We all hear of the advised shift towards alternative source of energy but people really fail to realize how it can be done. To most, the understanding is that they are just supporting sources to bring down utilization of energy but there are people who will go to extremes to force them to learn what it means to live on personal generated energy.

In fact, the rural life is perhaps the best place to start it all off. Many people may have a shock at first but if you think about it, looking for alternative energy source such as installing your own solar panels for energy or even the wind turbines can really be a good learning experience. Through these innovations, people may learn to how to value energy and saving a lot on energy costs in the process.

Just look at how this couple swapped their home for an off-grid place.

“We’ve learnt to adopt an older, more natural rhythm,” della-Porta says. “We spend hours a week maintaining our power supply, checking storage batteries, making sure the wind turbine is okay and monitoring water levels. Everything has double or triple backup. The cooking and the heating are powered by a solid-fuel Rayburn. And there is a separate bottle-gas cooker, which we use more in the summer, when the Rayburn is off.” Suddenly, that film-star lustre is fading.

With the climate getting more chaotic and nonrenewable resources running out, living off grid seems the logical next step. It isn’t just about saving money (in the long run, of course, as set-up costs are vast), but about reducing one’s carbon footprint to a mere baby step. It’s bizarre, then, that it wasn’t for either financial or ecological reasons that the couple decided to live off grid. “We were looking for something different, but we weren’t sure what or how,” says della-Porta, a product designer.

(Source) Times Online

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The search for alternative energy solutions continues. As the world is looking to help address the rising cost of energy, as well as analyzing the effectiveness of current energy sources, we also need to determine whether we have sufficient enough sources to satisfy the world’s need for energy. While many are turning towards the usual hydrogen, solar and wind power solutions, another energy source, nuclear power has recently been inserted into the fray. But the real question is, would it do more good than bad?

We all know what nuclear power brings. It can provide a great solution for our energy needs, but a tentatively dire expense to our health. In fact, if you think of the nuclear disasters endured in the past, such as the nuclear disaster at the Soviet Union’s Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 and the near-disaster at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania in 1979, they are reason enough to strike nuclear power from the list of acceptable non-fossil and carbon energy sources.

So, at the moment, where do we really stand? Do we conserve or simply continue to be ignorant in order to meet our demands?

One thing that is for sure, relying solely on nuclear power will be suicide. We have a lot of problems already as far as climate change and global warming is concerned, and with the possibility of another disaster, might push us to the brink of extinction.

(Source) The Olympian

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Firewinder is an outdoor lighting completely powered by the wind.  Unlike other solar outdoor devices, this one can be used in places where there’s little sun.

Firewinder® is a sculpturally designed outdoor light, which harnesses the wind no matter from which direction it blows creating a beautiful upward spiralling light - every time the wind blows.

via zedomax

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The problem with getting on your bike that despite all fresh air and fitness that it provides is that unlike your car there is no practical on board entertainment, until now that is!

This is the “Sound from Wind” is sound system for the bike which is powered by the wind, now clearly this is not the same as having a CD player as the music that you get is going sound a little like a wind chime.

Arts and Entertainment, Bikes, board, music, Nature, speakers, Weather, Wind Energy Arts and Entertainment, Bikes, board, music, Nature, speakers, Weather, Wind Energy

Rock Port, a small town in Missouri, has become the first city in the U.S. to be 100% wind powered.

Supposedly, their electric bills will freeze for the next 20 years.

Rock Port, MO 2/6/08. Rock Port Missouri is the first 100% wind powered community in the United States. To celebrate this tremendous achievement, a Green Switch Celebration will be held on Friday, April 18, 2008.

Rock Port’s 100% wind power status is due to four wind turbines located on agricultural lands within the city limits of Rock Port. The city of Rock Port uses approximately 13 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year. It is predicted that these four turbines will produce 16 million kilowatt hours each year. Excess wind generated electricity not used by Rock Port homes and businesses will move onto the transmission lines to be purchased by the Missouri Joint Municipal Utilities for use in other areas. This makes Rock Port, Missouri the first community in America capable of meeting its entire annual electricity demands from wind power!

Here’s video on Good Morning Yahoo

Press Release

via engadget

Here’s a video about the town:

Click Here to View in Full Screen Mode

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Solar power is ok when the sun shines, but wind power is better as there always seems to be a breeze blowing which is all that is needed for this device. The Hymini is the wind powered charger that can put the juice back into your PDA, cell phone, camera, mp3 and iPod.

This is particularly good for people who use bikes to travel on, as the breeze created will force the mini turbine into moving and then can charge up your device while you go. However it could with a bracket of some sort that could fix it to the handle bar.

Priced at $49.99

Source [Hymini]

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Imagine a cargo ship that is nearly 500 feet long being powered by the wind, obviously it is not a new concept as ships used to wind powered, by they were very different then, these cargo ships are way different.

The sail will be more like a kite as it allowed to drift over 600 feet above the ship, this clearly will not totally replace the engines as they are needed for manoeuvring and for power, but when the sail is deployed during the long journey the ship can save around 20% of the fuel consumption, which is not bad at all.

Source [Eco Friend]

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This is an idea that could help out with the power problems of the future, this is a wind power type of thing that is said to rival anything else, including nuclear!

This will would produce one giga watt of for around 1.5 euros an hour, if we were to compare this with other methods of power production, then the best type of power production which will cost around 43 euros per hour.

Source [Eco Friend]

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There are many claims for being the best or the greatest it is after all human nature to be the best in what you do, but could this design be the best wind turbine ever thought of?

It’s the Maglev Wind Turbine, and it is a thousand times more powerful than a regular wind turbine, what’s more its costs are reduced by half, while output is increased by twenty per cent. Built to last five hundred years it is safe to say that this is a long term plan.

Source [Eco Fuss]

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This is great idea and can be used for camping or even in power cuts; there is no need for batteries just a little bit of muscle. In fact one minute of winding will produce enough energy for nearly ten minutes of light.

Features:

Can also be recharged from a 12V car cigarette lighter socket or solar panel

Always ready to work and ideal for camping or emergencies

Never needs new bulbs or batteries

Packaging is recyclable PET plastic

Money from the sale of this product goes to The Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity.

Priced at $60

Source [The Solar Centre]

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We all know the need to look for alternative sources of energy today. The current supply and resources are simply not enough. While we hear about solar and wind energy in the works. Focusing on the current crop of energy resources, known and developed according to the people who are aiming to provide the necessary sources today, there is room for other sources and this is perhaps where kinetic energy can serve best.

While most people are concentrating on automated and generated energy, we can find that alternative through the efforts of body motion. Sounds like it means a lot of work? Well technically it does. But considering we are moving like crazy to find them, then it would be best to put efforts in place on our very own efforts.

Read more: Energy: Strategies, Policy & Best Practices for the Northwest

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The best way to get into farming is harvesting naturally and with social responsibility. No other than the crop growers and farmers will surely lead the way as they are more inclined to turn to natural generating energy sources such as wind energy to carry out their living.

In most cases, farmers would want rampant and fast means of trying to grow their crops. But in today’s age, cost is something to consider alongside the growing concern for sufficient supply of energy to support their profession.

Read more: Farmer becomes proponent of wind energy

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This is a great new idea that puts a new slant on wind farm. Instead of taking up valuable land or spoiling

the coastline with offshore wind farms. These turbines sit over the road and it is the turbulence of the vehicles passing below that drive the turbines around and it is this movement that generates the power.

The idea come from a student from Arizona State University, and each turbine would be capable of generating enough power to light up a medium sized apartment, even if the wind speed is only at a low 10 mph.

If this took off there are literally thousands of miles freeway that could be used for potential power generation in the future!

Source [Eco Friend]

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Cool new gadget due out at the end of October, HY Mini, it converts wind energy into power that can charge a cell phone, digital camera, iPod, PDA, and other small electronics.

For example, you can attach the HYmini to bike handlebars or your arm while jogging or walking and this eco friendly charger/adapter will collect power for later.

Swept Away Media writes:
“Spend an hour outside in the sun with HYmini and you’ll get enough power for 2 full hours of MP3 playtime. Ride your bike for an hour, with HYmini strapped on your arm, or mounted on the handlebars, and you’ll have enough power for over 50 digital photos or about 15 extra minutes on your cell phone. Mount HYmini on a car window, drive about 40 MPR, and you’ll generate enough power to listen to over 8 hours of music on your MP3 or chat on your cell for over 40 minutes”.

This is super neat and you will probably see more of this type of device in the coming months and years, but for now this is the first of its kind. Price is $50 for the basic wind power only model. There are optional solar panels one can buy.

Source: [Abc News] and [Swept Away Media]

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With a world that is dead serious in combating the whole issue of lacking energy, conferences and meetings from various participating countries normally meet and share views to propose and shed light towards the options that they can look at when it comes to overall efforts of finding more renewable sources of energy.

Such will be the agenda which aims to elaborate more on the solar and hydro energy sources in various parts of the world.

Source: Seven Global Renewable Energy Conferences Slated For October

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