar Energy Advantages
1. Saves you money
- After the initial investment has been recovered, the energy from the sun is practically FREE.
- The recovery/ payback period for this investment can be very short depending on how much electricity your household uses.
- Financial incentives are available form the government that will reduce your cost.
- If your system produce more energy than you use, your utility company can buy it from you, building up a credit on your account! This is called net metering.
- It will save you money on your electricity bill if you have one at all.
- Solar energy does not require any fuel.
- It's not affected by the supply and demand of fuel and is therefore not subjected to the ever-increasing price of gasoline.
- The savings are immediate and for many years to come.
- The use of solar energy indirectly reduces health costs.
2. Environmentally friendly
- Solar Energy is clean, renewable (unlike gas, oil and coal) and sustainable, helping to protect our environment.
- It does not pollute our air by releasing carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide or mercury into the atmosphere like many traditional forms of electrical generations does.
- Therefore Solar Energy does not contribute to global warming, acid rain or smog.
- It actively contributes to the decrease of harmful green house gas emissions.
- It's generated where it is needed.
- By not using any fuel, Solar Energy does not contribute to the cost and problems of the recovery and transportation of fuel or the storage of radioactive waste.
3. Independent/ semi-independent
- Solar Energy can be utilized to offset utility-supplied energy consumption. It does not only reduce your electricity bill, but will also continue to supply your home/ business with electricity in the event of a power outage.
- A Solar Energy system can operate entirely independent, not requiring a connection to a power or gas grid at all. Systems can therefore be installed in remote locations (like holiday log cabins), making it more practical and cost-effective than the supply of utility electricity to a new site.
- The use of Solar Energy reduces our dependence on foreign and/or centralized sources of energy, influenced by natural disasters or
international events and so contributes to a sustainable future.
- Solar Energy supports local job and wealth creation, fuelling local economies.
4. Low/ no maintenance
- Solar Energy systems are virtually maintenance free and will last for decades.
- Once installed, there are no recurring costs.
- They operate silently, have no moving parts, do not release offensive smells and do not require you to add any fuel.
- More solar panels can easily be added in the future when your family's needs grow.
Solar Energy Disadvantages
- The initial cost is the main disadvantage of installing a solar energy system, largely because of the high cost of the semi-conducting materials used in building one.
- The cost of solar energy is also high compared to non-renewable utility-supplied electricity. As energy shortages are becoming more common, solar energy is becoming more price-competitive.
- Solar panels require quite a large area for installation to achieve a good level of efficiency.
- The efficiency of the system also relies on the location of the sun, although this problem can be overcome with the installation of certain components.
- The production of solar energy is influenced by the presence of clouds or pollution in the air.
- Similarly, no solar energy will be produced during nighttime although a battery backup system and/or net metering will solve this problem. See www.dsireusa.org for details on how net metering allows you to save electricity and money.
- As far as solar powered cars go - their slower speed might not appeal to everyone caught up in today's rat race.
To learn more about solar energy, go to http://facts-about-solar-energy.com/
You'll discover ...
- what solar energy is
- how solar energy works
- interesting facts about solar energy
- how much solar energy costs
- passive solar energy for homes, and
- how to build solar energy systems
There's a whole section for students, teachers and parents; whiles homeowners can obtain FREE QUOTES for their solar energy projects. You'll find book and product reviews plus some helpful energy saving tips.
Please email any questions to info@facts-about-solar-energy.com
About the Author
The author strives to make make more people aware of the benefits of using solar energy through her website http://facts-about-solar-energy.com/
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| Department of Energy - Homepage |
| Governmental department whose mission is to advance energy technology and promote related innovation in the United States. |
| www.energy.gov |
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| Department of Energy - Page not found! |
| US Department of Energy information for consumers, business, and communities. Links to many energy pages of the DOE. |
| www.energy.gov |
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| Energy Quest Room |
| California Energy Commission's energy and environmental education site for students, parents and teachers. Includes information, Q&As, projects, ... |
| www.energyquest.ca.gov |
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| The Energy Story - Introduction |
| Detailed guide explains what energy is and where it comes from. |
| www.energyquest.ca.gov |
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| EIA Energy Kids Page - energy facts, fun, games and activities |
| Features various sections about energy including what it is and the forms it comes in. Find out how humans use energy through quizzes and a 'fun facts' ... |
| www.eia.doe.gov |
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| Energy Information Administration - EIA - Official Energy ... |
| Section of the US Department of Energy (DOE) providing statistics, data, analysis on resources, supply, production, consumption for all energy sources. |
| www.eia.doe.gov |
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| Energy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Free encyclopedia article explaining the scientific notion of energy. Includes units of measure, energy transformation concepts, types of energy, ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Department of Energy - Homepage |
| U.S. Department of Energy Awards Contract for Management and Operation of Ames ... The Energy Star label is the government's seal of energy efficiency. ... |
| www.doe.gov |
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| Home : ENERGY STAR |
| US EPA Energy Star programs and products help save the environment and save consumers money by using less energy through advanced design or construction. |
| www.energystar.gov |
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| National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Home Page |
| Facility of the US Department of Energy (DOE) for renewable energy and energy efficiency research, development and deployment. |
| www.nrel.gov |
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| European Commission - Energy - Home page |
| Welcome to the European Commission's "Energy" website ... A European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy ... |
| ec.europa.eu |
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| DTI - Energy - Introduction |
| The DTI’s Energy Group deals with energy-related matters, ... UK energy statistics are provided, including production, consumption and prices. ... |
| www.dti.gov.uk |
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| U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Home Page |
| US Department of Energy web site for information on energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. |
| www.eere.energy.gov |
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| Energy for America's Future |
| Provides an overview of President Bush's energy policies. |
| www.whitehouse.gov |
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| International Energy Agency |
| Energy Security, Growth and Sustainability through Co-operation and Outreach. |
| www.iea.org |
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| energywatch: Home Page |
| Independent gas and electricity consumer watchdog, providing help to domestic, commercial or industrial energy (gas and electricity) consumers. |
| www.energywatch.org.uk |
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| EnergyAustralia - Home |
| Details of one of Australia's largest and oldest gas and electricity supply companies. Includes information on accounts, energy saving tips, appliance sales ... |
| www.energy.com.au |
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| U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources |
| Has jurisdiction over energy policy, regulation, and research. Also deals with energy and mineral conservation, ports used for energy transport, irrigation, ... |
| energy.senate.gov |
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| bloomberg energy prices |
| www.bloomberg.com/energy/ - Similar pages |
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| Energy Bulletin |
| A clearinghouse of information concerning the peak in global energy such as oil and gas. |
| www.energybulletin.net |
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