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Solar Energy in its Finest Form

Our goals are:

- to increase the level of intelligent debate,

- document accepted facts by the scientific community,

- offer some suggestions of how solar and renewable energy can be used to solve the serious consequences of the GHE and the uncontrolled climate change,

- promote more curiosity to want to know more about each subject,

- promote positive action in gaining more knowledge,

- establish sustainable solutions,

- create opportunities for emerging industries and professions,

- empower the individual to be involved, lead by example, and create intelligent responsible communities, and

- encourage contributions of knowledge via this website.

We are providing a quick reference to Wikipedia as the starting point for further information, because Wikipedia is a growing international knowledge resource and is easily accessible to everyone. We are not attempting to be another encyclopedia, but become a solid foundation for those wishing to expand their knowledge and provide appropriate action and suggestions. Our philosophy is that action speaks louder than words.

We invite you to give further references that expand this knowledge base and help visitors to solar-e find what they are looking for much faster.

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Name- Solar Energy in its Finest Form
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Waves are generated by wind passing over the surface of the sea. As long as the waves propagate slower than the wind speed just above the waves, there is an energy transfer from the wind to the waves. Both air pressure differences between the upwind and the lee side of a wave crest, as well as friction on the water surface by the wind shear stress causes the growth of the waves.

Pelamis Wave Energy Converter in Scotland

These are some of the challenges to deploying wave power devices:

- There is an extremely large fluctuation of power in the waves.

- The device has to efficiently convert wave motion into electricity. Generally speaking, wave power is available in low-speed, high forces, and the motion of forces is not in a single direction. Most readily available electric generators operate at higher speeds, and most readily available turbines require a constant, steady flow.

- The total cost of electricity is high.

There are several methods of getting energy from waves. One of them works like a swimming pool wave machine in reverse.

Energy output is determined by wave height, wave speed, wavelength, and water density. To date there are only a handful of experimental wave generator plants in operation around the world.

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REFERENCES:

1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_power

2) http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/wave.htm

3) http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/hydro/wave-power/

4) http://earthsci.org/mineral/energy/wavpwr/wavepwr.html

5) http://www.virginmedia.com/images/wavepower.jpg

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Name- Pelamis at EMEC
Source- http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pelamis_at_EMEC.jpg
Image has been released into the public domain

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A Luxury Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA: A representation of human ecological dominance

If solar variability affects human culture it most likely does so by changing the climate in which the culture operates. Variations in the solar radiation input to the Earth’s atmosphere have often been suggested as a cause of such climate change on time scales from decades to tens of millennia. The latest progress in our knowledge explains much better the history of the solar output, the effect of solar variability on the Earth’s mean climate and its regional patterns, the history of the Earth’s climate and the history of mankind and human culture.

Several important historical events have been reliably related to climate change including the Little Ice Age in northern Europe and the collapse of the Classical Mayan civilization in the 9th century AD.

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REFERENCES:

1) http://www.des.ucdavis.edu/faculty/richerson/guadalajara.pdf

2) Science Direct

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Name- Halekulani
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This development in Western Australia is environmentally sensitive with such features as excellent passive solar design and shared solar power sources.

There are four primary passive solar energy configurations:

• direct solar gain (control the amount of direct solar radiation reaching the living space)

• indirect solar gain (control solar radiation reaching an area adjacent but not part of the living space)

• isolated solar gain (utilizing solar energy to passively move heat from or to the living space using a fluid, such as water or air by natural convection or forced convection)

• passive cooling

From the definition it comes up that “reducing the requirement for active heating and cooling systems” directly means less GHE.

If you are interested in this topic and want to contribute in discussion, research or business, please follow the links below.

Ask an expert

Book in for a Consultation or Advisory Service

Buy a manual/service/product

Send in your Intellectual Content to publish

REFERENCES:

1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_solar_building_design

2) http://passivesolar.sustainablesources.com/

3) http://www.eere.energy.gov/de/passive_solar_design.html

4) http://www.midlandbrick.com.au/Article/Midland_Brick_Passive_solar_design.asp?site=boral

5) http://www.wbdg.org/resources/psheating.php

6) http://www.thenaturalhome.com/

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Courtesy of solar-e.com’s sister company Ecotect-Architects

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