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Email Me: nelsoncooper72@yahoo.com

Welcome to Green Watts!

My name is Nelson Cooper. I am a solar power engineer.

I work for a big renewable energy company, designing and building solar power systems for various clients. To me, it's a dream job, because I get to do what I love, and I know that my work helps preserve our planet's resources.

This website aims to help people understand the various types of renewable energies. I'm not holding anything back, showing both their pros and cons. Also, I'm not selling anything here, so if you have a question feel free to contact me.

Green Energy News

solar carHyundai launches first car with solar roof charging system

The car maker has built an electric vehicle which has an eco-friendly solar roof recharger. The new technology can reportedly charge the battery by up to 60%, even while it is being driven. The New Sonata Hybrid will have a Smartstream G2.0 GDi HEV engine, as well as 6-speed hybrid transmission.

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cheeseCheese-based energy powers hundreds of homes in the U.K.

Wensleydale Creamery has come up with an innovative method that will help produce over 10,000 MWh of energy per year by converting leftover whey. Iona Capital, which has partnered with Wensleydale Creamery, will turn the whey into nearly one million cubic meters of sustainable green gas.

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renewableRenewable natural gas is the next big thing in green energy

By producing renewable natural gas from manure and locally sourced food waste, people will be less reliant on the fossil fuel industry. Lots of companies in the US and Europe have started to target the renewable methane gas sector. The refined biogas can be injected straight into a gas pipeline.

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solar panelsMicrosoft is investing in solar power for its Arizona data centers

The company, which has over 1 billion customers worldwide, operates some of the biggest datacenters on the planet. According to Brian Janous, General Manager of Energy & Sustainability, the amount of renewable energy that powers Microsoft's datacenters will reach 60% this year.

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Green Energy Articles

Discover the various technologies and tools that help us make the Earth a much better home.

solar thumbHow do solar panels actually work?

Solar energy has become a viable alternative to conventional power sources during the last few decades. First of all, the technology is much less expensive these days; price per watt went from $76 back in 1997 to only $0.3 today. Then, cell efficiency has been significantly increased; this means that we can get the same amount of electrical power by making use of fewer cells, and thus reduce solar energy costs even more.

But how these solar panels work in the first place? Let's find out! Each panel consists of an array of photovoltaic cells which generate direct current when they are exposed to solar light. Actually, these cells can generate energy even when they are lit by other light sources, but the truth is that the power that's produced under these circumstances is negligible. To give you an idea, a photovoltaic cell is able to produce up to 500 mA when it is lit by the sun, and less than 10 mA when it is lit by a regular lamp.

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renewable energiesThe key benefits of renewable energies

According to World Wind Energy Association, wind power capacity has reached 600 GW worldwide, with over 50 GW being added in 2018 alone. China leads the pack with 200 GW, being followed by the US with 100 GW.

So, it's not a surprise that renewable energy sources have gone mainstream. But what are the actual benefits of renewable energy sources? Read on to discover the most important ones.

For starters, clean energy produces less carbon dioxide, reducing global warming. If you are worried by increased air pollution, heavier precipitation, extreme heat waves, increased global sea levels, destruction of marine ecosystems, severe droughts, frequent flooding, longer wildfire seasons, widespread forest death, destructive hurricanes, changing seasons, melting ice, and so on, you should start using renewable energy sources.

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ledsUnderstanding how Light Emitting Diodes work

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have recently revolutionized our world. While they were invented several decades ago, people were only using them as light indicators back then. However, researchers have been able to build much more powerful LEDs, and now these luminescent diodes can comfortably illuminate our homes, while preserving the planet and saving us a lot of money.

Unlike incandescent bulbs, LEDs don't use filaments; they emit light because electrons move in the semiconductor (a diode) that's got a difference of potential applied to its terminals. Most light emitting diodes are built using an alloy of aluminum, gallium and arsenide. That's a very stable chemical formula, so there aren't too many "free" electrons, which can move around. To change that (and thus help LEDs produce a much brighter light) the semiconductor is doped using atoms from another material.

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energy consumptionKey steps to reduce energy consumption

Have you ever heard of Negawatt? It's a term coined by Amory Lovins, an American physicist who has used it to describe the electrical power that's saved through various conservation and efficiency methods. Without further ado, here's what you can do to reduce power consumption in this digital, power-hungry world.

Turn of the router and all the access points when you aren't using them. George Hardesty, CEO of Data Alliance, states that a single router can have a power consumption of up to 100 kWh per year, and by turning it off at night you can generate up to 40 Negawatts annually. Simply use a timer that turns off the router at night and powers it again in the morning. Or, even better, go for a smart plug which can be programmed using your smart phone.

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electric vehiclesBeginner's guide to electric vehicles

If you've ever wondered how electric vehicles work, trust me, it's really simple. A battery-powered electric vehicle (also known as BEV) uses chemical energy that's stored in a huge battery pack to control an electric engine that drives the wheels. Since these types of cars don't use conventional fuel, they don't have fuel tanks and tailpipes.

The first few electric cars were invented almost two centuries ago, but they died a slow death, because they were quickly replaced by vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines. Fortunately, BEVs have become a good transportation option once again; people love them because they don't pollute the air, are really quiet and have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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generate electricityDiscover the basics of hydroelectric energy

People have been using the energy of moving water for quite some time now. Ancient Greeks used it to grind grain more than 2,000 years ago, for example. However, the first hydroelectric power plant began operating in the US along the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin less than 150 years ago.

Hydroelectric power sources make use of gravity to generate energy. It's the world's largest source of renewable electricity! However, hydropower can affect the environment. People have built dams to boost the water's gravity force, but this will usually degrade water quality, because oxygen levels will be reduced. As a consequence, aquatic habitats can be damaged, and local communities may be displaced.

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