Goal of Website
The purpose of this web site is to give consumers accurate information on what type of renewable energy is right for their area and how much they can expect to spend when converting to renewable energy. So far we have information for consumers in the United States, China and Russia. Why switch to renewable energy? An overview of global warming may help explain.
The Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is short-wave solar radiation going through the atmosphere into the ground, and the earth reradiating this short-wave radiation as long-wave radiation which is absorbed by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, thereby creating the effect of global warming. Carbon dioxide is just like a thick layer of glass in the atmosphere, so the Earth has become a big greenhouse. It is estimated that if there was no atmosphere, the average surface temperature would drop to - 23 degrees Celsius, and the actual average surface temperature is 15 degrees Celsius. This means because of the greenhouse effect that the surface temperature increases by 38 degrees Celsius.
In addition to carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gases that have an important role on the greenhouse effect are methane, water vapor, ozone, and chlorofluorocarbons.With the rapid increase in population and rapid industrial development, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased to levels higher than ever before in recorded history. This is due to humans burning fossil fuels and also due to a large number of forests being cleared for agriculture and development. The trees in these forests are no longer absorbing carbon, and humans are putting more carbon in the atmosphere, so the greenhouse effect has been enhanced.
Renewable Energy
All over the world, a wide range of different types of renewable energy works. Solar, wind, geothermal, tidal and hydropower are gradually changing people’s lives.
The solar energy is lighting solar cells installed in lights on two sides of roads, and providing electricity and hot water to people's homes.
The solar cell works in three steps:
1) Photons in sunlight hit the solar panel and are absorbed by semiconducting materials, such as silicon.
2) Electrons (negatively charged) are knocked loose from their atoms, causing an electric potential difference. Current starts flowing through the material to cancel the potential and this electricity is captured. Due to the special composition of solar cells, the electrons are only allowed to move in a single direction.
3) An array of solar cells converts solar energy into a usable amount of direct current (DC) electricity.
The wind is twirling power generation mills on farmland.
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger.
The hydropower is running lots of water wheels at high speed in tides and waves.
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes.
Let us give full scope to our ability and wisdom, and keep up exploration and probe.
Let us relieve the coal thermal power from being exhausted.
Let us leave our descendants some resources.
So. Now. Action!
The maps have been broken down into general climate zones. For example, the United States map contains an area for the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, Central, Northeast, Southeast, Alaska and Hawaii. This made it possible to indicate what type of renewable energy has the most potential for each area, but it does not take into account local topographic conditions that may affect the potential of a certain type of renewable energy. For example, solar energy was chosen as the type of renewable energy with the most potential for the U.S. Southwest. However, there is a small area in California that has high wind potential because it is in a valley between mountains where there is a wind corridor. This corridor has a wind energy farm in place. However, it is an area that is too small to include on the map.
Limitations
The maps have been broken down into general climate zones. For example, the United States map contains an area for the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, Central, Northeast, Southeast, Alaska and Hawaii. This made it possible to indicate what type of renewable energy has the most potential for each area, but it does not take into account local topographic conditions that may affect the potential of a certain type of renewable energy. For example, solar energy was chosen as the type of renewable energy with the most potential for the U.S. Southwest. However, there is a small area in California that has high wind potential because it is in a valley between mountains where there is a wind corridor. This corridor has a wind energy farm in place. However, it is an area that is too small to include on the map.
