Alternative Energy HQ solar power for homes, wind energy, and bio fuel issues

Since last weekend's horrific explosion and freeway collapse caused by a gasoline tanker, most of the blame has fallen on the driver, but it's important to remember that that gasoline, which was headed toward a station on Hegenberger Road, had all of our names on it. The accident is a reminder that those of us who use gasoline -- virtually everyone -- play small parts in an enormous and largely invisible trade in toxic, flammable fuels.

Active solar builds on the same principles as passive solar but uses additional technology such as fans and pumps to maximize the desirable effects and minimize the undesirable ones. It is used to produce energy for heating and cooling spaces, to store [tag]energy[/tag] for later use, and to heat water. Most active [tag]solar energy[/tag] systems use specialized collectors to capture the rays and used the stored power and additional electricity as necessary to run pumps and fans for distribution.

Every exposed part of a structure—walls, floors, windows, roofs—absorbs and stores or reflects away the heat radiated by the sun. Passive solar systems do this without any mechanical means (pumps or fans); they rely purely on design and positioning to work, which may include shutters or thermal curtains, dampers and vents, or other simple mechanisms.

It is very cool that the world is starting to sit up and notice that …