Mobile Home Energy Management Systems

In previous articles we have addressed the topic of reducing home energy consumption by applying good insulation, installing double-paned glass and weather stripping; installing alternative energy technologies such as solar panels; and simply lessening the use of energy by turning off basic electronics and air conditioners when not needed. But, an important part of managing the use of energy...

Basics of Wind Power in the U.S.

Current and Potential Usage According to American Wind Energy Association, there is more than 9,000 MW of generating capacity attributed to wind power. These units provide 25 billion kWh of electricity or one percent of the power generated in the U.S. each year. They also estimate that wind power could potentially account for 10.8 trillion kWh per year – equal to the amount of energy in 20...

Artificial Geothermal Energy – An Experiment that Works

Success is Around the Corner Geothermal Power Plant Though artificial or engineered geothermal energy is still in an experimental stage of development, there are a few small commercial plants in operation: Japan demonstrated this capability on the side of a volcano, at Hijiori. It converted enough heat in a test run of one year to support a 130 KW power plant. Australia has some bright prospects...

Artificial Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Energy Natural geothermal energy, also known as hydrothermal energy, starts with water underground trapped in holes or cracks in rocks. The water and rocks, heated by the earth’s mantle or radioactive minerals in the rock, becomes steam. This steam is released by drilling, drives turbines in generators, and thereby creates electricity for homes and other facilities. It’s termed...

Spray-on Solar Panels

Solar Panels According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), by 2020 photovoltaic (PV) technology will represent 15 percent of the energy consumed in the U.S. and the National Center for Photovoltaic (NCPV) expects that 10 percent of the power produced during peak times will be by solar energy. Solar energy is plentiful, clean, and renewable. In fact the amount of energy provided by...

Smart Grid – Driving Forces and Benefits

Electric Transmission Infrastructure Electricity provides over 40 percent of the overall energy consumed in the U.S. and it has a well-established relationship to GDP growth. Consequently, the strength and resilience of the electric grid is a matter of critical importance to the overall economy. The current U.S. electric transmission and distribution grid is generally considered to be aging,...

Solar Panel Cleaning

Solar Panels Installing a Photovoltaic (PV) system represents a huge investment, but one that many feel is worth the price both financially and environmentally: PV systems convert sunlight into electricity without producing air pollution or hazardous wastes. In a typical year, fossil fuel plants produce 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, as million tons of sulfur dioxide, and 7 million tons of...

Top 7 Eco-Friendly Blogs with an ‘Energy’ Focus

It is no surprise that the blogosphere is filled with content dedicated to providing information on environmentally sustainable topics. Since there is such a large environmental presence on the web, Energy Authority sorted through the most relevant eco-friendly blogs that discuss a variety of eco-topics and include specific news and information related to energy, energy efficiency, clean &...

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve

 The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a federally controlled oil stockpile, that was created in 1975 as a result of the 1973-1974 oil embargoes. Its purpose is to reduce U.S. vulnerability to any interruptions to the oil supply, regardless of whether they are initiated by one of its supplying OPEC nations or a natural disaster (e.g. Hurricane Katrina). Procedural Framework for Releasing...