Corporate Social Responsibility News: Porsche’s Solar Energy Effort; Yale’s Microfinance Initiative

Electricity is very important in our lives and will be in the future. It plays a very important role in our modern lives and we can’t live any more without it. Without electricity we are not save, we can’t produce the products we need and can’t use all the appliances we love so much.

Most people feel that the price of electricity is too high for the amount they consume. Complaining will not be answer to lower the price. There are other alternatives to lower your monthly bill for electricity. One option is to make use of alternative energy. Let’s review the most used types of this ‘new’ energy source.

Although people think alternative energy is ‘new’ it really is not. We have used this energy source long before we even knew electricity. Just think about drying your washed clothes outside in the sun. In fact many of us still use this method to dry clothes and there is nothing wrong with this. Drying your clothes this way will save a lot of electricity!

Here we will list other types of alternative energy.

The first is wind energy. Today windmills are used in homes to run small generators. Using windmills is not a new concept. Windmills have been used in the past century before. They were primarily used to mill grain. Making flour from grain was hard work and using the power of the wind was an economical way to complete this task. Another use of the windmill was to pump out water from large beaks or lakes to gain land. One country which used this techniques was frequently used was the Netherlands. Acres of land were won this way and today home owners still benefit from this land.

Today the windmill has a renewed function and that is run small generators for home owners. These generators produce electricity to be used in running small home appliances. These windmills are commonly used outside the city area. It would be hard for home owner in the city to make use of technique because they are a few meters in diameter and a placed fairly high.

The second form is solar energy. This energy source can be used in several ways. Most home owners use it to produce electricity. The solar power can be used to power small appliances. Other home owners used it to heat there home. This can be done passive and active. The passive form works like placing your car in the sun. The temperature in the car increases fast making the inside of the car very hot. For homes it can be done by making use of glass and positing your home to the sun. Your home can be heated up very quick. By using certain types of stone walls inside your home this warmth can be held inside the house. The active method uses solar energy to produce hot water for central heating. The hot water can also be used for running hot water, the washing machine and dishwasher. The efficiency by which we are now able to convert solar power into electricity and hot water is of such a degree that it is very possible to power a whole house and use for central heating! Solar energy is much easier to use in the city area and so many people in cities can lower their energy by making use of the energy source. The roof solar-panels that are needed can be placed on the roof out of sight. Some people think this is ugly view, but that is an individual taste.

The third is hydropower. By making use of the power of running water small turbines can run generators. These generators in turn can store electricity which can be used for running the home appliances. This technique is also used in the past where waterwheels were used to grind grain into flour, just like windmills. But like the windmills this form of alternative energy is not feasible to use in the city area.

The fourth technique is biogas. Biogas is produced naturally via the decomposition of different biological material. This can be from animals and from humans. Farmers can successfully use this method to produce biogas. The biogas can be used for heating to home or can even be used to cook. This form is also not common to use inside the city area.

There are more ways to make use of alternative energy than mentioned here. The forms mentioned here are very common today and are evolving. In the early days of solar energy the efficiency was poor but today it has improved dramatically. If you live inside the city area your options are limited to solar energy. The advantage with this energy source is that is very versatile. You can produce electricity and hot water.

When you decide to use alternative energy you accomplish more than only saving money you’re also helping to create a better world. The big reason not to use alternative energy is the price tag. The devices to convert the ‘free’ energy source are not cheap. You need to realize that you’re investing in your home. But after good calculations you will realize that you’ll be saving more than you’ll spend. Don’t forget to apply for tax credits or other benefits for investing in alternative energy.

Most people are well aware of the incredible increase in solar energy options for a home, but not everyone knows that there are actually power plants constructed entirely of solar panels. Currently, the United States military is the owner of the world’s largest solar power plant, which supplies around 30% of the needs of one of its largest and busiest bases. These plants require fields of collectors which can direct the light of the sun into a master collector, which in turn superheats water and converts the steam into huge amounts of energy. This, however, is not how all home solar power panels work and they can do everything from heat domestic water supplies or swimming pools, to actually generate electrical energy which is stored in banks of batteries which deliver electricity once the sun has set.

Solar power from the sun used in solar post lights is one of the most widely used options for alternative energy today, but wind power is gaining ground. Enormous turbines mounted on gigantic windmills are a fixture of many large and uninhabited areas of the world. For instance, along the many ridges of the Green Mountains of Vermont are wind farms, but also in the more remote areas of Hawaii are wind farms as well. These are now also being used by many home and farm owners who simply build or buy their own very small windmills and turbines which provide a constant supply of energy in their home or buildings. Unfortunately, unlike solar energy, wind power is only available in those locations that receive a certain, set amount of air flow every single day.

Finally, and just as promising as the other alternative energies already discussed, are the bio fuels now available for heating homes and operating cars. This is a wonderful opportunity for communities to “grow their own” energy sources and make the fuels on-site, which would continue to save resources and keep prices low. As time passes, alternative energies will become more affordable and widely available, which means that eventually people can reduce or eliminate their dependence on fossil fuels, and ultimately save the environment.

In connection with the upcoming Planet Forward program on PBS, Need to Know held a panel discussion focusing on how Rochester is helping move the “planet forward.” The panel focused on four key alternative energy sectors identified by Greater Rochester Enterprise: biofuels, fuel cells, solar energy, and wind energy. Our panelists were: Dan O’Connell, Director of General Motors Fuel Cell Development Center (fuel cells) Dr. Brian Landi, RIT’s Nanopower Research Lab (solar energy) Michael Sawyer, Executive VP of Western New York Energy (biofuels) Kevin Schulte, CEO of Sustainable Energy Development (wind) We will also featured local submissions to the nationally broadcast program, which premieres on Wednesday, April 15 at 8 pm on WXXI-TV. Need to Know airs Friday night at 8:30 pm and Sunday at 12:30 pm on WXXI-TV 21 (cable 11). It also airs on WXXI-AM 1370 / WXXI-FM HD 91.5-2 on Saturday at 6:30 pm

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thebestthingsyoushouldknow.com — How To Build Your Own Solar Water Heater Do you ever think to conserve energy in your home? Other than cost savings, also help preserve the environment. Are you included the people who need a lot of power to heat water only? How much money you spend to heat water? Whether the way you are safe for the environment around you? If you are in doubt on earlier questions, you should take the time to view this video. In this video you will be notified of short steps that you can do yourself at home to make water heaters. This technology besides low cost and environmentally friendly too. It’s all because, the technology is derived from solar energy. Ok, let’s begin! Step 1Determine how much you need water needs. Step 2Planned location of the place where the installation of solar water heaters will be installed.You can put it on the roof leaning towards the east or on the ground. Step 3Paint your water tank in black. Step 4Make a wooden box for water tank. Step 5Install water tanks at the box. Step 6Connect the pipes to the bottom of the tank. Step 7Put the insulation around the pipes that stand out to keep it does not freeze when the winter. The steps already described earlier you can practice your own at home. To learn more about How To Build Your Own Solar Water Heater, please visit:TheBestThingsYouShouldKnow.com/home-solar-power

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