Sustainable Business Blog

Is A Gasifier The Newest Alternative Power Source?

A gasifyer is a mechanized device for heating wood chips, or lots of other types of dry organic matter, to a temperature high enough to release the volatile gasses locked inside them. The gasses produced can be burned in an engine to make power or just burned in a heating system. The gasifier is essentially a container that is insulated to hold in the heat.

The container has inside it a bed of burning fuel. Outside air is allowed through to the bed of fuel creating a controlled burn, and starting the production of gas.

The whole process can be self contained.

Having a small controlled fire burning with limited oxygen is not only efficient, but just setting fire to the whole mass of fuel is not. And heating and drying the remainder of the fuel stock means it will also willingly burn when it , in turn, falls into the fire grating. Ideally the fire should reach about 1200 degrees F. The combustible gasses produced ascend and escape at the top of the gasifier. They then need to be cooled and filtered, in part to scrub the gas, in particular if it is to be used in an engine, and cooled to make a denser mixture which is more thermally effective.

A small power station, moveable and self contained, is one of the clear-cut advantages of the gasifier. The approximate size of an oil drum can be made to run a four cylinder engine, but if you are burning something which is basically a waste product, wood chips or saw dust, the gas made from that is just as effective as the gas from an expensive fuel.

Any combination of chipped wood and or branches, rice or maize husks, shells, pits, animal droppings, in fact any waste organic material, could be used. For instance fast growing willow might be used in areas with good water but little commercial waste.

The sum of cash spent by commercial farming disposing of it’s waste, and landfill usage, might be saved by using this as a fuel. A additional advantage is the residue from the gasifier is hugely useful as a land conditioner and fertiliser, making the whole procedure even greener.

 A large industrial gasifier might have to be used in an district heating undertaking or in a large farm yard waste energy producer in order to obtain economies of scale.

Using a gasifier will significantly reduce house hold expanses, even permit off grid living.

The end result with home gasification is a clean burning fuel with little pollution. An added gain.

20lbs of dry chipped wood is said by many to be equal to 1 gallon of petrol. A suitably sized gasifier may be made to provide all the gas for a certain engine, the larger the gasifier the bigger the engine. A gasifyer does not necessarily require any external power although this will help to start the machine, someone will nonetheless have to fuel the machine. Once functional the inductance from an internal combustion engine will suck air through the fireplace, usefully making it self sustaining.Check Out The Gasifyer.com

A gasifyer with a gasolene or diesel engine generator and a ready provision of fuel, makes this an ideal alternate energy source.

August 18 2010 | Business: Renewable Energy | No Comments »

Save Dollars, Power And The Earth With Solar Panels And Grid Tie Inverters

In order to save cash we must all appreciate the necessity to preserve power.

One format could be using alternative energy, to this aim I want to promote solar panels with a grid tie inverter.

The primary power producer with this system is the solar panel, but it could also be, low voltage hydropower electricity, small petrol or diesel generator, or any renewable energy source of say 14 to 50 volts.

The solar panel voltage now has to be raised to home voltage in order to save cash.

The solar panel DC is fed to the grid tie inverter and changed to the AC used in the home.

In order to connect to the mains the grid tie inverter needs no special boxes it only has to plugged in a wall socket. This is controlled safely be the electronics built into the inverter.

All the time the sun shines, the cash paid to the power company is replaced by power from  the solar panel and grid tie inverter.

Because current can only flow when the house power in on the grid tie inverter has a built in safety factor. This removes any danger of power being fed backwards up the power lines. But if the power fails the grid tie disconnects.

To allow more power to the house, more solar panels can be used, along with added grid ties. Any extra power not needed by the household will cause the meter to run in reverse this will make a saving in the bills due.

Fitting the equipment is mostly straight forward, no professionals needed, making a really cost effective system. Batteries and an inverter are an alternative, but the cost and space needed are expensive to provide night time electricity.

Replacing the power company is not an economical option, but in time the grid tie will save money, and in time we will save the planet.

August 18 2010 | Business: Renewable Energy | No Comments »

The Importance Of Going Green For Businesses

Going green is not another passing fad, but has long term implications for businesses in all sectors. It is therefore good to remember this and always keep it in mind from the very initial stages of development so that a whole business culture can develop and evolve around the concepts of energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. The good thing is, businesses need to fear the explosion of this concept because by going green, businesses can actually begin to save a lot of money and thereby become profitable. For example, businesses that opt for quick payday loans and change all their lighting to CFLs or LEDs from the traditional bulbs can get back their investment in a matter of 5-7 years and after that, every day is a saving. Therefore businesses should not think of this is a burden, but rather embrace it to improve bottom-lines for the company.

Companies can get great economic benefits by adopting energy efficient measures as they can significantly lower their electricity and other operating costs but there is a subtle long term benefit as well – companies can build an environmentally and socially responsible brand that resonates with the customers. Customers today are genuinely concerned for the atmosphere and if they view a company as doing something positive in the right direction, they are bound to like that brand. This gives a direct benefit and helps companies stand out from the competition. In fact, many small businesses can greatly benefit from this branding because it gives them a chance to compete with the bigger corporations that have the economy of scale. This way, a small business can rebrand itself as an ethical company and therefore capture market share.

Going green is a whole culture that needs to be incorporated into the company. It should be visible at each step of what a company does. For example the building that is being used by the company should be energy efficient. These can save huge amount of electricity and translate into direct savings. There should be a culture of preventing excesses – from using the copier to wasting paper. The company will do well to take proactive steps as well. There are many ways that companies can build an environmentally responsible brand and go green, such as installing a small wind turbine on their building or solar panels for the rooftops, which help in storing and capturing energy. This also has an additional benefit of significantly reducing electricity costs. The initial investment is a little high but there are huge government subsidies on both solar and wind energies. Thus simple quick payday loans for the investment will go a long way to ensure that the company saves money in the long run and becomes more environmentally responsible.

August 18 2010 | Business: Renewable Energy | No Comments »

Presently There Are A Number Of Points You Want To Consider When Looking At Wind Power As An Alternative To Fossil Fuels.

Wind energy is no longer alternative. According to the AWEA, new wind initiatives added in 2007 account for about thirty percent of the entire fresh power-producing capacity added across the country within the year. This growing popularity has the opportunity to eliminate a frequent barrier of energy production: the certainly not in my backyard attitude. One of the most typical criticisms levelled at wind energy is variability. That’s, when the blowing wind drops (or blows too hard) the windmills cease spinning and you also get no energy. Wind energy is not naturally environmentally friendly, although it has some environmental benefits. Constructing wind turbines requires a tremendous deal of natural resources, as does transporting the turbines and establishing infrastructure to transfer the generated electrical power.

In the right locations wind energy is an economically appealing type of alternative energy production. Nevertheless, large wind turbines are a significant investment and if the generation potential of a area is poor then wind energy developers will be elsewhere. The single biggest challenge to the advance of wind energy is the price of extending the power grid towards the wind farms. Nevertheless, with pending climate and alternative power bills getting drafted for the U.S. There is no evidence that industrial wind power is likely to have a substantial impact on co2 emissions. Denmark, the world’s most wind-intensive country, with more than 6,000 wind turbines generating 19% of their electrical power, has yet to shut a single fossil-fuel plant.

Undoubtedly wind power is not the only solution nor is it for sure the correct answer for particular geographical areas and ought to be utilized in conjunction along with other systems. The same areas where these blowing wind power generators are located could also be used for biodiesel production. Wind energy is more obtainable throughout particular seasons because climatic conditions influence wind speed. In California, wind speeds are highest in the hot summer months, and roughly three-fourths of most annual wind energy output is produced during the early spring and summer. The prospective for just offshore wind energy is even better, estimated at seven hundred and fifty gigawatts. Just offshore wind speed is higher and more stable than onshore wind, and just offshore wind farm sites are closer to the key electrical power load centers in many places.

Wind energy as a power source is attractive as an alternative to non-renewable fuels, simply because it’s plentiful, replenishable, broadly distributed, clean, and produces no greenhouse gas by-products. Nevertheless, the building of wind farms isn’t universally welcomed because of their visual impact and other effects on the environment. That’s why the Division of Energys Nationwide Renewable Energy Laboratory, created a product that silently produces electricity for a small fraction of the price of current technologies. You will find low profile windmills you can buy for property owners which are appropriate for installation in numerous residential areas around the world.

Important advances in turbine technology have made energy generated from wind the only real form of green power currently actually cost-competitive with fossil-fuels. And also, wind’s role within our country’s energy policy mix is quickly gaining importance. Ofcourse, wind generation isn’t regular and can not replace base-load generation systems, but wind power does help reduce our reliance upon fossil fuels and helps protect our energy independence.

August 14 2010 | Business: Renewable Energy | No Comments »

Do You Know About Sources Of Energy

The future power wants of our society need numerous sources, and the answer to increasing demands is the family of diverse energy technologies sharing a common thread: not destroying our world or depleting the naturally occuring resources. Technologies concerning clean energy sources tap the natural systems and cycles, converting the always-present energy around us into more usable forms.

The use of natural and renewable energy sources is required so that dependency on fossil fuels can be minimized. We burn heavy levels of fossil fuels everyday and this contributes greatly to the pollution of air and dramatic climatic changes. It is important to act now, so that we can save earth from devastation.

There are many benefits of using the renewable and natural energy sources. Wind, tides, sun and geothermal activities are replaceable, and unreservedly available, all of the time. There is initial cost of wind turbines, solar panels, and geothermal equipment, but later, the consumer has to bear only the maintenance cost. The dependency on the fossil fuel supplies can be eliminated, and it is actually possible to become energy-efficient. If there is infrastructure in place that can generate energy from renewable natural sources, we will not have to bother about running out of coal, oil and gas supplies.

Using natural and clean energy sources is also a step towards reducing the effects of global warming. Carbon emission is not just abundant in heavy industries, but in the average household also. A little step like recycling and reusing can seriously impact environment around us definitely.

Using solar panels is a good way to generate the renewable and clean energy that can power the remote appliances. Solar hot water panels and solar electricity panels are the two main forms of solar cells existing today. This technology is advancing fast, and now the photovoltaic power is being used for more efficient solar panel designs.

Using wind turbines is a good way to get clean and renewable energy for home or business purposes. It is a very promising alternative for future energy growth, and also reduces carbon emission. For home purpose, it is very easy to buy a cheap, low efficiency wind turbine.

The ground contains significant amount of energy in the form of heat, and this energy can be tapped to generate geothermal power that may produce large quantities of electricity. But there are few locations all across the globe that are literally capable of making efficient and viable electricity from geothermal sources. Dry steam, binary-cycle and flash-steam are the 3 main power plant designs using geothermal as the power source.

August 11 2010 | Business: Renewable Energy | No Comments »