Renewable Energy Solutions

Renewable Energy Solutions

 

Locally Available Always Available

There is unlimited energy available all the time, the sun shines, the wind blows, the water runs, the ocean rolls and the molten core boils.

Here Comes the Sun

All of these alternative energy sources are also eternally renewing, driven by the Sun save one, geothermal energy.

Why Global Warming

What is all the concern, why the move to renewable energy? Right now it could be said that we are all living a global lab experiment, and potentially condeming our children's future.

Scientists are raising the alarm and having to use extraordinary, in your face language, as opposed to the normal measured tones to get their points across, the question is; is anyone listening as the blizzard of economic self interest noise of the old, fossil fuel economy drowns out any voice that doesn't go along with the corporate line.

Today we are all canaries in the metaphorical coal mine, breathing in the toxic fumes of too much carbon dioxide, methane, ozone and nitrous oxide, the greenhouse gases that bring on global warming. This is the result of the burning of 40 million years fossil fuel forests in just 150 years.

This burning of oil, natural gas and coal is tipping us over into extreme weather of a hotter, dryer, unsustainable future.

To put this into perspective, this is such a great change it has not been experienced for more than 400,000 years, perhaps in over a million years, and the rate of change may be unprecedented in the long, 4.5 billion year history of the planet Earth, taking place over just 150 years.

If that does not give pause these facts might:

• In March 2012, 150 year old warm weather records were broken in most of North America.


• From 1950 onwards, there have been more record heat waves than at any point in recorded history.


• In 2011 alone, the US experienced fourteen, billion dollar plus weather events, including hurricanes, tornado's and floods.


• Predictions that what were once twenty year warm weather events will become common place, happening every two to three years.


• The Southern Hemisphere's version of the hurricane, the typhoon, will become more intense and destructive.


• Paradoxically, although parts of the world will experience wetter, more violent weather, other areas will be in more dire straights with droughts causing havoc with people's lives, further marginalizing them as water becomes the new oil.


• There are still many unknowns, but rising sea levels will make many areas unlivable. Further crowding and then crowding out even more people.

 
These days are bound to get warmer, this added global warming weather emergency will become more chaotic and destructive, as the burning of oil, natural gas and coal introduces too much greenhouse gases, into the atmosphere, thereby overloading the natural balance that leads to global warming and the greenhouse effect.

The Path to a Sustainable Future

Renewable Energy includes Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Tidal Power, Biomass Energy, Hydro Power and Geothermal Energy.

Solar Energy is most likely the first renewable energy that comes to mind when considering alternative energy, solar energy technologies include PV Solar Panels, that directly convert electro-magnetic radiation from the Sun into electricity, to indirect solar energy sources like Solar Water Heaters, that take the near infrared radiation from the Sun to generate hot water.

Wind Energy, is driven by the weather and powers about 2.5% of the world's energy today. Wind is captured using Wind Turbines to produce electricity and Windmills to pump water, irrigate crops and mill grain.

Tidal Power, also known as tidal energy, converts the gravitational energy of the Sun and Moon into tides that can then be converted into useful energy, primarily electrical power. But because of geographic, technical and economic reasons tidal energy is not widely developed presently.

Biomass is vegetation that may be employed directly by burning, for example, or changed into different energy products such as biofuel.

Hydro Power, collects water behind a dam and then releases that potential energy in the form of water through a rotating turbine that in turn creates electricity.

Geothermal Power uses the natural, radioactive decay of the Earth's molten core to transfer the Earth's heat into energy by converting hot water steam to drive electrical turbines.

Historically this has been done by capturing the energy of naturally occurring hot springs near the Earth's surface. Geothermal science has now advanced to the point where there is a push to produce vast amounts of energy by leveraging the new drilling technologies to drill more than 3 kilometers or more into the hard bedrock to tap temperatures of over 100 Celsius.

A study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology concluded that over 100,000 megawatts of energy could be captured in the US by 2050 using this technique, that is over 10% of the United States predicted needs, a significant contribution for a renewable energy source.

Ocean Power, there is huge energy potential in the oceans, but the technology is not developed yet to fully take advantage of this eternally renewable energy.

Global Warming, Just the facts, ma'am

Scientists agree with 90% certainty the burning of fossil fuels are the major driver of the Global Warming the Earth has experienced over the past 150 years.

Today's present rate of global climate change the presumed result of 40 million years of fossilized forests going up in smoke over the past 150 years.

In one frantic exhalation, we have lit up the fossil fuel bearing seams laid down over 40 million carbon/years. during the Carboniferous Period*.

Vegas Odds at World's End

In Vegas, the house always wins, and we are now betting against the house.

Carbon Dioxide is the culprit, along with water vapor, and to a lesser extent, methane.

CO₂ appears as a trace gas in the Earth's atmosphere, Carbon Dioxide totals approximately 0.3% of the Earth's atmosphere by volume, any change can be disastrous.

Carbon Dioxide regulates the Earth's climate by absorbing radiation from the Sun, then this trapped radiation is emitted as infrared radiation, (heat), by the atmosphere.

Regulating CO₂ is part of a natural process by photosynthesis of the Northern Hemisphere's growing season and the oceans.

When the carbon cycle is in balance, you have the world of the 1800's and before.

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Texas Gold

Oil was discovered in the United States in 1859, and at that time the world's average Carbon Dioxide level was 284 parts per million, (ppm).

With the introduction of 40 million years of trapped carbon from the Carboniferous era in just 150 years, photosynthesis cannot keep up and convert CO₂ fast enough.

This is NOT the Autobahn

There is a speed limit, and the limit is how much carbon dioxide we can add to the environment, that tipping point to an unsustainably warming future is 450 ppm.


Today CO₂ is at 394 ppm, and rising at a rate of 2 ppm per year, during the most recent decade, 2000 to 2009, the amount of CO₂ in the environment is higher than at any time in the past 800,000 years, probably the last 20 million years.

Scientists say we are already in the danger zone, way past 350 ppm, which is considered safe, anything above that and the climate models agree, we are simply rolling the dice.

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2 + 2 = *450 ppm ² (Point of No Return)

 
Climate scientists talk of a point of no return to an uncertain future. That wall of worry is coming up fast, that wall is Carbon Dioxide increasing to 450 parts per million.

If levels of Carbon Dioxide rise to 450 parts per million, most climate models point to catastrophic storms, significant desertification, and if the Ice Caps melt, then all bets are off, the sea levels would rise by 230 feet, (70 meters), that sea rise would catastrophically change weather patterns globally.

No Off-Ramp for the Next 1,000 Years

Even if we would slam on the brakes now, and stop using fossil fuels completely tomorrow, because of the unique properties and long life of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere, the present amount of CO₂ in the environment is largely irreversible and the effects are with us for the next 1,000 years.

That is why we must break this destructive feedback loop now, we must reduce and then eliminate the use of oil, natural gas and coal. 

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Fossil Fuels Kill

Along with Global Warming, what can be seen as the most important argument against Fossil Fuels are that they cause serious health problems, both in newborn children that extend into adulthood.

A study by UCLA scientists on the health effects of air pollution on pregnant women found evidence that carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and other fossil fuel particulates resulted in babies that were more likely to die in infancy.

These babies were prone to low birth weight, (less and 5.5 pounds), and these children more likely being born with birth defects.

These birth defects include, potential brain damage, lifelong respiratory and digestive problems, along with fetal growth delays, and the risk of heart disease and diabetes as adults.

Asthma is of particular concern.

Energy = Wealth

Another chronic problem is the world's poor, which are a staggering 80%, of the World's population, (defined as living on less than $10 a day).

Renewable energy is showing the way. There is the possibility of a new energy dawn, in a limited energy world, bringing hope to billions of the world's poor, helping lift them out of the poverty trap they find themselves in through no fault of their own.

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Why do "We the People" have to pay for Green Energy?

One way to slice and dice the advantages and disadvantages of the Green Economy is to factor all the direct and indirect costs of the old, fossil fuel economy.

That includes counting all the trillions of tax dollars already spent to grease the global, Fossil Fuel industry wheels that have supported the oil, natural gas and coal complex since the mid 1800.

Resistance is Futile

Yet there is resistance, whether self-interest, economic, or just plain, old-fashioned inertia, to move towards this new energy dawn, but the Sun, as always rises.
 
There are many misconceptions around direct or indirect government subsidizes for the new Green Energy economy, but if subsidizes are a sin, then green energy is not the biggest sinner.

Brother, can you spare a dime

The direct and indirect subsidizes given the fossil fuel industry in 2008-topped 550 billion dollars globally, dwarfing what green energy received by factors of 10.

This is in spite of the fact that three of the top five corporations in America are Oil companies, with Exxon Mobil the world's most profitable corporation, having made more than 30 billion dollars in profit in 2011 alone.

It's Not Just About Going Green, Tax, Tax, Tax

A Harvard University studied and found that the hidden costs of Coal taxed the American economy up to 500 Billion Dollars per year.

The US imports a large percentage of Oil, (60%), with much of this Oil coming from volatile countries, which means volatile prices.

There is also a direct tax on US consumers, by exporting US dollars that are more likely than not being spent on non-US made goods, this being a direct tax and drain on the US economy.

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How Do Solar Panels Work

So Why Solar Power?

Humans have harnessed the Sun's power since pre-historic times, where in the seventh century BC magnifying glasses to start fires.

Creative uses of Sun's energy is being used right up to the present, using solar panels to power satellites to powering homes, industry and cities.

Solar Panels have no moving parts and last 25 years or more The most direct conversion of solar energy to electricity is to utilize the sun's electromagnetic radiation with photovoltaic solar panels, (photovoltaic's are where semi-conductive materials absorb light and then eject electrons to produce an electric current).

Alexandre-Edmond Berquerel noted the photovoltaic effect in 1839. With Charles Fritts demonstrating of a solar cells in 1883, by coating selenium with a thin layer of gold, producing an efficiency of 1%!

You have to move into the 20th century to unravel the photovoltaic effect's inner workings, with Albert Einstein winning the Noble Prize for Physics in 1921 for describing the photovoltaic effect.

Continue reading about How Solar Panels Work

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DIY Solar Panels

Do “Do It yourself” solar panels makes sense to power your home? In the present, landscape of oversupplied solar panels perhaps not.


However, as a fun DIY project that can supply power to small appliances, off grid work sheds, or low power devices, then maybe a DIY Solar Panel project is in your future, follow this link to see what is required.
 

Continue reading about DIY Solar Panels

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Solar Thermal Energy

Solar Thermal Energy Systems are growing in popularity, both as small community or even family centered systems to huge, Megawatt Power installations that scale well to provide both electricity and heat.

While direct electricity producing PV Solar Cells and Panels get all the news ink, Solar Thermal Energy systems are even more efficient at producing electricity or heat and on a large scale are becoming the technology of choice.

A very interesting use of an 18th century technology that has application in under developed countries is the Solar Thermal Organic Rankine Cycle Engine.

Continue reading about Solar Thermal Rankine Cycle Engines

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Solar Water Heaters

Use the sun's energy to move away from oil, natural gas and coal fired electricity is with solar water heaters.

In the United States, there is a long history of Solar Water Heaters. In the late 1800 Solar American homesteaders that painted tanks black and then mounted these Solar Water Heaters on their roofs used heating collectors.

Solar water heaters are now popular in many countries, with solar water heaters becoming a mandated public policy in some countries.

Continue reading about Solar Water Heaters

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Residential Wind Turbines

Residential Wind Turbines are becoming a popular choice for both residential and rural households, either on or off the electricity grid that need to power their homes, farms or small businesses.

Tower based Residential Wind Turbines requires a consistent wind above 8 kilometers a second, while a breakthrough in wind technology now allows roof mounted Residential Wind Turbines in Cities and Suburbs.

Tower or Rooftop based Wind Turbine require local building permits and upfront installation costs can be high, although the installations costs can be lessened by local and national government rebates.

If the minimum consistent wind can be met then Residential Wind Turbines can be an attractive energy alternative well worth considering.

Continue reading about Residential Wind Turbines

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Ocean Energy

The immense power of the Oceans has barely been touched. From a history of ocean power starting in 787 AD Tidal Mills have been used to draw power from the oceans.

The challenge the Ocean represents remains geographic, with engineering challenges and a high startup out costs also hindering the many creative mega projects.

Visionary people still see Ocean Power being converted to electricity on a vast scale, with this energy creation possible through the motive force of Wave Power, Tidal Power, Underwater Currents or the Salinity of the Sea, naming just a few technologies.

These research projects are on a vast scale, with many still on the drawing boards, or just at the pilot stage.

Yet, what remains true, the Oceans contain vast amounts of energy, with billions of people living on the coasts of the world, a ready market to be served, we are just seeing the dawn for these technologies.

Continue reading about Ocean Water Power

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Biomass Energy

Biomass power has been with us all through human history, tracing its roots to the communal fire shared for cooking and keeping warm.

Although the burning of wood is still a large percentage of biomass usage, completely new industries have developed around the recycling of food waste, industrial waste, wood waste and growing crops to replace gasoline with ethanol.

What makes biomass different from fossil fuels is that the energy sources used are carbon neutral whereas fossil fuels are injecting the sequestered history of millions of ton years of greenhouse gasses into the environment.

These include woodland remains (such as dead trees and shrubs, branches and tree stumps), garden clippings, wood chips as well as city and county solid waste. Biomass also consists of plant or animal matter which can be changed into fibers or any other industrial chemical compounds, which includes biofuels.

Industrial biomass is usually produced by several kinds of vegetation, which includes miscanthus, switchgrass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow, sorghum, sugarcane, as well as a various tree types, including eucalyptus to oil palm (palm oil).

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Hydro Energy

Hydro Power accounts for over 6% of the electricity generated in the US that makes up more than 60% of all US renewable resources. Hydropower, like many of the modern day renewable energy sources marks their history into the reaches of antiquity.

Hydropower is no exception; hydropower irrigated crops eight thousand years ago in ancient Egypt, (Mesopotamia).

Other iterations include waterwheels and windmills. Presently when hydro power is mentioned iconic images of hydroelectric dams come to mind, they are monuments of engineering mastery that dominate any environment they occupy.

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Geothermal Energy

Not being dependent on the Sun, geo-thermal power results from the radioactive hot coals from the birth of the Earth.

Convection is the result of radioactive heat that rises from the Earth's core, which is then transferred to hot springs.

Presently, about 10,715 megawatts of electricity is generated annually worldwide.

Technological advances are now allowing wide ranging exploitation of this endless resource.

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New Day Dawns

Every day the sun rises and every day people look to being part of the solution.

Through smart recycling and conservation, to advocating and petitioning local and national governments, to pulling their hands out of their pockets and doing it themselves.

People are looking to solar power the future, the inexhaustible energy source. These common sense solutions do require thinking to turn on a dime.

Solar Power is used in the home with solar panels to make electricity or solar collectors to make hot water.

To Wind Power in the form of wind turbines to create electricity, either to reduce homeowners reliance on the electricity grid, or to make enough power to sell the surplus back to the electric utility, creating a virtuous, self sustaining circle.

These are just some of the ways many of us are taking up the challenge.

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