Alternative Energy

Various fuels have potential to be used such as corn and sugar to make ethanol. They are grown all over the world. Gasoline is made with ethanol and other products and is then mixed with gas to raise the amount of octane so, that it is cleaner.

Methanol can also be used in gasoline but is does not burn as well as ethanol. It can be dangerous in high doses and it can be harmful to the environment. It can be explosive. Despite this, it is still being considered as a potential resource for energy.

There are other alternatives being explored such as vegetable oil. Can you imagine? Biodiesel is actually a vegetable based energy which comes from plants. It is much more complicated then traditional vegetable oil however, they do have similar qualities. Scientists are beginning to explore its potential uses such as using this type of fuel in mass quantities. It is made by a process called transesterification which separates the fat from the oil. Europe currently sells this type of fuel.

It is much cleaner and is biodegradable. Long term, this type of fuel may block fuel injectors so, if you use it, it may need to be cleaned out on a regular basis. It can also be used as a heating mechanism also and to make heat in commercial boilers.

Biodisel does not release toxic gases, so it is a cleaner and is a safe fuel. Ii has passed testing for the government’s Clean Air Act.

There are some issues with bio diesel fuel because it does not react well in cold climates. It also may cause wax crystals to form which clog fuel lines. So cars that are driven in cold climates will have more problems than those running on petroleum gasoline.

At least, scientists are beginning to look to alternative ways of heating homes, keeping cars running and alternative forms of energy. Hopefully, in the future this will reduce the cost to run a car and to keep our homes heated. You hope with the amount of scientists and experts working on these complex problems we will move further ahead.

There no special units for storage needed for bio diesel so it can be used in conjunction with or separately from other gases. It does not require major modifications to use it.

We have an energy crisis and should take action now to do everything and anything possible to utilize geothermal energy technologies as well as other technologies so that we are less dependent on oil. This could potentially be an untapped resource as an alternative energy source because it simply utilizes the energy being produced by the Earth. There is a wealth of power that is located just below the surface. All we need do is take the initiative to tap into it and use it. It is a resource that we are not taking advantage of.

At the core the Earth’s temperature is much greater than that of boiled water. The heat creates pressure that extends a couple of miles below us, and these pressures emit huge amounts of energy.

There are super heated fluids which form into magma. It is similar to the power and energy of a volcanic eruption. The fluids fall to the surface as steam and then emerge. Vents and containment chambers can be created to hold the magna and convert it into energy. A geothermal power plant can be made and would serve as a source of magma or heated fluid. Piping could be used to force the fluids to the surface and emit steam. The steam would then be turned which would generate electricity.

There are critics of this technology who do not believe this source of energy could be used on wide scale basis. Some critics believe that the amount of research involved would be too costly and time consuming.

Also, it would be very expensive to build a geothermal power plant, and there is no guarantee of a profit. Some sites, once tapped, may not produce a sufficient amount of steam for the plant to be reliable. Some environmentalists believe that once surfaced, magma can bring up hazardous materials along with it.

However, the benefits of this type of energy could far outnumber the criticisms and may be worth exploring. It is the energy of the Earth and may not produce any pollutants.

The energy is efficient and it is worth channeling and do not need to be very large. They do not need to be as large as other facilities such as plants dams and atomic energy facilities. This would be less disruptive to the environment. It certainly is an alternative form of energy and the use of it would mean that we are much less dependent on oil and coal.

Keep in mind that we will never run short on geothermal energy. When thinking long term, the results would far outweigh the cost involved with setting it up. The energy would be very cheap inexpensive once the power plant building costs are obtained.

Were you aware that there is energy in the Ocean? The Ocean Energy Conversion or OTEC originated in 1881.

There is a Natural Energy Laboratory in Hawaii that is home to an experimental energy plant. OTEC is an experimental energy source that should be explored.

The great obstacle to get around with OTEC implementation for wide and practically useful levels is cost. It is expensive and is at and is not cost effective to mass produce at this time. This type of energy is very clean and would not add pollutants to the air. We are not as technologically advanced in this area and therefore, we do not have the technology to work with the plant and produce it on a large scale basis. At this time, it could actually in fact damage the environment so much more research needs to be done.

There are three types of OTEC.

A closed type of OTEC uses a liquid such as propane which acts as an intermediary fluid. The plant pumps the warm water into a chamber and boils the fluid. This results in a vapor which pushes the turbine and this motion generates electricity. Then the vapor is cooled by placing in cold water.

Then there is open cycle OTEC which does not use a fluid. The water drives the turbine engine in this format. Warm water is turned into a low vapor which is then vacuumed. The vapor is released and it now has the power to control the turbine. The vapor is then cooled down and made for human consumption.

There is also a theory called Hybrid OTEC which is still in the planning stages. Hopefully in the future I can be used with thermal energy in ocean water.

There are two principals on the theory behind Hybrid Cycling. One involves the use of closed cycling for generating electricity. Then the electricity is used to make a vacuum which is needed for open cycling. Next, the second aspect uses the combination of two cycles such with twice the amount of water which creates an open cycle.

Along with the production of electricity, a closed cycle plant can be used for chemical treatment. OTEC plants, which use two types of cycling can also be used for pumping cold water which can used for refrigeration purposes as well as air conditioning.

Also, when the plant is not in use, other projects can take place such as aquaculture projects and fish farming. In the future, experts are looking forward to discovering a variety of services and products that can be used from this promising alternative energy source. Scientists believe there is a great deal on the horizon that has yet to be discovered in this area.

Experts believe there is tremendous potential for solar energy. Anything could be possible with the sun’s energy. It provides heat for our swimming pools, rivers, lakes and ponds. It is as a basic as hanging your laundry out on the line and it being dried by the sun. However we have been unable to harness it as a natural source of energy that can be used efficiently.

Scientists believe it is the best alternative source of power. This energy is drawn from heat that strikes the earth. Solar energy has been around for millions of years and it is safe for the environment. It can be renewed and concentrated. Experts are considering it as a viable alternative energy source so it can be used world wide.

It is being used across the world. Inherently, the sun provides a natural heat source which can be used to control temperature without converting it. TO be used for electricity, it needs to be collected and converted. There are different forms of solar energy.

There is widespread use of solar panels to heat houses. Experts have been experimenting and have used solar energy to power cars, unsuccessfully. The technology is not quite there yet. You will not be seeing solar powered cars anytime in the near future. However some experts believe it may be around the corner.

Once captured, solar power, changes and distributes the sun's power so it can be used for heat and ventilation. A trombe wall is an example of this. It uses solar heat with a system made up of channels of air that are between a window and wall. Then the sun heats the area and circulates through vents and then stores the heat. At night, this stored heat is utilized.

Solar power is dense and is quite an efficient use of power. These facilities could be set up across the world and they are maintenance free. The operating cost is very reasonable after the initial installation.

Australia has spent millions of dollars on a solar powered energy station. It is currently generating clean electricity to well over 40,000 locations in the small town of Victoria. It's very energy efficient and safe for the environment due to there being no gas emissions.

There are other options for solar power such as PV systems. It is connected to an electrical grid and when there is an excess of energy it transfers to another grid. This is extremely efficient and cost effective

The PV cells are set up as a solar panel, and they have become more efficient and the cost of them has gone down tremendously. The designs have improved so that the harnessed sunlight can be focused on a centralized point. The size of the cells decrease as efficiency rises.

We are currently experiencing an energy crisis and we need to look for alternative energy sources. We need to do more research and development in this area. We need to expand our horizons beyond the fossil fuels and are old ways of being dependent on foreign countries for oil. There are certainly a wide variety of alternatives to these energy sources. Experts believe that the situation is going to get much worse, rather than better so alternative resources for energy need to be explored and put into action as soon as possible.

Wind power can be considered a viable alternative. The use of wind turbines can be developed to progressively use energy efficiently and it is less costly. There are wind farms that are being developed across the world and they are designed to be strategically placed so that they are not damaging the environment particularly birds.

Another viable energy resource is the one that you may not have heard of or considered: solar energy. Solar cells are manufactured which gather and harness the energy given off by the sun and then transmits it into electricity or, into hot water. It is an environmentally friendly resource and does not pollute the atmosphere.

You have probably never heard of ocean wave energy, have you? Experts believe this source of power may have tremendous benefit for the future. Experts believe it has enormous generating potential. France, Ireland and Scotland have successfully been using generators as a source of power for years.

Hydroelectric power can be set up as a powerful generator of electricity and it runs cleanly so there is no potential damage to the environment. However, there are limitations because a large dam cannot be set up anywhere. Small electric generators that are localized have been set up in recently for this reason.

Geothermal energy is another abundant resource. It actually is just below the surface. This type of energy is produced by heating water through the earth's hot molten core. The water then turns to steam, which can be used to keep turbine engines running which converts to electricity. Experts believe there should be extensive research done on geothermal energy tapping.

A substitute for gas can be Ethanol. It can be derived from wheat, sugar cane, strawberries, and even wood and wood cellulose. Experts believe this source of fuel may not be economically feasible as a viable energy source.

Another potential energy source is biodiesel energy. It can be created out of plant oils. There is potential for making biodiesel from soybeans, seeds and other oils. This is a slow and developing energy resource. It may not be economically feasible to use this source of energy on a large scale basis. It is much cleaner than diesel which is oil based.

We are in the midst of an energy crisis. The price of a gallon of gas is sky high and there is a great deal of trouble-brewing in the Middle East, Iraq and Iran and other areas. These problems have made it clear to many United States citizens that we have an oil-driven economy.

As Americans we need to develop new directions for energy supply and the production of it. We certainly need to reduce the dependency on oil and look for alternative resources. Experts believe there is no such thing as cheap oil and they will continue to pay a high price and in the future, it will be much higher. This expense will grow in the future unless we can locate alternative sources of fueling our technologically advanced civilization. We need to find innovative sources that can be alternatives to oil.

Environmentalists would argue that we need to switch to other forms of energy because the present forms are damaging the atmosphere and climate.

There are other issues as well such as global warming, and other means of destructing the environment such as air and water pollution.

Coal is another source of energy that is counter productive. It is filthy and it is very hazardous to mine and is destroys the environment. We can also look towards new methods of producing electricity that we presently use so they have less impact on the environment.

There are nations developing and becoming more industrialized that will also need the of alternative forms of energy research and development. Other countries are also contributing to the environmental damage. The United States, and other European nations have initiated studies to look for alternative energy sources, and could lead the way in doing far less environmental damage than the United States is.

The developing nations need to look to the West who is in the process of getting help from the government and private companies who are researching alternative sources of energy. We could and should be at the forefront of research on alternative energy sources. We could certainly reap the benefits of marketing the technologies and services to other nations.

There are alternatives such as Biofuels from trees and beans, hydroelectric technology and development, natural gas, hydrogen cells, atomic energy plants and the development of solar energy.

More research needs to be done on the use of wind and solar power as well as the use of electricity and hydrogen. There is a great deal of potential out there if we widen our scope and look for alternative means to fuel our cars and maintain our technologically advanced society. Hopefully when we look towards the future it will be green.

Did you know that wind has potential for power? It does not damage the environment plus its a powerful source of alternative energy. It is gaining popularity because other sources of fuel damage the environment and also fuel prices are now very high. When thinking of wind power you may think about windmills, but wind can also be turned into electricity. There are several countries in Europe using this power.

Wind power is transformed into electricity by using turbines. The blades turn generating an electrical current which is then powered by a generator. Almost 3% of the sun's energy can be turned into wind energy. But the origin and the use of it can be complex plus there are continuous variables that affect it’s efficiency and usage long term.

The energy of wind can be used as a generator. Most generally, wind turbines are grouped all together and in wind farms. The farms are located all across the country and there are many in California. There are large ones which have 200 turbines and put out approximately 200-300 watts of electricity. There are other countries in Europe that have used wind power successfully. Germany is one of the world's leaders in harnessing wind power.

The location of wind energy is the most important element so it can reap the most benefits. To be successful, they need be placed up as high as possible such as mountains, they also need to be put within close proximity to each other and most certainly, the speed of the wind matters. Experts are experimenting with these variables so they can harness the most energy efficiently.

Some points to consider are that the turbines tend to be quite noisy and will scare away animal life. Another is cost, they are costly to make and to put in place.

Wind energy has the potential to be a viable source of energy and is becoming widely used. To be a practical energy source, scientists are recommending to store up the energy.

This could be done by increasing the output of energy and storing the excess amounts in a surplus. It’s usage could fluctuate, because it should only be used when needed. There would need to be cost comparisons to assure that is cost effective. It can be stored with storage known as flywheel that is hydro electric.

Experts are just now exploring the use of this form of energy on a wide scale basis. There are several countries that are way ahead of us in this area and they include: China, Brazil, United Kingdom, Spain, Canada and Denmark. Denmark makes their own turbines. The US has a very long way to go yet before they can say that are using the power efficiently.