Renewable Energy to Renew the World
Sources of renewable energy include biomass, solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy. Renewable energy is constant and is self-replenishing. It is also cleaner and more friendly to the environment. Renewable energy sources have made a huge impact in decreasing emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the Earth’s atmosphere. It is expected that renewable energy sources, especially wind energy, small hydro electrid power stations, biomass energy and solar energy will become economically competitive to conventional energy sources in the future, however they are not expected to overtake fossil fuels in keeping up with the global energy demand due to the fact that renewables have limitations.
Sun radiation is major contributor to energy sources. Solar technology uses the sun’s energy to provide heat, light, hot water, electricity and also for cooling homes, business and industries. Solar power is expanding as technology advances and cost becomes more competitive. These methods use photovoltaic systems, passive solar heating and solar process heat and space cooling.
Using the wind as a source of energy provides a clean, inexhaustible way to generate enough electricity to power millions of people. Wind power is the world’s fastest growing source of energy after solar. The United States can currently generate more than 10,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from the wind, which is enough to power 2.5 million average American homes. Industry experts estimate that, with proper refinement and development, wind energy could provide 20% of the U.S. energy needs.
Biomass energy uses plant matter like trees, grasses, agricultural crops or other biological material. This can be used as a solid fuel, or converted into liquid or gaseous forms, for the production of electric power, heat, chemicals, or fuels. By incorporating a diversity of biomass conversion processes, all of these products can be made in one facility, which is called a biorefinery. This technology will provide a cost effective, environmentally friendly way of obtaining energy, and will decrease the dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality and support rural economies.
Geothermal energy, which derives heat from the earth’s inner core, is meeting a vast portion of electrical power demand in several developing countries. Approximately 8,000 megawatts of geothermal electricity is now being produced globally. To use geothermal energy, several new technologies have been developed to produce electricity from hydrothermal (hot water/steam) resources. In the future, it might be possible to use the heat of the deep, hot, dry rock formations of Earth’s crust, and possibly the even the deeper and nearly unlimited energy in the Earth’s magma. There are two basic types of geothermal power plants used today: Steam and binary. The steam plants use very hot (more than 300° F) steam and hot water resources. The steam then turns turbines, which drive generators that generate electricity. The only significant emission from these plants is steam (water vapor). Minute amounts of carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, and sulfur are emitted, but are nearly 50 times less than the traditional fossil-fuel power plants. Energy produced this way currently costs about 4-6 cents per kWh. Binary plants use lower temperature, but much more common, hot water resources (100° F – 300° F). The hot water is passed through a heat exchanger in conjunction with a secondary fluid with a lower boiling point. The secondary fluid vaporizes, which turns the turbines, which drive the generators. The remaining secondary fluid is simply recycled through the heat exchanger. With binary plants nothing is emitted. Energy produced by binary plants currently costs about 5 to 8 cents per kWh.
In the future, the use of renewable energy will significantly increase because the number of non-renewable energy supplies will diminish over time, as well as the desire to provide a less damaging effect on the environment.
Lassoing the Wind to Power the World
In order for humanity to continue to thrive, it is critical to find alternative sources of renewable, virtually inexhaustible energy. Wind energy conversion is a viable option and one that does not add stress to the ecosystem of this great planet Earth. Although fossil fuel is currently in abundance, the eventual reduction of these sources of energy will cause a quick increase in price. We can no longer make do with fossil fuels and Middle Eastern oils, and there is the real threat of global warming, which is well proven and is quickly becoming a priority issue in environmentalist circles. The federal government’s involvement in wind energy research began full steam following the Arab Oil Crisis of 1973, however it was slow to show results due to political factors and lack of financial support. Wind energy is in abundance, is renewable, clean, and limits toxic greenhouse gas emissions when used to replace fossil fuel electricity.
In the not too distant future, energy derived from the wind will be the most cost effective way to harness electrical power. It is not really known what the true cost of the fossil fuel life cycle is, from mining/extraction to the transportation, including political costs, but certainly it is more than the current wholesale rates. Commercial wind turbines are now harnessing energy in more than 65 countries, which makes wind power the world’s quickest growing source of energy after solar power. Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy released their first Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation Cost and Performance Trends: 2006. This report provides a comprehensive look at the developing trends in the wind power market in the United States. A significant finding the Report found out is that the U.S. wind power capacity increased by 27 percent in 2006; and that the U.S. had the fastest growing wind power volume in the world in 2005 and 2006. More than 61 percent of the U.S.’s total wind capacity - over 7,300 Megawatts (MW) - has been installed since President Bush took office in 2001. For the second straight year, in 2006, the U.S. led the world by installing 2,454 MW of wind power capacity, enough to provide energy in the homes of a city the size of Philadelphia. The U.S. produced roughly 16 percent of the worldwide wind market, followed by Germany, India, Spain, and China. The recent Report looks at trends in the marketplace, which include wind power prices compared to wholesale electricity prices, project costs, turbine sizes, and developer consolidation. In addition, it also describes the increasing performance of wind projects, current ownership and financing structures, and trends among major wind power purchasers. By compiling this information in one document, the report provides an important resource to industry participants, energy regulators, and state and local policymakers.
Modern wind power is made in the form of electricity, by converting turbine blades into electrical current with the use of an electrical generator. The older technology employed with windmills used wind energy to turn mechanical machinery to do physical labor such as pumping water. Wind power on wind farms is used on a large scale for national electrical grids, and also for with smaller individual turbines to give electricity to rural residences. While there is a need for refinement and improvements in the area of harnessing wind power, the major technology developments that will provide commercialization of wind power have already begun. Certainly, the outlook for change is looking bright, and it is inevitable that environmentalists, politicians, and the public will eagerly more forward in insuring that technology continually finds a way to provide a renewable source of energy in wind power.