Many of us are aware of the issues related to global warming, and in some small way we all try to do something about it.
Earth hour on 27 March was one way in which the average citizen could contribute in a small way to reducing global warming.
Many of us are aware of the issues related to global warming, and in some small way we all try to do something about it.
Earth hour on 27 March was one way in which the average citizen could contribute in a small way to reducing global warming.
Larger projects attempt to provide sustainable sources of electricity such as solar panels, wind and wave generators and they go a long way towards making our planeta greener and friendlier place. An exciting new green project will be installed shortly at a high school in Grahamstown.
The school, in conjunction with GELD (Green Electromagnetic Light Distribution) are taking energy reduction to a new level.
As we are all well aware, solar energy is definitely viable on the African continent. We have a far greater proportion of sunshine per day than many places on the planet, but finding a way to cost effectively use this valuable resource is a problem.
Although our sun, which is classed as a G2 star is relatively small by comparison, our proximity to it means that it is by far the greatest energy source available, if we had some way to harness its output.
The solar constant is the amount of power that the sun delivers per unit area (square meter) that is directly exposed to sunlight.
The solar constant is equal to approximately 1 350W per m² at our distance from the sun. However the sunlight which actually arrives on the surface of Earth is diffused by the atmosphere so that the power which arrives is reduced to approximately 1 000W per m² in clear conditions.
To take advantage of this free energy, GELD have designed a system which is unique in it’s simplicity, and is exceptionally eco-friendly.
Unlike solar panels which produce electricity, the GELD system utilises mirrors to reflect light to a chosen destination.
These mirrors are driven by a small electric motor (solar powered) and position each individual mirror to track the sun, so making the most effective use of the available light.
The sunlight is reflected from the tracking mirror into the classrooms and then dispersed by a curved mirror mounted on the wall.
This removes the need for using electrical light, unless it is a cloudy day. The mirror array will be placed on the west side of the school and would reflect light directly through the windows onto the curved mirror.
(See diagram) The amount of light available is considerable, and certainly much brighter than can be produced by either an incandescent or fluorescent light bulb systems at present.
This is a particularly innovative way of utilising the natural resources at our disposal to their best benefit. The official spokesperson for The Society for Mechanically Assisted Reflective Transmission (SMART) said that this project was the result of many years of research around the globe and they are looking forward to implementing this exciting pilot project in Grahamstown.
The specialised mirrors required will be constructed using specially armour plated glass and there will be no problem with the construction and supply of the mirrors to the exact SMART specifications.
