THE BASICS OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY (AE)

<------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

WHAT SOURCES ARE CALLED ALTERNATIVE?

The desire for energy independence, environmental concerns, volatile fuel costs as well as government mandates and incentives stimulate increasing interest in non-traditional power sources. There is no consensus on an exact definition of AE. In general, this term refers to the sources different from those in widespread use now. More specifically, it is often defined as "Fuel sources that are other than those derived from fossil fuels". Nuclear fuel is usually also excluded.

AE is often used interchangeably for renewable energy, although this terminology is somewhat misleading: while certain sources of raw energy are replenishable, the materials and components needed to process them are neither renewable or abundant.

The five main alternative energy sources are:

Hydropower- the mechanical energy of moving water, which can be used to spin a turbine connected to an electric generator to produce electricity;

Biomass- organic material of plant and animal origin, such as wood and municipal solid waste. When burned biomass releases its chemical energy as heat. It can also be converted to other usable forms, such as methane gas, ethanol and biodiesel.

Wind- the kinetic energy of moving air molecules can be harvested in wind power generators.

Geothermal- the heat from within the Earth. It can used to heat buildings or generate electricity at steam-turbine plants.

Solar power- the electromagnetic radiation from the sun that can be converted to heat, electricity or chemical energy.

Among these sources, solar and wind power can be used in private homes, especially if the home is located in a rural area. For more information see Solar Power for Homes and Wind Generators for Homes.

PROS AND CONS

Each method of power generation has pros and cons and has a certain impact on the environment.

AE emit less air pollution than conventional fuels. Utilization of AE reduces US dependence on foreign oil, which means less money would go to radical and totalitarian regimes of oil producers. However, our reliance on fuel imports can also be lessen by relaxing restrictions on the drilling that would let us tap our own large oil and gas resources.

The main disadvantages of AE are their higher cost and the difficulties to produce the large quantities of electricity the conventional fuels are able to.

Currently almost half of the electricity produced in US uses coal. The cost of generating electricity from coal is about $0.05 per kilowatt-hour-- lower than that from any other sources. For comparison, the cost to produce utility-scale solar electricity is $0.24/kW-hr. As the result of the reliance on coal, US enjoys one of the lowest electricity rates in the world. The Penn State University study showed that hundreds of billion dollars of household income and 6.8 million U.S. jobs will be attributed to the production, transportation and jobs in energy consuming industries that rely on low-cost electricity. The combustion of coal does produce carbon dioxide emissions blamed for global warming, but these emissions can be captured by using so-called clean coal technologies that are being developed throughout the world. In short, the strategy for developing environmentally clean power should focus on keeping its costs affordable.

<------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------>
Terms of Use	Privacy	Contact
© 2009 Lazar Rozenblat