Renewable Sources

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Wind Power: A Gust of Renewable Energy

In 2006, wind-driven electricity powered almost 3 million households in the United States, and this renewable and plentiful green energy source has enormous potential for more. Large-scale wind farms generally [more…]

Understanding Diesel Fuels

Diesel fuel is more efficient than gasoline because it contains 10% more energy per gallon than gasoline. But there are a few kinds of diesel fuel: Just as gasoline is rated by its octane, diesel fuel [more…]

What Is Ethanol?

All cars used to run on the same type of fuel, but now gas stations offer not only unleaded gasoline but alternative fuels, such as ethanol, diesel, biodiesel, and others. Ethanol in particular has started [more…]

Web Sites for Technical Information on Solar Power

If you need technical information for developing your solar power projects, there are plenty of Web sites to turn to. Solar power is a topic that touches on lots of areas; you'll need to be aware of technical [more…]

How to Find the Power Consumption of Your Appliances

Power, the rate at which energy is being consumed, is specified in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW — kilo-means 1,000). You can determine the power consumption of your appliances in three ways: [more…]

How Much Power Typical Appliances Draw

Before you solar power your home, audit your appliances to see how much energy they draw. Here are estimated energy requirements for common household appliances and electronics: [more…]

How to Calculate Energy Consumption

One of the steps to making your home run on solar power is to know how much energy your appliances and electronics require. Energy is the amount of work needed to get a job done. This can be specified [more…]

Web Sites for Solar-Power Consumer Goods

If you've decided to buy solar-powered consumer goods, kudos to you! There are plenty of Web sites that sell solar goods — here are a few to get you started: [more…]

Solar Power Your Home for Dummies Cheat Sheet

Deciding to switch your home to solar power involves some research. Check the energy efficiency of your home, including energy consumption and power draw of your appliances. Do some investigative browsing [more…]

Do You Get Enough Wind for a Wind-Energy System?

Analyzing your wind resource (your site's average wind speed, measured in miles per hour) is one of the hardest jobs you face when selecting a wind-electric system; no single method gives you exact numbers [more…]

Verify Energy Claims from Wind Generator Professionals

Many wind generator inventors, manufacturers, and installers make claims about how much energy you can get from their idea or product, but how can you know whether those energy claims are realistic, ambitious [more…]

The Major Parts of a Wind-Energy System

When it comes to power, a wind generator by itself will do absolutely nothing for you. You need a wind-energy system, which consists of most or all of these components: [more…]

Assess Your Energy Usage to Determine Your Wind-Energy Needs

Doing a usage assessment to determine how much energy you need is a vital step toward getting a successful wind-electric system that meets your power expectations. These steps help you calculate how much [more…]

Wind Power For Dummies Cheat Sheet

After you decide that your home is a good candidate for wind power, you need to understand the basic parts of wind-electric systems and how they fit together. In addition, you need to evaluate how much [more…]