Wonky Windmill

Many people are turning to solar panels as a source of energy for their homes. This is because solar panels are a cheaper option of power supply than the regular electrical supply that comes with high bills at the end of the month. Over the past few decades, solar energy has made significant strides with breakthroughs making it a viable option for most people. Technology has dramatically impacted this development and led to the innovation of solar LED lights.

Solar panels have become a perfect substitute for many people, and they have said goodbye to blackouts and high electricity bills. It is economical, and the only time one feels the financial pinch is during the installation process. Maintenance costs are relatively affordable and are done periodically. Essential solar LED light consists of several components and gets its power from a solar panel that converts sunlight to power and a battery to store the energy for later use.

Solar LED bulbs are preferred for gardening as they tend to use minimal power and can serve for years. They can emit light all night long from a single charge. Some of them have sensors that enable them to switch on automatically at dusk and off at dawn. The automatic sensor is a nice feature, especially for someone who has a tight schedule. It also removes the additional expense of having to install a switch to the system. Here are several factors to consider when choosing solar-powered LED lights for indoor gardening.

Solar Panel 

A solar panel’s effectiveness will depend on its size and the quality of solar cells it bears. The transparency of its cover is also an important feature.

Battery

In the battery is where all the power generated is stored. You need to ensure that the battery can withstand the frequent charge and constant release cycles.

Circuit

The wiring will determine how efficiently the circuit will convert stored power into light. Quality circuitry will ensure that you get longer and brighter lights at all times.

Duration

Most LED lights have a high run time, and their components will be able to showcase this.

To get the most out of your solar panel, you must focus on its placement a great deal. Ensure that it is not blocked from accessing the sun entirely. The best angle to place a solar panel is perpendicularly towards the sun.

LED lights are environmentally friendly and affordable. They are energy-efficient and will meet the plants’ needs in the garden with a lot of ease. They can deliver the right amount of light that plants crave for. The blue light stimulates root growth and enhances photosynthesis.

The main features of garden LED lights are;

• Designed for indoor gardening
• Use less electricity
• Environmentally friendly

Plants have different needs, and therefore you need to esquire there is the proper balance in your garden. Plants tend to undergo their respiration process when it is dark, and you have to ensure that this keeps on occurring. They also have different preferences for the amount of light that they need. Therefore, you have to ensure that the duration of light is right for them.

Solar panels have made it easier for people to practice gardening all year round regardless of the seasons that they experience. Solar panels are a great way of reducing indoor gardening costs. The amount of energy needed to grow healthy plants is immense and should not be underestimated. Solar LED lights allow you to control the light cycle and frequency, giving you direct influence on your plants’ growth. 

Ensure that you get your Solar panel from a reputable company and one that does the installation process. Share with the company your primary use for the solar panel and especially your intention of doing indoor gardening with solar LED lights. They will advise you on the solar panel that will be the right size and has the necessary features to support this.

Gardening is a therapeutic way of going about your life. You will not only experience relaxation while tending to the plants, but your mind will also be at ease. Solar panels energy is clean and renewable, making them friendly to the environment. You will be playing a significant role in conserving the planet.

What Is Wind Energy?

Wind energy is the fastest-growing green energy, harnessing the wind through wind turbines and converting it into electricity.

But first, let’s talk about where the wind comes from. You may be wondering how the wind is created, given that it is always there. The wind is something that we can’t see but can feel. Simply speaking, the wind is the air that is in motion. It can blow in any direction, but most of the time, horizontal wind movement is more prevalent than vertical flow.

Several gases circulate through the Earth’s atmosphere in various layers, all of which are balanced and have a specific role. The wind is caused by pressure fluctuations in the atmosphere that pass between the present air masses. In an effort to balance the difference in the pressure, the wind travels from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas.

The wind is affected by a variety of physical forces all over the globe. This involves the rotation of the Earth, the Coriolis effect, which causes an object’s path to appear as a curve, and variations on the Earth’s surface.

The surface of the Earth is covered with land, water, and vegetative areas, all of which absorb different levels of solar energy, affecting the wind flow pattern. Rough surfaces cause the wind to flow slower, while smooth surfaces cause it to flow faster.

How Does Wind Energy Work?

Wind energy is generated as a result of the sun’s uneven heating of the Earth’s surface. The air over land heats up more than the air above the sea throughout the day. Warm air rises and expands as it rises above the ground. The lighter air is replaced by the colder air over the seawater, which is much heavier, resulting in wind. This is what we know as the Sea Breeze. The wind, on the other hand, blows in the reverse direction at night because the air cools faster over land than it does over water, resulting in the Land Breeze. These two elements make up a local area’s regular wind cycle. The atmospheric winds that govern the Earth follow a similar trend, with equatorial regions receiving more solar energy than areas near the poles.

The word “wind energy” refers to the method of harnessing the natural wind resource to produce electricity or mechanical energy. As previously said, the wind is caused by changes in air pressure, and its speed is dependent on topography and surface cover. As a result, not all regions are suitable for generating wind energy. In general, areas along the coast and offshore are good for harnessing wind energy because wind speeds are higher and there are fewer obstructions such as trees and houses.

Wind energy is harnessed by wind turbines that operate oppositely as a fan. The wind allows the wind turbine’s blades to turn, spinning the shaft. The shaft then spins the generator that produces electricity.

Wind turbines are classified into two types: horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and vertical- axis wind turbines (VAWTS). The most common type of wind turbine is the HAWTS. HAWTS have two or three long, thin blades and are built to face the wind directly. On the other hand, VAWTS are characterized by short and wider angled blades.

Small wind turbines will generate 100 kilowatts of electricity, which is enough to power a home and water pumping stations. Medium wind turbines can reach a height of 80 meters with an approximately 40 meters long blade. Wind turbines of this kind can generate up to 1.8 megawatts of electricity. Larger wind turbines can be as tall as 240 meters, with blades as long as 162 meters. The power output of these turbines varies from 4.8 to 9.5 megawatts. The energy produced can be used right away, connected to the grid, or stored for later use.

Wind farms, or wind turbines that are clustered, will produce enough electricity to fuel thousands of homes and businesses. They are usually found near windy areas, such as mountain peaks or beaches.

Advantages of Wind Energy

1. Clean and Renewable Energy

The product of the process of harnessing the wind does not give off carbon and other air pollutants since it does not rely on fossil fuels to operate. The wind is a renewable source because the Earth never runs out of it.

2. Low Operational Cost

After initial installation, wind turbines have low maintenance and operational cost. Wind turbines do not require fuel or power to work. This reduces the cost to operate wind farms as compared to operating other renewable energies.

3. Continuous Development

The efforts given on the continuous development of wind energy have transformed wind turbines into efficient wind energy tools to harness the wind. The functionalities and structure of wind turbines are being developed as technology progresses, with the aim of generating even more energy with less maintenance required.

4. Space Efficient

Wind turbines cannot be located too close to one another, so the ground in between the turbines can be used for a variety of purposes, such as making it a tourist attraction. Wind turbines may also be constructed on existing farms, with the owner receiving compensation in the form of a lease or contract. Farmers can earn extra money from this, and the turbines don’t take up much space, so it doesn’t interfere with their farming operations.

Something to look forward to…

“The efforts given on the continuous development of wind energy have transformed wind turbines into efficient wind energy tools to harness the wind.”

Disadvantages of Wind Energy

1. Noise

Wind turbines produce noise, which is why they are mostly used in rural areas where only a limited number of residents are affected; however, this is not a problem for offshore wind turbines. With the advent of technologies, however, progress has been made in reducing noise. When compared to previous designs, the new ones make less noise.

2. Poses Danger to Some Wildlife

Wind turbines can be a danger to some wildlife animals in the air such as bats and birds that may be killed or injured if they come into contact with the turbine blades. Aside from that, the noise from the turbines can also affect the animals on the ground.

3. Expensive Installation Cost

A site assessment should be conducted before the installation to determine if the location is suitable for wind turbines. Manufacturing and installing wind turbines, as well as underground power lines, all add to the construction cost, which is expensive at first but reduces over time when it comes to operation and maintenance.

4. Intermittent wind

The wind is not consistent or predictable. Since wind speed varies, it’s difficult to say how much energy can be generated at any given time. The energy storage methods should be focused on in the event that wind power is not enough for the required needs.

Final Thoughts on Wind Energy

In comparison to other sources of renewable energy, wind energy is much more established. It offers a renewable and long-term energy supply to various facilities and establishments. There are several advantages and disadvantages of using wind energy that we must consider at the moment, but we should foresee more development in this field as technology advances, which can surpass our expectations. It will be fascinating to see how wind energy develops in the future, and maybe we will discover more about it. So, let us support clean and sustainable energy!

Something to ponder about…

Wind and other clean, renewable energy will help end our reliance on fossil fuels and combat the severe threat that climate change poses to humans and wildlife alike.

Francis Beinecke

What Is Solar Energy?

The sun does not only give light to the Earth during the daytime, but it also provides energy through each particle of sunlight called the photon. Solar energy is the one responsible for the Earth’s weather system as well as energy sources.

You might wonder where all of this solar power comes from, the sun is the answer. The sun is similar to the galaxy’s stars, but it is much larger. When we look inside the sun, we can observe nuclear fusion reactions in its core, which emit vast quantities of energy that radiates from the sun’s surface and flows into space in different ways, including heat and light.

The sun is the most prolific source of energy that can give approximately 173,000 terawatts at any given time. The amount of solar radiation that reaches the Earth’s atmosphere per hour is enough to meet the world’s energy needs for a year.

Harnessing the sun’s energy and turning it into power for homes and other establishments could further reduce the world’s reliance on fossil fuel, addressing the issue of climate change.

How does Solar Energy Work?

The sun is a natural nuclear reactor that emits packets of energy in the form of photons that travel 93 million miles to reach the Earth in 8.5 minutes. The number of photons that penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere per hour generates enough solar energy to sustain the Earth’s energy needs for a year.

The solar energy that the Earth receives can be harnessed and converted into a usable form using two ways: solar thermal capture and photovoltaics. Solar thermal capture is widely used for large-scale electricity generation, while photovoltaics is commonly used for small-scale electricity generation for residential or other smaller establishments.

Solar Thermal Capture

Solar thermal capture, from the word itself, means directly capturing the heat from the solar radiation and using it in a variety of ways. It has a much wider use than a photovoltaic system. Using this on a small scale may not be as ideal as using photovoltaics. Solar thermal capture comes in three system types: low-temperature, mid-temperature, and high-temperature.

Low-temperature systems are used to regulate the atmosphere, primarily to heat and cool the air. It can be seen in passive solar establishments, where the sun’s rays are allowed to penetrate to heat the surroundings and only blocked when the environment has to be cooled.

A mid-temperature system is designed to heat water. There is no need for conventional water heating systems in this system because the heat from the sun is absorbed and transferred to the pipe system where the water is flowing.

Lastly, a high-temperature system is intended for large-scale electrical power generation. It can be used in solar power plants, where mirrors are used to focus the sun’s rays into liquid-filled tubes that can store heat energy. The heated liquid is then converted to steam, which powers the turbine and generates electricity.

Photovoltaic

The photovoltaic solar energy system is common for property owners. The solar panels in this system use the photovoltaic effect to turn the sun’s rays into electricity. The produced electricity can be used right away or stored in a battery.

The sun’s rays are absorbed and penetrate the silicon inside the solar panel, causing the electrons to loosen and move. This will then produce direct current (DC) electricity, which can then be converted to alternating current (AC) with the help of a solar inverter. You might wonder why it has to be converted. Since most household appliances run only on AC electricity, conversion from DC to AC electricity is necessary.

Effect of Weather on Solar Energy

The amount of electricity that can be generated using solar energy is affected by several reasons, one of which is the weather. You may assume that solar panels can’t generate power on a cloudy day, but that isn’t the case. Of course, the best condition for generating power is on a sunny day, but solar panels work more efficiently in cold weather. As the temperature increases, the solar panels generate lesser voltage, producing lesser electricity. Solar panels, however, generate more energy while the sun is up, even if they are more efficient in colder months.

The amount of sunlight received by each area varies. In the event of a cloudy day, solar radiation still passes through the clouds, and for that, the solar panels can still generate electricity. It is important to remember, though, that this is dependent on cloud cover and the efficiency of the solar panels. So might as well invest in high-quality solar panels that can work in any weather condition.

Advantages of Solar Energy

Unlimited Resource and Clean Energy

The sun is an endless stream of energy that will not run out soon. It provides energy that is far more than enough of what the world needs. The only challenge for this resource is our capability to efficiently turn it into electricity in a cost-effective manner that will make it more accessible to people. Also, the use of solar panels does not emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Low Operational and Maintenance Cost

Solar panels do not need to be maintained regularly; the user just needs to keep them clean. The majority of solar panel manufacturers give a 25-year warranty. Wear and tear are not an issue with a solar panel since there are no mechanical parts that may move. The inverter is the only component that needs to be replaced every 5-10 years. This is due to the inverter’s continuous operation in converting DC electricity to AC electricity.

Applications

Solar energy can be used in a variety of ways. It may be used to generate energy to power machines or heat or distill water. It may also be incorporated into structures like transparent windows or roofs.

Continuous Development

Solar panels will become more efficient as technology advances in the field of solar energy. As researchers continue to research the technology behind solar panels, we should foresee them to be on a new stage in years to come.

Disadvantages of Solar Energy

Dependent on Weather

On a gloomy day, the solar energy system still operates, but the amount of electricity generated is smaller than on a sunny day.

Initial Expense

The initial cost of installing a solar energy system can be high because it covers a wide range of components, including the panel itself, batteries, inverter, and services for wiring and installation. However, with the ongoing growth, it is reasonable to expect that the price will decrease in the future.

Requires Space

More solar panels are needed if you want to generate more electricity since you have to collect more sunlight. Solar panels take up a lot of space and some roofs are not fit for the number of solar panels you want to install. This may require a yard that has direct access to sunlight.

Final Thoughts on Solar Energy

Solar energy is ideal to use because it comes from a source that will last thousands of years before dying, and it is available every day. It will not only save us a lot of money, but it will also help to protect the Earth because it does not have a significant impact on the environment. There are obvious benefits and drawbacks to using this type of energy, but technological advancements may reduce the disadvantages in the future, making it more ideal to use and accessible to communities.

Something to ponder about…

“Once you got a solar panel on a roof, energy is free. Once we convert our entire electricity grid to green and renewable energy, cost of living goes down.” – Elizabeth May