The planet is slowly being drained of its life because of pollution. Irresponsible energy generation and combustion has caused severe contamination of the atmosphere by pollutants that are a huge threat to the health and wellbeing of every life on earth. Humans are responsible for all the desolation the environment has suffered and it is therefore fitting that humans also be the ones to help better preserve the planet. The planet sustains us by providing us of our necessities and the least we can do to show our gratitude is by refraining from doing actions that cause it harm. Such is not an easy task though because man has become dependent on energy because societies of today are being run by technology that needs energy to keep going. Unfortunately, conventional energy sources all cause pollution material enough to hurt the planet. We should therefore make the change and shift to cleaner alternatives and the best alternative is Green Energy.

Green Energy is energy that can be obtained or used without causing significant harm to the environment. Insignificant means harm that is not over the planet’s natural capability to recover. All forms of energy create pollution but those that are green cause to little pollution that it is negligible. Sources that pose no threat of being depleted in the future are also classified as green because they do not hurt sustainability. Examples of such sources are solar, wind, water, wave, and geothermal. Since they are naturally produced with the cycles of the planet they are considered very abundant with no danger of running out.

Worldwide patronage of Green Energy will prevent pollution and revitalize the planet with clean energy. This is the ultimate goal of the sustainability. To achieve this goal different organizations such as the United Nations allot huge amounts of resources for the Research and Development of Green Solutions and Technologies. This massive R&D has resulted into more efficient green energy technologies that are more appealing to consumers. Environmentalist hope that improved efficiency will help sway consumers to shift to eco-friendly energy.

Of all the rooms in the house, people don’t immediately think about the bathroom as a place where thinking about green energy is a major concern. But the fact is that those who are trying to embrace the world of the eco-conscious should look beyond the typical areas where people tend to focus, like the kitchen, and figure out the best methods for changing things up all over the place, not just in a single corner of the household. And for anyone who is wondering why the bathroom in the first place, it’s pretty obvious: from showering to handling nature’s call, people tend to spend a lot of time in there, so it only makes sense to figure out better methods of keeping things going (and making things pretty) in there. Here are five ways to go even greener in the restroom.

#1 – Use cold water when possible. Because no one wants to take a freezing cold bath in the middle of the winter months, sometimes the suggestion to help out the planet by using less hot water doesn’t really result in people agreeing or seeming happy. But for other tasks, like rinsing one’s hair during the middle of summer or brushing teeth, there’s less of a reason to keep the faucet water piping hot. So remember that.

#2 – Turn off the faucet when brushing one’s teeth. This is one of those simple habits that once broken, can seriously help out any household. While it might not seem like a big number, it really does start to add up when people are keeping faucets running without actually needing to. Don’t do that to the environment, and don’t

#3 – Try to get dimmers for lights and fancier bulbs. This way, there’s no need to crank up the lights and then burn out bulbs that aren’t made to last for a long time, plus with the addition of a fancier type of bulb, there’s no more worrying about endlessly replacing inferior products. While good for the environment, those bulbs with longer shelf life are also a great example of green energy being more convenient for a living space.

#4 – Consider recycling objects for use within the bathroom space. Whether it’s finding the perfect mirror on the side of the road or going antiquing to find a fantastic old sink, there are great ways to not spend money on new devices for a bathroom. And sometimes, especially when it’s all about the decorative touch, it’s definitely the best possible idea for how to save money and enjoy flair.

#5 – Go with active and passive solar energy, when applicable. Whether it’s keeping window shades open to have more sunlight heating the space during the daylight hours, installing a skylight so that it’s possible to get clean without even having to flip a switch, or even considering some solar panels for outdoors to heat water for bathing, green energy can manifest itself in a stunning variety of ways for a bathroom.

Solar Cells The Early Years

Solar energy as concept for an electricity generating source was first recognized as a possibility by a physicist in France around 1839-1840 his name was A E Becquerel. However it would be close to another 50 years before the first cell was built by Charles Fritz. It would then be over 100 years before the first practical photovoltaic cell would be developed at Bell Laboratories by three men named Chapin, Fuller and Pearson.

The high cost of manufacturing the cell in relation to what it produced nearly meant the death of it as it was not practical when compared to the price of energy produced from fossil fuels in the 1950′s. Luckily the concept was brought back when NASA needed a practical way to produce electricity on one of its satellites. Then with the proliferations in the manufacture of semi conductors the price came down for the cost of building the cells.

The Rise Of Solar Cells

Now one of the most popular forms of solar energy use is the solar cell, the technical name is photovoltaic cell it converts the suns energy into electricity. An electric current is produced when photons that are most prevalent in sunlight hits cells inside that are negatively charged. The effect of these photon strikes causes electrons to be released from their atoms by the cells as the photons are absorbed. Generally the absorbing material is made of silicon. The electrons that flow through the material then begin producing electric current.

It should be noted that a photovoltaic cell does not necessarily require sunlight to become operational. But sunlight becomes the obvious choice because it produces the largest amount of protons and doesn’t require another source of energy to produce that light.

In order to produce large amounts of electricity the photovoltaic cells must be used in an array better known as a solar panel. Then you need multiple panels to produce the energy needed to power your home. The electrical energy produced is in the form of DC direct current, so if you are using it as an energy source for your home the power needs to be converted to AC alternating current which means additional equipment is required to make your home green.

Increased Demand

The need for cheaper renewable energy has created a new and growing demand for solar panels. But unfortunately the old rules of supply and demand have been thrown out the window by greed to take advantage of the demand. It used to be that as demand went up manufacturers would increase production, and as production went up the effective cost of manufacture would drop. These savings were then passed on to the consumer albeit the manufacturer didn’t completely pass these savings all on to the consumer after all they are in business to make money.

If the savings are not passed on to the consumer this makes them less practical as a means for saving money, it is claimed that if you pay to have solar cells installed it usually takes 10 years to recover your initial cash outlay. Pretty hefty price in my opinion! You do have other options such as building your own solar panels. There are also other options for going green and producing cheap electricity. Depending on your geographic location and the amount of land you have you can look at Wind Turbines. Haven’t heard what the cost recovery time is on these though. Hopefully a faster return than solar!

Sun solar is the most popular source of green because it offers multiple options for use. Home or business can harness electrical energy from the sun using solar panels which consist of photovoltaic cells that convert energy from the sun into electricity. Solar hot water collectors use the heat of the sun to produce hot water. Readily available and increasing in popularity mounted on roof tops or in the ground a top poles enables you to take advantage of lowered utility costs.

Natures wind force is yet another source of green, powering water pumps for centuries, but have now grown in popularity to supplement home and business energy needs. Wind the fastest and cleanest source because it produces no pollutants and combats global warming. Wind energy is captured by building wind turbines that spin in the breeze generating electricity. I am sure you have seen pictures or virtual visual windmill turbine single for home or turbine farms that are now being created and used to supply cities and towns with supplemental electricity.

The other green source is water, although it is less widely used as a green energy source for homes, as not all homesteads have this option because there is not an available stream to facilitate the needed electricity. Water energy produced is an old practice and still used today and moving water is completely pollutant free.

So if interested, the choice always reverts back to the seeker which renewable source is best, but if circumstances are in alignment all three sources would be awesome.

Solar energy is one of the great hopes of our current, energy-thirsty age. Everyone is aware that we need alternatives to non-renewable energy resources like coal, oil and natural gas. These non-renewable energy resources are readily available and easy to use, but they are also the cause of pollution and global warming. And, many believe that use of these energy resources can lead to political instability by causing some nations to depend too heavily for energy on other nations.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to fossil fuels for powering our world, with solar energy being one of the most promising. One attractive quality of solar energy systems is that ordinary homeowners can build and use their own systems.

Solar Energy: Advantages and Disadvantages

No energy resource is perfect, however. Before you rush out and build your own solar panels, be sure to understand their advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of solar electricity include:

1. Once you have built your solar panels, the ongoing energy you get from your panels each is 100% free

2. Your utility company can buy your excess energy from you using a process call net-metering

3. Using solar energy at the local level means you are not dependent upon the power grid; you can avoid regional blackouts (e.g., during lightning storms) and you stop writing those monthly checks to the power company

4. Your home energy use is no longer contributing to fossil-fuel-based pollution and global warming

The disadvantages of solar electricity include:

1. There is an initial cost of building a solar panel system for your home

2. Solar panels require a large area for installation

3. Solar power is not collected at night or when it is cloudy; however, with a battery system in place, you can use your collected energy during these down times

Investing in solar energy now can help save you money down the road. And, you will enjoy the peace of mind that comes from not having to rely on the local power grid for your energy and not contributing to global warming through your home energy use.