Feng Shui - Addressing The Balance For Green Living

Green living is a phrase we hear more and more, but all too often it seems that politicians and others who step into the spotlight miss the point entirely; green living is not an alternative way of life, it is the only responsible way of life which is likely to permit our survival. We have a responsibility – we have always had a responsibility – to take charge of this earth as its caretakers; we are passing through, taking on the baton of care whilst we share in the never ending story of life.

The earth we have inherited was left to us by our ancestors, as we too will leave what is left of the earth to our children, and their children. Green living is the only way in which we can ensure that the lush green and pleasant lands we have known and loved continue to thrive long into the future. The call of the bird on the breath of the wind, the song of the stream as it splashes through the fields and pastures, the glory of the sunrise and the joy of the dawn chorus – all these and many more are gifts beyond price, and gifts we have the responsibility to ensure are passed on for others to enjoy.


For those who already follow a life which takes the ideas and messages of Feng Shui to heart, there is much which can be learnt, and put into practice, which can help each way of life complement the other. Living in harmony with our surroundings, and the natural forces around us, could easily be interpreted as either green living or Feng Shui. In fact, this similarity in ideals should not be a surprise, since the very name words – Feng Shui mean, translated from the Chinese, ‘wind water’. Two natural elements, working together in harmony, and today more relevant than ever before as we are increasingly looking to these elements to harness renewable, natural energy sources to fulfil our moral obligations and legacy responsibilities.


Feng Shui is very much concerned with the way solar light and energy can be harnessed within the home, given free passage and reflected in ways which can enhance the feelings of wellness within the home. Green living is very much seen as being at one with this same belief, taking greater advantage of the wealth of natural light and energy granted to us at the beginning of each new day. Whether you choose to install solar panels, or simply arrange the home in such a way that natural light can be allowed in more freely, without restriction.


Our ancestors may have lived in dark, damp caves, but there is no need for us to shut out the natural light, and burn our way through nature’s precious resources in order to fuel our need for artificial light, warmth and cooling breeze. Yet, each and every day, this is precisely what many millions of households do. Feng Shui is very much about ensuring the home and those who call it home live in harmony with each other, and the natural forces around them.


We can easily see that green living, eco awareness, environmental awareness or sustainable living, is simply a way of complementing these concepts, and taking them a little further. In this way, the art and life of Feng Shui does not limit itself to the interconnectivity of home and those within, but a much greater and more splendid form of interconnection.


Indeed, the harmony of Feng Shui and green living can be said to extent this relationship far beyond the home, and the nearby surroundings, and embrace the forces and powers of nature throughout the whole word – a global interconnectivity, in celebration of the natural world, the forces which draw life, and which are ours to cherish and enjoy from our own personal dawn to our inevitable sunset.


Whilst this can be seen as a global challenge, and certainly a very exciting one, as well as a necessary obligation we cannot afford the luxury of shirking, it can also seem to be a little daunting. Personal and global responsibility does not come quickly, or easily, yet if each journey must begin with a single step, so our personal responsibilities must similarly start small, as indeed does humanity’s in general.


Feng Shui is the awareness, understanding and celebration of the interplay between the seen, and known forces, and those unseen, or beyond our physical grasp. It is the understanding of the precious balance which enables life and happiness to flourish.


Whether you take time to consider the fabrics and materials you use each day which are the product of energies that have poisoned the planet, such as the seemingly humble plastic bag, or consider more fully the implications of your daily living, and whether your contributions are in balance with the energy and resources which you are taking for yourself, we can all embrace the tenets of Feng Shui, and take those first, important and ultimately fulfilling steps on the eco-friendly, recyclable and environmentally clean path to green living.

By: John Culbertson

"I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy!"

"I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that."                                     - Thomas Edison, 1931 4540 square miles of Solar Panels (8 billion - 200 watt solar panels) could meet all current national energy needs (4 trillion kWh)!"Every hour, enough of sunlight energy reaches the Earth to meet the world's energy demand for a whole year."Solar energy is the conversion of sunlight into electricity through a photovoltaic (PVs) cell, commonly called a solar cell. A photovoltaic cell is made from silicon alloys.

Sunlight is composed of photons, or particles of solar energy. These photons contain various amounts of energy corresponding to the different wavelengths of the solar spectrum. When photons strike a photovoltaic cell, they may be reflected, pass right through, or be absorbed. Only the absorbed photons provide energy to generate electricity. When enough sunlight (energy) is absorbed by the material (a semiconductor), electrons are dislodged from the material's atoms. Special treatment of the material surface during manufacturing makes the front surface of the cell more receptive to free electrons, so the electrons naturally migrate to the surface. When the electrons leave their position, holes are formed. When many electrons, each carrying a negative charge, travel toward the front surface of the cell, the resulting imbalance of charge between the cell's front and back surfaces creates a voltage potential like the negative and positive terminals of a battery. When the two surfaces are connected through an external load, electricity flows.

The photovoltaic cell is the basic building block of a PV system. Individual cells can vary in size from about 1/2 inch to about 4 inches across. However, one cell only produces 1 or 2 watts, which isn't enough power for most applications. To increase power output, cells are electrically connected into a packaged weather-tight module. Modules can be further connected to form an array. The term array refers to the entire generating plant, whether it is made up of one or several thousand modules.

The performance of a photovoltaic array is dependent upon sunlight. Climate conditions (e.g., clouds, fog) have a significant effect on the amount of solar energy received by a PV array and, in turn, its performance. The chart below shows solar insolation in kilowatt-hours per square meter per day in many US locations. Also, the environmental impact of a photovoltaic system is minimal, requiring no water for system cooling and generating no by-products. Photovoltaic cells, like batteries, generate direct current (DC) which is generally used for small loads (electronic equipment). When DC from photovoltaic cells is used for commercial applications or sold to electric utilities using the electric grid, it must be converted to alternating current (AC) using inverters, solid state devices that convert DC power to AC.There are mainly 4 types of solar cells: mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline, amorphous and thin-film (CIS, CIGS).
Mono-crystalline – efficiency is in 16% range. PV cell is made from pure mono-crystalline silicon with almost no defects or impurities. High purity mono cells are used to make computer CPU chip, relatively low purity cells are used for solar module. The most common size of mono-crystalline cell is 5”x5” (125x125mm) and 6”x6” (156x156mm). The bigger the size, the harder is to make. Mono-crystalline has a lifetime of 25 to 30 years under normal circumstance.
Poly-crystalline – efficiency is in 13% range. PV cell is produced using numerous grades of mono-crystalline silicon. This is less expensive to manufacturing due to simpler processes involved in production compared with mono-crystalline. The most common size of mono-crystalline cell is 5”x5” (125x125mm) and 6”x6” (156x156mm). Poly-crystalline has a lifetime of 20 to 25 years under normal circumstance.
Amorphous – efficiency is in 10% range. Silicon composed of silicon atoms in a thin layer rather than a crystal structure. It absorbs light more effectively than crystalline so cells can be thinner. Thin film technology can be used in rigid, flexible, curved and foldaway modules. The have a lower cost than crystalline cells but have a lower efficiency. Amorphous has a lifetime of less than 10 years under normal circumstance.
Thin-film – efficiency is in 11% range. PV cell is the most efficient material in poor light conditions, whilst also being an extremely sturdy, vandal-proof PV. The lifetime on thin-film is uncertain.http://www.dmsolar.com/solar-energy.html