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Chapter 1: What Is Alternative Energy
Chapter 2: Alternative Home Energy
Chapter 3: Sustaining Life: Sustainable Power
Chapter 4: An Alternative Energy Education Method
Chapter 5: Alternative Energy Sources - The Best Aid In Times Of Crisis
Chapter 6: Global Warming Worries Lead To New Alternative Energy Ideas
Chapter 7: Global Warming And Building Green
Chapter 8: Benefits Of Green Energy Sources
Chapter 9: Investment Into Alternative Energy Research And Development
Chapter 10: How To Make Your Own Green Energy Source
Chapter 11: Government Grants For Alternative Energy
Chapter 12: Pursuing Alternative Forms Of Energy
Chapter 13: Solar Energy – This Commodity Is Not For Sale
Chapter 14: Solar Energy Is A Form Of Green Energy Source
Chapter 15: Benefits Of Green Energy Sources
Chapter 16: Darkness Ahead, The Quest For Sustainable Power
Chapter 17: Electric Cars And Rising Gasoline Prices
Chapter 1: What Is Alternative
Energy There is a lot of energy that we can harness if we
only seek to research and develop the
technologies needed to do so. We can get away
from the fossil fuels and the old electrical grids
by turning to alternatives to these energy
sources.
One of these alternative energy resources is
wind power. Wind turbines continue to be
developed that are progressively more energy
efficient and less costly. "Wind farms" have
been springing up in many nations, and they
have even become more strategically placed
over time so that they are not jeopardizing birds
as former wind turbines did.
Another alternative energy resource is the one
that is most well known: solar energy. This
involves the manufacturing of solar cells which
gather and focus the energy given off directly by
the sun, and translate it into electricity or, in
some cases, hot water. As with Wind Power
Solar Power, creates absolutely zero pollution.
Ocean wave energy is seen by governments and
investors as having enormous energy generating
potential. A generator in France has been in
operation for many years now and is considered
to be a great success, and the Irish and Scots are
running experimental facilities.
Hydroelectric power has been with us for a
while and where it is set up, it is a powerful
generator of electricity and cleaner than a grid.
However, there are certain limitations to the
availability of the right places to set up a large
dam. Many run-of-the-river, or small and
localized, hydroelectric generators have been set
up in recent times due to this limitation.
Geothermal energy is extremely abundant, since
it lies directly beneath our feet, just a few miles
below the earth's surface. This energy is
produced by the heating of water through the
actions of earth's fantastically hot molten core.
The water turns to steam, which can be
harnessed and used to drive turbine engines
which in turn generate electricity. Great amounts
of research and development should be put into
geothermal energy tapping.
Waste gas energies, which are essentially
methane, reverse the usual energy-pollution
relationship by creating energy from waste that
lies in the dumps and from some air pollutants.
This gas is used in fuel cells and can be used in
standard gasoline generators.
Ethanol is a gasoline substitute and is created
from such things as wheat, sugarcane, grapes,
strawberries, corn, and even wood chips and
wood cellulose. There is controversy over this
fuel with regards to its ever becoming truly
economical or practical except in very localized
areas, but technologies for its extraction and
admixturing are continuously being refined.
Biodiesel energy is created out of the oils
contained in plants. So far, the commercial
stores of biodiesel have been created using
soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower oils. At the
time of this writing, biodiesel is typically
produced by entrepreneurial minded individuals
or those who want to experiment with alternative
energy, but commercial interest from companies
is on the rise. It burns much cleaner than
oil-based diesel.
Atomic energy is created in atomic energy plants
using the process of nuclear fission. This energy
is extremely efficient and can generate huge
amounts of power. There is concern from some
people about what to do with the relatively small
amount of waste product atomic energy gives
off, since it is radioactive and takes hundreds of
years to decay into harmlessness.
Chapter 2: Alternative Home Energy
Types of Alternative Home Energy
Home energy consumption is one of the main
problems of people today. The fact is, we all
need electricity to power our lives. We need the
level of civilization that can be provided by
electricity. However, most people think that the
price they pay is just too much for the amount of
electricity they get to consume.
In the true spirit of humanity, people did what
they always do whenever there's something that
does not completely satisfy them about life: they
innovated.
Alternative home made energy has been on the
roll ever since people have made designs
efficient enough to make them feasible. People
may think that alternative energy is just a recent
development, but in fact, alternative home
energy has been around even before electricity
was discovered.
Consider these types of alternative home energy:
1) Wind energy – Nowadays, windmills are used
in homes to run small generators. These
generators produce and store electricity to be
used in running small home appliances.
However, windmills have been around for a long
time. If you take a look at the word "windmill"
you will realize that this type of alternative
home energy device was used for a purpose
other than producing electricity.
Yes, the windmill was indeed, used to mill grain.
As you may well know, grinding grain my hand
is very hard work. So in order to make life more
convenient and the production of flour more
efficient, windmills were used to turn the large
grinders.
Seeing as how this was so effective, it was
inevitable that the windmill evolve into the 21st
century in order to be used as a power source.
2) Solar energy – Many people think of this type
of alternative home energy as something that's
technologically advanced. In a sense, harnessing
the power of the sun to produce electricity is.
But this alternative home energy has already
been in use for a long, long time.
Think about this word for a second: clothesline.
Aha, you get it now, don't you? Yes, we have
been using solar energy to dry our clothes for
God knows how long. Think about that spin
dryer or hair dryer you have and think about
how much electricity it uses to do a task that the
sun has been able to do for years, albeit at a
slower pace.
This alternative home energy is harnessed
nowadays for a variety of tasks. Some use it to
heat their homes, others use solar power to heat
water, and other people use solar cells to power
small appliances and save a little on that
electricity bill. The efficiency by which we are
now able to convert solar power into electricity
is of such a degree that it is very possible to
power a whole house! Now, isn't that amazing?
3) Hydropower – This type of alternative home
energy makes use of water currents in order to
turn turbines to run generators. Once again, this
is not really a new technology. Like windmills,
waterwheels were often used to harness the
power of a nearby river in order to grind grain
into flour.
4) Biogas – This is another alternative home
energy source. Biogas is produced naturally via
the decomposition of different biological
material. By using biogas instead of the common
LPG, home owners can cut back on their heating
bills.
As you can see, there are a lot of different types
of alternative home energy. What you need to do
is explore these options and discover which type
is the best for you to use. You have also been
informed as to how we have used these energy
sources in the past and how they are being used
today.
Unfortunately, some of the methods of
harnessing these different alternative home
energy types may yet seem impractical to the
common homeowner. However, as technology
continues to evolve, you can be sure that the use
of alternative energy will be more efficient.
By using alternative home energy, you
accomplish two things: you save on your
expenses and you help create a better world.
You see, alternative home energy sources do not
produce any harmful effects to the environment.
By using these sources, you harness relatively
free energy. Some people may say that the
devices used to harness these sources may be too
expensive, but in the long run, you"ll end up
saving so much more than you spend.
Chapter 3: Sustaining Life:
Sustainable Power
When we speak of energy, power, and
development, we all think development,
industrialization, advancement; all these leads to
pollution and degradation of the environment.
You hear advocates say that our environment
was a lot purer in long gone ages because people
do not use energy.
Who's Liable?
That is not necessarily true; you see ancient man
used fire to cook things, and then the sun to
warm them up. Even humanity itself uses energy
to be able to move and go about life each day.
We cannot survive without energy and yet we
blame it for the destruction of our planet. It is us
who use energy to no ends, it is us who abuse its
use therefore we are liable to find the solution to
pollution. It is our responsibility to our selves
and the future generation to seek ways of
supporting our way of life without harming the
environment.
The Scope and Definition of Sustainable Power
Generally sustainable power is thought to be any
renewable kind of energy. Meaning it is any
puissance whose source cannot be depleted and
does not contaminate the environment on a long
term basis.
Although sustainable power maybe confused
with alternate or green energy the two are
distinctly different. Sustainable power is
conducive to nature but it is set apart from green
or alternate energy because its source is
unending, it cannot be exhausted.
Power Source
Sources of sustainable energy vary. It can be as
simple as hydrogen to as complex as nuclear
energy. When we speak of sustainable
development we must consider the basics before
heading of to the complex, after all we haven't
used the newly scientifically discovered energy
long enough to know its possible effects. The
first things to consider are those that nature itself
supplies; like the air, wind, solar, tidal, and
water resources.
Techno Speak
With all the media hype surrounding this
idealism you'd think that we aren't already using
sustainable energy! Yes, we already are using
alternate energy resources. We have water dams,
the waterfall power plants, wind mills,
geothermal plants, and the nuclear power plants.
There are three technological classifications for
the technologies that help us attain sustainable
power; these include biomass combustion,
hydropower, and geothermal plants. First
generation power automatons arose during the
industrial revolution. This is the time where
people discovered that manufacturing will
become faster thru the use of machines, and
faster output means larger sales. In a way
sustainable power was researched and invented
not for the future but for the moment; to improve
lives, industry and the economy.
Second Generation energy resources comprise,
various forms of modern bioenergy, solar
photovoltaics, solar power and wind power.
These technologies emerged from the need to
depend on oil so much. Research and
Development was massively funded during the
1980's and we are now reaping the benefits.
Third Generation sustainable energy resources
are those that relatively new; biorefinery
technologies, ocean energy, hot dry rock energy,
biomass gasification, concentrating solar thermal
power and even nanotechnology may make
future appearances that will hopefully end our
quest for continuous energy sources. On the
stage of research and experimentation these
resources are still under development but raise
the hopes of those who continually seek
sustainable power.
All that have been mentioned are technological
advances and discoveries of everlasting energy
source, but in the end like everything in our
lives, the future is in our hands. Even when we
are provided with more nature friendly energy
resources if we don't conserve and use it wisely
we will still end up damaging the very planet on
whose existence and well being we very much
depend on.
Chapter 4: An Alternative Energy
Education Method
The best method of educating young people
about alternative energy production that this
writer has ever witnessed is the use of the
PicoTurbine Company's kits, books, and
projects. The PicoTurbine Company produces
these things for the purpose of advancing the
cause of renewable (alternative) energy and
getting young people to look into the future and
see that the environment that's being seeded now
is the one they will inherit then. As the late,
great Gerry Ford said, "Things are more like
they are now than they have ever been before."
If we are to change the future world for the
better, then it starts right here and now with the
advent of "green" energy systems.
One of the core concepts of PicoTurbine can be
stated: Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and
I might remember some of it. Involve me, and I
will master it. Based on this old tried and true
adage, the kits that the company produces come
with activity suggestions to get the young people
into hands-on learning situations. One
suggestion of the company is to demonstrate
how heat can be produced by wind energy (the
company's specialty) through using a "picture
wire" for the heating element. PicoTurbine has
found that people typically think of wind energy
as being "cold" energy, and are pleasantly
surprised to see how wind can be used for
generating heat in the home. Another project
suggestion that the company offers is to have
different groups split off in the classroom and
then compare their respective wind turbines that
they have built. They can see which ones
produce the most or least electricity; which ones
start up with need of the least amount of wind
power; and for very young children, which ones
have the most aesthetic appeal.
There is a core curriculum that PicoTurbine has
in mind for teachers to instill in their pupils.
Renewable, alternative sources of energy
include solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and
biomass in addition to wind-produced energy.
When we use more alternative sources of
energy, we decrease our nation's dependence on
foreign oil supplies, which often come from
nations who cannot really be called our "allies".
Alternative energy is already becoming cost
effective when set against the fossil fuels that we
are so reliant on currently.
PicoTurbine points out that wind farms and solar
arrays are already letting their makers enjoy
commercial success. In the last two decades, the
cost of photovoltaic cells expressed in terms of
per-watt has gone from nearly $1000 to just $4!
It has been predicted by analysts that by the year
2015, the cost per watt should only be about $1
(in today's dollars). Students also need to be
taught about the hidden cost of fossil fuels:
pollution and environmental degradation. Air
pollution from burning fossil fuels has been
shown through studies to increase incidences of
asthma attacks, heighten the effects of allergies,
and even cause cancer. Switching over to clean,
green energy found in the alternative forms
would prevent air pollution and help bolster the
environment.
Chapter 5: Alternative Energy
Sources - The Best Aid In Times Of
Crisis
You have been hearing all about it. It seems to
be a big problem now all around the globe.
Energy crisis is something that people can be
blamed for. But it is too late now to point fingers
to whoever committed the biggest mistake. What
you can do to do your share in helping to solve
the root of the problem is by finding and using
available alternative energy sources.
Look around you. Amidst all the technological
advancements, you will still be amazed at how
nature provides for all the needs of mankind. But
through the years, this has been overlooked and
taken advantage of. This resulted to the energy
crisis that we have now. But you cannot turn
back the time to undo the damage. The best
thing that you can do is to help resolve the
problem or reduce it even with your own little
means.
But first, do you know the available renewable
sources of energy that surrounds you. It is
everywhere. Look up and there is the sun that
produces solar power. The sun's rays are
converted into electricity through solar cells,
solar thermal panels, parabolic mirrors and other
medium.
Look underneath. Did you know that the heat
coming from the ground can also be turned into
energy resources? There are holes that are being
drilled in certain regions to find steam that are
being produced by the heat underneath. The
steam is purified to be used as power to electric
generators.
Feel the air. The wind can also create energy as
this drives the blades of the wind turbines. This
rotation produces electrical current that can be
utilized through electrical generator. In 2005, it
was reported that the capacity of the
wind-powered generators reaches up to 58,982
megawatts.
Hydroelectric energy comes from water. The
later can be used for its kinetic energy or the
tidal power to produce the energy. It can also be
contained in a dam that harness the gravitational
fall of a river to become the energy source.
Crisis Alert Now more than ever is the time to
act to make use of the available renewable
energy resource like the abovementioned. Aside
from the fact that they are free, they will be
available as long as you know how to care for
your environment.
There are methods and studies being conducted
by experts worldwide to find ways on how to
improve on the utilization of these available
sources of energy. People must learn to slowly
detach themselves on being too dependent on the
use of energy sources that are non-renewable. In
a matter of years, the latter will decrease until
they slowly diminish. Are you going to wait for
that time to come when all along, if you will
only look around, you will discover how nature
provided for everything that you need. All you
have to do is to find ways on how to use them
wisely.
Time to Care Upon finding the means on how
you can make use of the available resources
around you, the next thing that you have to make
certain of is how you will care for such. Once in
a while, it will be okay to pause from your busy
life to look back and give gratitude to where it is
due.
You can do your share of caring for these
available alternative energy sources by being a
good citizen who cares for your environment.
You can start in your own simple ways like not
adding up to the pollution, planting plants and
trees and supporting products that do not contain
chemicals that are harmful to the environment.
Chapter 6: Global Warming Worries
Lead To New Alternative Energy
Ideas
The fear of global warming has led to some
interesting alternative energy ideas for the future
that would have less impact on the environment.
Constant research takes place daily for sources
of energy that utilize our natural resources, have
little repercussion on our atmosphere, cost less
and are naturally renewable.
There has been much research in the area of
solar power, tapping geothermal heat inside the
earth, harnessing the power of the tides as an
energy sources and wind turbines, but scientists
are going further into their imaginations to
develop energy from sources never thought of
before.
For instance; scientists are studying marine
algae in the hopes that they could generate
power from the methane given off by rotting
algae; the methane could then be harnessed to
provide methane for burning to power industrial
needs for energy. Corn is being tested as a fuel
(ethanol) for cars, as well as home heating
sources, and there are many other areas that you
may not have thought about.
Early studies are looking at falling rain and how
it might be used to generate power (same
premise as harnessing wave power). I'm not a
scientist, so I can't even begin to explain how or
why this might work.
The idea I like best is powering our own
personal IPod, cell phone and home computer by
walking power. A leg brace, equipped with an
electricity generator, gets the power from your
every step. Need it charged quickly? Go for a
long run; need a little power to power my laptop
to get me through the meeting, go walk an hour!
Chapter 7: Global Warming And
Building Green
Building green is one of the solutions to global
warming that many people do not think about.
Building green is designing and constructing
buildings with the environment in mind. It is
these practices that can have an impact on
stopping global warming.
Houses give off a high percentage of a country's
total carbon dioxide emissions. In the United
States, the figure is about 38%. Since carbon
dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases, houses
contribute strongly to global warming.
One way to cut the greenhouse emissions of
houses, and therefore help stop global warming,
is to minimize the energy use needed to sustain
comfortable living in a house. There are
several ways to do this.
One way is to be careful about what building
materials are used. Some building materials
can be from quickly renewable sources. These
include bamboo and straw. Also, building
materials can be used that originates near the
building site. This cuts down on transportation,
and so cuts down on emissions of greenhouse
gases and global warming. One example is
stone houses built with local stone.
Buildings are also often built using recycled
materials. Wood can be used from an older
home that has been torn down. This will
prevent the need to cut down other trees. Since
the deforestation of the land contributes to
global warming, this will help the situation.
Heating and cooling have a big effect on the
amount of global warming caused by a house.
Some ways to help this are very simple. One is
to design the house to sit on the lot so that
sunlight will come in through the windows and
warm the house. It can also be oriented so that
breezes will blow through the windows more
naturally for cooling.
In this way, passive solar energy can be used to
heat and cool the house. This will cut down on
the greenhouse emissions from a house. Global
warming will be lessened. Insulation is
important to maximize on the cool or heat that is
in the house. With good insulation, you will
need a less intense heat or cooling source.
The main heating and cooling source in most
green houses will be solar panels, wind power,
or hydropower. Any of these sources will
power a house with minimal effects on global
warming. At the same time, these sources of
energy will sustain a household in a comfortable
style.
There are several organizations in the US that
aid in the cause of stopping global warming by
encouraging green building. One non-profit
organization makes it their business to foster
green building methods in both houses and
commercial buildings. This group of people
from the building industry is a part of the Green
Building Initiative.
The state of Washington has required builders of
buildings larger than 5000 square feet to use
green building practices. Their law was enacted
in 2005. It should help to keep a cap on global
warming.
Green building is important for a number of
reasons. One just happens to be that it can
reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. If
green building can help stop global warming,
perhaps it is time for everyone to build green.
Chapter 8: Benefits Of Green Energy
Sources
For a very long time, we have relied on fossil
fuels. It provides heat to our homes, gas for our
cars and electricity. Since we are now using it
more than ever, there is a consequence. We are
depleting our resources and slowly killing our
planet. Fortunately, we can change our ways and
then shift our attention to green energy sources.
But why green energy sources? Well because
there are advantages to using them which we
will never be able to get if we don't change our
ways. This is also even if some will argue that
the problem with green energy is that it is
sometimes difficult to generate the power we
need. While that may be true, that is why there
are other green energy sources available and
we just to know which ones are viable given the
geographic location.
The various green energy sources such as solar,
wind, wave, hydropower and geothermal do not
produce anything harmful which may have a
negative effect on the environment. This is the
exact opposite of what you get when you
continue to operate a coal or nuclear power
plant.
Coal you have to remember releases carbon
dioxide into the air. On its own, it may not cause
that much damage but there are currently 50,000
coal plants around the world and that number is
expected to grow.
Nuclear plants may not release anything harmful
into the air. The issue is how we dispose of the
spend rods and if another nuclear accident
should occur. We remember Chernobyl and
Three Mile Island. We have probably learned
better ways to prevent another incident from
happening. Through the years, a few minor
accidents have occurred and although the leak
was contained, just imagine if it wasn't?
Green energy sources may not be maintenance
free but at least it does not require that much to
maintain them compared to conventional means.
In the end, we save money because such
facilities don't cost that much to operate.
The next advantage of using green energy
sources is that we will never run out of them.
For centuries, the sun's rays have reached so has
the wind which is blown from the sea. By using
it, we decrease our dependence on oil which is a
nonrenewable resource.
If you think about it, many of us have taken
these green energy sources for granted. If we do
the right thing now, future generations will not
have to face the mess that we could have
handled on our own years before.
In short, the power is in our hands. We have the
technology and we know what to do with it. The
only thing we need is to do is to put our money
where our mouth is because despite the number
of conferences on global warming and climate
change, little has happened.
It is easy to talk about how concerned we are
about the environment but you have to ask
yourself when will more solar panels or wind
turbines will be erected? When will the number
of coal or nuclear power plants be reduced?
Green energy sources is the solution to the
environmental, political and social problems of
this lifetime. By spending more on these
technologies, no country will have to depend on
another or even a corporation for their power
needs because they are self dependent and free.
Chapter 9: Investment Into
Alternative Energy Research And
Development
The US government must continue to back the
expansion of the role of alternative energy
research and development and its
implementation by companies and homeowners.
Although this writer believes in the reign of the
free market and that 'that government is best
which governs least", our current system has
companies and people expecting federal backing
of major initiative with direct investment, in the
form of tax breaks, rebate incentives, and even
direct central bank investment into the
alternative energy industry.
The US and its citizenry need to invest all of the
time and energy that they can spare to the
conversion from a fossil fuel burning society to
one that is green for several different reasons.
The green economy will not harm the
environment or the quality of our air like fossil
fuel burning does. We can become the energy
independent nation that we need to be by cutting
away our need to import oil, especially oil that is
produced by anti-American nations such as Iran.
Ultimately, renewable energies and extremely
efficient energies like atomic energy are far less
expensive than the continuous mining and
drilling for fossil fuels. If we do not invest in
our future now, catastrophe awaits us. We are
going to need to consume more energy than ever
in our history as we sail into the 21st century
and beyond—our dependency on foreigners for
meeting these energy needs only leaves us open
to sabotage while draining our coffers in order to
fill other nations'.
It can be argued that federal, state, and local
governments should work in conjunction on the
issue of alternative energy research and
development and implement mandatory
programs for new home construction and all
home remodeling that stipulate the installation
of alternative energy power sources—eventually
over a certain period of years transforming into
100% installation of alternative energy sources
for any new home or corporate building—as
well as backing a similar program to have all
new vehicles produced in the nation be hybrid
vehicles or hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles
by the year 2020. All levels of government could
also impose mandatory compliance laws on
construction and utilities companies. The utility
companies in all 50 states should be required to
invest in alternative energy research and
development while also being required to buy
back, at fair rates, excess energy produced by
homeowners through their use of alternative
energy power sources. Strong financial
incentives need to be in place for new
companies to invest in developing renewable
energies. This would not only make the US
energy independent at the fastest possible rate,
but it would stimulate the growth of the
economy and provide tens of thousands of new,
good-paying jobs for people.
Alternative energy generation in the forms of
solar, wind, hydroelectric, biofuel, geothermal,
and atomic; alternative energy storage systems
such as more efficient batteris and hydrogen fuel
cells; and alternative energy-furthering
infrastructures with superior energy efficiency
all need to be brought into the affordable price
range through development. Government
investment into these matters would surely help
us along.
Chapter 10: How To Make Your
Own Green Energy Source
Wouldn't it be great if we can produce our own
green energy source? If we can do that, we don't
have to pay electrical bills or gasoline anymore
for our cars. While we can buy some of the
equipment, the rest will have to be done on our
own.
Take solar or wind power for example. We
already know how to harness and make it. If you
want to make one, do some research online and
then set up the system yourself.
To have solar energy, you will need to buy an
inverter, battery, charge controller, solar panels,
some wires and support structure. The only
difference with wind energy is that you need a
fan. Once you have everything you need, you
can put it all together.
If you are not skillful, you will be happy to
know that some companies sell the entire
system. By buying it from them and having it
installed by their experts, you are sure that there
won't be any problems the moment you switch it
on.
There is one more thing you need before you can
use one or the two green energy sources. Before
you buy the materials or the system, make sure
you have a flat area that is about a hundred
square feet or so because it occupies a lot of
space.
For those who don't have the space or the budget
to use these two energy sources, another option
is to create your own biofuels.
Biofuels are used in many countries and they get
it from harvesting corn, sugar and other crops.
Luckily, you don't need a farm to produce it
because you can also make your own using
some recycled waste.
A good example of this is vegetable oil which
we use for cooking. To turn this into a biofuel,
we first filter it by warming up the liquid and
then filtering this with a coffee filter. The next
step is to remove the water also by boiling it
again at 100 degrees for a short period of time.
We need to know the amount of lye present in
the vegetable oil and we do this by a process
known as titration. When we are done with that,
we now mix sodium hydroxide to produce
sodium methoxide.
The process of converting used vegetable oil
before it becomes a biofuel takes quite awhile
and it must be heated the entire time. This is
done so the fuel we produce is pure and only
when this is achieved that we give it time to
cool.
Just how much biofuel we make after all the
work varies but you will have an idea of how
much you have produced since this is the one
you see floating at the top. If there is still some
glycerin present, filter it again. From there, you
already have your own backyard biofuel which
you can use and even sell to those who are just
as concerned with the environment as you are.
By making our own green energy sources, we
make ourselves less dependent on gasoline in its
various forms to power our heater, home or car.
Why don't a lot of people do it? Well simply
because they don't have the time to make it and
would rather rely on someone else to do it for
them.
Chapter 11: Government Grants For
Alternative Energy
In his State of the Union Address for 2007,
President George W. Bush called for a 22%
increase in federal grants for research and
development of alternative energy. However, in
a speech he gave soon after, he said to those
assembled, I recognize that there has been some
interesting mixed signals when it comes to
funding.
Where the mixed signals were coming from
concerned the fact that at the same time the
President was calling on more government
backing for alternative energy research and
development, the NREL—the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory of Golden,
Colardo—was laying off workers and
contractors left and right. Apparently, the
Laboratory got the hint, because soon after the
State of the Union Address, everyone was
re-hired. The second speech of the President's
was actually given at the NREL. There is almost
unanimous public support for the federal
backing through research grants, tax breaks, and
other financial incentives of research and
development of alternative energy sources.
The NREL is the nation's leading component of
the National Bioenergy Center, a 'virtual" center
that has no central bricks and mortar office. The
NREL's raison d'etre is the advancing of the US
Department of Energy's and the United States'
alternative energy objectives. The laboratory's
field researchers and staff scientists, in the
words of Laboratory Director Dan Arvizu,
'support critical market objectives to accelerate
research from scientific innovations to
market-viable alternative energy solutions. At
the core of this strategic direction are NREL's
research and technology development areas.
These areas span from understanding renewable
resources for energy, to the conversion of these
resources to renewable electricity and fuels, and
ultimately to the use of renewable electricity and
fuels in homes, commercial buildings, and
vehicles." The federally-backed Laboratory
directly helps along the United States' objectives
for discovering renewable alternative fuels for
powering our economy and our lifestyles.
The NREL is set up to have several areas of
expertise in alternative energy research and
development. It spearheads research and
development efforts into renewable sources of
electricity; these would include such things as
solar power, wind power, biomass power, and
geothermal power. It also spearheads research
and development of renewable fuels for
powering our vehicles such as biomass and
biodiesel fuels and hydrogen fuel cells. Then, it
seeks to develop plans for integrated system
enginnering; this includes bringing alternative
energy into play within buildings, electrical
grids and delivery systems, and transportation
infrastructures. The Laboratory is also set up for
strategic development and analysis of alternative
energy objectives through the forces of
economics, market analysis and planning, and
alternative energy investment portfolios
structurings.
The NREL is additionally equipped with a
Technology Transfer Office. This Office
supports laboratory scientists and engineers in
the practical application of and ability to make a
living from their expertise and the technologies
they develop. NREL's research and development
staff and its facilities are recognized for their
remarkable prowess by private industry, which
is reflected in the hundreds of collaborative
projects and licensed technologies that the
Laboratory now has with both public and private
partners.
Chapter 12: Pursuing Alternative
Forms Of Energy
Record high prices at American gas pumps and
continued trouble-brewing in the Middle East,
Nigeria, and other areas of importance to the
oil-driven economy have made it clear to
Americans that we are in need of developing
many new avenues of energy supply and
production. In short, we need to reduce our
dependency on oil, for it is ultimately finite and,
frankly, the cheap sources of oil (not all
oil—just the stuff that is cheap to remove from
the earth) are running out. Energy consultants
and analysts are insistent that cheap oil has
"peaked" or is very soon going to peak. What
this means for us is an expensive future—unless
we can find new sources of powering our
mechanized and electronic civilization, new
sources which are alternatives to oil.
We must also switch to alternative forms of
energy because our present forms are too
damaging to the atmosphere. While this write
does not believe that the global warming trend is
much, if at all, sustained by the activities of
mankind (in short, it's a natural cycle and there's
nothing we can do about it except prepare for the
effects of it), we certainly do contribute at
present to the destruction of the environment and
to things like air pollution with our energy
sources as they are. Coal is another source of
energy that we need to wean ourselves off
of—again, it is finite, and it is filthy, and the
mining of it is dangerous and environmentally
disruptive. We can also explore new,
streamlined methods for producing electricity
that we presently generate so much of via
hydro-power so that we are less disruptive of the
environment when we have need of constructing
things such as large dams.
Developing nations which have turned
industrialized in recent decades especially will
need the benefits of alternative energy research
and development, for they are presently doing
much more environmental damage than the
United States. The United States, Japan, and
some European nations have been implementing
studies into and programs for the development
of alternative energy sources, and are therefore
already leading the way in doing less
environmental damage. The developing nations
such as China and India need to look to Japan
and the West as examples of what research and
development to give government backing and
private investment currency to. We could also
add great robustness to our own economy by
being at the forefront of such alternative energy
sources development and then marketing the
technologies and services to nations like India,
China, Brazil, and so on and so forth.
Biofuels from things like 'supertrees" and
soybeans, refined hydroelectric technology,
natural gas, hydrogen fuel cells, the further
building of atomic energy plants, the continued
development of solar energy photovoltaic cells,
more research into wind-harnessed power—all
of these are viable energy sources that can act as
alternatives to the mammoth amounts of oil and
coal that we presently are so dependent on for
our very lifestyles. The energy of the future is
green.
Chapter 13: Solar Energy – This
Commodity Is Not For Sale
If anything good came out during the recent
increases of the fuel oil prices, it is that once
again, there is a merry interest in alternative
sources of energy. Even when pump prices has
been decreasing like nothing we have seen
before, the uproar created and the pain it did to
business will have a good chance of sticking.
The desire for alternative sources of energy is on
the forefront and may it stay there for good - as
it should.
Extracting oil from crops is a good idea; the
downside is that food supplies could be
dramatically reduced. Wind power is another
excellent thing except for the many buts that
wind power generation have.
If costs is the main objection to solar power
generation that should be the least of worries.
The installation of solar panels is until today,
considered a specialized job. Like any
commodity in the market, when the demand is
high but the supply is limited, the cost increase.
As more and more homes clamor for alternative
sources of energy, better technology and more
labor is drawn to the job that market forces
could take place and result into much lowered
prices. This though is still in the future.
Today the reality is the instability and the
unpredictability of pump prices. But even if it
does provide stable and predictable price
movement, solar energy is free and it is
inexhaustible.
While the technology of tapping out this
resource is not, homes that are solar powered are
getting back dividends in terms of higher
appraisal for their homes, confidence in not
being surprised by power shortage and outage,
not being dependent on the fluctuation in power
prices and the definite advantage of having
provided a better environment solution.
Today, the typical ways at tapping this resource
usually are:
•Through a Heliostat – this are focusing
collectors composed of mirrors that are aimed at
the sun to collect the energy. The temperature
that heliostats could provide reaches more that
4,000 degrees centigrade. This high temperature
is sufficient for use even for furnaces.
•Through Flat Plate Collectors – employ a
system of pipes. The water inside the pipes
becomes heated and is ideal for heating purposes
like schools, homes swimming pools, offices etc.
•Through Solar Distillation – instead of heat,
this provides water. The mechanics is similar to
the processes of plate collectors except that this
is generally used to steam salt water. To do this,
tanks and ducts are usually installed in surfaces
that receive a good sun. Through the heat, the
salt water turns into steam and when the steam
condenses, the water is collected for regular use.
•Through photovoltaic Cells – These are the
most common type of collecting solar energy
characterized by solar panels installed in
rooftops and other flat surfaces that there is a
good sun, converting the power collected into
electricity.
Unlike any products, whether refined or
manufactured, the processing of solar energy do
not need additional costs of energy to power it
up. It is energy generating by itself. Except
maybe for regular inspection and replacement of
parts (when it employs a mechanical device), the
tapping of solar energy is virtually maintenance
free. Once installed, it could be used for as long
as needed for the amount of energy, (depending
on the capacity of the unit), which the owner
requires.
Chapter 14: Solar Energy Is A Form
Of Green Energy Source
Solar energy is a green energy source because it
is a renewable and it does not cause any harm to
the environment. This is achieved by converting
the sun's rays into electricity with the help of
solar cells.
There are three basic approaches how we can
use this form of green energy source namely
passive, active and by using photovoltaic cells.
When we refer to passive solar energy, nothing
is converted. What happens is the building's
design helps avoid heat loss and gets the most
out of day lighting.
Such a technique can also be used in homes
because studies have shown that this can reduce
the heating requirements by as much as 80%
with minimal cost. This means you don't have to
turn on the air condition or heater that often and
if everyone does that, we don't consume that
much electricity which we get from
non-renewable resources.
The second approach which is active solar
energy is the first way of converting sunlight
into heat. You should know that there are certain
limits to this one and all it can do is make sure
you have hot water.
The third approach is the big scale version and it
can power an office or an entire home. This is
done with the help of solar cells that convert
sunlight into electricity. The smallest ones
around can be seen in calculators and watches
with large ones planted over huge acres of land.
The only limitation to this green energy source
is the fact that it can only generate power when
the weather is good and the sun is out. Should it
rain, then nothing is collected and converted.
When this happens, the auxiliary system is
turned on until the weather improves.
Despite that, scientists and students themselves
have made solar powered cars. NASA or the
National Aeronautical Space Administration has
sent satellites into space that are powered by
solar panels. A fully functional airport can
function on its own thanks to solar power even if
it is situated in the middle of the frozen desert.
So people can see the awesome power of solar
energy, did you know a kilowatt of solar energy
can produce 5.5 hours of electricity per day. If
you have more solar cells in place, naturally you
will be able to produce enough power to last
several days.
Solar energy is just one form of green energy
source around. Through the years, we have
learned to tap other resources and these
examples include wind power, geothermal
energy, hydroelectricity and biogas. These are
all safe and by using these more often, we don't
need to depend on oil which is a nonrenewable
resource.
To make this happen, we have to persuade our
law makers to promote the use of such
resources. Although you hear speeches left and
right about their concern for the environment, it
is all talk and not that much action. It is
something that has to change.
Two countries that have increased solar usage
happen to be Germany and Japan. Spain, France,
Italy and South Korea are next in the list and
where is the United States? Well, one thing is
for certain and that it is not in the top 10 despite
the fact that it is an industrialized nation.
Chapter 15: Benefits Of Green
Energy Sources
For a very long time, we have relied on fossil
fuels. It provides heat to our homes, gas for our
cars and electricity. Since we are now using it
more than ever, there is a consequence. We are
depleting our resources and slowly killing our
planet. Fortunately, we can change our ways and
then shift our attention to green energy sources.
But why green energy sources? Well because
there are advantages to using them which we
will never be able to get if we don't change our
ways. This is also even if some will argue that
the problem with green energy is that it is
sometimes difficult to generate the power we
need. While that may be true, that is why there
are other green energy sources available and
we just to know which ones are viable given the
geographic location.
The various green energy sources such as solar,
wind, wave, hydropower and geothermal do not
produce anything harmful which may have a
negative effect on the environment. This is the
exact opposite of what you get when you
continue to operate a coal or nuclear power
plant.
Coal you have to remember releases carbon
dioxide into the air. On its own, it may not cause
that much damage but there are currently 50,000
coal plants around the world and that number is
expected to grow.
Nuclear plants may not release anything harmful
into the air. The issue is how we dispose of the
spend rods and if another nuclear accident
should occur. We remember Chernobyl and
Three Mile Island. We have probably learned
better ways to prevent another incident from
happening. Through the years, a few minor
accidents have occurred and although the leak
was contained, just imagine if it wasn't?
Green energy sources may not be maintenance
free but at least it does not require that much to
maintain them compared to conventional means.
In the end, we save money because such
facilities don't cost that much to operate.
The next advantage of using green energy
sources is that we will never run out of them.
For centuries, the sun's rays have reached so has
the wind which is blown from the sea. By using
it, we decrease our dependence on oil which is a
nonrenewable resource.
If you think about it, many of us have taken
these green energy sources for granted. If we do
the right thing now, future generations will not
have to face the mess that we could have
handled on our own years before.
In short, the power is in our hands. We have the
technology and we know what to do with it. The
only thing we need is to do is to put our money
where our mouth is because despite the number
of conferences on global warming and climate
change, little has happened.
It is easy to talk about how concerned we are
about the environment but you have to ask
yourself when will more solar panels or wind
turbines will be erected? When will the number
of coal or nuclear power plants be reduced?
Green energy sources is the solution to the
environmental, political and social problems of
this lifetime. By spending more on these
technologies, no country will have to depend on
another or even a corporation for their power
needs because they are self dependent and free.
Chapter 16: Darkness Ahead, The
Quest For Sustainable Power
A looming danger is ahead, darkness
everywhere, no electricity, no oil. What happens
to us when oil runs out? Can you imagine
nothing to fuel our cars, airplanes, tractors, a
decline in farming, a decline in food production?
The future seems gloom, everybody's predicting
that humanity itself will fall into decline. The
richer countries siphoning of crops from third
world countries to create bio-fuel; the third
world countries slowly fading in hunger. We
need to find sustainable power and we need it
fast; our very existence depends upon it.
Solar Power
When we think of alternative energy resources,
solar power immediately comes to mind.
Evidently when we talk of solar power, we
speak of harnessing the suns god given energy.
This solar energy is transformed into electric
current with the use of photovoltaics,
concentrating solar power and other various
technologies which are currently in the
developmental and experimental stage. Solar
energy works well for domestic electricity
supply.
Wind Power
Employed for ages with remnants of its bygone
past still evident in Northwestern Europe, the
Wind Mill is making a come back. The best
thing about the power of the wind is that it can
never be depleted. It is natural, all around us and
all we have to do is construct wind farms and
then everything's done. Economically utilizing
the power of the wind makes sense. It literally
has no maintenance and overhead costs.
Tropical countries use hydroelectricity as their
source of power, using the waters gravitational
force which comes from a high source. This is
a great alternative for energy, it is a whole lot
cheaper and it is environmentally safe because
hydroelectric plants do not emit dangerous
substances in the air nor the waters. It is pure
nature. Fossil fuel driven power plants emit
dangerous gases into the air while plants that are
hydroelectrically driven are proven to emit a
much lesser degree of greenhouse grass.
Nuclear Energy
Another source of alternative energy is nuclear
energy. Nuclear energy together with other
kinds of nuclear technology can harness energy.
Nuclear reactors can generate steam energy by
heating the water thus converting water into
steam and then converting the steam into
electricity. Nuclear energy are widely used in
vessels and ships from all over the world.
Geothermal Power
Geothermal power is the heat that is being
amassed down below from the earth's surface.
This is another way of making conventional
power than that of fossil driven plants which is
very much costly. This power is much feasible
and also another environmental friendly
alternative source of power driven by nature
itself.
One big geothermal plant can power up to one
whole urban community, supplying all the
power it needs while a small geothermal plant
can power up a small village and small
buildings. One good thing about natural
sources such as this one is that a geothermal
power plant does not harm the air or the ozone
layer because they do not emit poisonous gasses
while in operation.
Using any of these alternative power sources can
help us and the earth as well. It is cost effective
and they are much less harmful to the earth.
Using bio-fuel and using alternative power
sources can be a way to save the earth and this is
the future of our world.
Chapter 17: Electric Cars And
Rising Gasoline Prices
Rising gasoline prices may just make other
forms of alternative means of transportation
become more attractive. One of the ways not to
be affected by the rising prices of gas is to have
an alternative means of travel. Of course, saving
up on gasoline use may help in some way, but
such actions may still leave one affected with
the rising prices of gas. A better way would be
trying to use a mode of transportation aside from
one that makes use of fuel aside from gasoline.
One such example is the use of an electric car.
An electric car is one type of an alternative
vehicle. It makes use of electricity as its primary
power source. Instead of an internal combustion
engine, the electric car, also commonly called as
an EV or electric vehicle, has an electric motor
to make the vehicle move. It is an alternative
fuel vehicle that does not use refined fossil oil
for fuel.
Electric cars get electricity for power by means
of electric battery packs built on board. One of
the advantages of using electric vehicles or EV's
is that they are environmentally friendly. Unlike
fossil fuel that emits a number of pollutants into
the air when being used, the use of electricity for
power does not do so, except that the power
plants that may produce them do. However if the
EV owner or even their employer was to install a
combination wind power solar power generation
kit to their home or work, EVs could be charged
with Zero emissions. With the use electric cars,
the emission of harmful pollutants may be
reduced substantially. Less cars using fossils
fuel and gasoline would help make this possible.
And someday, when more electric power is
sourced from nuclear, solar, wind and
hydro-electric power plants, pollutant emissions
will even be reduced more.
Performance-wise, electric cars offer smoother
and noiseless operation that cars relying on
gasoline. Electric cars provide stronger
acceleration and the electric motor requires
lesser maintenance than the internal combustion
engines of cars using gasoline and other fossil
fuels.There are presently road registered EVs
that do a quarter mile in under 11.5 seconds. The
Tesla Roadster for example smoothly accelerates
from 0 to 60mph in 3.7 sec. This is faster than
most high end sports cars. By using electricity
through batteries, energy conversion is more
efficient. Electric motors makes use of 75
percent of the chemical energy converted into
electricity to run the car. Internal combustion
engines or ICE's only are able to make use about
20 percent of the energy stored in gasoline to
power the vehicle.
If most think that the electric car is a recent
invention, then they are mistaken. The electric
vehicle is in fact one of the earliest vehicles
known to exist. Small electric powered vehicles
even predate the development of the diesel and
gasoline engines. The earliest electric carriage
was built between 1832 and 1839. The
development of other electric cars also increased
for some time during the 1860's along with the
improvement of the storage battery. It was even
the electric cars that held many of the speed and
distance records during this time. But
unfortunately, the advent of the internal
combustion engines came during the early
1900's, which led to the decrease in the use of
electric cars.
With the appearance of the more powerful and
affordable diesel and gasoline powered cars
starting in the early 1900's, the market for
electric cars slowly disappeared. Although there
were still electric cars being made, those that do
exist were being produced for specialized
applications. One of the most common use for
the electric vehicle today may be found in the
golf carts as a primary mode of compact
transport in golf courses. But because of the
rising gasoline prices as well as the worsening
pollution, there has been an renewed demand for
the less polluting alternative electric vehicles in
recent years.
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