Tag Archives: dc
Electricity 101
This is a introduction to some of the fundamental concepts of electricity. Think of electricity like water flowing through a pipe that’s pitched on a hill. Gravity is the force that pushes the water down the pipe- this would be your voltage. The amount of water that moves through the pipe would be your current, [...]
In Focus: President Obama’s Next-Generation Energy System Plan
Tuesday’s State of the Union (SOTU) speech included much that was music to environmentalists’ ears. The headline, of course, is the commitment to take serious action to address the most significant challenge our generation faces – climate change. And, with it, the extreme weather and public health burdens that are already making life harder for [...]
Doubling U.S. Energy Productivity By 2030
The Alliance Commission on National Energy Efficiency Policy released a report today with recommendations that would put the U.S. on a path towards doubling its energy productivity by 2030. The Commission, which is chaired by U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) and National Grid U.S. President Tom King, is a diverse coalition of energy leaders that [...]
Technological Breakthroughs vs. A Carbon Diet
Over the weekend, The New Republic published an interview with President Obama, where he noted the following: “On climate change, it’s a daunting task. But we know what releases carbon into the atmosphere, and we have tools right now that would start scaling that back, although we’d still need some big technological breakthrough.” How accurate [...]
In Focus: High Voltage DC Transmission
For most of us, the concept of current is simply a flow of electricity that originates at the source and is sent to our homes for consumption. But there’s more to just receiving electricity. It involves a complex process wherein the bulk of power is transferred over long distances to a station from where it [...]
How Solar Power Inverters Work
A solar inverter converts electricity generated by your solar panels (this is direct current, or DC, power) into power that can be used in your home for your computer, television and other wired products (this is alternating current, or AC, power). A solar panel cannot create AC power on its own; it needs help in [...]
Solar Decathlon 2011 Kicks Off Tomorrow
The 2011 Solar Decathlon, a U.S. Department of Energy initiative, is well under way, with solar power innovators scrambling to get their projects ready for the competition. This year the event takes place at the National Mall’s West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., between tomorrow (23) and October 2. The biennial program started in 2002 [...]
Aquaterr debuts solar-powered irrigation system to save water
Whilesome scientists are working on technology that could make trees texttheir owners when they’re in need of water, companies such as Aquaterrare working on a more practical and simple technology that can helpsave water and prevent plants from starving to death. The company hasrecently launched a new irrigation system that pledges to save water byactivating [...]