Category Archives: Electricity

How the Biofuel Industry is Growing in the US

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Biofuels were once forgotten in the United States, mainly when huge petroleum deposits kept fuel prices low.  With the increase in oil prices recently, the biofuel industry in the US is rising significantly.  Experts predict that this green energy efficient industry will continue to grow within the next 7 to 10 years.

drop-in-biofuels

The Source of Biofuels

Those who are concerned with the prospect of global warming love the potential use of biofuels. Produced either directly or indirectly from used cooking oil, animal waste and plant materials, biofuels are less costly than other types of fuel.  Already in the national and global market, the trend for this fuel is rising.

Online Reverse Auction Software

Due to the growth of the biofuel industry, online software for energy brokers and energy suppliers is an available market for entrepreneurs.  The software to efficiently sell energy services to purchasers is a must have for suppliers and brokers.  The reverse auction process effectively conducts online business for those in the biofuel industry.

Both regulated and deregulated gas and electricity markets are involved in the reverse auction process in which the buyer and seller roles are reversed.  The buyer is given the option of testing and evaluating multiple pricing parameters to find a good fit.  Commercial, industrial, and manufacturing facilities take advantage of this platform.

Reverse Auction Benefits

Reverse auctions in the biofuel industry have been said to cut costs tremendously.  Although the seller pays a fee to the service provider, the bidding process cuts costs all around for both buyer and seller.  A situation in which both sides win is seen as a huge benefit by all involved.

As a very lucrative market, the biofuel industry benefits from reverse auctions.  Market efficiency is increased, and the process of obtaining the goods and services is enhanced.  Proper software and other technical aspects of the process is essential thus the reason that the online reverse auction software market is critical.  Quality and professional relationships are enhanced rather than compromised as is often the case in other markets.

Biofuel Market Projections and Uses

According to market research, the biofuel industry is expected to reach approximately 218 billion dollars by 2022.  A 4.5% growth is expected by 2022 as well.  Investors see these projections as an open door of opportunity.  By the year 2025, the increase is predicted to be at approximately 240 billion dollars.

Biofuel is used for other purposes besides first-generation fuel.  It is used in vegetable oil and cosmetics, and it is used to treat Vitamin A deficiency and other health issues. Biofuel is predicted to aid the improvement of economic conditions due to its health benefits and appeal to green energy supporters.  These factors explain the reasons for the projected growth and profit for this industry.

With the continued growth of the biofuel industry, reverse auctions will be a much-needed process.  The efficient software to accompany reverse auctions will keep the market flowing which will further aid the growth of the industry for years to come.

Pyrolysis of Municipal Wastes

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Pyrolysis is rapidly developing biomass thermal conversion technology and has been garnering much attention worldwide due to its high efficiency and good eco-friendly performance characteristics. Pyrolysis technology provides an opportunity for the conversion of municipal solid wastes, agricultural residues, scrap tires, non-recyclable plastics etc into clean energy. It offers an attractive way of converting urban wastes into products which can be effectively used for the production of heat, electricity and chemicals.

Pyrolysis-MSW

Pyrolysis of Municipal Wastes

Pyrolysis process consists of both simultaneous and successive reactions when carbon-rich organic material is heated in a non-reactive atmosphere. Simply speaking, pyrolysis is the thermal degradation of organic materials in the absence of oxygen. Thermal decomposition of organic components in the waste stream starts at 350°C–550°C and goes up to 700°C–800°C in the absence of air/oxygen.

Pyrolysis of municipal wastes begins with mechanical preparation and separation of glass, metals and inert materials prior to processing the remaining waste in a pyrolysis reactor. The commonly used pyrolysis reactors are rotary kilns, rotary hearth furnaces, and fluidized bed furnaces. The process requires an external heat source to maintain the high temperature required.

Pyrolysis can be performed at relatively small-scale which may help in reducing transport and handling costs.  In pyrolysis of MSW, heat transfer is a critical area as the process is endothermic and sufficient heat transfer surface has to be provided to meet process heat requirements.

The main products obtained from pyrolysis of municipal wastes are a high calorific value gas (synthesis gas or syngas), a biofuel (bio oil or pyrolysis oil) and a solid residue (char). Depending on the final temperature, MSW pyrolysis will yield mainly solid residues at low temperatures, less than 4500C, when the heating rate is quite slow, and mainly gases at high temperatures, greater than 8000C, with rapid heating rates. At an intermediate temperature and under relatively high heating rates, the main product is a liquid fuel popularly known as bio oil.

Wide Range of Products

Bio oil is a dark brown liquid and can be upgraded to either engine fuel or through gasification processes to a syngas and then biodiesel. Pyrolysis oil may also be used as liquid fuel for diesel engines and gas turbines to generate electricity.

Bio oil is particularly attractive for co-firing because it can be relatively easy to handle and burn than solid fuel and is cheaper to transport and store. In addition, bio oil is also a vital source for a wide range of organic compounds and specialty chemicals.

Syngas is a mixture of energy-rich gases (combustible constituents include carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane and a broad range of other VOCs). The net calorific value (NCV) of syngas is between 10 and 20MJ/Nm3. Syngas is cleaned to remove particulates, hydrocarbons, and soluble matter, and then combusted to generate electricity.

Diesel engines, gas turbines, steam turbines and boilers can be used directly to generate electricity and heat in CHP systems using syngas and pyrolysis oil. Syngas may also be used as a basic chemical in petrochemical and refining industries.

The solid residue from MSW pyrolysis, called char, is a combination of non-combustible materials and carbon. Char is almost pure carbon and can be used in the manufacture of activated carbon filtration media (for water treatment applications) or as an agricultural soil amendment.

4 Tips To Prevent System Failures At Remote Power Plants

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Every day, power plants are tasked with producing enough power to keep homes and businesses running. Remote power plants can be particularly difficult because they’re often located in areas where it’s hard to find qualified workers. These plants tend to fail at an alarmingly high rate due to system failures. Luckily there are methods you can do to help prevent this from happening.  If successful, it will help you save time and money as well as improve efficiency in the long run.

Read more to know about the four tips you can apply to ensure your system is running at peak performance.

Tips To Prevent System Failures At Remote Power Plants

1. Maintain Your Power Equipment And Systems

You should maintain your equipment and system regularly to ensure they’re running properly. Inspect your entire systems such as generators, switches, surge suppressors, and other equipment for signs of wear or damage every few months. This will allow you to catch any problems before they cause real issues.  These concerns may include downtimes, thus costing a lot of lost revenue per hour.

You could also schedule preventative maintenance at least once a year. This ensures everything is repaired correctly the first time around. These repairs may include fixing broken parts and replacing frayed wire insulation that’s about to fail. A power plant asset management software will help to keep your system running at top performance.

Also, ensure all system components are secure in their foundations, so there is no risk of movement over time. This can cause damage or disconnections during use.  Thus, check your inverter’s health for signs of failure or damage, especially if it has more than six years of use.

This is an essential task because the last thing you want to deal with during an emergency is downtime due to something as simple and preventable as failing equipment. Some ways to check your inverter include taking measurements, checking system parameters like pressure and temperature, etc.

2. Install A Battery Backup System

Not only will this keep you up and running during an outage, but it can also help prevent future failures. For example, your system was experiencing frequent inverter failures every time there’s a storm. If you have a battery backup in place, it will keep the power on until the storm passes.  Thus, you don’t lose any data or equipment due to this issue.

3. Keep The Plant Clean And Free Of Debris

The most common cause of failure in remote power plants is the weather on systems and equipment over time. A buildup of dust can insulate wires enough to reduce voltage output and corrode metal components that are essential for making electricity. This will result in costly downtime or even complete system failures.  Cleaning your facilities, like the air intake and exhaust ports, could keep everything running at peak performance.

On the other hand, some ways you can keep your facility free of debris include ensuring walkways surrounding equipment are clear.  This is so workers can access everything they need without stumbling around hazardous areas. You must be sure to remove any rocks or other items lying around since these could fall onto machinery if there’s an earthquake or storm and severely damage it.

Also, you must regularly check for rust or corrosion on metal equipment. This is especially important if you live in a particularly wet area since this can cause severe damage with time.

4. Have A Plan In Case Of Emergencies

If an emergency does occur, having a plan in place will guarantee you’re ready to handle it quickly and appropriately. Having spare parts on hand could make repairs immediately with no delays. This is important for ensuring uninterrupted power and avoiding further damage or accidents caused by faulty equipment.

decarbonize global energy system

Also, train all your staff members on safely operating any machinery involved and what procedures to take if anything goes wrong. This will ensure that workers can act quickly and correctly in an emergency. Thus, they don’t need too much time figuring out how things work, which could cost valuable minutes.

Another plan includes having a backup power source ready just in case your main one fails for any reason. Even if your generator is still working, a backup system will keep you from losing power again during the downtime of switching to a new system.

Conclusion

As you’ve read, there are several ways to prevent system failures for remote power plants. You must understand how these systems work and what causes them to fail so you can protect your customers from blackouts.

5 Interesting Facts About Waste-to-Energy Projects

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Waste-to-energy (also known as energy-from-waste) is a complicated technology in the realm of renewable energy. There are a lot of hidden truths and myths about this technology that people need to be aware of. Renewable energy technologies, like solar and wind, have much more simple processes and gain most of the attention from media outlets.

On the converse, renewable energy sources that are highly complex like nuclear energy have a bunch of media attention as well.

So, why don’t we discuss a bit more about this relatively unknown technology and asset class? Here I’ll discuss a number of the most important facts about waste-to-energy (abbreviated as WTE).

Interesting Facts About Waste-to-Energy

Let’s get into our facts about waste-to-energy that you need to know.

1. Waste-to-Energy Can Provide Baseload Power

The most familiar renewable energy resources such as wind and solar can only provide power if the sun is shining or the wind is blowing. WTE projects can actually provide baseload power that is used to serve consumers and the grid no matter the time of day or if the sun is shining or not.

Baseload power is essentially when intermittent resources like solar and wind become more prevalent.

2. Not All WTE Projects are Clean and Green

While waste-to-energy projects would seem to be green and clean because they turn trash into power or gas. However, some projects require long hauling of trash to bring to the actual incineration facility. This actually ends up require much more emissions from the trash haulers than alternatives.

One solution to this would be to help promote the use of electric vehicles and electric vehicle technology to be installed in trucking, like waste hauling.

3. WTE Projects Can Reduce Use of Landfills

Landfills have increased at an exponential pace the in last 100 years. Waste-to-energy projects are an awesome alternative to landfills as the trash is used to provide electricity or fuel.

WTE projects reduce waste volumes by approximately 90%, which results in fewer landfills that are needed to process ash. This ends up protecting our natural resources and land in a dramatic fashion.

5. WTE Projects have Multiple Revenue Streams

Waste-to-energy projects are extremely complicated and expensive to build. Most of the investor economic interest is driven by financial incentives, renewable identification numbers, tax credits, etc. to help these projects get financed.

Beyond these other financial incentives, some of the waste-to-energy projects produce a byproduct, named biochar, which has multiple applications and fetches good prices. The biochar can usually end up providing the most value in the revenue stream or investability of the project itself.

In addition to other economic streams, waste-to-energy projects usually require high tipping fees. A tipping fee is what the trash hauler has to pay in order to dump the trash at the facility. With WTE projects, the tipping fee can end up being 50-60% of the overall revenue stack.

5. WTE Facilities are Net Greenhouse Gas Reducers

Methane has more than 20 times the potency of carbon dioxide and is ranked as a very dangerous contributor to climate change and warming of our planet. WTE facilities avoid the productions of methane and end up producing up to 10 times more the electricity than landfill gas projects. If you didn’t know, landfills can actually end up producing electricity by capture the methane gas and compressing it into a consumable natural gas for power.

Sysav–WTE-plant-Sweden

Sweden is one of the best proponents of waste-to-energy in the world

WTE projects will usually have much more capacity than any landfill gas projects.

Conclusions

You can’t use waste-to-energy projects at your home similar to solar or even wind to get free electricity. However, knowing about projects in your area and the relevant suppliers will help you understand whether or not the technology is a perfect fit for your community. If you see a project coming online in your surrounding area, you should know how to ask the right questions.

At the end of the day, WTE projects are green and clean. They just need to have the right systems in place to make them more efficient and less risky to appeal new investor appetite. What fact was your favorite about waste-to-energy?

Do you know much about waste-to-energy projects? Let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you.

Cogeneration of Bagasse

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Cogeneration of bagasse is one of the most attractive and successful biomass energy projects that have already been demonstrated in many sugarcane producing countries such as Mauritius, Reunion Island, India and Brazil. Combined heat and power from sugarcane in the form of power generation offers renewable energy options that promote sustainable development, take advantage of domestic resources, increase profitability and competitiveness in the industry, and cost-effectively address climate mitigation and other environmental goals.

bagasse_cogeneration

According to World Alliance for Decentralized Energy (WADE) report on Bagasse Cogeneration, bagasse-based cogeneration could deliver up to 25% of current power demand requirements in the world’s main cane producing countries. The overall potential share in the world’s major developing country producers exceeds 7%.

There is abundant opportunity for the wider use of bagasse-based cogeneration in sugarcane-producing countries. It is especially great in the world’s main cane producing countries like Brazil, India, Thailand, Pakistan, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Philippines and Vietnam. Yet this potential remains by and large unexploited.

Using bagasse to generate power represents an opportunity to generate significant revenue through the sale of electricity and carbon credits. Additionally, cogeneration of heat and power allows sugar producers to meet their internal energy requirements and drastically reduce their operational costs, in many cases by as much as 25%. Burning bagasse also removes a waste product through its use as a feedstock for the electrical generators and steam turbines.

Most sugarcane mills around the globe have achieved energy self-sufficiency for the manufacture of raw sugar and can also generate a small amount of exportable electricity. However, using traditional equipment such as low-pressure boilers and counter-pressure turbo alternators, the level and reliability of electricity production is not sufficient to change the energy balance and attract interest for export to the electric power grid.

bagasse-cogen

On the other hand, revamping the boiler house of sugar mills with high pressure boilers and condensing extraction steam turbine can substantially increase the level of exportable electricity. This experience has been witnessed in Mauritius, where, following major changes in the processing configurations, the exportable electricity from its sugar factory increased from around 30-40 kWh to around 100–140 kWh per ton cane crushed.

In Brazil, the world’s largest cane producer, most of the sugar mills are upgrading their boiler configurations to 42 bars or even higher pressure of up to 67 bars.

Technology Options

The prime technology for sugar mill cogeneration is the conventional steam-Rankine cycle design for conversion of fuel into electricity. A combination of stored and fresh bagasse is usually fed to a specially designed furnace to generate steam in a boiler at typical pressures and temperatures of usually more than 40 bars and 440°C respectively.

The high pressure steam is then expanded either in a back pressure or single extraction back pressure or single extraction condensing or double extraction cum condensing type turbo generator operating at similar inlet steam conditions.

35MW-bagasse-coal-chp-plant-mauritius

35MW Bagasse and Coal CHP Plant in Mauritius

 

Due to high pressure and temperature, as well as extraction and condensing modes of the turbine, higher quantum of power gets generated in the turbine–generator set, over and above the power required for sugar process, other by-products, and cogeneration plant auxiliaries. The excess power generated in the turbine generator set is then stepped up to extra high voltage of 66/110/220 kV, depending on the nearby substation configuration and fed into the nearby utility grid.

As the sugar industry operates seasonally, the boilers are normally designed for multi-fuel operations, so as to utilize mill bagasse, sugarcane trash, crop residues, coal and other fossil fuel, so as to ensure year round operation of the power plant for export to the grid.

Latest Trends

Modern power plants use higher pressures, up to 87 bars or more. The higher pressure normally generates more power with the same quantity of Bagasse or biomass fuel. Thus, a higher pressure and temperature configuration is a key in increasing exportable surplus electricity.

In general, 67 bars pressure and 495°C temperature configurations for sugar mill cogeneration plants are well-established in many sugar mills in India. Extra high pressure at 87 bars and 510°C, configuration comparable to those in Mauritius, is the current trend and there are about several projects commissioned and operating in India and Brazil. The average increase of power export from 40 bars to 60 bars to 80 bars stages is usually in the range of 7-10%.

A promising alternative to steam turbines are gas turbines fuelled by gas produced by thermochemical conversion of biomass. The exhaust is used to raise steam in heat recovery systems used in any of the following ways: heating process needs in a cogeneration system, for injecting back into gas turbine to raise power output and efficiency in a steam-injected gas turbine cycle (STIG) or expanding through a steam turbine to boost power output and efficiency in a gas turbine/steam turbine combined cycle (GTCC).

Gas turbines, unlike steam turbines, are characterized by lower unit capital costs at modest scale, and the most efficient cycles are considerably more efficient than comparably sized steam turbines.

Overview of Biomass Energy Technologies

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A wide range of bioenergy technologies are available for realizing the energy potential of biomass wastes, ranging from very simple systems for disposing of dry waste to more complex technologies capable of dealing with large amounts of industrial waste. Conversion routes for biomass wastes are generally thermo-chemical or bio-chemical, but may also include chemical and physical.

Thermal Technologies

The three principal methods of thermo-chemical conversion corresponding to each of these energy carriers are combustion in excess air, gasification in reduced air, and pyrolysis in the absence of air. Direct combustion is the best established and most commonly used technology for converting wastes to heat.

During combustion, biomass is burnt in excess air to produce heat. The first stage of combustion involves the evolution of combustible vapours from wastes, which burn as flames. Steam is expanded through a conventional turbo-alternator to produce electricity. The residual material, in the form of charcoal, is burnt in a forced air supply to give more heat.

Co-firing or co-combustion of biomass wastes with coal and other fossil fuels can provide a short-term, low-risk, low-cost option for producing renewable energy while simultaneously reducing the use of fossil fuels. Co-firing involves utilizing existing power generating plants that are fired with fossil fuel (generally coal), and displacing a small proportion of the fossil fuel with renewable biomass fuels.

Co-firing has the major advantage of avoiding the construction of new, dedicated, waste-to-energy power plant. An existing power station is modified to accept the waste resource and utilize it to produce a minor proportion of its electricity.

Gasification systems operate by heating biomass wastes in an environment where the solid waste breaks down to form a flammable gas. The gasification of biomass takes place in a restricted supply of air or oxygen at temperatures up to 1200–1300°C. The gas produced—synthesis gas, or syngas—can be cleaned, filtered, and then burned in a gas turbine in simple or combined-cycle mode, comparable to LFG or biogas produced from an anaerobic digester.

The final fuel gas consists principally of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane with small amounts of higher hydrocarbons. This fuel gas may be burnt to generate heat; alternatively it may be processed and then used as fuel for gas-fired engines or gas turbines to drive generators. In smaller systems, the syngas can be fired in reciprocating engines, micro-turbines, Stirling engines, or fuel cells.

Pyrolysis is thermal decomposition occurring in the absence of oxygen. During the pyrolysis process, biomass waste is heated either in the absence of air (i.e. indirectly), or by the partial combustion of some of the waste in a restricted air or oxygen supply. This results in the thermal decomposition of the waste to form a combination of a solid char, gas, and liquid bio-oil, which can be used as a liquid fuel or upgraded and further processed to value-added products.

Biochemical Technologies

Biochemical processes, like anaerobic digestion, can also produce clean energy in the form of biogas which can be converted to power and heat using a gas engine. Anaerobic digestion is a series of chemical reactions during which organic material is decomposed through the metabolic pathways of naturally occurring microorganisms in an oxygen depleted environment. In addition, wastes can also yield liquid fuels, such as cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel, which can be used to replace petroleum-based fuels.

Anaerobic digestion is the natural biological process which stabilizes organic waste in the absence of air and transforms it into biogas and biofertilizer. Almost any organic material can be processed with anaerobic digestion. This includes biodegradable waste materials such as municipal solid waste, animal manure, poultry litter, food wastes, sewage and industrial wastes.

An anaerobic digestion plant produces two outputs, biogas and digestate, both can be further processed or utilized to produce secondary outputs. Biogas can be used for producing electricity and heat, as a natural gas substitute and also a transportation fuel. Digestate can be further processed to produce liquor and a fibrous material. The fiber, which can be processed into compost, is a bulky material with low levels of nutrients and can be used as a soil conditioner or a low level fertilizer.

A variety of fuels can be produced from biomass wastes including liquid fuels, such as ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, and gaseous fuels, such as hydrogen and methane. The resource base for biofuel production is composed of a wide variety of forestry and agricultural resources, industrial processing residues, and municipal solid and urban wood residues.

The largest potential feedstock for ethanol is lignocellulosic biomass wastes, which includes materials such as agricultural residues (corn stover, crop straws and bagasse), herbaceous crops (alfalfa, switchgrass), short rotation woody crops, forestry residues, waste paper and other wastes (municipal and industrial).

The three major steps involved in cellulosic ethanol production are pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation. Biomass is pretreated to improve the accessibility of enzymes. After pretreatment, biomass undergoes enzymatic hydrolysis for conversion of polysaccharides into monomer sugars, such as glucose and xylose. Subsequently, sugars are fermented to ethanol by the use of different microorganisms. Bioethanol production from these feedstocks could be an attractive alternative for disposal of these residues. Importantly, lignocellulosic feedstocks do not interfere with food security.

Pros and Cons of a Solar Powered Generator

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The solar-powered generator industry is slowly but gradually expanding. Solar-powered all-in-one portable stations are a modern substitute for traditional fuel-powered generators.

A solar generator is a fantastic way to have additional energy available whenever the light goes out. Whether you need to charge your devices, turn the lights on, or go to a place with no electricity available. Solar generators are becoming a popular and cost-effective solution for people who want to go off-grid and experience the benefits of a sustainable lifestyle. Solar energy is a wonderful alternative, since it enables you to free yourself from static energy sources, relying on nature’s clean energy instead.

There is a continuous debate on whether these solar-powered generators are superior to traditional generators. In this post, we will examine the pros and cons of solar generators to help you decide whether it is a good option for you or not. But, before we get into it, what exactly is a solar-powered generator?

Pros and Cons of a Solar Powered Generator

What is a Solar Powered Generator

The term “solar generator” is misleading. Solar generators are frequently rechargeable batteries that may be powered by using a 200W solar panel.

The operation of a solar generator differs significantly from that of a normal generator powered by fossil fuel. They have certain technical specifications and very different mechanisms.

A solar generator’s basic configuration includes a rechargeable battery, a solar charger, an inverter, and single solar panel or multiple solar panels. Energy is captured through the solar panels, and the solar charger then sends it to the rechargeable battery. Finally, the inverter transforms the DC power into an AC power supply.

Pros of a Solar Powered Generator

1. Unlimited Solar Energy

Because the sun’s energy is almost unlimited and virtually free of charge, solar panels allow you to access a boundless energy supply. However, it is not entirely free because solar power equipment must first be purchased.

In addition, as compared to diesel or gasoline, solar energy is far more commonly accessible in most distant places. As long as the sun shines, you can never face a shortage of solar energy.

And what to do when the sun goes down? As previously stated, solar-powered generators usually have all-in-one power stations, which means you can also charge it through other sources. Aside from solar energy, the primary power sources are conventional alternating current (AC) energy from a wall outlet or by a vehicle through the CIG connection.

2. Low Running Expenses

Another economic benefit of solar energy is that it is not susceptible to dramatic price changes like diesel or gasoline. Once you’ve purchased the solar power system, your ‘fuel’ expenses will be consistent.

A solar generator has very low operating expenses than a portable generator fueled by gasoline. You do not need to purchase fuel because solar energy is free to absorb, and you do not need to change any oil.

solar battery storage

The absence of moving components also lowers the possibility of requiring replacement or repair for the spare parts. So, while solar generators require a larger initial cost, their operating expenses are lower than conventional portable generators powered by fuel.

3. Eco-Friendly Alternative

The traditional gasoline-powered generator emits toxic fumes containing carbon monoxide, which is a severe health hazard, and that is why they should only be operated outdoors where you can keep them at a safe distance from other people and structures. Solar-powered generators emit no toxic fumes, making them the safest alternative, even suitable for interior usage.

Cons of a Solar Powered Generator

1. High Initial Cost

Solar generators are significantly more expensive to purchase than standard gas generators. Solar-powered generators, on the other hand, have significantly reduced running expenses. As a result, you will spend less money during the lifespan of your solar generator.

2. Limited Energy and Output

You can only recharge your solar-powered generator’s batteries when the sun is out. Although we do have other alternatives for charging them, it takes a lot more time than a fuel-powered generator. A standard solar generator will take almost six to eight hours to fully charge and provide a 100 watts output. As compared to that, you do not need to recharge a gas generator. You refuel them, and they are good to go!

Your energy output also depends on the size of your solar-powered generator. The size and weight restrict how much solar energy it can absorb and how much electric output it can provide you. Your solar generator cannot supply electricity to an entire house. It can be used for small appliances, charging devices, and for a limited time.

To put it simply, the weight and size of your solar generator are proportional to the amount of power it can retain. You can use a solar power generator as a compact alternative for moderate use. So, if you wish to use an output of 1500 watts or more, you should probably opt for an inverter generator as a lightweight option.

Now that you are aware of the pros and cons of solar generators, you will have a clear idea of which one to buy and whether you should buy it or not. Good luck!

3 Energy-Saving Practices When Air Conditioning Is A Must

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The summer season offers a plethora of fun and exciting activities. It’s the perfect time to soak up the warm weather, have backyard cookouts with family, head to the beach, or host a pool party at home.

While these are things to look forward to, some people choose to stay at home to avoid the scorching heat outside. This can be true, especially for people living in tropical regions. In turn, this would compel them to stay at home and turn on their air conditioners (AC) to cool their interiors and boost comfort.

Energy-Saving Practices When Air Conditioning

Practical Ways To Save On Energy Costs

Regardless of any setting, air conditioning units continue to be one of the biggest energy consumers. Running your cooling system nearly every day can result in increased electricity bills. Gladly, there’s an array of ways that you can do to reduce your worry about your inflating expenses. To help you save on energy costs while still enjoying the benefits of a functional air conditioning unit, consider seeking the expertise of a professional like Alan Bowman at Newcastle Air Conditioning who can provide valuable advice on how to optimize your AC system’s performance and efficiency.

If you own a few residential spaces, commercial air filtration systems can unclog dirty air filters that take nearly half of your average monthly bills. With this, you can save money in the long haul and ensure your AC systems’ efficiency while keeping your premises smelling fresh and pleasant.

Apart from cleaning your air filters, below are other simple energy-saving practices to stay within your budget during the summer months. Whether you’re a homemaker or a business owner, these strategies will certainly help you cut down costs without compromising comfort.

1. Minimize Or Reschedule Heat-Producing Activities

The humidity level outside can affect and increase the temperature inside your home, resulting in extra heat. While it can be easy to force your air conditioning systems to work harder, consider minimizing heat-producing activities inside.

Instead of cooking on the stovetop or oven in the kitchen, opt to microwave your food outside. Upon creating your weekly meal plans, try no-cook dishes. From fresh salads to hummus bowls, there are plenty of easy recipes online, which can add variety to your meals. Also, since the summer months are the perfect time for outdoor cookouts, use this time to grill your food.

stainless-steel-kitchen

Alternatively, you can reschedule doing your typical household chores. For instance, opt to iron your clothes during the evening, in the wee hours of the morning, or when the temperatures have dropped. Likewise, do your laundry, run your dryer, and use your dishwasher during the same off-peak, cooler hours. These small changes can significantly help you control the heat buildup inside and avoid overworking your air conditioners during the day.

2. Use Your Fans

Electric fans consume less energy compared to air conditioning systems. Considering this, use your fans to get the most out of the cool air from your AC appliance. Start by switching them on to push the hot air out, then turn your air conditioning unit on to enjoy a wind-chill effect.

When placed strategically, your desk or ceiling fan can efficiently regulate the temperatures in your living areas and allow the breeze to move through. In this way, you can keep your home and workspaces cool without having to push your AC to overwork.

However, make sure to switch off your fans when you’re not using them to cut down your energy bill. Alternatively, invest in energy-efficient fans that are equipped with sensors. These smart appliances can detect if there’s a need to boost the cool air in your space. When the area is adequately cold, it automatically turns off. Apart from saving money, these high-tech appliances can contribute to sustainability.

Moreover, these innovations can also be useful in businesses. Well-ventilated workspaces could improve employee well-being, boost productivity, and even increase client morale.

3. Seal Your Doors And Windows

Another easy energy-saving practice you can start today is to seal the gaps in your windows, add caulk around the cracks in your doors, and shut them tightly so the cold air won’t leave your living areas.

The sun’s heat can compel your AC system to work harder to regulate the temperatures inside. Hence, as you turn on your AC, make sure to pull down your drapes and close your blinds to block outside heat from entering your spaces. Savvy management of your window treatments can decrease the load on your air conditioning units, which in turn, helps you save electricity.

clogged filter of AC

These practices might seem simple, but doing these activities can keep your areas adequately cool, especially during the hottest part of the day.

Summing It Up

By cleaning your air filters, rescheduling your household chores, placing your fan strategically, and closing the gaps in your windows, you can keep your areas well-ventilated and comfortable. When you need to crank up your AC, these minor lifestyle adjustments can certainly help you cut down your energy bills.

4 Ways To Shift Your Business To Renewable Energy

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Going green is a viable business strategy if you’re looking for ways to become a sustainable brand. Doing so won’t only significantly reduce costs but may also potentially attract new customers and supporters. That’s why it’s no longer a surprise when entrepreneurs are considering renewable energy in powering up their companies. This isn’t impossible to achieve thanks to technology, especially if you’ve done enough research and you’re in it for the long haul.

Renewable energy isn’t difficult to understand. It means collecting useful energy from sources that are renewable and won’t be depleted even when used constantly.  These include solar or wind power. The process involves continuous replenishment of energy, which you can take advantage of as a business owner. Depending on how flexible you are as a company, shifting to renewable energy might just be one of the best investments you could make.

No matter what your goal may be for making the switch, here are some ways you could start turning to renewable energy for your enterprise.

Ways To Shift Your Business To Renewable Energy

1. Know Your Options

As there are different types of renewable energy sources, doing your research is a good starting point.  This is for you to know your options and make a decision accordingly. If your facility has considerable roof space, you may consider turning to solar energy.  This turns the sun’s energy into electricity that you can use for your business. If you’re from Florida, solar companies in Miami like Airis Energy Solutions and others would be more than willing to have a discussion.  This may include how you can take advantage of the infinite benefits of the sun and its energy.

Florida is a good location considering its adequate exposure to sunlight. To add, being in the US qualifies your business for a tax credit.  This is in return for using renewable energy for your business power needs. Aside from solar power, you could also tap into other energy sources such as commercial wind from turbine blades, hydroelectricity, and biomass from organic matter.

2. Weigh The Cost Vs. Benefits

As a business, one of your priorities is to make sure every cost should justify the benefits you’ll gain out of an investment. Since you’re considering shifting your business to renewable energy, it’s essential to realize and analyze the cost of each of your options.  By doing so, you could decide better. Solar panels, for example, may come with a hefty upfront cost. However, if you think about the return of investment it can potentially give, it’s something to consider.  Also. many panels have around 20-25 years of warranty in them.

On the other hand, micro wind turbines may be cheaper, but their lifespan is shorter. You could opt for larger sizes, but of course, you also need to consider the space you have. Additionally, it requires maintenance and the environmental permits you may need to obtain from your local government or municipality’s office.

3. Turn It Into An Advocacy

Going green is brilliant advocacy that won’t only allow you to save on electricity costs. To add, you can attract more customers and supporters.  You may do this if you amp up your public relations and highlight how you’re trying to make a difference in saving the planet. No matter how small the impact may be, it feels good knowing you can contribute to the environment. For sure, your customers would also be more motivated to spend money on a brand that cares.

green entrepreneurship

4. Involve Your Employees

Environmentally conscious advocacy isn’t just something you can impose on the organization. You need to ensure your employees are educated and informed about.  This is needed so you can all work together in achieving the goal. Doing so will encourage everyone on the team to support the cause.

Aside from renewable energy sources, you can also consider adopting a sustainable and eco-friendly approach in the workplace. You could provide learning materials that’ll teach everyone how to conserve energy. Also, you may come up with recycling programs that could potentially reduce commercial wastes. A paperless office can also go a long way in going green for your business. For example, using a paystub will allow you to deliver paystubs digitally, therefore saving on paper which preserves energy. Check out the best paystub generator free to save on money and the environment.

Involving the employees, staff, and colleagues is a positive experience that can surely help you achieve a desirable and sustainable outcome for the company.

Conclusion

Shifting to renewable energy is something that all businesses should consider, no matter the size and nature of the industry. With the planet’s resources slowly but surely depleting, it’s about time to think of ways to contribute.  If all establishments and workplaces would start to feel like this, all efforts won’t surely be wasted.

Know your options when thinking of a renewable energy source. Make sure you weigh the cost of investment to determine if it’s worth the benefits. Turn your goal into advocacy, and don’t forget to involve your employees so you can work hand in hand in achieving a common objective.

5 Tips for an Energy-Efficient Home

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Living in a house is often comfortable or even idyllic but tends to get rather expensive. After all, a typical home offers significantly more space than most apartments. A lot of it is likely taken by numerous appliances, each one working around the clock to satisfy the home dwellers. When one of them breaks, it is normal to simply either repair it or purchase a new one in its place, but because of their numbers, the costs can skyrocket in an instant.

But even if nothing in your home breaks down and loses its good looks, there is still one dominant issue. Most of it requires a constant supply of power to function. The demand for electricity alone is enough to raise your bills so much that the home budget will be significantly lowered. Fortunately, there are some tips and tricks to keeping your home budget intact, including updating your HVAC systems, insulating your walls and the attic, mounting solar panels, switching to energy-efficient light bulbs, and getting tankless water heater. Explore the tips below and see for yourself how much your bills improve.

Energy-Saving Tips for Small Businesses

1. Modernize Your HVAC Systems

The main culprit to your monthly bills is likely your HVAC system, which makes up half of the monthly payments that you have to make to your electric company. Luckily, there are a couple of things that you can do to save a lot on these bills.

The first thing that you should do is to change your old, inefficient systems for new ones. Fortunately, there are still a lot of options for you to choose from. Consider a heat pump as an alternative. This system will work by pulling heat from the air and transferring it to the air conditioner to release it as cool air. As such, you can save a lot on your bills by using this system. Regular heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, and air-source heat pumps work in different ways and come with certain advantages and disadvantages, but they all allow for energy efficiency and thus lower bills.

Another method that you can use is to change your floor heating for a more modern iteration. Cutting-edge ones like the hydronic radiant floor heating system might be complicated and expensive to install. However, they can effectively replace all other forms of warming up your home and still offer a big increase in energy efficiency over the other systems.

green heating and cooling technologies

2. Improve Your Insulation

It is also important for you to improve the insulation of your home. This way, you will be able to keep your HVAC systems running at their reduced settings and avoid drafts. As such, you will be able to save a lot on your heating bills.

You should know that two areas need insulation the most: in the attic and the walls. The first is especially important because it will keep the roof insulated and prevent unwanted moisture from entering the house. On the other hand, the walls will keep the warmth inside during winter and block excess heat during summer.

Some materials are better than others when it comes to insulating homes. The best are fiberglass blankets, foam boards, polyurethane panels, loose-fill insulation, blown-in fiberglass insulation, and wool insulation. You can use whichever option you prefer for your home, depending on your budget and what type of insulation is most available in your area.

3. Maximize Your Solar Panel Usage

You can also benefit from solar panels if you decide to mount them on top of your house. Solar panels are great for lowering your monthly bills because they harness the power of the sun to supply your household with electricity. It is also possible for you to choose them because they are getting cheaper over time. But before picking them, make sure that they can generate enough power for your household. Otherwise, they might not be worth the investment.

4. Opt for LED Lighting

LED lighting is also excellent for saving on your energy bills because of its energy efficiency. It can last up to 20 years or more without getting damaged or losing its capacity while consuming significantly less energy than traditional light bulbs. The latter uses around 60% less energy than incandescent bulbs while emitting less than half of its light. If you think about it, switching to LED lights has the potential of lowering your monthly bills by $5 or $10 every month or so.

energy efficient home

5. Install a Tankless Water Heater

Finally, you should also consider buying a tankless water heater. This way, you will avoid paying for the energy necessary to heat it beforehand in the tank. Since these heating units are designed to run on demand, they work much like the HVAC systems and thus use up a lot of energy. But unlike the latter ones, tankless water heaters can be adjusted according to your needs. It is important to know that they tend to be expensive, but you can install them yourself if you are tech-savvy enough.

Conclusion

After reading this article, you should know more about energy efficiency and how to maximize your savings on energy bills. The tips and tricks included here are sure to help you save a lot of money in the long run. All you need to do now is to pick the ones that work best for your home and start saving. So, if you have been looking for ways to save money on your electric bills, there is no better time to start than now.

As you start implementing the ideas given in this article, you will soon experience a significant difference in your monthly electricity bills. But remember that it is not enough for you just to do it once. You need to install the best equipment, upgrade your insulation, and change your light bulbs to achieve complete energy efficiency in your home.