Zero-Energy Homes

Zero-energy homes are structures built with the eventual goal of producing as much energy as they consume. They incorporate the most advanced energy efficient features for heating and cooling, lighting, siding and insulation, roofing, and solar power. The attainment of zero energy involves not only the selection of the right high-efficiency components, but also the prudent use of electricity throughout the home.

From 2002 to 2005, TVA and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory built five such homes in Lenoir City, Tennessee, through the Habitat for Humanity program. As each new home was built, the lessons learned from the earlier homes were incorporated into the design to produce even greater energy savings. The goal of a fully sustainable zero-energy home has not yet been reached but should be attainable for new homes within a few years.

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Frying eggs from 93 million miles away—now that’s power

The sun is an incredibly powerful source of energy. That’s why TVA is using photovoltaic panels to transform solar energy into usable electricity.

When rays of sunshine strike a solar panel, they give some of the electrons inside it more energy, a process that creates an electrical current.

How much power are we generating? Check the data on daily power output at TVA’s solar generating sites. (If you don’t see yesterday’s data, reload the page while holding down the Shift key.)

Learn more here.

Harnessing the power of the sun’s ray to create energy to power our house is very appealing. But the question is, “Is everything about solar energy good?”

Looking at the current price of fossil fuel-based electricity, it is quite impractical to convert into solar energy system. However, with the growing concern on the state of the earth, there is really a need to find other means of energy aside from what power plants are using right now. Where do you place yourself?

Whether you are an advocate of clean energy or simply care about where your finances go, looking at the pros and cons of residential solar energy system will help you decide on whether to convert or not.
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The fact is, the 350,000,000 terawatts of power available from the sun is so huge that an exposure to a full sun in only 15 minutes will be enough to generate the world’s energy requirement.
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The earth receives more than enough energy from the sun in an hour to supply the world’s energy requirement for the whole year.

Unfortunately, only a tiny portion of it is harnessed and the world still relies on power plants that burn fossil fuels. The good thing, though, is that there is a constant increase in demand for solar energy; and over the years of continuous development, solar panels are much cheaper today.
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If anything good came out during the recent increases of the fuel oil prices, it is that it is causing an increased interest in alternative sources of energy. Even when pump prices has been decreasing like nothing we have seen before, the uproar created and the pain it did to business will have a good chance of sticking. The desire for alternative sources of energy is on the forefront and may it stay there for good – as it should.
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Solar Energy

The day may not be far off when the use of solar energy becomes a norm. There is now a deep conviction among experts that given a few years time, solar power will be in high demand that the cost will go down, inexpensive enough to undercut the prices of oil-generated electricity.
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