Home > October, 2009
How does current compare in series and parallel circuits? considering that the same voltage of cell was used.
Hello I have a Grade 9 Electricity test and I don’t understand this too well. Can anyone explain?
Thank so much!
When resistors are connected in series, the current flowing through each resistor remains the same, but the voltage gets split.
When resistors are connected in parallel, each draws a different amount of current depending on its resistance.
Hope this answers your question…:)
If so how many pannels would you need, and what would the equipment cost?
Yes. How many panels depends on your wattage needs.
How much it costs depends on a lot of things.
Log onto your local ele supplier to get specific
Well, I don’t know much about wind power and I was wondering if I could go completely off the grid with wind power, or do I need to have a backup like solar? How much would it cost to buy a wind turbine and have it installed? Since I’d be making electricity on my own land, would it be free? Can I use wind power for heating my home?
Sorry it’s so many questions.
I meant once I install it, would I get electricity free?
Hey Piper, Kristen is quite right on the numbers. We power our entire home with wind and solar power, and we have made plenty of mistakes. If you want to run everything, you will need a herculean sized wind plant, maybe something on the order of 10 kilowatts or more. Ours is a 1kw, but the solar does most of the work here, even though it is more expensive. The question you have to answer first is am I trying to save money, or do I want to get rid of the power company entirely. To cut down your energy bill, I would suggest a wind turbine direct to grid tie system. The wind plant produces whatever power it can and dumps it in your home, if it’s more than you need, it sends the rest out the grid line, and your meter spins backwards. Problem is, if the grid goes down, your wind plant shuts down too, it has to have someplace to go all the time. If you want your own source, you have to have battery storage, and a larger plant, then you are spending more money up front for equipment, but if the power goes out, you probably won’t be aware of it. We have the latter system, and twice last year it provided us with power when the entire county was without, hard to put a price tag on that.
My suggestion is you do some reading for a while, start with Home Power Magazine, then check out the library. Our home was actually featured in Home Power twice in the past, use their search engine and look for, "small system first." You might decide not to get involved, and that’s fine too, but at least you will be well informed. Take care, Rudydoo
My friend always tell me that if I wash clothes at night, it would help cut electric bills because according to him electricity is cheaper at this time from 6PM til 6AM.
He is thinking of the Economy 7 tarriff where electricity is very cheap for 7 hours from 11pm to 6am or midnight to 7am depending on BST or not.
It was designed to make it cheaper to use electric storage heaters which heat up overnight.
You need a special 2 rate meter and for the electricity company to bill you accordingly.
According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a total of 751,051 “green jobs” were created or maintained in 2006. Of those jobs, almost 127,500 of them related to renewable power generation. The majority of the jobs in question, approximately 85% were located within metropolitan areas. However, with the increasing popularity of renewable energy in today’s market, the potential for employment in these areas can increase greatly. Santa Cruz Ca, real estate benefits when people improve their home with energy efficient products.
Projected Renewable Energy Jobs and Industries
The Energy Information Administration estimates that the electric power sector generated just over 4 trillion kilowatt hours. Of that, just about 8% was generated from renewable sources. Hydroelectric power is perhaps the largest contributor to the generation of electricity, and has been a significant creator of jobs in both manufacturing and operation of various hydroelectric jobs around the country. Since hydroelectricity has been a part of the infrastructure for a number of decades, the workforce is becoming older, and the need for an influx of skilled workers will undoubtedly increase in the coming years.
One of the most promising sources for alternative energy is wind. Geographically speaking, the areas with the highest potential for employment generation with a new energy infrastructure are in the northern and western parts of the country. In considering Santa Cruz real estate for wind potential, a survey of the area winds is helpful to determine the suitability of the site. If wind energy is pursued, the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas and Texas would be the most likely places for wind energy generation farms, and the associated employment opportunities. They are estimated to have a total potential power generation of approximately 4,500 billion kilowatt hours, which is more then enough to power the entire United States for at least 9 months. In addition, states such as Maine, New York, and Michigan also provide many opportunities for wind generation. If wind is actively pursued as a source of alternative energy, a substantial amount of jobs can be created and maintained. Potential jobs could include construction and maintenance of the wind generation farms, construction and maintenance of new transformers for electricity transportation, and jobs to regulate the flow and amount of electricity geographically. The American Wind Energy Association is a great place to find more information at awea.org.
Another potential powerhouse when it comes to alternative energy is solar power. Solar power has the potential to generate a significant amount of jobs, as well as decrease our national reliance on fossil fuels. The basic technology has been around for years, but the widespread adoption has not occurred basically due to the higher cost of power generation compared to fossil fuels. However, with the increasing cost of using fossil fuels, as well as advancements in solar panel technology, the cost difference is becoming smaller everyday.
Solar power generation supports many additional manufacturing jobs, as the final product producers make use of raw materials and intermediate goods from suppliers. There is not only potential job creation within the solar panel industry, but all the industries that supply materials needed for production.
A third source of alternative energy that could create new jobs is that of geothermal energy. The technology used in geothermal energy uses the heat and steam within the ground, and either uses them directly or indirectly to generate electricity. Unlike solar and wind generation, which so far has contributed little to the country’s energy infrastructure, geothermal energy has been a part of it since the early 1970’s. In fact, between the years of 1970 and 1980, the net generation of electricity by geothermal methods have increased by a factor of ten, and tripled by the early 1990s. However, a plateau was reached, and in 2007 geothermal energy produced approximately 14.9 billion kilowatt hours of power to 1.3 million homes. This equals approximately 4.7% of the all renewable power generation, leaving a significant room for expansion. In fact, the U.S. Geological survey has indicated that the geothermal potential might be as much as ten times higher than what is currently utilized.
Each of these renewable energy sources, if pursued has the potential to create a number of new jobs in the production of raw materials, construction of the equipment need for power generation, and the operation of the new infrastructure. In addition, since the technology is fairly new, how they impact the environment and the population is relatively undetermined at this time. This lack of information can also lead to jobs created in order to regulate and study the energy generated from these sources.
Creating a new energy infrastructure will be a daunting undertaking, and the need for skilled workers cannot be overly stressed. By understanding which industries affect and are affected by renewable resources, the areas of potential job growth can be easily seen.
Gregg- Camp
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/potential-jobs-in-creating-a-new-energy-infrastructure-1109522.html
There is no question that solar panels are a terrific way to cut energy costs, reduce your carbon emissions and make you more self-sufficient. There can be no argument about that.
These magical devices harness the energy of the sun and convert it to another type of energy. Generally the power that results can be used to heat your home, for example, or to power anything from your electric shaver to your computer.
As a result, solar panels are now becoming extremely popular in urban areas, where alternative energy advocates and lawmakers are creating incentives for this friendly and quiet alternative energy source.
The state of Colorado, for example, has been offering huge rebates on the up-front cost to acquire and install a residential solar power system.
Solar panels have other advantages. They normally are maintenance free, for one thing, and many manufacturers will guarantee electrical output for as long as 20 years.
Plus, after the panels are installed, any excess energy from the system â that is, energy left over after all of your needs have been met â can be diverted for use on the grid, where it is bought back by the electrical power company.
Which means there may be times when you are actually making income from your panels.
Youâll have to be patient, however.
With rebates factored into the initial cost, it generally will take from 17 to 24 years to get back the initial expense, at which time you will essentially be generating power from the sun at no cost.
And there are other factors â maybe I should say âlittle knownâ factors â about solar panels that may make them less than desirable for some folks.
One such factor is that solar panels actually may initially contribute to greenhouse emissions.
How so?
Well, it takes power to manufacture a solar panel. And the energy that requires very often is fossil-based and front-end loaded. So there is a time during which a solar panel actually adds to carbon emissions rather than detracting from them.
Until such time as a solar panel has produced energy equivalent to the energy used to manufacture it (its fossil-emission payback period) it in effect contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. This fossil-emission payback period is generally considered to be five to 10 years.
And although manufacturers will focus on the magic behind this environmentally friendly power source and why itâs sensible to buy your solar panels now, you should be aware that having your own home energy system installed can be quite an expensive proposition â ranging into the thousands of dollars.
But there is a better way. Cheaper by far. Just as efficient. And ultimately far more satisfying.
Dave Tishendorf
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/solar-panels-there-is-a-better-way-744960.html