Alternative energy

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Alternative energy is an alternative energy source for fossil fuels. These alternatives are intended to address concerns about fossil fuels, such as high carbon dioxide emissions, an important factor in global warming. Marine, hydroelectric, wind, geothermal and solar energy are alternative sources of energy.

The nature of what constitutes an alternative source of energy has changed over time, as has controversy over the use of energy. Due to the different energy options and different purposes of their supporters, defining some types of energy as "alternatives" is considered highly controversial.

Video Alternative energy

Definition

Maps Alternative energy

History

Economic historians have examined the key transitions to alternative energy and regard the transition as important in bringing about significant economic change. Before switching to alternative energy, the supply of the dominant energy types becomes erratic, accompanied by rapid increases in energy prices.

Coal as an alternative wood

At the end of the medieval period, coal is a new alternative fuel to save the public from the use of excessively dominant fuel, wood. Deforestation has resulted in wood deficiency, at that time soft coal emerged as a savior. Historian Norman F. Cantor explains how:

The Europeans lived in the midst of vast forests throughout the early medieval. After 1250 they became highly skilled in deforestation which in 1500 AD they lacked wood to heat and cook... In 1500 Europe was on the edge of fuel and nutrient disasters, which were stored in the sixteenth century. only by burning soft coal and cultivating potatoes and corn.

Petroleum as an alternative to whale oil

Whale oil was the dominant form of lubrication and fuel for lights at the beginning of the 19th century, but the depletion of whale stocks in the mid-century caused the skyrocketing price of whale oil to set the stage for petroleum adoption that was first commercialized in Pennsylvania in 1859.

Ethanol as an alternative to fossil fuels

In 1917, Alexander Graham Bell advocated ethanol from corn, wheat, and other foods as an alternative to coal and oil, stating that the world is within a measurable distance from consuming this fuel. For Bell, the problem that needs an alternative is the lack of renewal of orthodox energy sources. Since the 1970s, Brazil has had an ethanol fuel program that allows the country to become the world's second largest ethanol producer (after the United States) and the world's largest exporter. Brazil's ethanol fuel program uses modern equipment and cheap sugar cane as raw material, and residual bagasse (bagasse) is used to process heat and power. No more light vehicles in Brazil that use pure gasoline. By the end of 2008 there were 35,000 gas stations all over Brazil with at least one ethanol pump.

Cellulosic ethanol can be produced from a variety of raw materials, and involves the use of whole plants. This new approach will increase yield and reduce carbon footprint as the amount of fertilizer and energy-dense fungicide will remain the same, for higher yields of usable materials. In 2008, there were nine commercial cellulosic ethanol plants operating, or under construction, in the United States.

The second generation biofuels technology is capable of producing biofuels from unbreakable biomass and hence can prevent the conversion of food into fuel. "In July 2010, there was one second generation commercial (2G) ethanol plant Inbicon Biomass Refinery, which operates in Denmark.

Coal gasification as an alternative to petroleum

In the 1970s, President Jimmy Carter's administration advocated coal gasification as an alternative to expensive imported oil. The program, including Synthetic Fuels Corporation, was canceled when oil prices fell in the 1980s. The carbon footprint and environmental impact of coal gasification are both very high.

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Existing alternative energy types

Hydro electricity captures energy from falling water.
Nuclear energy uses nuclear fission to release energy stored in the bonds of heavy element atoms.
Wind energy is a power plant from wind, usually by using a turbine-like turbine.
Solar energy is the use of sunlight. Light can be converted into heat energy (heat) or directly into electricity through photovoltaic devices.
Geothermal energy is the use of the earth's internal heat to boil water to heat buildings or generate electricity.
Biofuels and ethanol are petrol-derived substitutes for cultivating vehicles.
Hydrogen can be used as an energy carrier, produced by various technologies such as hydrocarbon cracking or water electrolysis.

The prospects of the Ukrainian alternative energy

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Technology enabled

Ice storage coolers and thermal storage heaters are a method of transferring consumption to use low-cost off-peak electricity. When compared to heating resistance, heat pumps conserve electrical power (or in rare cases of mechanical or heat strength) by collecting heat from cold sources such as water bodies, soil or air.

Thermal storage technology allows heat or cold to be stored for a period ranging from diurnal to interstinal, and may involve the storage of reasonable energy (ie by changing the temperature of the medium) or latent energy (eg through medium phase change (ie change from solid to liquid or on the contrary), such as between water and mud or ice). Energy sources can be natural (through solar thermal collectors, or dry cooling towers used to collect winter colds), waste energy (such as from HVAC equipment, industrial processes or power plants), or surplus energy (such as seasonal hydroelectric projects or intermittently from wind farms). The Drake Landing Solar Community (Alberta, Canada) is illustrative. The thermal energy storage drill hole allows the public to get 97% of the year-round heat from the solar collector on the roof of the garage. The granaries can be isolated tanks, borehole clusters in substrates ranging from gravel to bedrock, deep aquifers, or shallow holes coated and insulated. Some applications require heat pump infusions.

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Renewable energy vs. non-renewable energy

Renewable energy is generated from natural resources - such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat - which can be renewed (recharged naturally). When comparing processes to generate energy, there are still some fundamental differences between renewable energy and fossil fuels. The process of producing oil, coal, or natural gas fuel is a difficult and demanding process that requires a lot of complex equipment, physical and chemical processes. On the other hand, alternative energy can be produced widely with basic equipment and natural processes. Wood, the most renewable and available alternative fuel, emits the same amount of carbon when it is burned as it would emit if degraded naturally. Nuclear power is an alternative to non-renewable fossil fuels, such as fossil fuels, nuclear is a limited resource.

A friendly ecological alternative

Renewable energy sources such as biomass are sometimes considered a good alternative to providing heat and electricity with fossil fuels. Biofuels are not inherently ecologically friendly for this purpose, while biomass combustion is carbon-neutral, air pollution is still produced. For example, the Netherlands, once a leader in the use of palm oil as a biofuel, has suspended all subsidies for palm oil because of scientific evidence that its use "can sometimes create more environmental damage than fossil fuels". The Dutch government and environmental groups are trying to trace the origins of imported palm oil, to declare which operations produce the oil responsibly. Regarding biofuel from foodstuffs, the realization that converting all US wheat harvest will only produce 16% of its auto fuel requirement, and the depletion of Brazil CO ₂ that absorbs tropical rainforests to make way for production biofuels has made it clear placing the energy market in competition with the food market results in higher food prices and insignificant or negative influences on energy issues such as global warming or dependence on foreign energy. Recently, alternatives to unsustainable sustainable fuels are being sought, such as the source of commercial cellulosic ethanol.

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Relatively new concept for alternative energy

Neutral and negative fuel

Carbon neutral fuels are synthetic fuels (including methane, gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel or ammonia) generated by hydrogenation of carbon dioxide waste recycled from exhaust emissions generated from automotive exhaust gas, or derived from carbonic acid in seawater. Commercial synthesis fuel companies suggest they can produce cheaper synthetic fuels than fuel oil when oil costs more than $ 55 a barrel. Renewable methanol (RM) is the fuel produced from hydrogen and carbon dioxide by catalytic hydrogenation in which hydrogen has been obtained from water electrolysis. These can be mixed into transportation fuels or processed as chemical raw materials.

The George Olah recycling plant of carbon dioxide operated by Carbon Recycling International in GrindavÃƒÆ'k, Iceland has produced 2 million liters of methanol transport fuel annually from exhaust from the Svartsengi Power Plant since 2011. It has the capacity to produce 5 million liters per year. A 250 kilowatt methane synthesis plant was built by the Solar and Hydrogen Energy Research Center (ZSW) in Baden-WÃƒÆ'Ã‚Â¼rttemberg and the Fraunhofer Society in Germany and commenced operations in 2010. It is being upgraded to 10 megawatts, scheduled for completion in autumn, 2012. Audi has to build a carbon-neutral liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Werlte, Germany. The plant is intended to produce transportation fuels to offset the LNG used in their A3 Sportback g-tron car, and can store 2,800 metric tons of CO ₂ of the environment per year at initial capacity. Other commercial developments took place in Columbia, South Carolina, Camarillo, California, and Darlington, England.

This kind of fuel is considered carbon neutral because it does not produce a net increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. To the extent that synthetic fuels replace fossil fuels, or if they are produced from carbon waste or carbonic acid, and their combustion is subject to carbon capture in their chimneys or exhaust pipes, they produce negative carbon dioxide emissions and cleaner carbon dioxide removal. from the atmosphere, and thus a form of greenhouse gas remediation.

Such renewable fuels reduce the costs and dependence problems of imported fossil fuels without the need for either the electrification of a vehicle fleet or conversion to hydrogen or other fuels, allowing compatible and affordable vehicles continuously. Carbon neutral fuels offer relatively low cost energy storage, reduce wind and solar intermission problems, and they enable the distribution of wind, water, and solar power through existing natural gas pipelines.

Night wind power is considered to be the most economical form of electricity used to synthesize fuels, because the load curve for electricity peaks sharply during the day, but the wind tends to blow a little more at night than during the day, so the price of the night wind power is often much cheaper than other alternatives. Germany has built a 250 kilowatt synthetic methane plant that they are up to 10 megawatts.

Algae fuels

Algae fuel is a biofuel derived from algae. During photosynthesis, algae and other photosynthetic organisms capture carbon dioxide and sunlight and convert it to oxygen and biomass. This is usually done by placing the algae between two glass panels. Algae creates three forms of fuel energy: heat (from its growth cycle), biofuel ("oil" naturally derived from algae), and biomass (from algae itself, as harvested as maturity).

Heat can be used to build generating systems (such as hot water processes) or to generate energy. Biofuels are oils extracted from algae after being cooked, and are used to create energy similar to the use of biodiesel. Biomass is a problem left after extracting oil and water, and can be harvested to produce flammable methane for energy production, similar to the warmth felt in compost or methane piles collected from biodegradable materials in the landfill. In addition, the benefits of algae biofuel are that it can be produced industrially, as well as vertically (ie as building facades), thus negating the use of fertile land and food crops (such as soybeans, palms, and canola).

briquette biomass

Biomass briquettes are being developed in developing countries as an alternative to charcoal. This technique involves converting almost all plant matter into a compressed briquette that typically has about 70% of the calorific value of the charcoal. There are relatively few examples of large-scale briquette production. One exception is in North Kivu, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where clearing for charcoal production is considered the greatest threat to the habitat of Mount Gorilla. Virunga National Park staff has successfully trained and equipped more than 3500 people to produce biomass briquettes, thus replacing illegally produced charcoal within the park, and creating significant employment opportunities for people living in extreme poverty in the affected areas conflict.

Digestion of biogas

The process of digestion of biogas by utilizing methane gas is released when the waste is damaged. This gas can be extracted from waste or waste systems. Biogas digesters are used to process methane gas by making bacteria break down biomass in anaerobic environments. The methane gas that is collected and refined can be used as an energy source for various products.

Biological hydrogen production

Hydrogen gas is a really clean burning fuel; the only by-product is water. It also contains a relatively high amount of energy compared to other fuels due to its chemical structure.

2H ₂ O ₂ -> 2H _{2 <}

Energi Tinggi 2H ₂ O -> 2H ₂ O <

This requires high-energy input, making commercial hydrogen extremely inefficient. The use of biological vectors as a means to break water, and therefore produce hydrogen gas, will allow for the sole input of energy into solar radiation. Biological vectors may include bacteria or more commonly algae. This process is known as biological hydrogen production. This requires the use of single-celled organisms to make hydrogen gas through fermentation. Without the presence of oxygen, also known as an anaerobic environment, ordinary cellular respiration can not occur and a process known as fermentation takes over. The main byproduct of this process is hydrogen gas. If this can be done on a large scale, then sunlight, nutrients and water can make hydrogen gas to be used as a solid energy source. Large-scale production has proved difficult. Not until 1999, is it possible to induce these anaerobic conditions with sulfur deprivation. Because the fermentation process is an evolutionary reserve, which is turned on during stress, the cells will die after a few days. In 2000, a two-stage process was developed to take in and out cells from anaerobic conditions and thereby keep them alive. Over the past ten years, finding a way to do this on a large scale has been a major goal of research. Careful work is underway to ensure an efficient process before large-scale production, but once a mechanism is developed, this type of production can solve our energy needs.

Hydroelectric

The hydroelectric power plant provides 75% of the world's renewable electricity by 2013. Most of the electricity currently used is the result of the triumph of conventional hydroelectric development between 1960 and 1980, which is almost halted in Europe and North America due to environmental concerns. Globally there is a tendency towards the hydroelectric. From 2004 to 2014 the installed capacity increased from 715 to 1,055 GW. A popular alternative to large dams in the past was river flows where no water stored behind the dam and generation usually varies with seasonal rainfall. Using the river stream in the rainy season and the sun in the dry season can balance seasonal variations for both. Another displacement of the big dam is the small hydro, it tends to lie high in the creeks, rather than in the main river at the bottom of the valley.

Offshore wind

An offshore wind farm is similar to a ground-based wind farm, but it is located in the ocean. Offshore wind farms can be placed in water to a depth of 40 meters (130 feet), while floating wind turbines can float in water to a depth of 700 meters (2,300 feet). The advantage of having a floating wind farm is being able to take advantage of the wind from the open ocean. Without barriers such as hills, trees and buildings, the wind from the open ocean can reach speeds twice as fast as the coast.

Significant offshore wind energy has contributed to electricity needs in Europe and Asia and now the first offshore wind farm is under development in US waters. While the offshore wind industry has grown dramatically over the last few decades, especially in Europe, there is still uncertainty related to how construction and operation of these wind farms affect marine animals and the marine environment.

Traditional offshore wind turbines attach to the seafloor in shallow waters in marine environments near the coast. As offshore wind technology becomes more advanced, the buoyant structure begins to be used in deeper waters where more wind resources are available.

Marine and hydrokinetic energy

Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) or marine energy development including projects that use the following devices:

The power of a wave is the transport of energy by the wind wave, and the capture of that energy to do useful work - for example, a power plant or pumping water into the reservoir. Machines that can take advantage of significant waves in open coastal areas are commonly known as wave energy converters.
Tidal power turbines are placed in coastal areas and estuaries and daily flows are quite predictable.
In-stream turbines in fast-moving rivers
turbine currents in strong ocean currents
Sea thermal energy converters in deep tropical waters.

Nuclear power

By 2015 ten new reactors are coming online and 67 others are under construction including the first eight generations of the first AP1000 reactor III in the US and China and four new Generation III EPR reactors in Finland, France and China. Reactors are also being built in Belarus, Brazil, India, Iran, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, Slovakia, South Korea, Turkey, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates.

Thorium nuclear power

Thorium is a perishable material for possible future use in a thorium-based reactor. Proponents of the thorium reactor claim some potential advantages over the uranium fuel cycle, such as greater thorium abundance, better resistance to nuclear weapons proliferation, and reduced production of plutonium and actinide. The thorium reactor can be modified to produce Uranium-233, which can then be processed into highly enriched uranium, which has been tested in low yield weapons, and is not proven on a commercial scale.

Alternative Energy Grids : Unleashing the Commercial Potential of ...

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Invest in alternative energy

As an emerging economic sector, there is limited stock market investment opportunities in alternative energy available to the general public. The public can buy shares of alternative energy companies from various stock markets, with very unstable returns. The recent SolarCity IPO demonstrates the nascent nature of this sector - within weeks, it has reached the second highest market cap in the alternative energy sector.

Investors can also choose to invest in ETFs (exchange-traded funds) that track alternative energy indices, such as the WilderHill New Energy Index. In addition, there are a number of mutual funds, such as Global Calvert Alternative Energy Fund which is slightly more proactive in choosing the selected investment.

Recently, Mosaic Inc. launched an online platform that allows residents of California and New York to invest directly in the sun. Investments in previous solar power projects are limited to accredited investors, or a small number of willing banks.

Over the past three years, publicly traded alternative energy companies have been very unstable, with some results in 2007 exceeding 100%, some falling back 90% or more in 2008, and the results from peak to trough in 2009 again exceed 100%. In general there are three sub-segments of "alternative" energy investment: solar energy, wind energy and hybrid electric vehicles. Alternative renewable energy sources that have lower carbon emissions than fossil fuels are hydropower, wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, and biofuels. Each of these four segments involves very different technology and investment issues.

For example, photovoltaic solar energy is based on semiconductor processing and hence, the benefits of steep cost reductions are similar to those realized in the microprocessor industry (ie, driven by larger scales, higher module efficiency, and improved processing technology). PV solar energy may be the only energy technology whose electricity generation costs can be reduced by half or more over the next five years. Better and more efficient manufacturing processes and new technologies such as sophisticated thin-film solar cells are a good example that helps reduce industry costs.

The solar PV electricity economy is highly dependent on silicon prices and even companies whose technology is based on other materials (eg, First Solar) are influenced by the balance of supply and demand in the silicon market. In addition, as some companies sell complete solar cells on the open market (eg, Q-Cells), this creates a low barrier to entry for companies that want to produce solar modules, which in turn can create an irrational pricing environment.

Conversely, since wind power has been exploited for more than 100 years, its basic technology is relatively stable. Its economy is highly determined by the footprint (eg, how hard the wind blows and grid investment requirements) and steel prices (the largest component of wind turbines) and selectable composites (used for knives). Since today's wind turbines are often over 100 meters, logistics and global manufacturing platforms are a major source of competitive advantage. These and other issues are explored in a research report by Sanford Bernstein.

Alternative energy in transport

As gas prices continue to rise in 2008 with the US national average price per gallon of regular unleaded gas rising above $ 4.00 at one point, there has been a steady movement towards the development of higher fuel efficiency and more fuel vehicles alternative for consumers. In response, many smaller companies have rapidly increased research and development into a very different way of driving consumer vehicles. Hybrid electric vehicles and batteries are commercially available and gain a wider industry and consumer acceptance around the world.

For example, Nissan USA introduced the world's first mass-production electric vehicle, Nissan Leaf. The plug-in hybrid car, the Chevrolet Volt has also been manufactured, uses an electric motor to drive the wheels, and a small four-cylinder engine to generate additional power.

Major Distinctions Between Renewable & Alternative Energy Sources

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Creating an alternate energy stream

Before alternative energy becomes mainstream, there are some important hurdles that must be overcome. First there must be an increased understanding of how alternative energy is beneficial; second, the availability of components for this system should be improved; and the last repayment period should be reduced.

For example, electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) are on the rise. This vehicle relies on investing in home and public charging infrastructure, as well as applying more alternative energy to future transportation.

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Research

There are many organizations in the academic, federal, and commercial sectors that conduct large scale advanced research in the field of alternative energy. This study covers several focus areas across the alternative energy spectrum. Much of the research is targeted to improve efficiency and improve overall energy output.

In the US, some research organizations supported by federations have focused on alternative energy in recent years. Two of the most prominent of these laboratories are the Sandia National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), both funded by the US Department of Energy and supported by various corporate partners. Sandia has a total budget of $ 2.4 billion while NREL has a budget of $ 375 million.

With increasing levels of energy consumption, it is projected that rates will increase by 21% by 2030. The cost of renewable energy is relatively cheaper at $ 2.5m/MW compared to non-renewable & 2.7m/MW. Evidently, the use of renewable energy is a cost effective method to obtain energy. In addition, its use also dispenses with existing trade-offs between environmental conservation and economic growth.

Mechanical energy

The mechanical energy associated with human activities such as blood circulation, breathing, walking, typing and running, is everywhere but is usually wasted. It has attracted the remarkable attention of researchers around the world to find a method for scavenging such mechanical energy. The best solution now is to use piezoelectric materials, which can produce electrons when deformed. Various devices using piezoelectric materials have been built to scavenge mechanical energy. Considering that the piezoelectric constant of the material plays an important role in the overall performance of piezoelectric devices, one important direction of research to improve the efficiency of devices is to discover new materials from large piezoelectric responses. Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate (PMN-PT) is the next generation piezoelectric material with super high piezoelectric constant when ideal composition and orientation are obtained. In 2012, PMN-PT Nanowires with very high piezoelectric constants are made with a hydro-thermal approach ^[14] and then assembled into a ^[15] energy-generating device. High-piezoelectric constants with higher notes are enhanced by the fabrication of single-crystalline PMN-PT nanobelt, which is then used as an important building block for piezoelectric nanogenerators.

Solar

Solar energy can be used for heating, cooling or using solar power plants.

The solar heat has long been used in passively heated and active buildings, as well as district heating systems. The last example is the Surya Landing Drake Community is Alberta, Canada, and many district systems in Denmark and Germany. In Europe, there are two programs for solar thermal applications: Solar District Heating (SDH) and the International Solar Heating and Cooling Energy (SHC) program.

The obstacles that prevent the application of large-scale solar powered generators are the inefficiencies of current solar technologies and their costs. Currently, photovoltaic panels (PV) only have the ability to convert about 16% of the sunlight that bumps them into electricity.

Both the Sandia National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), have funded many solar research programs. The NREL solar program has a budget of approximately $ 75 million and is developing research projects in the areas of photovoltaic (PV) technology, solar thermal energy, and solar radiation. The budget for Sandia's solar division is unknown, but it accounts for a significant percentage of the $ 2.4 billion labor budget.

Some academic programs have focused on solar research in recent years. The Solar Energy Research Center (SERC) at the University of North Carolina (UNC) has the sole purpose of developing cost-effective solar technology. In 2008, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed a method to store solar energy by using it to produce hydrogen fuel from water. Such research is targeted to overcome barriers that solar development is facing energy storage for use in the evening hours when the sun does not shine. The Zhangebei National Wind and Solar Energy Storage and Transmission Demonstration Project in northwest Beijing, use batteries to store 71 MWh, integrating wind and solar energy on the grid by frequency and voltage settings.

In February 2012, Semprius Inc. based in North Carolina, a solar power company backed by the German company Siemens, announced that it has developed the world's most efficient solar panels. The company claims that the prototype converts 33.9% of the sunlight it bumps into electricity, more than double the previous high-end conversion rate.

The transition from fossil fuels to a clean renewable energy source is essential to reduce human carbon footprint and reduce the frequency of man-made disasters that have caused the entire ecosystem disaster. According to a 2008 analysis by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, supplying all of the United States' electrical needs with photovoltaic solar energy will require about 0.6 percent of the total land area of â€‹â€‹America or 1,948 square feet per person. The united states have a large number of untouched and unoccupied lands throughout the western United States. The desert provides very little resources for living but they would be ideal for solar farming that can provide electricity across the state.

Wind

Wind energy research began a few decades ago until the 1970s when NASA developed an analytical model to predict wind power generation during high winds. Today, both the Sandia National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have programs dedicated to wind research. Sandia's laboratory focuses on material progress, aerodynamics, and sensors. The NREL wind project is centered on increasing the production of wind power, reducing their capital costs, and making wind energy more cost-effective overall.

The Field Laboratory for Optimized Wind Energy (FLOWE) at Caltech was established to examine alternative approaches to wind farm energy technology practices that have the potential to reduce the cost, size, and environmental impact of wind energy production.

Renewable energy such as the combination of wind, solar, biomass and geothermal, supplies 1.3% of global final energy consumption in 2013.

Biomass

Biomass can be considered a "biological material" derived from living things, or living organisms recently. It most often refers to plants or materials derived from plants that are specifically called lignocellulosic biomass. As an energy source, biomass can be used directly through combustion to generate heat, or indirectly after converting it into various forms of biofuel. The conversion of biomass into biofuel can be achieved by different methods that are widely classified into: thermal , chemistry , and biochemical methods . Wood remains the largest source of biomass energy today; Examples include forest residues (such as dead trees, branches and tree stumps), clippings in the yard, wood chips and even municipal solid waste. In a second sense, biomass includes plant or animal material that can be converted into fibers or other industrial chemicals, including biofuels. Industrial biomass can be grown from a variety of plants, including Miscanthus, switchgrass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow, sorghum, sugarcane, bamboo and various tree species, from eucalyptus to palm oil.

Biomass, biogas, and biofuel are burned to produce heat and thus damage the environment. Pollutants such as sulfur oxide (SO _x), nitrous oxide (NO _x), and particulate matter (PM) are generated from this combustion. The World Health Organization estimates that 7 million premature deaths are caused annually by air pollution, and biomass burning is a major contributor to it. The use of biomass is carbon neutral over time, but is otherwise similar to burning fossil fuels.

Ethanol biofuel

As a major source of biofuels in North America, many organizations are conducting research in the field of ethanol production. At the Federal level, the USDA does a large amount of research on ethanol production in the United States. Much of this research is targeted towards the effects of ethanol production on the domestic food market.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has undertaken numerous ethanol research projects, primarily in the field of cellulosic ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol has many benefits compared to traditional corn-based ethanol. It does not take or directly contradict the supply of food because it is produced from wood, grass, or parts of the plant that can not be eaten. In addition, several studies have shown cellulosic ethanol to be more cost-effective and economically sustainable than corn-based ethanol. Sandia National Laboratories conducts in-house cellulosic ethanol research and is also a member of the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a research institute founded by the US Department of Energy with the goal of developing cellulosic biofuels.

Other biofuels

From 1978 to 1996, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory experimented with using algae as a source of biofuels in the "Aquatic Species Program." A self-published article by Michael Briggs, at the University of New Hampshire Biofuels Group, offers estimates for the realistic replacement of all motor vehicle fuels with biofuels by utilizing algae that contain natural oils greater than 50%, suggested by Briggs. grow in algal ponds in wastewater treatment plants. Oil-rich algae can then be extracted from the system and processed into biofuel, with the remaining dry processed further to create ethanol.

Production of algae for harvesting oil for biofuels has not been done on a commercial scale, but feasibility studies have been undertaken to achieve the above results estimates. In addition to the projected high yields, algae - cultivation - unlike plant - based biofuels - does not cause a decline in food production, as it does not require agricultural or freshwater. Many companies are pursuing bio-algae reactors for various purposes, including increasing biofuel production to the commercial level.

Several groups in various sectors are conducting research on Jatropha curcas, a type of poisonous bush tree that produces seeds that are considered by many to be a viable source of biofuel fuel. Much of this research focuses on improving overall Jatropha oil yield per hectare through advances in genetics, soil science, and horticultural practices. SG Biofuels, a San Diego-based Jatropha developer, has been using molecular breeding and biotechnology to produce elite Jatropha hybrid seeds that show a significant increase in yield over first generation varieties. The Center for Sustainable Energy Agriculture (CfSEF) is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit research organization dedicated to Jatropha research in crop science, agronomy, and horticulture. This successful exploration of discipline is projected to increase Jatropha's agricultural output by 200-300% in the next ten years.

Geothermal

Geothermal energy is generated by exploiting heat within the Earth's crust. This is considered sustainable because the heat energy is constantly replenished. However, geothermal energy generation is still young and develops economic feasibility. Several entities, such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory are conducting research toward the goal of building a proven science around geothermal energy. The International Center for Geothermal Research (IGC), the German geoscience research organization, is mostly focused on geothermal energy development research.

Hydrogen

More than $ 1 billion has been spent on research and development of hydrogen fuel in the United States. Both the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories have departments dedicated to hydrogen research. Much of this work centers on hydrogen storage and fuel cell technology

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Disadvantages

The establishment of alternative energy on the scale required to replace fossil energy, in an effort to reverse global climate change, is likely to have a significant negative environmental impact. For example, biomass energy generation should increase 7-fold to supply the current major energy demand, and up to 40 times by 2100 given the projected economic growth and energy. Humans are compatible with 30 to 40% of all fixed carbon photosynthesis worldwide, suggesting that additional biomass harvest expansion is likely to emphasize ecosystems, in some cases accelerating the destruction and extinction of species of animals that have lost important food sources. The total amount of energy capture by vegetation in the United States each year is about 58 quads (61.5 EJ), about half of which are already harvested as agricultural crops and forest products. The remaining biomass is needed to maintain the function and diversity of the ecosystem. Because annual energy use in the United States is ca. 100 thighs, biomass energy can only supply a small portion. To supply worldwide energy demand today only with biomass will require more than 10% of the Earth's surface, which is comparable to the use of areas for all world agriculture (ie, about 1500 million hectares), suggesting that further expansion of energy generation biomass will be difficult without causing ethical conflicts, given the current world hunger statistics, on plants growing for biofuel versus food.

Given environmental concerns (eg, fish migration, destruction of sensitive aquatic ecosystems, etc.) On the construction of new dams to capture hydroelectric energy, the further expansion of conventional hydroelectric power in the United States is not possible. Wind power, if used on a large scale necessary to replace fossil energy, will likely face public resistance. If 100% of the US energy demand will be supplied by the windmill, about 80 million hectares (ie, more than 40% of all farmland available in the United States) should be covered with a large windmill (50m hub height and 250 to 500 m apart) ). It is therefore not surprising that major environmental impacts of wind power are linked to land use and fewer wildlife deaths (birds, bats, etc.). Except for only a fraction of the electricity generated by the windmills in remote locations, it is unlikely that the public will tolerate a major windmill given worries about blade noise and aesthetics.

Biofuels differ from fossil fuels in terms of clean greenhouse gases but are similar to fossil fuels in biofuels that contribute to air pollution. Combustion generates carbon particles in air, carbon monoxide and nitric oxide.

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Setbacks

Alternative forms of renewable energy face opposition from various groups, including conservatives and liberals. Around twelve countries have passed a proposal written to inhibit alternative energy movements. Kansas lawmakers crashed into bills to end renewable energy mandates but face the possibility of bills reappearing.

The opposition cites the potentially high cost of branched off into these alternatives to support continuity and dependence on fossil fuels. The Ohio mandate for a phase in alternative energy faces opposition who believe higher electricity prices will result, while supporters fear the loss of economic development and jobs that can bring alternative energy.

With nuclear melting in Chernobyl and Fukushima, nuclear power presents a constant danger and is less likely to be a popular alternative source. The cost of maintaining a nuclear facility, the potential risk of destruction, and the cost of cleaning the crisis are stated as the reason behind the movement from the use of nuclear energy. In some countries nuclear power plants can not compete with current fossil fuels because of lower prices and availability. Nuclear power plants are also facing competition from rising renewable energy subsidies.

Renewable energy does have some setbacks when relying on it entirely. The spike in wholesale electricity prices occurred in South Australia when the winds did not turn on the turbines responsible for most of the region's strength. This led the government to reintegrate gas-powered stations to supply electricity while wind turbines could not afford.

Solar panels are the icon of the 'green power' movement, but the process of making quartz based panels can be detrimental to the environment. Raw quartz (silica) is used to make solar cells to be mined using harsh chemicals that harm the surrounding environment, as well as those working in the mine. Silicosis is a form of lung disease caused by inhalation of crystal silica dust resulting in nodular lesions in the lungs. Silica should be cultivated into a metallurgical grade silicon, a process that requires large amounts of energy because the quartz is placed into an electric arc furnace. Silica class metallurgy must be processed into polysilicon. This process also produces tetrachloride, a toxic substance that, if not properly disposed of, can be harmful to the surrounding environment. Hydrochloric acid is formed when tetrachloride interacts with water, lowering the pH of water and soil. The incidence of tetrachloride spills is common in China, as the production of solar panels has shifted from Europe and the United States to Asian countries in the early 2000s. Therefore, the villagers of Gaolong can not leave their homes because the air and the soil are toxic. This is because Luoyang Zhongui High-Technology Co. repeatedly removing tetrachloride in nearby fields for nearly a year.

A Hand Painting Symbols Of Alternative Energy Sources In Green ...

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Rabu, 06 Juni 2018