The Importance Of Energy Monitoring

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

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Every home, every business office, and every factory depends on energy, so knowing how much it costs is extremely relevant to balance finances and to respect the environment too. 

In order to know how much energy is being spent and where it is being spent, you need an energy monitoring system.

How Does M&T Actually Work

Often referred to as Energy Monitoring and Targeting (M&T), this is a technical service provided by external companies that analyse and compile information regarding all aspects of energy usage, mainly in a business, company, or organisation. Once the request for an intervention has been sent, the energy monitoring specialists will consider the business production systems, the equipment and machinery being used, the behaviour of employees and co-workers and the place in which the building or office is located in order to fully comprehend factors like daylight availability, common climate in the area and humidity and heat characteristics.

This is the base line from which relevant information may be retrieved. Businesses and organisations may learn where and when they can apply energy savings, explain over the top wastes, detect consumption trends and finally develop a strategy to encourage energy savings and set targets. The analysis will also point out any possible malfunctions or maintenance errors that may have been harming the business’ energy consumption rates and immediately observe if any of those out of the chart abnormalities occur.

The way this specific reading is accomplished is by installing several meters that provide data on energy spending according to the desired time set and that can be as fast as 30 seconds. Data from meters allied to the information gathered from the analysed variables will be integrated into a chart or graph that defines a baseline and that sums up all of the necessary spending and wasting, and that also offers a comprehensive consumption scenario that indicates the actual energy performance of the business or organization.

All meter readings and evaluation reports are delivered to management in order to set targets and define strategies to generate a more effective energy consumption plan. These actions are then subject to further evaluation and permanent monitoring to ensure their effectiveness. Once the complete energy plan generated by the monitoring is integrated into the regular procedures of companies and organisations, energy cost savings will be constant. There is also a significant diminishing in the carbon footprint and lower GHG emissions.

M&T And Public Feedback

For some businesses, this may represent a better public opinion feedback as well as financial incentives and grants for energy efficiency. In the industry, a complete understanding of energy costs may provide to a division the total energy bill between different segments of production or by product stages, and this will lead to a comprehensive understanding of production costs. From this point onwards, changes and adaptations are encouraged in order to set a better average and promote efficiency in all energy related consumptions. 

Industrial companies that require the use of various processes including the use of fume abatement, offer technology which can monitor the energy usage, highlighting areas that can be improved.

*by andreascy*

Best Green Energy Resources

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

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If you are anything like me and you like staying up to date with the current flow of energy news then I am here to help! I have always had an invested interest in energy and especially the renewables vertical.

So I thought I would add a list of my favourite places to grab this news or even have it delivered straight to my inbox should I need it!

1. If This Then That

Something I came across not such a long time ago was If This Then That. This service is brilliant; what it does it creates “recipes” for you online and lets you create connections between several services such as Facebook, Twitter and blog sources in a simple statement format (hence If This Then That). 

So for example, I can grab my favourite blogs RSS feed and have all the latest posts sent straight to my inbox for me to read when I want. There are lots of different cross channel “recipes” you can use but my favourite (bearing in mind I love everything green) is the Belkin energy saving one. 

You can keep an eye on your energy usage as the Belkin socket outlet will send an email to your inbox each time the timer switch comes on! You have to check this out!

2. The Guardian

Under the Environment section in The Guardian you will find everything you need to keep you up to date with all the facets of green living. In here you will find blogs where you can voice opinion and share your thoughts; there is also Newsletters, Apps and even a Food section. 

The reason I like this site is because it covers everything that I would want to read about and it does do in depth - perfect for anyone who cares about these topics.

3. The Green Living Forum

This is a blog run by some friends of mine and I like it because it takes information that is readily available to you and me but they make manipulate it and make it more digestible. This blog heavily focuses around Green energy and more specifically renewables such as wind, sea and solar power that take some of the burden of fossil fuels like coal and gas.

This is one that I use through the tool I mentioned before If This Then That where I pull its RSS feed straight into my Gmail account.

RECOMMENDED: Tips On Making Your Office Greener

These are just a few of the places I like to visit and use to keep up to date with everything that is going in this space. What are some of the places you like going to keep up to date? Leave a comment and please connect with us on Twitter! 

*by andreascy*

How Climate Change Is Destroying The Earth

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

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Climate Change Is Real 

Thanks to new studies and noticeable changes in weather and storm prevalence, it’s getting harder to turn a blind eye to the reality of climate change. Since the Industrial Age spurred the increasing usage of fossil fuels for energy production, the weather has been warming slowly. In fact, since 1880, the temperature of the earth has increased by 1 degree Celsius.

Although 72% of media outlets report on global warming with a skeptical air, the overwhelming majority of scientists believe that the extreme weather of the last decade is at least partially caused by global warming.

Some examples of climate calamities caused partly by global warming include:

•  Hurricane Katrina 

•  Drought in desert countries 

•  Hurricane Sandy 

•  Tornadoes in the Midwest 

These storms, droughts, and floods are causing death and economic issues for people all over the world - many of whom cannot afford to rebuild their lives from the ground up after being wiped out by a tsunami or other disaster. 

Evidence also indicates that the face of the Earth is changing because of warming trends. The ice caps of the Arctic are noticeably shrinking, the ice cap of Mt. Kilimanjaro alone has shrunk by 85% in the last hundred years, and the sea levels are rising at the rate of about 3 millimeters per year because of all the melting ice. Climate change is also affecting wildlife - for instance, Arctic polar bears are at risk of losing their environment; the Golden Toad has gone extinct; and the most adaptable species are evolving into new versions capable of withstanding warmer water. 

Despite some naysayers with alternative theories about why global temperatures are rising - including the idea that the earth goes through natural temperature cycles every few millennia - the dramatic changes in the earth’s atmospheric makeup suggests humans are to blame. In fact, 97% of scientists agree humans are responsible for climate change. Since the Industrial Revolution, carbon dioxide levels increased 38% because of humans, methane levels have increased 148%, nitrous oxide is up 15% - and the list goes on and on, all because of human-instigated production, manufacturing, and organizations and individuals work hard to promote an Earth-friendly existence, resistance to change is rampant and actions are slow. 

For instance, while the US Environmental Protection Agency is still working on collecting data to support development of greenhouse gas reduction expectations for businesses, most of their efforts feel more like pre-research than actual change. Other countries have made efforts - such as signing to Kyoto Protocol to reduce their 1990 emission levels by 18% by 2020 - but the only solution will require the whole world band together. 

Steps Anyone Can Take To Reduce Global Warming

1. Driving a car with good gas mileage, or investing in a hybrid or electric car 

2. Switching from incandescent light bulbs to CFL or LED 

3. Insulating your home and stocking it with energy efficient appliances 

4. Recycling 

5. Using green power available in your area

Check out the infographic below to see what else the gender wage gap affects.

There is a ton of information available on our website. If you liked this infographic, follow the recommended link below and enjoy.

WHAT TO READ NEXT: Urban Farming is a Green Way to Improving Cities 

Feel free to share this topic with your friends and spread our voice. If you want to see your infographics featured on our site, then the easiest way to do it is to contact us. 

*by andreascy*

Urban Farming Is A Green Way to Improving Cities

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

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Urban Farming is a process of growing foods within vastly populated towns and cities. These regions use up a lot of our foods and needed resources. A meal could journey greater than 4,000 miles to get from the farm to the markets and restaurants. Growing food nearer to the areas of greater demand decreases the amount of gasoline required to transport it from start location to its final destination. 

Minimizing the number of trips saves money and time. Additionally, this strategy can decrease maintenance cost of transporting vehicles. As a result, there is less need to purchase new vehicles. Toxic gases spewed into the atmosphere is greatly reduced. Urban agriculture is not restricted to fruits and vegetables.

It calls for raising livestock in the midst of the metropolis. Our "carbon "food-print" is the amount of greenhouse gases produced as meals go through the food system. Humans contribute to nitrous oxide emission when we consume food sprayed with chemical fertilizers.

Stop being afraid to learn. Here's how!

*by andreascy*

UGGA : Ultra Portable Greenhouse Gas Analyser Fits In Small Case

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Portable gas analysers are nothing new, but Los Gatos Research reckons its latest instrument is the world’s first Greenhouse Gas Analyser to qualify for the label "ultra portable". 

Able to detect the three major greenhouse gases - CO2 (Carbon Dioxide), CH4 (Methane), and H2O (Water Vapour) to a claimed accuracy of parts per billion, the appropriately-named Ultra-portable Greenhouse Gas Analyser, or UGGA, is built into a rugged case small enough to be taken as aircraft carry-on luggage.

Los Gatos says that UGGA can simultaneously measure concentrations of CO2, CH4, and H2O, without suffering cross-sensitivity with other gases. The device consumes less than 70 watts, which the company says is less than a standard light bulb (but, as tungsten bulbs over 60W have already be come unavailable Europe, this isn’t necessarily a universal truth). 

The instrument works on the company’s proprietary Off-axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy (OA-Icos) technology, a cavity-enhanced laser absorption technique which it says is more precise and more rugged than competing technologies. Being a laser-based technique, the instrument automatically corrects CO2 and CH4 for water vapour dilution and spectroscopic effects. Both are reported as dry mole fractions, enabling accurate measurements without the need for sample drying. 

The choice of technology and the ruggedised case makes UGGA suitable for portable operation, and the package fits within US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) guidelines. Applications include compliance monitoring of industrial emissions and landfills, leak detection, air quality studies, soil flux studies, and other field operations where greenhouse gas emissions are to be monitored. 

*by andreascy*

New Efficient Way to Recycle Carbon Dioxide Pollution

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

Scientists in the United States have discovered a new, inexpensive way to remove excess Carbon Dioxide (or CO2), from the atmosphere, as well as from large industrial exhaust sources, such as factory smokestacks. Researchers at the University of Southern California's Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute say their new CO2 extraction method achieved some of the highest rates ever reported for removing the potentially climate-changing greenhouse gas from the air under humid conditions. 

Most scientists believe that industrial carbon dioxide emissions are major contributors to global warming. The accelerating increase in the Earth’s average surface temperatures also is believed to be triggering significant changes in climate, including more intense storms, more severe floods and droughts, and major shifts in rainfall patterns. 

Study co-author and Loker Institute director Professor Surya Prakash said the CO2 extraction technique involves a plastic-like substance dispersed in a sandy material called fumed silica.

Prakash says the goal of the research was to create an efficient way to capture excess CO2 from the air and recycle it for use in the production of all the fuels and carbon-based products now made from refined petroleum. He adds that the extracted carbon dioxide also can be permanently isolated from the environment. 

Prakash says he expects to see his team’s CO2 recycling technology in commercial use within three to five years. The USC researchers say the fumed silica materials they developed for the CO2 extractor are much cheaper, more energy efficient and more chemically stable than existing extraction devices. They also report that the new materials can be used multiple times without losing their efficiency.

Prakash said he and his colleagues tested the new materials in humid air because capturing CO2 in humid conditions is especially difficult, and provided realistic conditions for the experiment since most air contains moisture. A report on the new USC study is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. 

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Arizona : Solar Tower to Generate 200MW

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

There is a marketing blitz going on for EnviroMission a solar tower company that has inked a contract to build a massive tower in the Arizona desert that turns heat generated by a greenhouse into electricity by directing it up a massive chimney twice that when built will be the second tallest building in the world. 

Apparently they can use the energy generated to provide power for 150,000 homes.

They also say the build costs will be paid off within 11 years of operation and the life span is 80 years.

What they don’t say is whether the costs in terms of energy that will be used to construct the facility will ever be recuperated. Have a look on the videos.

Learn more on CNN. 

Discover also other Solar related topics and use the comments box below to share with us your thoughts and any other ideas you might have. Kindly share it with your friends and show us some support. Thank you for your trust!

*by andreascy*