Archive for the ‘Alternative Energy Sources’ Category

Sources of alternative energy

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

Alternative energy sources are the ones that can be used as an alternative to the energy sources or fossil fuels used now- a-days to meet the energy demands. There are many alternative energy resources and their uses are many. Alternative energy sources are used because they are easily and freely available.

In earlier times, wood was earlier considered to be an alternative energy source mainly because it was abundantly available in the forests and it was always believed that the forest cover on this earth will never cease to exist. But the increase in the rate of deforestation, wood is no longer used an alternative energy source although it provides an alternative to oil.

Hydropower or hydro electric energy as it is more commonly called is the alternative energy source generated from running water in the form of electricity. Reservoirs need to be built to collect the running water which can be later used for the purpose of electricity generation. But hydropower cannot be considered to be a true source of alternative energy. The reason is that all the reservoirs in which water is stored to generate electricity eventually get filled with sediment and this causes problems in generating electricity and a dam site can be used only once.

Another promising alternative energy resource being developed is the fuel. These are used for producing electricity and do not cause any pollution.

Alternative energy sources are a viable option that can be used in the future for many purposes efficiently and cost effectively.

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Renewable Alternative Energy Sources from Geothermal Energy

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

We all know that the earth produces some heat below its surface in the deep interiors. The temperature at which this heat is produced is far much higher than the actual temperature of the sun’s surface. This heat generated under the earth’s surface can be used as a renewable energy source called geothermal energy. The heat at which this heat is produced is so high that energy can not uphold itself below the surface and so it finds a way through volcanoes, hot springs and fumaroles to appear at the surface of the earth..
A large part of the geothermal energy resources are found near the Pacific Ocean. Pacific Ocean comprises of a Ring of Fire where a significant amount of geothermal energy is produced as an alternative energy source. This alternative energy source produced from the molten core of the earth is mainly used to produce electricity. This magma is available in abundance below the earth’s surface and this is the reason why geothermal energy is considered to be a renewable energy source.
Electricity produced from the geothermal energy resources uses technologies namely, binary technology or flash technology. In the flash technology, the water available at extremely high temperatures as a geothermal energy resource is super heated to produce steam, which then drives to a turbine to generate electricity. In the binary technology, heat of the geothermal water is transferred to another liquid to produce vapors which then drive turbines for producing electricity. This electricity produced by the use of geothermal energy can be further used for several other purposes.

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Renewable Alternative energy Sources – A replacement for Oil

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

The modern world has several energy requirements. These energy requirements are met by oil. Oil in the form of kerosene, gasoline and diesel runs the modern world. In addition to meeting the energy needs, oil can also be put to a number of uses in all its forms. Oil in the form of gasoline and diesel can be used for running vehicles and thus hep in transportation of goods. In the form of kerosene, oil can be used in kitchens for preparing food and for heating water. Oil also finds use in a number of industries in the modern world. Oil is an important part of the petrochemical industry. It is also used in manufacturing industry for manufacturing medicines, paints and many other products. Oil is popularly used because it is easy to transport, readily available, safe and versatile. However, oil is a finite resource that will exhaust one day. In the times to come, no oil reserves will be found in the world. As a result we need to look for alternative energy sources that can meet the energy requirements.

Renewable alternative energy sources will always be available for use on the earth.  The alternative energy resources will be the ones that will be used in place of oil in the future. The use of alternative energy sources will result in substantial growth and will also help to overcome the energy crisis.

It will take us years to get used to the idea of using alternative energy resources. This change will also require a lot of time but once done, the benefits will be enormous.

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Types of Alternative Energy Sources

Friday, May 15th, 2009

What Are The Different Types of Alternative Energy Sources?

Alternative energy sources may be the key in reducing the amount of mostly carbon-based toxins that are by-products of energy use. Alternative energy sources are also in many cases virtually infinite. Solar and wind are two prime examples, however both are termed as “intermittent”, meaning they are not constantly present. To remedy this, systems of storage and transport will have to be developed. Wind energy sources harness the power of the wind to propel the blades of wind turbines.
Solar energy sources are used commonly for heating, the production of electricity, and even in the desalination of seawater.

There are other alternative energy sources, such as geothermal energy. Geothermal energy sources capture emissions of ultra hot vapors that emit from fissures in the earth. Hydropower energy sources come from harnessing the gravitational descent of a river into driving a water turbine and generator. Another variation is to make use of water’s kinetic energy through sources such as tidal power. These alternative energy sources, however, are basically infinite as solar and wind, and as such have their own definite limitations.

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Alternative Energy Companies Create Millions of Jobs

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

Alternative Energy Companies Still Showing Promise

Amidst some of the bleakest financial doldrums our nation has faced in decades, as many Americans have to face the indignity of a pink slip, one industry still shows promise. That industry is alternative energy, and it is the wave of the future both economically and technologically. To ensure the industry meets that promise, it will need substantial manpower to develop the viability of these alternative energy companies. That means jobs, and lots of them. The current administration has made the development of jobs for these alternative energy companies its top priority.

President Obama announced more than $20 billion for investment in a more sustainable and greener economy. A White House report concluded that substantial investment in alternative energy companies would help to create tens of thousands of high-quality green jobs in the near future. Estimates for further down the line are even more promising. One analysis posited that an economy that shifts to generating 40 percent of its electricity from wind, solar, biomass, and other sources of alternative energy would create 4.2 million green jobs by 2038. Yet another analysis found that a $500 billion investment in alternative energy companies over the next 10 years would create 5 million green-collar jobs.

The involvement of the administration in developing the green job market is clearly working. Wind and solar energy underwent substantial expansion last year. According to the American Wind Energy Association, 2008 saw the wind energy industry surpassing all expectations with a 50% increase in generating power and $17 billion injected in to the economy. Investment in alternative energy companies is a sensible and sustainable way to inject much-needed capital in to our faltering economy.

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Alternative Energy Sources

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

New National Grid to Optimize Use and Transport of Alternative Energy Sources

In February the National Clean Energy Project conference convened, where a veritable army of policymakers and policy experts caucused over the need for a modernized electric grid in the United States. This new latticework of power lines buttresses the Obama administration’s efforts to promote alternative energy sources, which will need an effective transport system, comprised of a high-voltage mainline and state-of-the-art grid technology, to actually be effective. For example, the American Southwest may have solar plants galore, but since sunlight is a transient alternative energy sources, the energy captured may never reach, say, Virginia. Additionally, the electric grid would also need “two-way flows” to effectively disperse surplus alternative energy sources from one structure to another. This is in addition to the stimulus package $4.4 billion for “modernization of the electric grid” and $8 billion for transmission improvements, with entirely separate measures for climate legislation to cap carbon-dioxide emissions.

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu reiterated transient energy conundrum with wind and solar energy: how do you store alternative energy sources that are not constant? In the U.S. wind and solar energy production only comprise 0.8% and 0.02%, respectively. However, aggregate estimates state that solar and wind could have potential outputs of up to 69% and up to 20%, respectively. At such quantities, storage becomes a problem. In times of no sunlight and no wind, Chu suggested the U.S. expand its pump-hydro storage capacity while developing compressed-air storage. Transporting the alternative energy sources will then present the prospect of perpetual resistance from local governments about having to build through their areas. Senator Reid’s solution was to introduce a bill expanding presidential powers to designate “renewable energy zones,” where the federal government could overrule local governments.

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