This very short video explains the basics of how geothermal systems work to heat and cool your home - much more quietly, efficiently, and cheaply than any traditional home heating and cooling method. My husband and I plan to install a geothermal system in our new home, but I didn't know much about it until recently. They are a great choice for our location - more consistent and reliable than solar or wind power - and from what we understand, less prone to maintenance issues.
The systems can last up to 3 times longer than a conventional heating or cooling system - and they accomplish both objectives with one, quiet low-maintenance unit - plus providing some hot water in the summer. A 30% tax credit for purchase and installation of these systems is available in most states through 2015.
Check it out, and learn more about this energy-efficient way to provide heating and cooling for your home!
Showing posts with label Geothermal energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Geothermal energy. Show all posts
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
5 Green Energy & Fuel Saving Tips
More and more people are getting interested in going green - not just because it's good for the planet, but also because it can save you a lot of money. And with the sky-rocketing costs of energy and fuel, this is one area where you might want to seriously consider going green, especially if you're looking to save money.
The problem with the current energy sources that we use is that most of them are based on fossil fuels, which means they are not renewable energy resources. So when they are gone they are gone, and that makes them a hot commodity. Of course since we're already hooked up "to the grid” so to speak, this makes using other renewable energy sources to power our homes and cars a bit more difficult. It is not impossible, though.
Here are 5 tips for "going green" with energy and fuel.
1. Call your electric company. They might already be offering some renewable energy sources. And if they aren't offering anything now, that doesn't mean they won't be in the future. You can make a small investment in the future of renewable energy with your electric company by switching to a greener energy choice if they offer it, and expressing your interest in doing so in the future so they are aware of the demand.
2. Install solar panels on your home. This will help you to rely less on the “grid” system of the utility company. While up front there is a large cost to this, there are also tax breaks and incentives through the government for making these kinds of efforts to save our resources. You can often save up to 2/3 of the cost of a remodel like this. And after that initial investment the cost to power your home is free!
3. Use geothermal energy to heat your home and provide hot water. Geothermal energy is the earth's heat. Install a ground source heat pump to heat and cool your home with. Again, there is an up-front cost, but these systems usually last a good 30 years with little to no maintenance, and you won't have to pay the high costs of heating and cooling bills during that time!
4. Get a wood stove. This is a great way to heat your home, especially if you live in an area where wood is readily available. And many of the newer wood stoves give off little smoke and ash, and are very efficient.
5. Purchase a green vehicle. Having a smart car or other energy-efficient car offers many perks. Save money at the pump and you can even receive tax breaks and incentives again if you purchase a green vehicle.
While we might not be quite there in the technology to have everyone fully switch over to using green energy and fuel, it is most definitely becoming more and more achievable. And the government recognizes the importance of doing this to keep us from using up all of the earth's resources to fuel our lives, so you can often receive rebates or tax incentives for making the switch to a greener energy choice. Options are out there - and in the long run, they can save you quite a bit of money.
Even if you can't make huge changes to your lifestyle and home, that doesn't mean you can't do something. If you can't install solar panels on your home, that's okay; you can at least use the sun to your advantage. In the winter months, opening your blinds to let the sun in during the day will help heat your home - therefore using less heat, saving you money, and helping to save the environment - all for no cost!
You can also use public transportation or a bicycle whenever possible to get yourself around. Carpooling too is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint on the planet. Any one of these things is a great way to turn your life in a green direction to help make sure there is a healthy planet for our future generations to enjoy.
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| Worldwide Renewable energy, existing capacities, at end of 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Here are 5 tips for "going green" with energy and fuel.
1. Call your electric company. They might already be offering some renewable energy sources. And if they aren't offering anything now, that doesn't mean they won't be in the future. You can make a small investment in the future of renewable energy with your electric company by switching to a greener energy choice if they offer it, and expressing your interest in doing so in the future so they are aware of the demand.
2. Install solar panels on your home. This will help you to rely less on the “grid” system of the utility company. While up front there is a large cost to this, there are also tax breaks and incentives through the government for making these kinds of efforts to save our resources. You can often save up to 2/3 of the cost of a remodel like this. And after that initial investment the cost to power your home is free!
3. Use geothermal energy to heat your home and provide hot water. Geothermal energy is the earth's heat. Install a ground source heat pump to heat and cool your home with. Again, there is an up-front cost, but these systems usually last a good 30 years with little to no maintenance, and you won't have to pay the high costs of heating and cooling bills during that time!
4. Get a wood stove. This is a great way to heat your home, especially if you live in an area where wood is readily available. And many of the newer wood stoves give off little smoke and ash, and are very efficient.
 |
| 2010 Honda Insight. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
While we might not be quite there in the technology to have everyone fully switch over to using green energy and fuel, it is most definitely becoming more and more achievable. And the government recognizes the importance of doing this to keep us from using up all of the earth's resources to fuel our lives, so you can often receive rebates or tax incentives for making the switch to a greener energy choice. Options are out there - and in the long run, they can save you quite a bit of money.
Even if you can't make huge changes to your lifestyle and home, that doesn't mean you can't do something. If you can't install solar panels on your home, that's okay; you can at least use the sun to your advantage. In the winter months, opening your blinds to let the sun in during the day will help heat your home - therefore using less heat, saving you money, and helping to save the environment - all for no cost!
You can also use public transportation or a bicycle whenever possible to get yourself around. Carpooling too is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint on the planet. Any one of these things is a great way to turn your life in a green direction to help make sure there is a healthy planet for our future generations to enjoy.
Monday, April 23, 2012
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Green Energy Sources
Today, almost everyone is now becoming aware of the effects of global warming. Fortunately, it’s not too late and we can still make positive changes, which is why many are pushing for more green energy sources.
The advantage of using green energy sources is that they are cleaner so they does not emit as many harmful pollutants into the air, which creates a lesser impact on the environment. Green energy sources are also renewable which means we will never run out of them, unlike fossil fuel types such as oil, which is expected to dry up in another decade or two.
Although green energy facilities are expensive to build, many can require less maintenance so you don’t have to shell out a lot of money to operate them in the long-term.
They can also bring economic benefits to certain areas, and in come cases even boost tourism.
While these sound good, there are some who say that there are disadvantages to using such technology.
While green energy sources can produce electricity, how much they can generate is often not consistent. This is because we have no control of the weather, for example, so if a certain area relies on solar energy and there is an unexpected weather disturbance which reduces the sun's rays reaching the earth, the system will not be able to convert sunlight into electricity.
Building these facilities also requires a lot of land so we may have to encroach on farmland or wildlife areas, which is what many are concerned about if more wind turbines are to be put up.
Another disadvantage is the fact that some of the green energy sources cannot be installed in certain areas of the planet. For instance, wave energy can only be utilized if ocean waves reach at least 16 feet. The use geothermal energy can only be done in geologically unstable parts of the planet.
But if you look at such arguments, places that cannot use one form of green energy source can usually substitute another. And if wind turbines need more space, they can be installed near the coast instead of on land. In fact, several studies show that you can generate more electricity with wind turbines planted in the ocean anyway.
While the weather is something we cannot control, most weather disturbances don't last too long, and if energy is being properly stored from a solar panel system, it should have enough backup energy to make it through a period without sun. .
The point is that there are ways around many of the arguments which discourage the use of green energy sources. In fact, research is ongoing to try and harness other means to generate the power we need, and new technologies and resources are being developed on a regular basis.
A very good example of this is called ocean thermal energy. Power is generated by harnessing the different temperatures in the water. It is currently being used on a small scale both in Japan and Hawaii.
In the US, only 7% of our energy comes from green energy sources currently - lagging far behind most other developed countries. We actually ranked much higher just 11 years ago and if we don’t want to have to worry about the cost of oil or even reduce our dependency on it, we really have to invest more in clean types of energy.
We can get it from green energy sources such as biomass, biodiesel, geothermal, solar, water and the wind. These are things we have all around us and all it takes is for someone to harness them instead of relying on traditional non-renewable means to produce energy. The future of our planet, and humanity, depends on us using our creativity and great brains to develop methods to utilize these resources in an efficient manner!
The advantage of using green energy sources is that they are cleaner so they does not emit as many harmful pollutants into the air, which creates a lesser impact on the environment. Green energy sources are also renewable which means we will never run out of them, unlike fossil fuel types such as oil, which is expected to dry up in another decade or two.
 |
| Green Mountain Energy Wind Farm. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
They can also bring economic benefits to certain areas, and in come cases even boost tourism.
While these sound good, there are some who say that there are disadvantages to using such technology.
While green energy sources can produce electricity, how much they can generate is often not consistent. This is because we have no control of the weather, for example, so if a certain area relies on solar energy and there is an unexpected weather disturbance which reduces the sun's rays reaching the earth, the system will not be able to convert sunlight into electricity.
Building these facilities also requires a lot of land so we may have to encroach on farmland or wildlife areas, which is what many are concerned about if more wind turbines are to be put up.
Another disadvantage is the fact that some of the green energy sources cannot be installed in certain areas of the planet. For instance, wave energy can only be utilized if ocean waves reach at least 16 feet. The use geothermal energy can only be done in geologically unstable parts of the planet.
But if you look at such arguments, places that cannot use one form of green energy source can usually substitute another. And if wind turbines need more space, they can be installed near the coast instead of on land. In fact, several studies show that you can generate more electricity with wind turbines planted in the ocean anyway.
While the weather is something we cannot control, most weather disturbances don't last too long, and if energy is being properly stored from a solar panel system, it should have enough backup energy to make it through a period without sun. .
The point is that there are ways around many of the arguments which discourage the use of green energy sources. In fact, research is ongoing to try and harness other means to generate the power we need, and new technologies and resources are being developed on a regular basis.
A very good example of this is called ocean thermal energy. Power is generated by harnessing the different temperatures in the water. It is currently being used on a small scale both in Japan and Hawaii.
 |
| Generation mix of Spain's Electricity supply - Over 50% from renewables! (Photo credit: Tom Raftery) |
We can get it from green energy sources such as biomass, biodiesel, geothermal, solar, water and the wind. These are things we have all around us and all it takes is for someone to harness them instead of relying on traditional non-renewable means to produce energy. The future of our planet, and humanity, depends on us using our creativity and great brains to develop methods to utilize these resources in an efficient manner!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Video - Geothermal Energy in Iceland - Imagination At Work
Here is a very inspiring video about some of the advancements in technology that help Iceland provide 90% of its energy requirements from this renewable, non-polluting energy source. The video also discusses the impact that the change in environmental consciousness is having on the country, as well as the possibility of the use of geothermal energy sources within the US and other countries to achieve more clean and safe energy production.
Check it out - it's worth a watch to see what great innovations are happening in other parts of this great globe!
Geothermal Energy in Iceland
The most inventive, progressive and eco-friendly energy system in the world is the cornerstone of a national consciousness that is a blueprint for the world's future.
Check it out - it's worth a watch to see what great innovations are happening in other parts of this great globe!
Geothermal Energy in Iceland
The most inventive, progressive and eco-friendly energy system in the world is the cornerstone of a national consciousness that is a blueprint for the world's future.
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