There are various ways to conserve energy. In hot countries like India most of the domestic energy is spent on cooling on hot summer days. While in hill stations and cooler cities like Bangalore, Ooty, Darjeeling Energy is spent on heating. If it could be compensated by Environment itself without much use of external energy it could save our wallets and also reduce Electrical consumption. One of the methods to do it is Thermal Mass.
What is a Thermal Mass?
Thermal mass is the product of Mass of a substance and the specific heat capacity for the material.
Simply told, it is the property of a substance that could store the amount of heat in it for a given volume and mass.
What could these do?
Materials with high thermal mass stores lots of heat in it when the outside environment is hotter than it and radiates heat out when the environment is colder.
What are the materials with high thermal mass?
It could be Rammed earth, Bricks, or even water. It stores heat in it when exposed to temperatures more than it but radiates it back when exposed to colder areas. Every materials do this but substances with high thermal mass stores a lot of heat and transfers it slowly.
How could it be used?
It can be used both for cold and hot weather areas.
Hot weather areas:
1. A iron barrel containing sand, mud, or tightly packed stones, or even water could be placed outside the home at night at a colder place. If the place is full of trees and near a water source it could get even colder. So the thermal mass inside the barrel releases the energy in to the surroundings gradually and maintains itself with the external temperature. So in early mornings the thermal mass would be cold enough and could be moved inside a home.
2. During days when the temperature outside rises, the house too gets hot but relatively lower than outside the house. So the thermal mass starts absorbing heat from the home and cools the air inside the home. This could be done effectively if all the doors and windows are properly closed.
3. If more barrels containing those substances are used in a home then it reduces the need for a Air-conditioner. It may not cost much space in your home. But could give effective cooling. It does not need to be switched off like fan or A/C when no one is at home. It would be providing good comfort even if the power supply is cut for most of the day.
Cold weather areas:
1. The same barrel containing high thermal mass substances like packed sand, water, or some which can retain heat should be placed in open place so that it always gets the sun's rays all day. The Barrel would be heated to somewhat relatively high temperatures and would continue to absorb the heat during the day. It would be better heated when it is placed in areas with no high buildings or with no trees.
2. During sunset the temperature begins to drop and the Barrel should be moved inwards in the house. The house should be properly insulated and doors and windows should be shut to get effective heating. When the temperature in the house starts to drop then the heat from the thermal mass would radiate in to the house thus maintaining higher temperatures.
3. During dawn the Barrel could have emptied its heat and and this can again be repeated the next day..
We can increase the number of Barrels if we want some effective use.
By using this kind of we could save some energy we use in cooling and heating.
It is better to have asbestos sheets as roof in cold climate, whereas it proves to be hell in hot temperature zones. But if some kind of jute sack could be placed on the roof and poured with water it could reduce the temperature of the home. There may be many innovative ideas beyond this and needs to be explored.
Comments and suggestions are welcome.
Saturday, 17 January 2009
Friday, 16 January 2009
Most abled efficient change to Eco-Energy.-Incandescent light bulb.
This is my first blog and I am happy to join blogging community.
The Immediate challenge faced by our earth is the energy crisis. Crisis may be referred to
1. Shortage in produced energy,
2.Depletion of future energy,
3.Inefficient use of produced energy,
4.Inability to tap energy from other sources,
5.Dependent upon single source of energy,
6.Denying upgrade of technology that would lead to better efficiency,
7.Luxurious use or waste of energy,
and lot more.....
We can reduce the risk by implementing newer ways of efficient use of energy or to tap other sources of energy.The first major step could be phasing out the inefficient Incandescent light bulbs.That may boost up the energy efficiency in our homes,cities,country and in the world.
One may wonder how changing light bulbs could reduce consumption. But there are lots of strong reasons to do so.
What is an incandescent light bulb?
The incandescent light bulb, is a source of electric light that works by incandescence,in which heat produces light . An electric current passes in a bulb through a thin filament mostly made of tungsten, heating it to produce light.
What is the difference between this and other light sources?
Incandescent bulbs glow light by heating the filament. It would consume large amount of energy for heating. Whereas other more efficient ways of lighting like Fluorescent and LED lights works on the atom level, like transfer of energy by transfer of electrons from one level to another. As the latter technologies does not only rely on heating they are far more efficient than the conventional bulbs.
What is the advantage of later light sources than incandescent bulbs?
The light sources such as fluorescent and LED lights do consume little power than the conventional ones.The ordinary light bulbs just convert at the maximum 10% of electric current fed in to it to as light. so what happens to remaining 90%? It is used to heat the filament and lost as heat. So if you are charges some 100 units of current for lighting up you home using Incandescent bulbs then u could have used only 10 units or less to light up. And the remaining 90 units would be spent as heat. But whereas the fluorescent bulbs convert 22% of energy in to light. That would be more than 100% efficient than Incandescent bulbs.
LED's do have the highest efficiency in lighting. It just requires 17% or less energy needed by the Incandescent bulbs to light the same area with same amount of light. So if you spend 100 units in ordinary bulbs its good to spend only 17 units on LED's.
So whats stopping people from using the efficient ones?
Its the price tag and the lack of knowledge about the different light sources between the people that stops from using them. To an ordinary villager in India light bulb corresponds to anything that glows and he never differentiates between the various light bulbs. The price tag also has its impact on the usage. One could buy an incandescent bulb at less than 10 Indian rupees whereas the other ones costs more than 100 Indian rupees.
So why should one use the costly ones if he could buy a very cheap one?
It is the only the price of the bulb that is cheap. You could buy it for cheap prices but when comparing the costs it makes you pay the electricity board is very much higher. When one uses all three lamps, it would cost him the same if total price like buying price, consumption, longevity are taken in to account.
An Incandescent bulb may be used for maximum 1000 hours. But you could use a Fluorescent lamp for about 10,000 to 20,000 hours. And a LED lamp for about 50,000 to 60,000 hours if u buy a properly engineered one. So taking in to account all the factors such as life span, energy saving, etc.. Incandescent is not better than the efficient ones.
But how much energy am I going to save buying a efficient one? Would it be more than some 50 or so rupees? Should I care for some 50 or 100 or so rupees per month ? Its a day meal in a hotel..
Yes, you are exactly right. Its going to be some small amount you are going to save per month. But what you say the small amount is just subsidized by the government. The government takes the pain of subsidizing energy supplied to each and every residential homes. If every home in India or any other developing country uses efficient lighting then it would save lots of energy for the government that could use in factories or any other kind of economic development.Imagine what you feel when you come across a power cut for hours in India. As a typical Indian we blame the government for its inefficiency rather than lack of support from us.
There are more than 1.1 billion people in India and we use lights more than the population. An average home which has some 4 or 5 people uses at least 2 lights for 2 bedrooms, 2 or so lights for bathroom, 2 or so for table lamp, one or more for kitchen, 2 for backyard, 2 or so for gate and doorstep, and lot more. So we use light bulbs more than we are. We could probably save a lot when using efficient ones.
So what should we do now?
First remove all the Incandescent bulbs in your home and replace it with fluorescent or LED's. LED's are much better alternate to Fluorescent lamps. Teach your friends and relatives all this and make them too change their light bulbs. If everyone does this we could save lots of energy.
What should be the government's part?
The government should have to legally ban the production and import of Incandescent light bulbs in India. Ya, I hear you.. its not what you think, its possible. We must do it if we want energy efficiency. Most nation are banning it. Even Cuba whose economy is not that good has banned it in 2005.
Further comments and suggestions are encouraged.
The Immediate challenge faced by our earth is the energy crisis. Crisis may be referred to
1. Shortage in produced energy,
2.Depletion of future energy,
3.Inefficient use of produced energy,
4.Inability to tap energy from other sources,
5.Dependent upon single source of energy,
6.Denying upgrade of technology that would lead to better efficiency,
7.Luxurious use or waste of energy,
and lot more.....
We can reduce the risk by implementing newer ways of efficient use of energy or to tap other sources of energy.The first major step could be phasing out the inefficient Incandescent light bulbs.That may boost up the energy efficiency in our homes,cities,country and in the world.
One may wonder how changing light bulbs could reduce consumption. But there are lots of strong reasons to do so.
What is an incandescent light bulb?
The incandescent light bulb, is a source of electric light that works by incandescence,in which heat produces light . An electric current passes in a bulb through a thin filament mostly made of tungsten, heating it to produce light.
What is the difference between this and other light sources?
Incandescent bulbs glow light by heating the filament. It would consume large amount of energy for heating. Whereas other more efficient ways of lighting like Fluorescent and LED lights works on the atom level, like transfer of energy by transfer of electrons from one level to another. As the latter technologies does not only rely on heating they are far more efficient than the conventional bulbs.
What is the advantage of later light sources than incandescent bulbs?
The light sources such as fluorescent and LED lights do consume little power than the conventional ones.The ordinary light bulbs just convert at the maximum 10% of electric current fed in to it to as light. so what happens to remaining 90%? It is used to heat the filament and lost as heat. So if you are charges some 100 units of current for lighting up you home using Incandescent bulbs then u could have used only 10 units or less to light up. And the remaining 90 units would be spent as heat. But whereas the fluorescent bulbs convert 22% of energy in to light. That would be more than 100% efficient than Incandescent bulbs.
LED's do have the highest efficiency in lighting. It just requires 17% or less energy needed by the Incandescent bulbs to light the same area with same amount of light. So if you spend 100 units in ordinary bulbs its good to spend only 17 units on LED's.
So whats stopping people from using the efficient ones?
Its the price tag and the lack of knowledge about the different light sources between the people that stops from using them. To an ordinary villager in India light bulb corresponds to anything that glows and he never differentiates between the various light bulbs. The price tag also has its impact on the usage. One could buy an incandescent bulb at less than 10 Indian rupees whereas the other ones costs more than 100 Indian rupees.
So why should one use the costly ones if he could buy a very cheap one?
It is the only the price of the bulb that is cheap. You could buy it for cheap prices but when comparing the costs it makes you pay the electricity board is very much higher. When one uses all three lamps, it would cost him the same if total price like buying price, consumption, longevity are taken in to account.
An Incandescent bulb may be used for maximum 1000 hours. But you could use a Fluorescent lamp for about 10,000 to 20,000 hours. And a LED lamp for about 50,000 to 60,000 hours if u buy a properly engineered one. So taking in to account all the factors such as life span, energy saving, etc.. Incandescent is not better than the efficient ones.
But how much energy am I going to save buying a efficient one? Would it be more than some 50 or so rupees? Should I care for some 50 or 100 or so rupees per month ? Its a day meal in a hotel..
Yes, you are exactly right. Its going to be some small amount you are going to save per month. But what you say the small amount is just subsidized by the government. The government takes the pain of subsidizing energy supplied to each and every residential homes. If every home in India or any other developing country uses efficient lighting then it would save lots of energy for the government that could use in factories or any other kind of economic development.Imagine what you feel when you come across a power cut for hours in India. As a typical Indian we blame the government for its inefficiency rather than lack of support from us.
There are more than 1.1 billion people in India and we use lights more than the population. An average home which has some 4 or 5 people uses at least 2 lights for 2 bedrooms, 2 or so lights for bathroom, 2 or so for table lamp, one or more for kitchen, 2 for backyard, 2 or so for gate and doorstep, and lot more. So we use light bulbs more than we are. We could probably save a lot when using efficient ones.
So what should we do now?
First remove all the Incandescent bulbs in your home and replace it with fluorescent or LED's. LED's are much better alternate to Fluorescent lamps. Teach your friends and relatives all this and make them too change their light bulbs. If everyone does this we could save lots of energy.
What should be the government's part?
The government should have to legally ban the production and import of Incandescent light bulbs in India. Ya, I hear you.. its not what you think, its possible. We must do it if we want energy efficiency. Most nation are banning it. Even Cuba whose economy is not that good has banned it in 2005.
Further comments and suggestions are encouraged.
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