All Entries in the "Alternative Energy" Category
Roof Mounted – Residential Wind Turbine
Finally. Quiet, Safe, wind power for your roof. Up until now, most wind installations required you looking above the tree line, for wind streams.
Wave Energy: Latest Systems Improved
MIT researchers are working with Portuguese colleagues to design a pilot-scale device that will capture significantly more of the energy in ocean waves than existing systems, and use it to power an electricity-generating turbine.
A Green Snowblower
To continue my migration to all things green, my big, heavy, smokey snowblower has find it’s new home under my deck. Yes, I might have to get some exercise this winter.
Here in New England we expect anywhere from 75 to 120 inches of snow each year, and it needs to be removed from driveways and sidewalks. In true American style, we have built some monster snowblowers, to do the heavy lifting for us. Gas powered, noisy, newspaper eating, propellors throwing the snow 30 feet in the air. Fun, yes. Green, no.
Residential Solar – A Real World Example
I am in the process of designing and quoting a solar electrical system for a house I recently purchased. This is a ‘Split Level’ Home of approximately 1900 sq feet. The heating systems is electric baseboard. I researched several local companies that provide a soup to nuts service and installation.
Once you have selected a provider, the first step is usually a quick suitability review from the installer. With an address, they can pull up google maps and get a view of your house, determine the orientation and roof structure. From that initial review you get some immediate feedback about solar applicability on your house.
Keep it Green
Don’t stop now. Don’t get comfortable again. Keep it Green.
Like a dieter who loses a few pounds after the first week, let’s not settle back into our old habits and think we will keep it off.istock_000007185445xsmall
Good progress has been made making the public aware of the need to reduce our dependency on oil by looking for alternative, sustainable alternatives. Politicians talk about it, CNN reports on it, Newspapers write about it. Now that oil prices are falling http://mygreensuit.com/2008/10/12/oil-prices-falling/ again let’s not get lazy. We need to keep the momentum going.
Simple Device on Cars and Trucks boosts Fuel Economy by 20%
Temple University researchers have proven out a new device to add to your fuel line in any car or truck. This device ties into your battery and creates an electric field. The gas line or diesel line is then routed through this device and the electrical field lowers the viscosity or basically vaporizes the gas [...]
Solar Power from your Windows
The research and innovation teams working on Solar power are making progress with practical and effective solutions. Multiple teams across the globe are focused on thinner materials and concentrators that can take sunlight and turn it into electricity.
Clean Coal ?
Please stop talking about Clean Coal as some kind of solution for energy independence and/or global warming issues. It can not do either of these. Let’s use some common sense. Coal to replace gasoline ? Coal to replace home heating oil? We could build more coal fired electricity generating plants, but that does not reduce our dependency on foreign oil for the other two needs.
Residential Wind Turbine – Vertical
I am a big proponent of vertical axis wind turbine vs large rotored wind turbines. I believe they have more real world uses than, their ‘bigger is better’ horizontal cousins.
Miscanthus better than Switchgrass for Biofuel Production
A recent study demonstrates the capability of Miscanthus in producing ethanol. The benefits of Switchgrass, in that in can grow in most any soil type, is perennial and easy to grow. Advantages of MIscanthus are it grows quicker, in less acreage, and produces more ethanol.