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Click HERE to see a video primer for RENEWABLE ENERGY. Click here to download the RealPlayer plugin.
Energy...
Those who search for the most abundant source of energy on the Earth need look no farther than the sky and the oceans. Sunlight and hydrogen, from water, are the most powerful, the most abundant, and the cheapest (free) sources of energy in our solar system! Every day the Earth receives enough solar energy to heat every home in the world for one year for free. One-hundred square miles (100 mi2) of solar panels would produce all the electricity consumed in the United States! Hydrogen, extracted from water (using free solar, wind, geothermal, etc. energy), releases 3 times more energy per pound than gasoline or natural gas, and 6 times more energy than coal. While the world goes to war over fossil fuels, we are literally swimming and basking in the answers.
Sun and Water
Click HERE to see a video primer specifically about SOLAR ENERGY. Click here to download the RealPlayer plugin.
Renewable Energy ~ energy whose production does not deplete a resource; energy whose use does not produce or release unnatural pollutants; includes: solar, wind, geothermal, and hydrogen (burning and fuel cells).
"We have reached a critical point in human history, when the Earth can no longer absorb the impact of all our actions. Now we must find a balance between our needs and the natural systems that sustain life."
David Suzuki
Canadian scientist, environmentalist and author
What can be done?...

Did you know that...

  • 125,000 Americans will get cancer from coal powerplants and diesel truck exhaust this year alone
  • 90 million Americans breathe air that is below minimum quality standards set by the EPA
  • 10's of thousands of premature deaths per year are directly linked to particulate soot from diesel trucks and coal powerplants
  • In many major cities around the world, air quality from power generation and automobile exhaust is so bad that they must wear facemasks -- but that's not protecting them!
  • the number of asthma cases has more than doubled in this country in the past few years alone, attributed directly to the increase in air pollution

What can you do?...
Other Energy Sources... There are certainly a multitude of other energy sources that deserve special attention. Wind*, biomass, wave power, geothermal, and others are certainly important players in our energy future. However, since SunWater doesn't have particular expertise in these areas, we leave it up to you to research these promising technologies on your own. We will focus on solar hydrogen on this site.

*(Windmills are extremely cost effective for just about anybody! Prices start at about $400 and go up from there. Because wind is less predictable than solar, you would need quite a large windmill to power your entire home, in addition to a sizeable battery backup. To remedy this, windmills are generally used to supplement a solar power system. This marriage is ideal since generally the wind is blowing most when the sun isn't shining. This greatly reduces the cost of a solar power system and offers greater dependability. Because of zoning laws and the need for an open space to place the windmill, these systems are typically not used in residential areas (although some people have successfully mounted them to the tops of their roofs). Wind is quickly gaining popularity worldwide as utility companies are investing large sums of money in this clean and inexpensive technology. Windpower from utility grids is expected to cost between $.03 and $.05 /kwh!)

Click on one of the pictures to learn more...
Solar
Hydrogen
DISCLAIMER!!!

Although the technologies on the following pages are incredibly wonderful and are the perfect answer to the world's energy crisis, the first and best defense we have as the human race against the energy and pollution woes that face us is nothing more complex than CONSERVATION! The first obstacle that we as a people, and especially those who live in the consumption hungry United States of America, have to overcome is our own propensity to consume much more than is necessary. A companion to this is EFFICIENCY. We're not advocating sitting in the dark at night to conserve electricity or sweating in your own home with the thermostat turned up to 90 deg. F. We ARE advocating modesty, creativity, and the use of energy efficient lighting, refrigeration, cooling and heating. When SunWater was trained in renewable energy design and installation from SEI, the first concept that was taught was conservation through the use of energy efficient appliances. Simply replacing incandescent light bulbs with flourescents can reduce the average energy bill by 30%. Further elimination of phantom loads and replacing refrigeration systems with SunFrost units cut another 30%. Creative solar hydronic floor heating along with efficient swamp coolers further ease the burdens. So without ever buying one solar panel, the average American household can cut 50% or more off their energy consumption bill! We need to change the way we think about energy and about conservation. The more we humble ourselves and begin to see ourselves as symbiants with our earthly home, rather than parasites, the more enjoyable our journey here will be, for us and those around us.
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