Ways to Go Green

Ways to Go Green
Ways to Go Green
Ways to Go Green

With time running out fast, it's high time we go beyond the Earth Day and the Environment Day celebrations, and inculcate some simple ways of going green in our day-to-day life.

While a large number of people out there realize that numerous environmental issues are already knocking on our door, only a few of them are actually trying to do something to save the planet. Going green seems to be the newest mantra in the crusade to save the Earth, and the biggest advantage of this concept is the fact that you can resort to some simple changes in your lifestyle and do your bit to save the environment. While the authorities try their best to come up with complex plans to curb these environmental issues, we can resort to these simple measures and reduce their intensity.

While a large number of people out there realize that numerous environmental issues are already knocking on our door, only a few of them are actually trying to do something to save the planet. Going green seems to be the newest mantra in the crusade to save the Earth, and the biggest advantage of this concept is the fact that you can resort to some simple changes in your lifestyle and do your bit to save the environment. While the authorities try their best to come up with complex plans to curb these environmental issues, we can resort to these simple measures and reduce their intensity.

Go Green Facts

Before we move on, let's go through some interesting facts about green living.

• If the American Solar Energy Society is to be believed, effectively harnessing the sunlight that falls on the planet for a minute can help in generating power which can meet the energy requirements of the planet for one whole year.
• Other than saving 20 trees and 7,000 gallons of water, recycling one ton of paper can help in saving energy enough to power an average American house for six months.
• If the target of 20 percent wind energy contribution to generate electricity in the United States is achieved by 2030, it would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a whopping 25 percent.
• Installing water-efficient appliances in homes can help in saving 3 trillion gallons of water and $18 billion every day in the United States alone.
• While the population of the United States accounts for 5 percent of the world population, it has 20 percent share in greenhouse gases emission.

Effective Ways to Go Green

Eco-friendly living tips exist in plenty―right from having short showers to walking or cycling instead of using a car―and are quite effective in our crusade to save the planet. The best part about these simple tips is that they can be easily inculcated in your daily routine, without worrying much about how you will adjust to the new lifestyle.

• Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
• If you take a bath or wash clothes in hot water, start using cold water for the same.
• Similarly opt for short showers, instead of spending hours in the bathroom.
• Try unplugging appliances to save energy at your home and workplace.
• Never keep electronic appliances on standby.
• Instead of using a car, try walking or cycling to work.
• If possible resort to telecommuting instead of going to office.
• If you have to use vehicle, drive efficiently and make sure that it is well maintained.
• Encourage people in your neighborhood to plant trees.
• If you are into gardening, chose native drought-tolerant plants for your garden.
• Switch over to organic products instead of their conventional counterparts.
• Start composting with the garbage that is produced in your home.
• Instead of using plastic bags, resort to paper bags or cloth bags.
• If you eat non-vegetarian food, try and cut down on non-vegetarian meal a week.
• Resort to different ways to recycle paper, plastic, electronic goods, etc.
• Subscribe for bills in e-format instead of paper.
• Make use of alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar power.
• Avoid buying bottled water, and if at all you do, make sure that you dispose the bottle properly.
• And lastly, spread awareness about the benefits of green living.

There is no doubt about the fact that observing the Earth Day or Environment Day is the most effective tool of spreading awareness about the need to save our planet. When we say we need to go beyond these celebrations, we mean to say that we should do something more than just celebrating these days and forgetting the cause the very next moment.

On one hand, we can see the administration trying to get its environmental policies in place, while on the other, there exist examples of corporates going green. We, as individuals, seem to be the only ones who are left out in this bid to save the Earth and therefore, we have to join the bandwagon as soon as possible.


Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/ways-to-go-green.html

Solar Impulse 2 Airplane Launches Successful Maiden Flight in Switzerland Read more: Solar Impulse 2 Airplane Launches Successful Maiden Flight in Switzerland | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

by Josh Marks, 06/02/14

Solar Impulse
Solar Impulse
Solar Impulse

Swiss aviation pioneers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg just took an important step toward their 2015 goal of flying around the world on a solar-powered aircraft with the successful maiden flight of the Solar Impulse 2. Professional test pilot Marcus Scherdel took the cockpit of the single-seater aircraft at Payerne Airport in Switzerland and lifted off at approximately 5:36 this morning Central European Time (CET) for a 2 hour and 17 minute flight that climbed to an altitude of 5,500 feet (1,670 meters) before returning to Payerne.

“This inaugural flight is an important stage — a step closer towards the round-the-world flight. It is also a huge emotional step for the entire team and all our partners who have worked on the aircraft,” said Borschberg, Solar Impulse co-founder, CEO and pilot. This was the first of several test flights the Solar Impulse 2 team will undertake in the next few months in order for the experimental aircraft to earn certification.
Related: Solar Impulse Lands in New York, Completing Cross-Country Flight
Last year the first Solar Impulse successfully flew across the United States from San Francisco to New York City and with their upgraded version, Borschberg and company founder, president and pilot Piccard want to prove that a solar-powered airplane can fly long-range flights both during the day and at night without using fuel and polluting emissions. Solar Impulse 2 is made of carbon fiber with a 72 meter wingspan and a weight of 2,300 Kg. The airplane features 17,000 solar cells on the wings which supply four electric motors with renewable energy from the sun. Night flights are made possible because of lithium ion batteries that are recharged during the day using the solar cells.
Solar Impulse isn’t the only company working on fuel-free clean energy aviation. Solar Flight’s Sunseeker Duo is the fastest solar-powered two-seater airplane in the world and is currently testing in Italy with the goal of passenger flights this summer.

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Solar Impulse is the only airplane of perpetual endurance, able to fly day and night on solar power, without a drop of fuel.

The chances of succeeding at the first attempt to build a solar airplane capable of flying around the world were judged to be slim, so a more rudimentary prototype, HB-SIA, was first constructed. Lessons learned from this prototype are incorporated in Solar Impulse 2, the Round-The-World Solar Airplane.

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#DISCOVERSI2

This revolutionary single-seater aircraft made of carbon fiber has a 72 meter wingspan (larger than that of the Boeing 747-8I) for a weight of just 2,300 Kg, equivalent to that of a car.

The 17,000 solar cells built into the wing supply four electric motors (17.5 CV each) with renewable energy.

During the day, the solar cells recharge lithium batteries weighing 633 Kg (2077 lbs.) which allow the aircraft to fly at night and therefore to have virtually unlimited autonomy.

Learn more about the challenges of building the Round-the-World Solar Airplane.

http://inhabitat.com/solar-impulse-2-makes-successful-maiden-flight-in-switzerland/

Solar Paired With Energy Storage Scores a Regulatory Win in California.

Small energy storage now exempt from interconnection fees and review—another step toward California’s storage goals.

Eric Wesoff, Jeff St. John 
May 21, 2014

Adding an energy storage system to a NEM-eligible solar system or generator in California just became a little easier and more transparent under a new Public Utility Commission ruling.

Last month, Jeff St. John reported on the schism between utilities and the solar industry when it comes to how best to integrate energy storage. California’s big three investor-owned utilities -- Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric -- have been demanding that energy storage systems undergo reviews costing between $1,400 and $3,700 in extra fees. Utilities claimed the review was needed for safety reasons, as well as to make sure that consumers don't game the system; storing grid power and then feeding it back under the guise of green, net-metered power.

In a recent public address, SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive insisted, "There is no extra complexity in interconnecting" a PV system with storage versus just a PV system. At another recent forum, Rive noted that customer interconnect for SolarCity's energy storage system was taking an average of eight months.

CPUC President Mike Peevey publicly said that changes were afoot to remove these obstacles.

Jigar Shah commented on the recent Rive-Musk-Peevey discussion, "This was fantastic theater to force Chairman Peavey to finally rule against his friends at the utility companies. This is the beginning of the end for the utilities." (Shah might be engaging in a bit of hyperbole.)

In any case, last month, California's utility regulators issued a proposed decision that was a rebuke to utilities and a boon for hundreds of stalled battery-backed solar PV projects in California. Storage and solar advocates had been anticipating a ruling that supports a more streamlined, no-cost solution. 

And as of last week, the final ruling is in (here's a link to the full document [PDF]). The decision doesn’t give the distributed generation industry all it wants -- but it removes some significant obstacles.

Here are the basic provisions:

• Systems larger than 10 kilowatts will require a separate meter for measuring the interplay of battery-charging and solar generation at a cost capped at $600. (The cap doesn't apply to projects requiring complex metering solutions.)
• Systems smaller than 10 kilowatts will use an estimation for NEM derating
• The decision directs that exemption from standby charges, interconnection application and review fees for NEM-paired storage would be tested on a provisional basis for systems connecting by December 31, 2015
• NEM-paired storage systems with storage devices larger than 10 kilowatts shall have a maximum output power no larger than 150 percent of the NEM generator's maximum output capacity

“We’re very encouraged by the proposed decision having no application fees, and having the costs of the meters capped,” said Peter Rive, SolarCity's COO, in an interview. Given that SolarCity already monitors each individual installation at the meter and at the inverter, “I don’t think a meter is necessary at all -- but we’re moving things forward,” he said.

As for the finality of this ruling, Will Craven, Sr. Public Affairs Manager at SolarCity, commented, "Procedurally, parties can offer comment on the decision that could then potentially re-open proceedings, but for all intents and purposes, this is it."

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http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Solar-Paired-With-Energy-Storage-Scores-a-Regulatory-Win-in-California