I am a international student, and this is the second draft for my final essay in English class.It’s a compare/contrast essay, please fix my grammar errors, word choice, verb tense and enhance the conclusion paragraph. Thank you!

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Green Roofs or Solar Roofs ?

You want to contribute to our earth but have no thought? Everyone knows Global warming and unban heat island effect are making inroads into the places where you and your family live. We all know that is a serious issue, and also have positive attitude toward it.
Suppose that you are not a boss of an enterprise, therefore, you are powerless to choose how to emission air pollution or recycle resources. Don’t be discouraged! You still have a way that is to develop the thought of green design to protect our earth. Green design is an international
theme that has been discussing for many years, and was promoted in “Leaders Summit Meeting” in Brazil in 1992. It is called Ecological Building in Japan and Sustainable Building in Europe. How to place the thought in use? Home Green Design is an affordable way for everyone. I am going to introduce two ways to save energy. They are green roof and a roof covered by solar panels. This essay will show their advantages and disadvantages of the following: 1. Expense; 2. Working
requirement; 3.Function. Despite the fact that everyone knows the benefit of solar panels, I will argue that green roof is worth than solar panels.

First, you do really care about the expense that green roof and solar panels might cost. For a100 sq foot, you need about $25,000 to install solar panels on your rooftop. The system works at least 25 years. On the other hand, it will cost you $1,000 per year. Is that worth? It
depends on your personal utility rate of electricity. You would save a small amount of money if you are living with a huge family. But a fact that you have to consider is one dollar tomorrow probably won’t have same value as today. Otherwise, you still need to pay the upkeep of the system every year and the charge of basic power for keeping it working. It is priced $1,500 for the same area as 100 sq foot, and the maintenance will not be the problem. Basically then, all you need is a waterproof rooftop, a layer of soil and a bag of seeds. The thought of Green Roof is much cheaper obviously and has lower maintenance than solar panels by comparison.

Next is the working conditions that for each one. Before you choose one of them, you might need to consider that the area you live is sunnier or cloudier. Solar panels that as the name hints, is a system that has to be solarized under sunshine. In addition to sunshine, the
Green Roof also needs adequate raining to support them growing. If we simply consider that the best environments for them, solar panels need less conditions than green roof. Really, solar panels will still work on a cloudy day. Of course, no one expects that the system can maintain same efficiency as it used to be on a sunny day. But, that is probably enough for keeping a lamp plus a computer working for one day. Unfortunately, solar panels do not fit in a winded area, because the panels might be hurt by blown stuff. In this stage, they are nearly in a tie. Taking that green roof is working 24 hours a day into account, I guess that green roof is a small bit better than solar panels.

Lastly I will compare the most vital part which is the function of them. In theory, solar panels can basically reduce your energy consumption. What would be powered with solar electricity are the things such as the refrigerator, the computers, the TVs and the air
conditioning, etc. Sounds fantastic! But something you do not know is solar panels efficiency averages only 20% to 40%. Solar panels catch sunlight and convert to another type of power that we usually use for home electronic appliances. The system loses much energy during the
conversion process. You can’t make appliances working unless you get enough energy from sunlight. So how about green roof and its benefits? It not only filters rains and air pollutants, but also keeps the house warmer in winter and emissions heat in summer. Sometimes it can
even provide a habitat for birds and some small animals.

To choose solar panels or green roof is a fascinating question. It is a tough choice for either, I will personally choose green roof anyway. Solar panels are still an immature technology somehow, especially in converting energies. In addition, price is also a point to be considered. I believe that to protect living environments is vital for individuals, but it is unacceptable if
no one can solve the problems that I mentioned before.

Green Roofs or Solar Roofs ?

Do you want to contribute to our earth but don’t know how? Global warming and the urban heat island effect are making inroads into our homes. This is a serious issue, and we must also have a positive attitude toward mediating this situation.
Suppose that you are not a boss of an enterprise; therefore, you are powerless to choose how to reduce air pollution nor recycle resources. Don’t be discouraged! You can still influence others and help preserve the earth by supporting the thought of green design. Green design is an international
thought that has been discussed for many years, and was promoted in the 1992 Leaders Summit Meeting in Brazil. It is called "ecological building" in Japan and "sustainable building" in Europe. Home green design is an affordable way to save energy. Two methods of saving energy are the green roof and a roof covered by solar panels. Though each of these two methods have their own advantages and drawbacks regarding expense, working conditions, and function, green roofs are a more effective way to save energy.

Expense is a very vital thing taken into consideration when deciding between green roofs and solar panels. For a 100 sq foot roof, you need about $25,000 to install solar panels on your rooftop. The system works at least 25 years. But, maintenance of the solar panels will cost $1,000 per year, putting its worthiness into question. Its worthiness depends on your personal electricity usage. You would save a small amount of money if you are living with a huge family, but a fact that should be taken into consideration is that the value of money between now and the future fluctuates. Otherwise, you still need to pay the upkeep of the system every year and the charge of basic power to keep it working. Green roofs are priced $1,500 for the same area without the need for maintenance. Then, all you need is a waterproof rooftop, a layer of soil, and a bag of seeds. The thought of Green Roof is much cheaper obviously and has lower maintenance costs than solar panels.

An additional factor to consider are the working conditions of each method. Before you choose one of them, you need to consider the weather in your area. Solar panels, as the name hints, is a system that needs sunlight to function. Green roofs need adequate rain to support growth as well as sunlight. Comparing the two systems’ working requirements, solar panels need less than green roofs. Though solar panels still work on cloudy days, they will not maintain the same efficiency as they would on sunny days, though the amount of energy provided may be enough depending on your needs. Unfortunately, solar panels are not ideal for windy areas because they might be hurt by flying debris. Though the solar panels and green roofs are nearly equal in regards to working conditions, green roofs are slightly advantageous in that they are working 24 hours a day.

Lastly, solar panels and green roofs have slightly differing functions. In theory, solar panels basically reduce your energy consumption. What would be powered with solar electricity are the things such as the refrigerator, the computers, the TVs and the air
conditioning, etc. Sounds fantastic, but solar panels efficiency averages only 20% to 40%. Solar panels absorb sunlight and convert its energy to a type of power we can use for electronics. The system loses much energy during the
conversion process, and will not be able to power appliances unless sufficient amounts of sunlight is absorbed. On the other hand, green roofs filter rain and air pollutants in addition to keeping the house warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Sometimes it can
even provide a habitat for birds and some small animals.

Choosing between solar panels and green roofs is a fascinating question. Though each system has its own benefits, green roofs are more advantageous to the average person. Solar panels are presently an underdeveloped technology especially concerning energy conversion and are more costly than green roofs. Protecting the environment is an vital thing and we must work to solve the problems threatening it.

I was going to add a few notes here and there, but the answer was too long. Try to make an original title, and not say "I am going to…" because it’s obvious. Also, if I changed the meanings of some parts (some parts were ambiguous), feel free to ignore the change.

Hope I helped.

I want a book that has some different designs for making electric generators from things like ancient exercise bikes, fan blades for wind power, low cost solar panels, or any other kind of alternative energy that is easily produced from the home, and with recycled or low cost materials. How to store the energy would also be a plus. All I can seem to find are book specifically for one type of alternative power(i.e. just solar, or just wind). I’m hoping there is something out there that is more like what I have described.
Well I was more hoping just for a book that shows simple electrical hook ups to say turn an ancient exercise bike into a generator of sorts. Things like that. I assumed ancient fans, and such wouldn’t produce very much energy, but If I use an exercise bike for an hour every day anyway I thought it would be cool to harness, store, and use some of that power to watch TV while im on the bike, or turn a radio on for a few hours or something along those lines. Just like those new crank radios.

There is a list of nice pages were you can find something like how to make your own solar panels and your own wind generator how to recondition batteries and something more

http://GreenProductsolutionPr.com

http://GreenProductsolutionPr.com/Battery

http://GreenProductsolutionPr.com/Store

I hope that this will helps you

My ultimate goal it to have a home that is comfortable, cool in the summer, warm in the winter, not a lot of energy loss, and especially low utility costs. I know solar cells are expensive, and I going to build a 3000-4000 sq ft house… what do you reckon?

Michael, since you’re designing the house, you should take advantage of passive solar building techniques – south facing windows, earth sheltering, a lot of interior thermal mass, etc. Check into using insulated concrete forms for the walls. Next, consider where dollars are most effectively spent for active energy recovery. Rather than gathering sunlight and converting it to electricity, convert it to heat and store it in a hot water tank – which provides both household heat and domestic hot water. How to air condition a house with hydronic heat? Look further into earth sheltered construction, and plot landscaping to provide some shade. You may find your AC needs are minimal or non existent. Do this correctly, and you’ll save tons of $$ in utility bills while the rest of the nation is up in arms about rising energy prices. You should be able to name that tune for about 20 – 25% above normal construction costs. Excellent luck!

In overview we have….

$$$ – Premium
$$ – ?
$ – Economy

Any name suggestions for the middle one?

standard

Please help me Im being forced to go into my ancient family cabin and have nowhere else to go.

Forget the washer and dryer unless you get a generator that you run only for those appliances. And you would save size of generator by getting a propane gas dryer. Assuming your cabin is in rural USA, you can probably have a moderate sized tank installed and negotiate cost with delivery to the tank from one or more companies that supply farms, ranches and homes. This will also give you heat in the winter and cooking gas.
Depending on where you are located, a wood stove may be restricted in use because of the pollution caused by the popularity of them. Modern steel walled wood stoves are very efficient. And not really cheap.
Solar or wind is a lot cheaper if you forgo 120 volts and stick with 12 volts. If you can’t get a laptop that recharges from an automobile plug in, then you could get a small high quality inverter that used only when the computer is on.
Before you can even consider using the well, you need to have the water tested to see what its problems are. You may be able to do nothing or to use a simple filter. Salt water purification systems are excellent, but are ridiculously expensive if you are starting with basically fresh water. Not having electricity, or not much, means you are going to have to pump the water on a limited basis or hand pump it.
And you have failed to mention sewer. Either you are going to have to have a chemical toilet, an outhouse, or dig a septic field, which may or may not be possible in the soil around your cabin and under the state or county rules in your location (because of the risk of polluting your neighbors’ water.)
All insulation of equal rating is equally efficient, but some insulation is more efficient by thickness, which means you might have 4" of one and 9" of another. By far the most vital thing is sealing as much of the house as possible at the windows, doors and cracks so that air infiltration is reduced to keep from blowing your heat out the other side of the place.

In the meantime, though, is there a way to route solar power to one high-use appliance – say our PC or our TV – without fully rewiring the house? This would incur some savings and a lower cost, and we might be able to see some return on investment when we sell the house.

Not very practical if you question me. the way the solar system works in a nutshell. Panels turn sunlight into DC electricity, reckon the battery in your car. then an inverter is installed, which turns the DC into AC, which is what is used in your house. The system feeds your needs when the sun is out, and any excess produced during the day turns your meter backward, and at night you draw from your power company. To do for a single outlet, it would work during the day, but at night or if it got cloudy you would have to go the power cord,to the other outlet hooked to your regular power. If you place solar on your house it might make a fantastic selling point, when you show the new potential owners your electricity bills, depending where you live, it could be close to ZERO for the year.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/03/05/2018937/a-bright-thought-on-solar-panel-leasing.html

http://www.dsireusa.org/ has state by state incentives (federal, state. local) for renewable energy.

If you lease, you are still borrowing money. You might as well eliminate the middle man in this and just contract to buy them. The leased system is supposed to be portable, but in real life that won’t work unless you go to a place that allows and would benefit from the system you installed. If you own and sell, the solar pv system just stays where it is. The cost of the system is small compared to the cost of the home in most cases, so it shouldn’t impair the sale.

http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/solar/en/faqs/resid_sys.htm

GE recommends washing off your panels 2 or 3 times a year. If you don’t want the responsibility then maybe you shouldn’t have solar. You change the oil on your car don’t you? You clean your home and wash your car. Electrical maintenance should be done by a pro, of course, according to GE, once a year. You can hose off the panels from the ground with a power sprayer if need be.

If you have battery backup, then you should also expect to maintain those, jus like you take care of the battery in your car.