Whenever we think of solar energy, we assume that it is just simple sunlight, ignoring the fact that visible light is just part of the complete electromagnetic spectrum.

It is important to keep in mind that electromagnetic radiation is not monochromatic, it’s made up of a wide range of different wavelengths, and therefore different energy levels.

It is possible to separate light into different wavelengths, which can be seen in the form of a rainbow. And as the light that falls on our solar cell has multiple photons carrying different ranges of energies, some of these photons don’t have enough energy to alter an electron-hole pair.

Recycling old materials has many different advantages. These advantages relate to many different areas, some of which could significantly improve the air we breathe, and the environment.

Here are some of the reasons why we should all recycle.

Conservation

Most of the man-made products utilize raw materials in order to create the finished product. This involves incorporating the earth’s natural resources (e.g. wood, metal) to get the required raw materials.

Deforestation is a one of the biggest example of how harvesting natural resources is harming the environment. We can reduce this by recycling more paper and other old wooden products.

Energy Saving

Through recycling, we can reduce the amount of energy needed to create a new, similar product. This means that if we don’t recycle paper, more trees would have to be chopped down, transported, and manufactured into the finished product.

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If you want to claim federal tax credits in order to make your home more energy efficient, you still have some time.

By incorporating some energy efficient appliances in your home, you can receive up to $1,500 in federal tax credits. Moreover, if you opt for multiple upgrades, you could get more than $10,000, although you’ll also be spending quite a bundle.

However, do read the fine print and find out all the details before you decide about any credit option. There are many federal tax credits that apply only to your primary residence and to existing homes. Furthermore, not all Energy Star appliances qualify, so you will have to do some research, as all the chosen products have to meet specific criteria.

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A solar water heater utilizes the sun’s energy instead of electricity or gas in order to heat water, hence resulting in lower monthly utility bill. Once installed correctly, solar water heaters are far more economical and cost effective as compared to heating water with electricity, dedicated heat pumps, heat recovery units or propane.

There are three kinds of solar systems that are commonly used. These include, pumped, integral collector storage (ICS) and thermo-siphon. The direct circulation system transfers potable water from the water storage tank through one or more collectors and back into the tank.

The solar collector is the key element of the solar heating system. It is basically a metal box which has insulation and a black absorber plate. The purpose of it is to gather solar radiation and heating the water. The circulating pump operates with the help of an electronic controller, a common appliance timer, or a photovoltaic (PV) panel.

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Energy makes things occur around us. There are different types of energy we keep using in our daily lives. In day time we use energy from sun in the form of heat and light whereas in nighttime, we get light in the form of electrical energy from streetlamps and bulbs. When a car moves on the road, it uses a stored energy form called gasoline. Similarly, when we play or work, we use the energy we get from the food we eat. 

We already learned about energy in our previous post of introduction that Energy is the capability to work. As said earlier, energy is categorized into various forms like light energy also called radiant energy, chemical energy, mechanical energy, nuclear energy, and most common heat energy also called thermal energy.

Types of Energy

Energy is divided into two main types which are Stored Energy and Moving Energy. The other names of these kinds of energy are Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy respectively.

These two major types can be best explained with an example of a stick. Place a stick on the rim of a desk and then push it off to the floor. The stick comes in state of using kinetic energy to move from desk to the floor. On other hand, you pick up the stick and place it back to its position on the desk where it rests; the stick uses the potential energy to stays in its position.

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The other day I came across an article containing list of water powered calculators from around the world. they guy went to a great length in researching all the available product and made a decent list. My attention was specifically drawn towards how these so called green batteries work. I was disappointed to know that these products like clocks and calculators, that are being marketed as water powered devices are not in fact water powered and also they are not as green as they claim to be.

Here is how they explained it at ixibo.com

At last we arrived at the company that made all the above devices possible and promises more.

None of above calculator would have existed if H20 battery was not invented/marketed by Tango Group. They are were the first one but not the only one to mass produce and market Replacement H2O cells in pack of 2. These little monsters have Minimum continuous life 1 year. More details about this little niche industry here

These so called water powered devices use H20 batteries, which are very similar to other batteries. All of them work on same principle. They generate electricity by eroding zinc or other metal. not green at all.