Governor Schwarzenegger Turns California to Solar Roof Systems

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While California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is known for his action films, few knew of his affinity for the sun. Turns out he is hell bent on converting California to solar.

3.2 Billion Dollar Plan

This past week, the State of California became the undisputed biggest proponent of solar power in the United States. Faced with a growing population, limited energy sources and the occasional rolling blackout each summer season, the state really had no choice. With backing from Governor Schwarzenegger, the state has just implemented the biggest solar industry subsidiary every undertaken by a state in an effort to quell the energy crunch.

On January 12, 2006, the California Public Utilities Commission voted 3 to 1 to adopt a plan to encourage the use of solar roof systems by residents through a 3.2 billion dollar rebate plan. Known as the California Solar Initiative, the goal is to convert as much as six percent of the peak energy demands in the state to solar platforms. Put in practical terms, the goal is place solar systems on roughly one million homes in the state, particularly new homes. Approximately 15,000 homes in the state now have solar systems for energy generation.

When in use, the residents will receive an astonishing rebate of $2.80 cents per watt on their utilities bill. On top of this subsidy, state residents will be able to claim tax credits from the federal government as well as direct subsidies.

In turn, California is hoping to both reduce the stress on the current electrical grid system while also avoiding the costs associated with building and running massive new power generating stations necessary to feed the energy crunch associated with a growing population. It is estimated the power generated through California Solar Initiative will be sufficient to replace the need for five massive, expensive new power generation complexes.

In addition to the economic benefits of the new plan, Californians going solar can reap significant benefits through net metering laws. Under such laws, residents will be able to tie solar platforms into utility electric grids and effectively sell power back to the California utilities. Depending on the size of the solar platform, net metering can result in reduction of electrical bills from 50 percent to complete elimination.

For a state suffering growth problems, the California Solar Initiative is a major move. After a crushing defeat at the polls in late 2005, the Governor has something to cheer.

Source: Flickr

When we speak of energy, power, and development, we all think development, industrialization, advancement; all these leads to pollution and degradation of the environment. You hear advocates say that our environment was a lot purer in long gone ages because people do not use energy.

Who’s Liable?

That is not necessarily true; you see ancient man used fire to cook things, and then the sun to warm them up. Even humanity itself uses energy to be able to move and go about life each day. We cannot survive without energy and yet we blame it for the destruction of our planet. It is us who use energy to no ends, it is us who abuse its use therefore we are liable to find the solution to pollution. It is our responsibility to our selves and the future generation to seek ways of supporting our way of life without harming the environment.

The Scope and Definition of Sustainable Power

Generally sustainable power is thought to be any renewable kind of energy. Meaning it is any puissance whose source cannot be depleted and does not contaminate the environment on a long term basis.

Although sustainable power maybe confused with alternate or green energy the two are distinctly different. Sustainable power is conducive to nature but it is set apart from green or alternate energy because its source is unending, it cannot be exhausted.

Power Source

Sources of sustainable energy vary. It can be as simple as hydrogen to as complex as nuclear energy. When we speak of sustainable development we must consider the basics before heading of to the complex, after all we haven’t used the newly scientifically discovered energy long enough to know its possible effects. The first things to consider are those that nature itself supplies; like the air, wind, solar, tidal, and water resources.

Techno Speak

With all the media hype surrounding this idealism you’d think that we aren’t already using sustainable energy! Yes, we already are using alternate energy resources. We have water dams, the waterfall power plants, wind mills, geothermal plants, and the nuclear power plants.

There are three technological classifications for the technologies that help us attain sustainable power; these include biomass combustion, hydropower, and geothermal plants. First generation power automatons arose during the industrial revolution. This is the time where people discovered that manufacturing will become faster thru the use of machines, and faster output means larger sales. In a way sustainable power was researched and invented not for the future but for the moment; to improve lives, industry and the economy.

Second Generation energy resources comprise wind power, various forms of modern bioenergy, solar photovoltaics, and solar energy. These technologies emerged from the need to depend on oil so much. Research and Development was massively funded during the 1980’s and we are now reaping the benefits.

Third Generation sustainable energy resources are those that relatively new; biorefinery technologies, ocean energy, hot dry rock energy, biomass gasification, concentrating solar thermal power and even nanotechnology may make future appearances that will hopefully end our quest for continuous energy sources. On the stage of research and experimentation these resources are still under development but raise the hopes of those who continually seek sustainable power.

All that have been mentioned are technological advances and discoveries of everlasting energy source, but in the end like everything in our lives, the future is in our hands. Even when we are provided with more nature friendly energy resources if we don’t conserve and use it wisely we will still end up damaging the very planet on whose existence and well being we very much depend on.

Home Energy Generation Systems

Creating Home Energy Generation Systems

When you are tired of paying for your high home energy bill month after month and would like see some changes and feel some savings, then, there is a right thing to do: invest on one or more home energy generation systems. Home energy generation system is the solution if you want to cut those bills down and utilize alternative energy around you just waiting to be tapped anytime. Home energy generation system provides you with the best way to get the maximum financial freedom on home energy. Sure, you have to invest first but it is all worth every penny. You can spare yourself from the present cost of home energy and the future increases that may occur. And most of all, investing on home energy generation system will definitely help the environment for it only uses harmless and clean source of energy.

Among all types of alternative energy that can be used, wind energy and solar energy are the most common.

Wind energy

Wind is very abundant in many parts of the country, thus, many household can capitalize on the use of wind as a source of home energy. It is also said the future’s main source of energy would be the air. As the cost energy production through fuel and oil grows increasingly high for the last years, the clean, safe and free air would be the better choice of the future.

As a main source of power for your home, it provides the financial freedom on the use of energy sourced from the expensive oil. However, wind speed varies on a daily basis. One day, the wind will blow strong. The next day, wind may not be able to keep your turbine spin. And even on the breeziest places in America, you can never tell when will be the next strong wind blow occurs. This is one disadvantage of using wind power but wind patterns do exist. It is said that summer brings less wind while the winter brings strong gust of wind.

If you are planning to install wind turbines on your home, make sure that the local zoning allows wind turbine. You must also ensure that there is a good source of wind on most days. A wide and open space, at least 1 acre, would be ideal for wind turbines. And, if you are paying more than $150 on monthly electric bill, then it may be a good option for you.

There are 5 main components of wind power.

The rotor is the set of rotating blades designed to capture air. The rotation brings power to the generator.

The turbine or the generation is the one attached on the rotor. It stores energy that the house will use.

The tail is located opposite of the rotor. It tracks the direction of the wind.

The tower raises the turbine, rotor and tail up to the air to receive the most amount of wind possible.

The governor is the mechanism that controls the production of energy. This is like the transformer you can see on electric posts.

Solar power

Houses that are built under the sun will compensate on the free solar energy.

There are 6 main advantages in installing solar panels on your roof.

1. Solar panels are lightweight, safe and most of all, easy to install. These are essential in order to place them above your roof.

2. Roof is also susceptible in UV exposure. The solar panel eliminates this. Your roof will also be protected from weather.

3. Solar panel contributes in keeping your house well insulated. They provide extra covering and enable you to save as much as 30% on heating expenses.

4. Drilling holes in your roof is very risky. The interlocking solar panels eliminate this risk.

5. Solar panel design is perfect on any roof type and size. In other words, you can get the perfect solar panel no matter what the size and shape of your roof is.

6. Solar panels are installed without requiring you to modify your roof. It will adapt instantly.

Solar power will tremendously help you cut down the cost of your electric bill. If you think you are in for this investment and if you think your location is most suited to have this, then the choice is fully yours.

Solar Energy Collecting as an Alternative Energy Source

Photovoltaic cells—those black squares an array of which comprises a solar panel—are getting more efficient, and gradually less expensive, all the time, thanks to ever-better designs which all them to focus the gathered sunlight on a more and more concentrated point. The size of the cells is decreasing as their efficiency rises, meaning that each cell becomes cheaper to produce and at once more productive. As far as the aforementioned cost, the price of producing solar-generated energy per watt hour has come down to $4.00 at the time of this writing. Just 17 years ago, it was nearly double that cost.

Solar powered electricity generation is certainly good for the environment, as this alternative form of producing energy gives off absolutely zero emissions into the atmosphere and is merely utilizing one of the most naturally occurring of all things as its driver. Solar collection cells are becoming slowly but surely ever more practical for placing upon the rooftops of people’s homes, and they are not a difficult system to use for heating one’s home, creating hot water, or producing electricity. In the case of using the photovoltaic cells for hot water generation, the system works by having the water encased in the cells, where it is heated and then sent through your pipes.

Photovoltaic cells are becoming increasingly better at collecting sufficient radiation from the sun even on overcast or stormy days. One company in particular, Uni-Solar, has developed solar collection arrays for the home that work well on inclement days, by way of a technologically more advanced system that stores more energy at one time during sunlit days than previous or other arrays.

There is actually another solar power system available for use called the PV System. The PV System is connected to the nearest electrical grid; whenever there is an excess of solar energy being collected at a particular home, it is transferred to the grid for shared use and as a means of lowering the grid’s dependence on the hydroelectrically-driven electricity production. Being connected to the PV System can keep your costs down as compared to full-fledged solar energy, while at once reducing pollution and taking pressure off the grid system. Some areas are designing centralized solar collection arrays for small towns or suburban communities.

Some big-name corporations have made it clear that they are also getting into the act of using solar power (a further indication that solar generated energy is becoming an economically viable alternative energy source). Google is putting in a 1.6 megawatt solar power generation plant on the roof of its corporate headquarters, while Wal Mart wants to put in an enormous 100 megawatt system of its own.

Nations such as Japan, Germany, the United States, and Switzerland have been furthering the cause of solar energy production by providing government subsidies or by giving tax breaks to companies and individuals who agree to utilize solar power for generating their heat or electrical power. As technology advances and a greater storage of solar collection materials is made available, more and more private investors will see the value of investing in this “green” technology and further its implementation much more.