Notable Class Links

http://aworldofpower.blogspot.com/

This blog created by UltraMega has consistently drawn me back to it. Not only is it the topic that is very interesting and relevant to todays society but I really feel a connection with UltraMega. We tend to hold the same opinion on many topics yet when we differ I feel we are both enlightened. Everytime I disagree with a post of his I leave a comment and cannot wait to see what he comments back. I have altered his opinion before through a comment and he has changed my opinion through posts. I also enjoy looking at the issues of power in comparison to other countries that are not generally covered in the main stream news such as Ireland. Every week I cannot wait to see what Ultra has posted and see how it affects my thinking.

http://allquietonthewesternblunt.blogspot.com/

This blog written by Buds Wiser has been one of the most entertaining blogs of the entire unit. The word play, titles, and cannabis clips have me cracking up everytime I read the blog. Throughout the posts I feel as though I am learning a lot of new and relevant information yet having fun at the same time. (who knew!) This blog is continually updated and I can tell Buds Wiser is genuinly interested in the topic at hand. Whenever I want to crack a smile and learn about a very interesting controversial topic I go to All Quiet on the Western Blunt.

http://supertechblogger.blogspot.com/
Another one of my favorite blogs written by Super Techblogger appeals to my nerdier side. I have always been attracted to weapons and future technologies so a combination of the two was bound to grab my attention. I really like how Super Techblogger goes about writing his blog. The style is casual and light yet still intellectual. The weapons he finds are always really out of the box and “cool” yet he gives evidence towards how they may become a reality in the future.

Implications

I don't want to sound overly dramatic but the future of the world is currently hanging in the balance. At least in regards to the environmental changes that are taking place and the impact man is having on these changes. The general consensus among scientist is that global warming is occurring and we can take certain measures to reduce our impact on it. Green technology is a relatively new invention but since its recent rise it has taken off and there have been numerous potentially world changing inventions. From solar power plants to hydro powered cities the future must contain green technology if we wish to reduce global warming. All of this is generally agreed upon but the main issue of the economics involved is a major concern. I have shown many ways that green technology can have a positive effect on the economy and how we can begin implementing green technology in a cost effective manner. Prices have continually dropped since green technology has been born and the government incentives to go green have risen. With time these technologies will become even less expensive and I believe eventually will be a common aspect of our society. However, we do not have unlimited time thus we must begin now. If we do not go green soon we may do more harm to the environment than we can fix. While we may not see the immediate effects of our indecisiveness and procrastination of going green our children and their children certainly will. Human beings generally don't have a tendency towards long term planning but we must realize the signs of environmental change now and plan accordingly for the sake of future generations.

Annotated Links Post

Below are some of the more helpful websites that I have used when researching for my blog.

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/
This website is a great source for the latest in green technology. It covers all types of green technology from hydro to solar and provides ample amounts of information on domestic uses and large scale productions. Most articles have multiple links to relevant stories, extensive forums, and often provide a Youtube video to reinforce the subject matter.

http://www.energy.gov/
This is a government sponsored website with extensive amounts of information on the latest green technology and implementation. It has a great database of green technology and links for consumers, researchers, educators, kids, and more. A great one stop site to find all you need and is very reliable.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/
This link provides a lot of information on the environment and highlights up and coming green technology. There are links to the top 5 solar power technologies and numerous stories on the connections between the environment, green technology, and green legislation. There is also a good database of previous stories to look at the development of green technology and green legislation.

http://www.nextenergynews.com/index.html
This website has a vast amount of information on the latest and greatest green technology. Here you can find information on all the types of new green technology from green electric bikes to turning sugar into biofuel. There are also links to the many different types of green technology.

http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/59.html
This website is a more information driven site than the previous links. The focus is on learning the background, benefits, and uses of different types of green technology in relation to the environment. There are also many useful links relevant to the technology you may be researching.

Florida Goes Green

By the end of this month Florida will have the largest solar plant in the nation online. DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center is the name of the newly built plant that will provide power to more than 3,000 homes and produce over 110 megawatts of energy within a year. The solar plant will boast 90,000 photovoltaic cells and will make Florida the second largest solar power producing state in the country. Not only will this plant provide an enormous amount of green emission free energy but it has also stimulated the Florida economy by creating 400 jobs and $2 million dollars in tax revenue that will go to benefit local schools. The gigantic solar plant uses no fuel or water, and will produce no waste. At the same time it will reduce green house gas emissions by more than 575,000 tons. To put this into perspective 575,000 tons is the equivalent of taking 4,500 cars off the road every year. The electricity produced here will also reduce Florida's fuel consumption by more than "277,000 barrels of oil and 7 billion cubic feet of natural gas." The environmental benefits of this plant are beyond measure and other states have taken notice. Many other states, such as Texas, have begun to draw plans for enormous solar plants similar to Florida's. This is a major step forward in the country's process of going green. However, one issue with solar technology is that states closer to the equator have a greater return due to the greater amounts of sunlight. To counteract this northern states can implement hydro or wind technology and still reap the benefits of green technology.



http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/powering-nations-largest-solar-power-plant/

Tidal Power

Think back to the many days you have spent at the beach. Remember how at some parts of the day the water would be high up on the beach and at other points it would be very low. This is because of tides which are caused by the moon. While tides occur gradually over the course of a day the energy used to push all that sea water up the beach and then pull it back down is rather great. Engineers have found a way to harness this energy through enormous underwater turbines that are driven by the tides surge and eventual retreat. The turbines capture the energy from both low and high tide and send it to shore via an underwater cable. This type of technology can provide a lot of energy in bursts when the tide surges and retreats but cannot provide a steady amount of energy. Tides are also easily predictable so you will always know how much energy is going to be produced but often this can’t keep up with ever changing energy trends. While France, Canada, and Russia have utilized this technology for many years it has not taken off. However, I see a big future for tidal power because of the vast amounts of ocean and growing need of green technology. This technology has no emissions and has minimal impact on the underwater environment. I look forward to possibly seeing this technology utilized in the future with wave farms and/or solar islands.

Below is a little video showing how this technology works.

Self Analysis

In looking back to the beginning of this blog and comparing how I felt then to how I feel now I believe I hold the same stance. However, I now I have a substantial reasoning and logic behind my view. At the beginning I felt as though carbon dioxide emissions and global warming were too big of issues to postpone action on. I believed green technology (specifically solar and hydro technology) should be implemented and that there were cost effective ways to do so but I didn’t have any evidence or logic to back this claim up. In hindsight I see that holding a position without any backing is rather unwise. Throughout my posts I have learned more in regards to the positive benefits of green technology but I have also discovered a lot of reasons why people would be opposed to switching over. These discoveries helped to broaden my view and in the end I feel it has strengthened my argument for green technology. By thoroughly examining both sides of the argument I am able to develop my stance more intellectually and I have been able to propose solutions to the problems green technologies have. In the past I may have simply said that there are solutions but now I am able to specifically say what the solutions are. I have not only developed my thinking in regards to green technology but I have also developed my critical thinking capabilities. I am able to look at both sides of an argument and reach an opinion while still respecting the other side of the argument. This is a major step forward in my development as a thinker.

Nanosolar

So solar technology has come a long way but there is now a company that can literally print out solar panels that are highly efficient and inexpensive. The company is Nanosolar and it has been their goal for many years to produce an inexpensive yet efficient solar panel. They achieved their goal through a seemingly simple means of printing out solar cells and attaching them to a “foil” backing. They have created an ultra then cell that is comparable to a sheet of paper which can be created 100x faster than traditional solar cells. This increase in productivity has dramatically decreased the costs of solar panels to society. The panels are rated as a "medium efficiency" which is perfect for most domestic or smaller scale solar projects. According to Nanosolar.com, "By delivering medium-efficiency solar cells at ultra-low cost, the optimum in cost efficiency and affordability is achieved for solar cells and panels. That's because the difference between an energy-conversion performance of 15% versus 20% is not even a factor of two while the difference between $20 and $200 in cost per square meter is a factor of ten. It's the solar power equivalent of trying to build a Toyota versus a Ferrari." In short they have created the best solar panel for the money. The cells can be printed out and even cut to any size that is needed and multiple cells can work together to create enormous solar panels. This technology will play a major role in the future of green technology because of its cost effectiveness, easy availability, and flexibility.

The video below is a bio of the company Nanosolar, the benefits of their solar cells, and how the cells are made.



http://www.nanosolar.com/technology

How to End the Debate

Up to this point I have shown many different hydro and solar technologies and have analyzed why this technology has not been implemented into our infrastructure. As I have stated before it ultimately comes down to the money. The debate over these green technologies started when global warming began to receive support in the scientific community and became a believable event. The evidence pointed towards coal and other energy production methods as the culprits to a high carbon footprint. At this point most people agreed that changes would be needed but because America had been relying on coal for so long the technology to make these changes was not readily available. Over the following years many new green technologies were born but all bore high costs because of there infancy. This cost is the source of the current debate over whether or not green technology should be implemented now.

My opinion is that in order to help both sides come to a consensus the government must get involved. State governments and the federal government currently provide some tax benefits to those who utilize green technology. This is a good start but these incentives must be increased and expanded to those who buy green technology and to those who produce it. These incentives must also be advertised more so that the general public is more aware of both green technology and the tax breaks. Also, I believe state governments should begin implementing large scale green technologies such as wave farms or hydro power to lessen the energy demand on coal plants. In the end the economy is in too bad a state for individuals to make a major contribution to the green movement. If the government can provide billions to bail out the auto industry then they can provide a sufficient amount to get the green movement started and lessen the high costs.

Hydro Dams

In one of my previous posts I talked about free flow energy technology that captures the energy from rivers or currents and converts it to useable energy with little impact on the environment. In the process of doing so I did a lot of comparison to hydro dam technology and talked about why free flow technology is better. I feel as though I must defend for hydro dams now after essentially dissing them in my previous post. While I still believe that general free flow technology is more beneficiary than hydroelectric dams there are certain instances where these dams work very well.

One such example is the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. The Hoover Dam produces about 4 billion kilowatt hours of electricity every year and provides energy for nearly 1.3 million people a year. The way hydro dams, such as the Hoover Dam, work are rivers with large drops in elevation are stopped via a dam. At the bottom of the dam is a water intake that funnels the water through a pipe to a turbine. Because of the drop in elevation and the water intake being at the bottom, gravity propels the water forward. For example, the water that goes through the Hoover dam moves at close to 85 miles per hour. This force turns the turbine that powers a generator, which then provides energy to the power grid. After the water goes through the turbine it is released on the opposite side of the dam into an outflow river.

On many levels this technology is great such as the zero carbon emissions and the nearly limitless supply of water. However, there are some downsides to dam building such as stopping the flow of wildlife and in many cases the destroying of rivers. In my opinion hydro dams can work in certain cases but not all. For example, it would not make much sense to build a hydro dam on the Mississippi river because of the transit that takes place on it and the many towns that sit and rely on the Mississippi. When all the pros and cons are weighed I still believe hydro dams are a better source of energy than coal firing plants and other current production methods. The environmental impact is limited to a specific area rather than carbon emissions that can potentially affect the entire planet.

Fossil Fuels Hidden Costs

This is simply an extra post that I decided to do based on an article that was presented in my Economics class. First, I was amazed at how well this article corresponded to my blog and then upon further reading I was amazed by the results of studies that were displayed in the article. As you by now probably know my blog is focusing on new technologies that can reduce America's carbon footprint. Upon reading this article I realized that the current energy production methods used by the United States cause many more problems than just excessive carbon dioxide output and that there is an even greater urge to implement new greener technologies into society. A study ordered by Congress concluded that the United States spends upwards of 120 BILLION dollars a year due to health costs related to air pollution that is caused by coal and oil. This enormous number doesn’t even cover the costs of global warming or “burning oil for trains, ships and planes.” This figure also does not include costs associated with the “environmental damage from coal mining or the pollution of rivers with chemicals that were filtered from coal plant smokestacks to keep the air clean.” In all honesty I can’t do the study justice in a short post so I would suggest reading the article and you will see how great a difference green technology can make for us now and for the future.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/science/earth/20fossil.html?_r=2&s

Solar Islands

This has been one of the green technologies that I have been most excited about. This technology can produce energy that is five times cheaper than current energy rates. Solar islands are 5km wide platforms that float on the surface of the ocean and are covered by termosolar panels which precisely reflect sunlight onto pipes that carry water. The water is thus turned to steam and flows through the pipes to a plant on shore where the steam powers enormous turbines. One island can produce hundreds of kilowatts of energy a day and these islands will be used in large numbers. The two main resources being utilized are sunlight and water which are both widely available and renewable. These islands can be used in conjunction with desalination technology so that ocean water can be utilized. Two cool features of this technology is that the islands can store energy so that energy can be provided at night and the termosolar panels can move to follow the sun thus increasing efficiency by 15%. After looking into this technology there are some potential pitfalls to floating on the ocean. Many argue that these islands are susceptible to storms, waves, corrosion, and simply getting dirty (ex. bird droppings). These could decrease the efficiency and effectiveness of the solar islands. While these are valid arguments that must be faced I still believe over time this technology has great potential. One of the ways that has been proposed to lessen the many potential pitfalls is simply to take this technology to the desert or any open spacious land. The producer of solar islands has created a land island that works in the same way. The first full scale solar island is currently being made in the United Arab Emirates so in the near future we will see how well this technology works.

A possible future of the solar island could include combining it with the sea-snake technology I mentioned in a previous post. This combination has been mentioned online by a few random comments but I have not found concrete evidence that this has been seriously considered. If solar islands work and the sea-snake work a potential combination could provide great amounts of energy and in half the space.

Here is a video made by the manufacturer of solar islands.



http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/floating-solar-island-concept/

Analysis and Links

Up to this point I have shown different technologies that can reduce America’s carbon footprint and provide us with a sufficient amount renewable energy. In doing so I have focused on solar power and hydro power technology because I believe these to be two of the best green technologies currently available. Both sunlight and water is renewable, widely available, and in most applications have zero carbon emissions. Also, it is not too difficult to harness energy from these sources and there are many different economically and environmentally efficient technologies currently available. It is no secret that America is too dependent on foreign oil and carbon emission energy productions that are hazardous to our environment and as we will see in future posts our health. Most people will agree that a change is needed but the main debate is when can we afford this change with the economy in such bad shape? Consequently the argument over green technology generally revolves around the high upfront expenses involved with implementing it. Throughout my posts I have given technologies that have zero to minimal environmental impacts and most importantly no carbon emissions. I have also ventured to explain how these technologies can be implemented in a cost effective way and how over time they will pay for themselves. One such cost effective is utilizing green technologies on the domestic and the national level. With a well planned distribution of this technology we can minimize the costs. For example, those homeowners who can currently afford the upfront costs of green technology could install solar shingles to lessen the demand of energy on the grid. Using the logic of supply and demand, with a lower demand on cities to supply energy, prices of energy will fall. This in turn will add a few dollars to everyone’s budget and thus help the economy. Also, there are many technologies that can be exploited by cities or states such as the sea snake technology, free flow hydro, or solar islands (which I have only hinted upon so far). These technologies will be paid for through public funds and will provide entire cities or states with cheaper cleaner energy and can create new jobs. This being said it is still unfeasible to say the United States could overhaul its energy production system overnight but if those people, cities, or states that can afford these technologies start now it will spread out the costs over time and have little to no negative effects on the economy. Of course there will still be those whom simply say Americans can’t afford this technology now but I respond that the technology is becoming cheaper and many states provide tax incentives to those who implement it. Others may say that global warming and the negative environmental impacts that current energy production methods have is all made up. To them I say that whether or not global warming is real, green technologies have a minimal impact on the environment compared to the current productions. Why wouldn’t we want a cleaner environment and at the same time lower energy costs? While they may believe there are no problems now times are certainly changing and with our current fossil fuel based technologies problems are more likely to arise in the future. In the end the main drawback to green technology is the costs and I have explained above how we can minimize the costs. Also, green technologies can only benefit us in regards to our environment and we must begin to use them now to ensure a clean world for our future generations.

Links
http://www.homepower.com/home/
This website provides a variety of information about multiple green technologies and their applications with a focus on potential technology for homeowners.

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/solar-power/
This page has specific information about many types of solar technology and relevant news articles and new technologies. There are also good Youtube videos to explain the different technologies.

http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/solar/en/index.htm
This website offers specific solar technologies that are produced by GE. While this page will be biased towards their technologies there is a great display of the many technologies that are currently available to residential, commercial, and utility platforms.

http://www.solarelectricpower.org/
“The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) is your unbiased non-profit resource for information about solar technologies, policies, and programs. SEPA focuses on working with electric utilities, but provides value to all businesses that have an interest in solar electricity.“

http://poweredbysolarpanels.com/
This website provides information about the many different forms solar power panels come in.

http://www.ases.org/
This website has a lot of solar power information and specifically information on jobs that will be created from renewable energy sources.

http://www.nanosolar.com/technology
Here is some interesting information about how solar panels and other solar technology is made and the future of the technology.

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/technologies.html
This page shows the differences between the many different types of solar technology and there uses. It also has a good FAQ section and a glossary on terms.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4287132.html
Here are the top 5 new solar technologies according to the reputable magazine Popular Mechanics as of October 13. It shows how solar technology is consistently becoming cheaper and more efficient.

http://futurist.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/08/solar-energy-co.html
This page has an interesting look towards the costs of solar technology and there benefits over the long run. There are also links at the bottom to other posts about solar technology.

http://www.nextenergynews.com/index.html
This website has a lot of information about many green technologies and is constantly updated with the latest technology. On the right of the homepage you will see links to solar and hydro technology as well as many other interesting topics.

http://smallhydro.com/
This website has a lot of interesting math behind how flow dynamics work. I would suggest being rather good at math to go to this site.

http://www.canyonhydro.com/guide/
“Canyon Hydro has developed this Guide to Hydropower to help you gain a basic understanding of how "home power" hydroelectric systems work, and what goes into the design. We’ve tried to keep the content objective and hype-free, so you won’t see information about specific Canyon Hydro systems.”

http://www.whyhydropower.com/
A very informative site about hydro power that shows the many benefits of hydro power and explains the pros and cons between dam hydro and free flow hydro.

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/hydro_technologies.html
This is a compilation of information by the government on hydro power technology. Click any of the links to find relevant information.

http://www.esd.ornl.gov/research/ecol_management/hydropower_technology.shtml
Here are some of the benefits of hydro power technology in reforming America’s energy production. There are also the top 3 technologies according to Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

http://www.lowimpacthydro.org/
This is an organization that specifically certifies hydro power technologies based on their affects on the environment. This organization wants hydro power to essentially be as green as possible with minimal to no environmental impact.

http://www.hydro.org/
This is an association dedicated to advancing America’s hydro power technology. There are interesting articles on how hydro technology will affect the economy and environment.

http://www.ieahydro.org/agreement.htm
This website shows the international side of hydro power. There are links towards hydro power benefits to the entire world and agreements being forged among nations to further hydro power technology.

http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/59.html
This website has a good overview of hydro power and information on many different aspects of renewable energy sources such as ecosystems, food, land, etc.

Free Flow Hydro Power

Before I get into this new type of hydro technology I would like to make a comment about a previous post that I just found more information on. The "sea snake" technology that can be used to harness the energy from waves I found has an interesting alternative use. It can double as a floating platform or island which can be utilized as an off shore retreat, restaurant, or sun-set watching platform. This is potentially another benefit of the sea snake system that seemed rather interesting.

Now onto my new green technology, hydro power. Hydro power is capturing the energy from rivers, lakes, currents, etc. and converting it to useable energy. The benefit is water is renewable and is plentiful in many parts of the world. However, areas prone to drought or that have little water would not be able to use this technology effectively(these places are often perfect for solar technology though). Currently there are two main ways to capture energy from water, dam hydro and free flow hydro. Dam hydro as you may suspect is building a dam on a river or lake. The dam lets a certain amount of water through which powers turbines and thus creates energy. Free flow hydro does not block rivers or lakes but simply sits within these bodies of water capturing the energy through different methods.

In this post I want to specifically talk about free flow hydro and its benefits over dam hydro. "A 10m/s (very strong flow) water rushing has about 314KW/m^2. It is enough for 150 US families to live comfortable including cook and air." This power is harnessed much like wind turbines harness the power of the wind. A simplistic explanation of how this is done is a small box with a fan blade in it sits in the water. The water flow spins the blade and creates energy that is then transferred to a mechanism on shore that can convert the energy to a useable form. A few of the benefits of this technology over dam technology is that it does not impede the movement of fish or wildlife, it is cheaper than dams, it can work in almost any water speed or depth, it can be scaled to the environment, it can be used in the ocean to harness the power of currents, and it is more efficient than dam hydro. This technology is very flexible in where it can be used and could be utilized for small towns or major cities. It could be placed off coasts, in large rivers such as the Mississippi, or even in small creeks or rivers. It is easy to see why this renewable energy source has such great potential and could easily reduce America's carbon footprint. There are no carbon emissions and the impact on the environment is less than the impact dams and other energy resources are currently having on the environment.

This is a prototype of a simplistic design of hydro flow power. It shows how the technology is rather small yet you can see how the "fan blade" is constantly moving and thus creating energy.

UNC Goes Green...well kind of

A few years ago the Morrison dorm underwent major renovations. One such renovation was the addition of 179 solar panels atop the ten story high-rise. These solar panels provide enough energy to provide Morrison with upwards of 6,000 gallons of hot water a day. This replaced the previously used steam-powered heating system that is still in place as a backup. The panels cost the university $180,000 which was paid for by a four dollar a person student fee and a $137,455 grant from N.C.'s Energy Policy Council of the State Energy Office. This shows that while the upfront costs of green technologies may be high the cost burden can be distributed among many people and have a minimal impact on individuals. These panels save the university $11,275 a year and thus will pay for themselves in 16 years. The panels also release zero carbon emissions and conserve water. The previously used steam-powered system used more water than was necessary to create energy. Overall, the solar panels will provide green carbon free energy to the building of Morrison with a minimal long term cost. This example shows that while the upfront costs may be high, in the long term green technology will pay for itself and have minimal impact on the environment.

You can actually go to http://buildingdashboard.com/clients/unc/morrison/ and see real time statistics of energy production and use at Morrison. You can see how much energy the solar panels provide and the impact other "green" technologies, such as insulated windows and roofing, have had on Morrison.

The Power of the Ocean

The world’s oceans cover about 75% of the world’s surface. With the search for “greener” technologies at an all time high it was just a matter of time before scientists look towards the largest expanse on earth. Many green technologies take up numerous acres of precious land to provide the energy needed to run a city or nation where as the current coal burning or fossil fuel energy plants take up a minimal amount of land. To counter this scientists have turned to the ocean and particularly the waves. If you think about your trips to the beach you are more than likely going to picture the infinite amount of waves that consistently hit the shore. There is now a technology that can harness the power from these waves and convert it to useable green energy. The greatest part is there are no emissions of any sort and “wave farms” are already being used in Portugal to provide energy to 1,500 homes. The main drawback to this type of technology is the amount of area it takes to provide a meaningful amount of energy. While large areas off the coast must be dedicated to these “wave farms” the percentage used in comparison to the world’s oceans is minimal. This technology is still in its infant stages but has a great potential to take our demand off the current energy infrastructure in use. This type of technology would be implemented by cities or states thus local governments would bear the cost burdens opposed to the national government. Land-locked states would not be able to utilize this technology thus the need for many types of “green” technologies is a must to reduce America’s carbon footprint.

Below is a video on the physics behind this wave technology. It can explain exactly how “wave farms” work better than I can.

The Homeowners Contribution

As I stated in the first article one of the areas America needs to improve most in, in regards to our carbon footprint, is energy production. There are two main ways we can implement solar power into our energy production. On a grand scale we can create enormous "solar islands" that essentially replace power plants and provide power to entire cities or districts. On a smaller scale homeowners can implement solar power to coincide with their monthly electric bill, replace their monthly electric bill, or even make the electric company pay them! This small scale solution will provide greater benefits to individual carbon footprints rather than the national carbon footprint but is the first step towards reducing our national footprint. When individuals get involved in reducing their own carbon footprint and they become more involved it will be easier to reduce the national one. A new product has just come out from the DOW Chemical Company that provides solar energy to individual homeowners. DOW has created a shingle that doubles as a solar panel and can be used side by side with normal roofing shingles. Previously a homeowner's only means of utilizing solar energy was to by large bulky solar panels. These were expensive to produce and install. With these new shingles contractors are able to install them the same way traditional shingles were installed thus lowering installation costs. Depending upon how many shingles are installed a house could become completely self sufficient in regards to energy production and consumption. Often times a house produces so much solar energy that the excess energy is actually sent to the power company. The power company must pay the homeowner for this energy. The reason why this is all so important to the reducing of America's carbon footprint is that "green" technology is often expensive. With inexpensive solar options such as the solar shingle it will be easier for people to go green and reduce the carbon footprint.

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=105112

Reducing the Carbon Footprint Naturally

To begin we must first know exactly what a carbon footprint is. A carbon footprint is "the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product" (UK Carbon Trust 2008). Generally it is expressed in terms of carbon dioxide output. The United States carbon dioxide output accounts for nearly 20% of the entire worlds carbon dioxide emissions. Within the U.S 72% of carbon emissions result from electric power production and transportation, while of these emissions 39% coming from electric power. If the U.S. simply focused on "greener" means of electricity production the U.S. could reduced its carbon footprint by nearly half. While these numbers present a gloomy image of America's energy production there are natural resources that can be utilized to drastically diminish America's carbon footprint. The two sources I will focus on within this blog are the power of the sun and the power of water. These resources are able to provide millions of kilowatts of energy daily and the only obstacle is harnessing this energy. "Scientists have estimated that constructing solar thermal power plants on less than 1 percent of the world’s deserts — an area roughly the size of Austria — could meet the entire world’s energy needs." This shows that solar power alone could cut the U.S. carbon footprint in half and coupled with water the U.S. could have ample amounts of energy at no cost to the environment. These resources are abundant and the technology needed to utilize them is readily available. All that is needed now is the initiative to get the ball rolling and America’s carbon footprint can easily be reduced.

http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2144
http://www.iea.org/co2highlights/CO2highlights.pdf