LED Lighting as an Alternative Energy Source
There are many, many advantages to using LED lights as much as possible, especially when we want to save energy on our planet. The light created by LED light bulbs is much safer lighting than that of regular light bulbs – primarily because most light bulbs become very hot when used and can potentially cause fires. With LED lights you will never as much as burn your fingers touching a bulb, no matter how long it has been lit. However, LED lights can (and already do) serve a lot more purposes for the environment of which people are unaware.LED lights are usually, and most effectively, designed in colors as opposed to translucent lights. As a matter of fact, some of the very first LED lights were designed for Christmas decorations etc. This is because people wanted safer lights to be sure there were no unfortunate accidents occurring due to hot lights and dry pine needles or outdoor leaves and so on during the holiday season. However, research, design and technology have been updated and are continuously being considered for other reasons.
LED lights are already being used for more purposes than you may think – and we should focus on incorporating LED lighting into even more of the lighting we use. The following are examples of some ways in which LED lighting has already been utilized in our economy:
o Christmas lights, as I mentioned before are available as LED lights. They have become more and more popular since the cost of LED lights lessened around the year 2002.
o Exit signs, traffic lights, for example, have been used with LED technology as opposed to other forms of lighting.
o Flashlights, toys and other small devices are using LED lights for the benefit of a LED light’s ability to continue to work longer than a light with regular bulbs. In other words, batteries actually perform better and last longer in merchandise that uses LED light.
o Elevator push buttons.
o Status indicators: the status indicators on all kinds of equipment and technological merchandise have begun to use LED lighting.
o Motorcycles and bicycles already have LED lights for safer nighttime riding.
o Movement sensors.
o Glow lights.
o Thin lightweight displays at places such as subway stations, airports, trams, highway signs buses, and ferries have been using LED lighting for awhile. Nonetheless, I believe that we could use this option even more – LED lighting is a way to improve the environment, reduce electric risks, and eliminate the waste of energy.
o Light bars on emergency vehicles.
o Automotive high-mounted brake lights and truck and bus brake lights have begun to use LED lighting as well.
o Remote controls for stereos, DVD, television, and CD players often use infrared LED lights. It has actually been that way for some time now. People don’t often notice how often they have to change remote batteries – unless it seems like they have to be changed too frequently. Thus, you may not even notice that you own an LED remote until it finally does require a change of batteries. This happened to me and I realized how much more infrequently LED operated merchandise of all kinds allow batteries to last and last.
o Back lighting for LCD televisions and displays frequently uses LED technology.
o New theatrical stage lighting equipment is being created in LED lighting for primary red – green – blue arrangements.
LED lights are usually, and most effectively, designed in colors as opposed to translucent lights. However, these pale to darkly colored lights are quite effective for many purposes. The wonderful idea of LED lighting is one to grasp onto when we reach out for alternative sources of light and energy. Some of the very first LED lights were designed for Christmas decorations, but it does not stop there. LED lights can prevent unfortunate home fires occurring due to the heat generated by burning light bulbs, but are not nearly as inexpensive as we would like just yet. However, research, design and technology have been updated and ways to improve the expenses of LED for more and more purposes are continuously being considered. I hope and predict that in the future the LED modifications we make will certainly make up for the cost in the long run. Because of the ability of LED lighting to last longer than virtually all other forms of regular lighting and because of the safety issues involved, the goal is that LED lighting will become more and more useful as time goes on.
Categories: Alternative Energy - Solar - Wind - Geothermal - Water Tags: Alternative Energy Source, Holiday Season, Traffic Lights
Alternative Energy-Solar Energy – What Are Solar Balloons?
Last year a unique concept in alternative energy won the “Forward Thinking” award in the RE:VOLT Electrifying Ideas competition. What was this new concept? Solar balloons developed by Israeli scientists Joseph Cory and Dr. Pini Gurfil for Sun Hope.
What are Solar Balloons?
Historically the term “solar balloon” has referred to simple black balloons that were filled with air. According to Wikipedia, “as sunlight shines on the balloon, the air inside is heated and expands, causing an upward buoyancy force, much like an artificially-heated hot air balloon. Some solar balloons are large enough for human flight, but usage is limited to the toy market as the surface-area to payload-weight ratio is rather high.”
As technology evolves, terminology evolves as well. Now the title of “solar balloon” can also refer to a balloon like “platform” that contains embedded photovoltaic arrays or solar arrays in order to convert solar energy into electrical energy. In the case of the Joseph Cory and Dr. Pini Gurfil’s Sun Hope design we see a lighter-than-air helium filled fabric balloon as the platform or base. Each fabric balloon is tied to the ground with two cables – one for helium refills, the other for passing generated electricity to a control panel.
Sun Hope isn’t alone in their quest for a cost effective, functional solar balloon design. Another solar balloon design comes from Cool Earth Solar. Cool Earth Solar uses plastic balloons that are suspended on wires. To get a visual, imagine a 2 meter wide mylar balloon. These plastic balloons also have concentrated solar photovoltaics where light is magnified onto solar cells to maximize electricity generation output. A common concern about solar balloons is their ability to stand up in high wind environments, according to Cool Earth Solar, their system can withstand wind speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.
While solar balloons show promise as a photovoltaic implementation there are some concerns to be noted. These concerns however, are no different than those found with medium to large wind power installations. Depending upon the size and location of installation one may have to consider items like air traffic regulations and potential bird collisions.
Solar balloons provide impressive value in isolated, off-grid locations as well as temporary portable power supplies. In situations such as these, solar balloons provide a route to escaping a fossil fuel dependency.
Concentrating Solar Power
In both of examples of solar balloons, the efficiency of the photovoltaic cells are improved by concentrating solar power (CSP). According to the US Department of Energy, “concentrating solar power’s relatively low cost and ability to deliver power during periods of peak demand – when and where we need it – mean that it can be a major contributor to the nation’s future needs for distributed sources of energy.”
Concentrating solar power system work by using mirrors or other reflective surfaces to intensify the energy of the sun to a specific point. This concentration of energy can improve the efficiency of photovoltaic cells. According to Cool Earth Solar, “multi-junction, high efficiency cells derived from satellite technology allow CPV systems to generate the same amount of electricity as traditional flat panel PV systems while using up to 500 times less solar cell material.” With diminishing supplies of raw materials required to manufacture photovoltaic cells, concentrating solar power can provide more energy with less raw materials.
While today solar balloons are a new technology, in the near future they may be a solution to curing our nation of it’s dependence on fossil fuels. The Cool Earth team recently received $21 million which they plan to use to build a 10 megawatt plant using their solar balloon technology. Thanks to forward thinking, environmentally conscious investors, a solar balloon based solar power plant may be a reality in the next few years, someday it may even power your home.