the homeowner's guide to renewable energy achieving energy independence through solar, wind, biomas - dan chiras

[...]... far-seeing people who have spent a lifetime exploring, teaching, and writing about energy efficiency and renewable energy Their names, and the names of their organizations, too numerous to list here, grace the pages of the resource guide at the end of the book Without them, this book never could have been possible Without them, renewable energy would still be a wishful dream So a world of thanks to. .. us 12 the homeowner’s guide to renewable energy with additional natural gas Their reserves are on the decline and their climate is colder than ours It’s doubtful that they will expand production to supply their energy- hungry neighbor to the south Canada has its own future to protect Can we stave off the imminent decline in natural gas by tapping into natural gas deposits elsewhere? Unlike oil, the picture... weather the storm and help create a larger shift toward a renewable energy economy You can slash your energy bills, help foster the transition to a renewable energy future, and help ensure a strong, vibrant economy and a better future KEEPING YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE Before we get to the specifics of forging a path of greater energy independence, it is important to underscore a very important guideline to. .. history 18 the homeowner’s guide to renewable energy that matter, the energy is released Solar energy contained in food molecules and liberated by the cells of our bodies is, in turn, used to transport molecules across cell membranes, to manufacture protein and DNA, to power muscles, and to heat our bodies Throughout most of human history, then, humankind’s greatest achievements were made by using the. .. clean, affordable, and reliable renewable energy RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ME I have to admit to a long-standing love affair with renewable energy I fell in love with this clean alternative to mainstream energy in the summer of 1977 while visiting Arches National Park in Moab, Utah It all occurred in the most unlikely spot — in the parking lot in front of the visitors’ center There, park officials, had placed... commitment to renewable energy Unfortunately, you can’t see the fan and streamers that dramatized the PV’s remarkable ability to convert solar energy into electricity Fig 2: These solar electric panels generate electricity from sunlight and are on a special tracking device that allows the array to move as the sun cuts its daily path through the sky Tracking increases the efficiency of the panels by keeping the. .. about 75 to 80 percent of it is gone, says Steve Andrews, a Colorado-based energy expert What’s left won’t even come close to helping ease the crunch So that’s the oil picture Sure, there’s oil shale and tar sands, but they’re costly and highly energyintensive to develop The bottom line is that the US is nearly out of oil and global supplies may have peaked or may peak soon In the not-too-distant future,... of other enthusiasts Those were good times, despite the fact that the family often had to brave Colorado’s cold winter weather to watch the Broncos play Several years ago taxpayers built the team a new stadium Facing much higher ticket prices, Kara and her family decided to give up their season tickets They hadn’t given up on their team, though They were just going to watch the games on TV in the comfort... finished, the family has found dramatic changes Improved insulation and a host of other upgrades designed to cut their energy use while increasing comfort have already slashed their natural gas bill in half, saving the family $150 per month in the dead of winter New energy- efficient appliances that replaced older, less frugal models are also bound to cut their electrical bills in the years to come The energy. .. the solar cells in line with the sun from sunrise to sunset 4 the homeowner’s guide to renewable energy Fig 3: The author’s passive solar/solar electric home also obtains energy from a small wind generator heaps of slag and ash to get rid of Just a quiet little device gleaming in the bright desert sun, converting solar energy that takes eight minutes to reach the Earth into electricity This simple, . heat and coolness in their proper places, then expertly jazz-dances through state-of -the- art technologies like solar electricity, heat pumps, and biodiesel fuel. This easy -to- understand, timely. Renewable Energy Society, The American Solar Energy Society, the Iowa Renewable Energy Association, the American Wind Energy Association, the Solar Living Institute, the National Renewable Energy. Friends of the Environment If you're thinking about investing in a renewable energy system for your home, Dan Chiras& apos; The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy helps clarify the decision