To begin with, you might want to know what algae is. Isn’t it that slimy stuff you find at the top of your pool after a few hot summer days? Or the gooey green floating around your goldfish pond? Yes it is, and it turns out to have some interesting abilities and benefits. True, some algae is toxic, like blue green algae, which produces neurotoxins. But most are harmless and potentially useful.

Algae farming, or algaculture, entails the same general principles as farming corn or soybeans. One of the interesting things about this stuff is that it looks like a plant and acts like a plant, but it is a single cell organism, with photosynthetic abilities. It is able to change sunlight to chemical energy. This energy comes in the form of oil similar to vegetable oil. Sound familiar? As you know, vegetable oil can be used to make fuel; in this case, biodiesel. (more…)

Florida, the sunshine state and one of the most popular states in the Union, is rapidly growing. If you are amongst the many that love this tropical state and are considering a move there, you may be interested to learn more about the solar programs offered there.Just this past June, Florida’s major utility, Florida Power and Light Company (FPL) announced plans to add 110 megawatts of new solar energy capacity to the state’s power grid, making Florida number two in the nation for solar production. In addition to various state, federal, and county incentives, Florida has also gotten on board with the Dream Reborn and Solar Richmond initiatives. (more…)

I was recently reading a blog by Paul at Sun Volt on the possibility of solar panels increasing global warming. I wanted to find out more about the solar heat island effect, or as Paul put it “Heat Islanding” effect. I was wondering just how much concern we should have over this effect as it seems to be a major factor in the possibility of global warming. Most of the information was over my head, but I did get the picture.

Generally, cities are much warmer than rural areas. This is caused by solar energy and how it is reflected and absorbed. The following graph from the Heat Island Group shows how the heat is distributed, you can see the Island effect.

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