Article Post:
The Next Big Thing - Alternative Energy
Venture Capital Investments into Alternative Energy & Green Technology Propel Clean Tech Companies
I live in Massachusetts and formerly worked for a high-tech company, so I witnessed first hand the benefits of the dot com boom. It was unbelievable as start-ups with nothing more than Power Point slides and a recognized technologist on staff were receiving multi-million dollar investments from the venture capital community. It would have been a great time to be invested in limousines as the parking lots of these companies were filled with deal makers. Towards the end of 2000 the excitement disappeared and the Venture Capitalist (VC) where nowhere to be found. Over the next 6 years, start-ups were few and far between. Power Point was no longer good enough, the companies needed proven technology with real customer commitments in hand.
My friends and I would often wonder where did the VCs go? Well wonder no more - according to a recent edition of The Economist the money is going into "Green" technologies. One estimate puts the total investments going into clean energy at $63 billion up from $49 billion in 2005 and $30 billion in 2004. That represents almost a tenth of America’s venture capital. A group of Silicon Valley "deep pockets" in June invested $100 million in Nanosolar, a firm which hopes to cut the cost of producing solar panels dramatically. Sun Power, the solar subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor, is now worth almost as much as its chipmaking parent company. Green is definitely in.
Although much hope is in clean energy, there is a significant price gap between energy generated by fossil fuels and alternatives. Coal, the dirtiest of all energy sources, is by far the cheapest. Therefore almost all clean energy relies on government subsidies to compete with fossil fuels. Governments are becoming fed up with their dependence on unstable and hostile countries for oil and gas, so maybe the politicians will seriously promote greater use of alternatives.
I have casually been watching the Power Shares WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW). I think that I will bump it up a few notches on my watch list.
About the Author
Michael Dawson recently said goodbye to a 20 year career in Engineering, Marketing and Sales to focus on living his dream of financial independence as a full-time trader on his on account. He has also established a financial education company, The Time & Money Group, to encourage others to pursue financial freedom and is publisher of the company’s blog "Breaking the Shackles of the 9 to 5." His mantra is "Why trade time for money … when you can have both."
http://www.thetimeandmoneygroup.com/blog
Make sure to read one of Dawson’s most popular articles: "Saying Good-Bye to the Time for Money Swap"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Dawson
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Next-Big-Thing---Alternative-Energy&id=483274
Article Post:
The Energy Efficient Home
Elements of Home Energy Efficiency Include Insulation, Lighting, Appliances & Water Consumption
By A Coyle
Whether you are buying a new house or looking to save money on your current energy bills, it makes sense to assess your home’s energy consumption. Energy efficiency not only helps you save money on your utility bills, it also helps the environment.
A well insulated house stays cooler in the summer as well as keeping its heat in winter. Insulation ratings are measured in "R-values", which measures how well it resists the transfer of heat. The higher the R-value the better insulated your house will be. R-40 is recommended for attic insulation. Insulated basements, though often overlooked, can improve the comfort of your home - in these areas R-12 or greater is recommended. Also, seal all cracks and other air leaks. If you add up the total size of the hidden leaks in your home, it can be the equivalent of leaving a window open!
Single paned windows aren’t very efficient at stopping heat transfer, which means that you may be paying for heat that is going right through your windows. Double and single paned windows are more efficient, as are coated windows. Can’t afford new windows? Many home improvement and hardware stores offer do-it-your-self window seal kits that allow you to attach a second seal using a hair dryer. Also, make use of your curtains! Keeping them drawn on summer days while you are at work will keep the heat out.
Lighting accounts for five to ten per cent of your total energy use. This is an easy area to reduce your costs. The most obvious (but often overlooked) way to cut costs is to always turn off the light when you leave a room. Make use of the natural lighting available and choose lighter colors for your interiors. Use task lighting instead of general ceiling lights - by focusing your lights on the task at hand you can cut the energy output. Keep your lights clean - cut through dust and cut your costs. Most indoor light bulbs are incandescent, which are particularly inefficient. More than 90 per cent of the energy used by these bulbs is wasted on heat, not light (ever try to change a light bulb that’s been on for a while?). By choosing compact fluorescent bulbs you can cut your lighting energy by up to two thirds. These bulbs also last up to eight times longer than regular light bulbs.
Appliances and home electronics use a lot of energy. A general rule is to keep them unplugged and turned off when not in use. Choose more energy efficient models when replacing older models.
Turn off your computer when you aren’t using it. Not only do older computers use a lot of energy, the screen saver function can draw more energy than when the computer is in use. If you are planning to come back to the computer shortly, turn off the monitor.
Another area to consider is your water consumption. You can save money on your water heating costs by washing your clothes in cold or warm water instead of hot, using low flow showerheads, and only running the dishwasher or washing machine with a full load. Insulate your electric water heater and wrap the exposed hot water pipes to stop the loss of heat.
By taking a few steps to consider your home’s energy consumption you can save money and become a greener family. by making a few small improvements you are well on your way to improving the comfort and resale value of your property.
Adam Coyle is a representative of Smith Bowden Real Estate, serving the Madison, Wisconsin real estate community. Smith Bowden specializes in helping buyers invest in properties and expand their real estate portfolios. For more info check out http://www.smithbowden.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=A_Coyle
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Energy-Efficient-Home&id=564639
Article Post:
What is Electricity?
The Basic Science Behind Electrical Energy
By Dan Hagopian
What is electricity? Where does electricity come from? How does electricity work?
The name "electricity" is derived from the Greek word "elektor," meaning "beaming sun." In Greek, "elektron" is the word for amber. Amber is a gold-brown colored "stone" that is actually fossilized tree sap.
Electricity is a property of certain subatomic particles which couples to electromagnetic fields and causes attractive and repulsive forces between them. This repulsive force between the subatomic particles creates an electric current; the flow of electric charge transports energy from one atom to another. The electrical current is measured in amperes, where 1 ampere is the flow of 62,000,000,000,000,000,000 electrons per second!
Wait just a minute … help me understand all that! To understand electricity we must first understand atoms and their structure.
All matter is made up of atoms, and atoms are made up of smaller particles. The three main particles making up an atom are the proton, the neutron and the electron.
Electrons spin around the center, or nucleus, of atoms, in the same way the earth spins around the sun. The nucleus is made up of neutrons and protons.
Electrons contain a negative charge, protons a positive charge. Neutrons are neutral — they have neither a positive nor a negative charge.
There are many different kinds of atoms, one for each type of element. An atom is a single part that makes up an element. There are 118 different known elements. The mass accumulation of elements makes up every thing we can see, touch, hear, and smell (elements are even in things we can’t see).
Each atom has a specific number of electrons, protons and neutrons. But no matter how many particles an atom has, the number of electrons usually needs to be the same as the number of protons. If the numbers are the same, the atom is called balanced, and it is very stable.
Some kinds of atoms have loosely attached electrons. An atom that loses electrons has more protons than electrons and is positively charged. An atom that gains electrons has more negative particles and is negatively charge. A "charged" atom is called an "ion."
The very nature of a positive atom is that it attracts electrons (negative charged atoms) to in effect balance the positive atom. Why, not sure, and for this article not pertinent. What is necessary to know is that the flow of elections to protons is essence of electricity.
You see electrons can be engineered to move from one atom to another. When those electrons move between the atoms, a current or flow of electricity is created. The electrons move from one atom to another in a "flow." One electron is attached and another electron is lost. This creates a continual equilibrium amongst the atoms.
Engineers however have found several ways to create large numbers of positive atoms and free negative electrons. Since positive atoms want negative electrons so they can be balanced, they have a strong attraction for the electrons. The manufactured disequilibrium creates a state of continuous flow of electrons to atoms with an overpopulation of protons (positive atoms).
When electrons move from atom to atom a current of electricity is created. This is what happens in a piece of wire. The electrons are passed from atom to atom, creating an electrical current from one end to other end.
There are two possible types of electric flow, direct current flow and alternating current flow. Direct current means that the flow of charges is in one direction. A battery produces direct current (DC) because there is no way to change the + and - you see on the battery. Alternating current (AC) has electrons in the circuit that quickly move first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, alternating back and forth between relatively fixed positions. When you use a transformer, you are using AC. PDAs, cellular phones and other common items use an AC adapter or transformer which helps extend the longevity of the item.
Dan Hagopian of Batteryship.com authored this article. http://www.Batteryship.com offers PDA Battery Replacement Kits with tools and instructions for iPod battery, iPAQ battery, Clie battery, Palm Battery, Axim battery, Treos, and Blackberries.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Hagopian
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-is-Electricity?&id=135403