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Confusion About Global Warming

Global warming is one of the most misunderstood terms in use today, for instance in the middle of a very cold winter, people wonder where is the warming trend. What they fail to realize is that that weather and climate are not equivalent, every single event does not necessarily point to climate change, it is the whole overall picture and not individual events that point to global warming. Individual weather events, from heatwaves to big freezes, cannot be used either to prove or disprove climate change and scientists have done a poor job of explaining this. Here is a recent article illustrating this fact.

Confusing Weather and Climate: The False Debate About Global Warming

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Are Rising Sea levels The Real Danger Of Global Warming?

I think that one of the reasons that global warming is not perceived as a serious problem by many people, is that they just do not believe warnings of mass extinction by the more alarmists among us.

Even though mass extinction has happened in the past, and is indeed going on right now, lets talk about a more probable event.

CO2 levels are rising

In 2009, the CO2 global average concentration in Earth’s atmosphere was about 0.0387% by volume, or 387 parts per million by volume (ppmv).

This is 103 ppmv (36%) above the 1832 levels of 284 ppmv. I found an interesting video that shows what this actually looks like. Watch the video below

Antarctic cores indicate that atmospheric CO2 levels were about 260 – 280 ppmv immediately before industrial emissions began, and did not vary much from this level during the preceding 10,000 years.

In simple terms after being stable for 10,000 years there has been a dramatic rise in CO2 levels in the last 170 years. And the rise has been accelerating the closer we get to present day.

It can be directly linked to the industrial revolution and the subsequent use of fossil fuels. As the world grows more populated and more countries become industrialized the level will make an even sharper rise.

Studies show that present carbon dioxide levels are higher now than at any time during the past 20 million years. A very interesting fact that is that CO2 levels are believed to have been much higher than now, if you go back even farther, and life was still thriving. True, but unfortunately we are not dinosaurs.

CO2 And Rising Temperatures

The earths climate does show many periods of fluctuating temperatures and science has confirmed the link between rising temperatures and CO2 levels. Here is an equation to remember, more CO2 = higher temperatures, higher temperatures means more glaciers melting.

There is also an interesting study that suggests that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is becoming unstable. Read more here:  The Discovery Of Global Warming.

The oceans have already risen 10 or 20 centimeters in the 20th century, about ten times as fast as the average sea-level rise in previous millennium although the main causes are still being debated.

One contribution to the sea-level rise was entirely clear. Water expands when heated. The consequences may seem obvious, but amid all the talk of melting glaciers, for decades nobody seems to have given a thought to other simple effects.

Finally in 1982 two groups separately calculated that the global warming observed since the mid-19th century must have raised the sea level significantly by plain thermal expansion of the upper ocean layers.

But a thermal expansion could not account for all of the observed rise. The scientists figured the rest came from melting glaciers, most of the world’s small mountain glaciers are in fact shrinking.

A lot of people are tired of hearing about the human race going extinct, I have my doubts, but consider this, since the end of the Ice Age, earth’s temperature has risen approximately 16 degrees and sea levels have risen an incredible total of 300 feet!

It does not take much imagination to connect the melting of the glaciers that covered a significant part of the earth, and the rise in sea levels.

Worse, new evidence suggested that the warming was itself starting to cause changes that would generate still more warming, resulting in more ice melt, and even higher sea levels.

Even now there are signs that disintegrating ice sheets could raise sea levels faster than most scientists had expected.

Mass Chaos

Forget about extinction here is one aspect of global warming to take seriously, sea levels are rising and will continue to rise. The sea levels alone are cause for alarm.

The last time the planet was just slightly warmer than now, the sea level was roughly 5 meters ( a little over 16 feet) higher. That height submerged coastlines where many millions of people now live, including cities like New York City and a huge part of states like Florida, and the coastlines in between.

Most of us have lived in relative comfort in this country, and it can be hard to imagine that the life we live, and the environment we currently live in could drastically change in a matter of decades or even years.

But what do you think will happen to our society when large portions of the most heavily populated areas of this country and indeed the world are under several feet of water?

Chaos, tens of millions of people displaced, vital financial and industrial institutions in ruin, personally I do not want to see it or be a part of it, but is anyone listening?

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The basic functions of a controller are quite simple, they prevent battery overcharge and block reverse current to prevent electrical current from flowing out of the batteries.

Overcharging batteries will at the least significantly reduce battery life and at worst damage the batteries to the point that they are unusable.

A charge controller is needed in virtually all solar power systems that utilize batteries. While the basic function of a charge controller is simple they might well be the most complicated part of the whole solar electric system.

Different Types

There are different types of controllers,  basic charge controllers are very simple on or off systems.  Pulse width modulation (PWM) and maximum power point tracker (MPPT) technologies are more electronically sophisticated, adjusting charging rates depending on the battery’s level, to allow charging closer to its maximum capacity.

How They Work

A simple or basic charge controller simply monitors the battery voltage stopping the charging when the battery voltage rises to a certain level, and restarting when it drops to a certain level. Inexpensive but they are inefficient and old technology.

The more modern PWM charge controllers are a type of charge controller that slowly reduces the charging current to avoid overheating the battery after it has reached the regulation setpoint.

At the same time, the system continues to send the highest amount of energy over the shortest period of time , which results in rapid charge and high efficiency.

This type of controller allows the batteries to be more fully charged with less stress on the battery, extending battery life. It can also keep batteries in a fully charged state (called “float”) indefinitely.

MPPT is the top of the line charge controller in the market. The MPPT is a high frequency converter that takes the DC input from the solar panels, changes it to high frequency AC, and converts it back down to a different DC voltage and current to exactly match the panels to the batteries.

It tracks the input power from your solar array and the voltage from your battery bank and adjusts the voltage for the highest amp output to the battery bank.

PWM And Mppt Chargers

The Mppt controller is capable of taking a higher voltage and ‘down converting’ it to a lower voltage while ‘up converting’ the amps.  Simply put, say your solar panels have an output of 24 volts and 5 amps and your battery bank is at 12 volts.

The Mppt will ‘down convert’ the voltage from 24V to12V and while doing this it will ‘up convert’ the amps to 10 amps. So you would have 12 volts and 10 amps to the batteries resulting in a more efficient system.

The PWM controller using the same system will take the higher voltage and ‘down convert’ it to a lower voltage but there is no up converting. So a simple way to look at it is you lose half the volts and half the amps, remember that the Mppt controller uses these down converted volts to double the amps.

MPPT charge controllers offer a potential increase in charging efficiency up to 30 % but of course they are much more expensive. Both systems work well but even at the higher cost MPPT charge controllers are best for your system.

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A solar inverter (photovoltaic inverter)  is a type of electrical inverter that is made to change the direct current (DC) electricity from your solar panels or wind turbines into alternating current (AC) for use with home appliances. Some inverters are designed to be connected to the power utility company’s grid.

Three Basic Types Of Solar Inverters

Stand-alone inverters: Used in independent solar energy systems or any energy system that is completely off the grid. The inverter is designed to draw  DC energy from batteries charged by solar panels or wind turbines, and change it to AC power.

Most stand-alone inverters also incorporate integral battery chargers and charge controllers to replenish the batteries. The charge controller regulates the input from the solar panels, regulates the battery output, and handles charging the batteries. Normally these do not interface in any way with the utility grid.

Grid Tie Inverters: Many solar inverters are designed to be connected to a utility grid and they contain special circuitry to precisely match the voltage and frequency of the power supplied by the utilities grid.

The inverter takes the electricity generated by your renewable energy system and sends it to the power distribution panel, from there the power may be used by  appliances within your home, or if not needed it will redirected to the utility grid.

This redirected energy is used by the other utility customers, and you receive some form of compensation for putting excess power into the grid. When there is no energy generated, utility power is pulled from the grid to provide power to your home.

Grid-tie inverters are designed to shut down automatically for safety reasons as required by law, upon the loss of the utilities power supply to protect the utility workers who are repairing the system.

Battery Backup Inverters: These are special inverters which are designed to draw energy from your battery bank, manage the battery charge via an on board charger and charge controller. The DC power is converted to AC power for your appliances and they export excess energy to the utility grid.

Unlike a standard grid tie inverter, these inverters are capable of supplying energy to your home during a utility outage, and are also required to disconnect from the grid during power outages.

No matter what type of system you use, an inverter is an integral part of it.

Here is a video, keep in mind that a small home system will be less complicated.

DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Established in 1995 and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, DSIRE is an ongoing project of the N.C. Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.

Learn more HERE

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A “grid-tie” solar energy system is designed to sell power back to the utility company and can be used with or without batteries.

Batteries Or No Batteries

If you are using batteries the power generated by your solar panels will be used to charge your batteries and any left over electricity generated by your  solar power system is directed onto the power grid. It adds to the overall total of kilowatt hours that can then be used by someone else.

With a battery less system if the grid supplied power goes out due to a storm or other malfunction, the user has no power for lights, furnace, refrigerators, etc, which could be powered by batteries for a limited amount of days.

There is a difference in cost between a battery less grid tie system and one with battery back-up. A battery-less system requires an inverter and a solar array or other renewable power source.

In addition to these two components, a battery grid-tie system requires several batteries, a charge controller for efficient battery recharging, breaker panels, circuit breakers, and enclosures to house the components.  A grid-tie system with battery back-up adds 10%-20% more cost over a stand-alone grid-tie system.

If you are not using batteries, any and all left over electricity generated by your residential solar power system and not used in your home, is directed onto the power grid, where it adds to the overall total of kilowatt hours available, and can then be used by everyone.

These systems will offset your utility usage, with the correct size system it will earn you a credit during the day that you would consume at night. These systems are easy to install and since some do not have batteries for back-up, the lack of batteries in these systems means no battery maintenance or replacements to worry about.

Grid-Tie systems are part of your overall solar system, the number and type of solar panels will determine how much energy you can produce, as will your geographic location. The DC power generated by your panels goes into an inverter.

Inverters

Inverters work by taking the DC power from the source, such as an array of solar panels or wind generators and converts it to AC power so it can be used by your appliances and fed into the grid.

The inverter must also synchronize its frequency with that of the grid (e.g. 60 Hz) using a local oscillator and limit the voltage to no higher than the grid voltage.

Grid-tie disconnects allow you to stop the flow of electricity between your solar power system and your electrical system. This provides for the safe maintenance of electrical and utility systems.  Grid-tie disconnects are also designed to quickly disconnect from the grid if the utility grid goes down.

This is an NEC requirement that ensures that in the event of a blackout, the grid tie inverter will shut down to prevent the energy it produces from harming any line workers who are sent to fix the power grid.

Selling Power Back To Your Utility Company

Ideally you want the utility company to buy back any excess electricity that you produce at the same retail rate that you buy electricity from them at. This is called net metering and is the simplest way to setup a grid-tie solar system.

In such a system you only have one utility kWh meter and it is allowed to spin in either direction depending on if you are buying or selling energy. If your solar power array produced enough electricity, your utility meter would begin to run backwards, and you earn credits on your electric bill.

In a non net metered system, the utility company will require that you install a second kWh meter to record any excess energy that you sell back to them and they will only pay you the wholesale rate.

To find out if your state offers “net metering” or any other incentives for installing a renewable energy system, Click Here.

Do you know how your home is using (or losing) energy? Every single home loses energy, but with the power of a simple energy audit, you can save energy by limiting your home’s energy loss.

An energy audit, typically done by a trained energy professional, looks at your home and how it uses and loses heat to electrical usage and waste. It involves walking through your home, and carefully looking for energy problems, some of which even can’t be seen!

Do It Yourself Energy Audit

One of the best and easiest things to do is to switch to energy saving lights, but there is much more that you can do. Before you spend another dime on the latest energy gadget think about this, you can find out how your home uses energy in just a couple of  hours by doing your own home energy audit.

A do it yourself energy audit is the single best way to save energy because it shows you exactly how your home uses energy. When you add the numbers up, you’ll understand how your home uses energy, and once you understand how your home uses energy, you can effectively target and reduce your energy usage.

It is a proven and effective way to lower energy bills and save energy in any house.

And the best part is, if you do it yourself, it is free. You don’t have to pay a professional a couple hundred dollars to come in and give you their opinion, or ‘recommend’ expensive repairs. When done correctly, an energy audit is 100% effective. It is an absolutely indispensable tool for saving energy.

Easy To Do

Energy audits are simple. There isn’t much to them, so there isn’t a lot that can go wrong! Typically, when a process involves many steps, there is greater risk for error. Energy audits don’t have a lot of complicated steps, so chances are the results you get are accurate.and its repeatable.

This means that every season, every year, you can repeat the process and track or monitor your energy usage and correct any new problems.

Once an energy audit is done, the results are unmistakably clear. You will see what uses the most energy, the potential areas for saving, and even a cost/benefits analysis of major home repairs like adding insulation or replacing windows versus savings.

Every home is different and I’m not just talking structurally. Every single homeowner is different too, in both their habits and energy usage. So, everyone uses energy differently and every home uses energy differently.

The techniques of an energy audit are generic and can be adapted for any home, but because an energy audit tracks and inspects a single home’s energy usage, the results are very specific and custom tailored to your own home.

Savings

Once you know where the problems are, you can put forth an energy savings plan that will work for your home because it attacks the causes of your energy loses.

For example should you replace your windows because it will save energy?  Some homes might need new windows or maybe not, an energy audit will tell you what you need to do, and how to save energy in other parts of your home.

The amount you can save varies by home and location. By doing an energy audit yourself, you are already saving $100 to $200 because you’re not paying someone to conduct the audit. A lot of people get results of 15-40% savings in energy costs by actually finding and reducing energy usage.

The do it yourself audit kit was put together by a former audit professional Dave Andersen. It is a collection of pdf guides and excel workbooks that estimate and predict energy usage and calculate energy loss, it is easy  to use, yet it gives you a wealth information about your homes energy.

To learn more about this diy energy audit Click Here

Your computer is using energy right now, now that is not a surprise as you are using it, what comes as a surprise to most people is the fact that the average computers idle time represents from 70% to 90% of its total annual energy use.

Something that many people don’t even know about is standby power, also called phantom power.  This means that even when not in use, power is being sucked away or drained (electrical vampires) from your electrical devices.

Drawing Power When Not In Use

Many of us have adopted the habit of simply leaving the computer running for hours or even days when we are not even using it

Your computer, monitor, printer, sound system, external drives, scanners and other peripheral devices sit quietly in the background consuming power, even if we do not use the computer for days.  For instance computers can draw 7-8 watts or more when not in use. This adds up over many hours.

Wasted Power

An individual product draws relatively little standby power, but a typical American home has around 30 products constantly drawing power and this can amount up to 10% of your electricity use, and it is completely wasted power.

Think about it, a PC, a laptop, TV’s, Stereos, two or three cell phone chargers and a lot more all constantly drawing power, even though they are not being used.

So what are your options? Unplug the device when it is not being used, plug it in and use it, and then unplug it again? Thats not going to happen. Hang garlic on everything to ward off electrical vampires? Sounds pretty good, but I will pass.

Smart Strips

New solutions to this problem have been showing up in the market place called smart strips, they look like a regular surge protector, but have the ability to eliminate most of the power drain

There is a control outlet for your computer, and automatically switched outlets for your printer, monitor, etc. When you turn your PC on, the smart strip turns on the switched outlets and powers your peripherals, when you turn the PC off,  it cuts power to the switched outlets and all the peripherals.

A simple and easy solution to this hidden power drain,  the smart strips can also be used to save energy on televisions and home entertainment systems as well.

Save Money And Help The Environment

Saving 5-10% on your bill may not sound like much, but it compounds over the months and years, and it can amount to a substantial figure.

Will it really make a difference and help the environment? The answer is yes, even modest energy savings multiplied by many people can make a big difference, and it all begins with you making changes.

To stop wasting energy and to learn more about smart strips, go to Amazon.com, they have several of these at prices that will quickly pay for themselves, while conserving energy and helping the environment.

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