Nipperbou Alternative Energy Resources Page
A general discussion of alternative energy sources.Alternative energy is a favored term in use today to describe any energy source that is not a fossil fuel. People generally think of wind, solar, thermal, and of course hydrogen. Energy derived from nuclear, geothermal, and organic should also be included in this list. It is now quite obvious that we need to urgently develop alternative energy sources to supplement and eventually replace the fossil fuels which our world has grown so dependant. Oil prices will continue to climb, adding increasing pressure to our already fragile economies, and our demand will only increase. The projections for our future are quite dire.
It is a fact that the United States must import millions of barrels of crude oil each day, roughly one half of our demand. Every barrel of oil saved is one barrel of oil not imported. From a national security point of view, this should be where we establish our near-term goal. The challenge to reduce, and eventually eliminate our dependence on foreign oil. While researchers continues to work on developing future scientific advances in the area, we need to increase the implementation of current technologies. Technologies that have been proven effective and in many cases economically advantageous. By actively looking to other energy sources, each resident, each business, and each government agency can contribute to the reduction of fossil fuel dependency and greenhouse gas emissions.
Residential homeowner's adding solar panels to their rooftops or small wind turbines to supplement their electricity consumption. Businesses operating small-scale biodisel fired generating equipment to reduce their needs for electricity at peak times throughout the day when they have to pay the most per kilowatt hour. Operating fleets gas-electric hybrid vehicles, or ethanol compatible flexible fuel vehicles. Government agencies establishing fleets of fuel cell or electric passenger buses or other work vehicles. The list can go on ad infinitum. What are you doing? What can you or your business do?
The following web pages provide a general overview of some of the more established technologies that ave in wide use throughout the world today. Remember, every single watt of electricity generated from an alternative energy source, is one less watt that will be generated from a fossil fuel source.
Solar power as an alternative energy source is really two categories, photovoltaic and concentrated solar. Photovoltaics, more commonly known as solar cells is by far the most common application to capture the sun's energy. Using semiconductor materials, solar cells will convert sunlight into electricity, but is only about fifteen percent efficient. The low efficiency and high relitive cost of solar panels have so far prevented wide spread adoption of the technology. A typical installation will not show a positive return on cash invested for years. Newer manufacturing techniques are beginning to show the promise of reduced costs in the near future. Hopefully we will then see a much greater interest.
Concentrated solar power generation is a bit different. This application requires a large scale investment in a big plant. One type uses a series of mirrors to focus sunlight onto a single collection point, often the top of a tower--very much like a giant parabolic dish. This focused sunlight then heats a material like oil perhaps, which then moves the heat to a point where the heat is then converted to electricity. Like solar cells, this process is only about fifteen percent efficient
Solar power is going to feature prominently in our future. Newer technologies will lower the necessary capital investment and will become much more accessible to residential and commercial consumers alike.
Men have been harnessing the power of the wind for centuries to propel great ships, mill grain and pump water. The mere mention of Holland will serve to conjure images of old windmills dotting the Dutch landscape. A slightly different design populates the open spaces of the American west as those blades spin to pump water for thirsty cattle. Today wind turbines generate megawatts of electricity throughout the world.
Small units are attached to residential homes where they supply
electricity to augment what is purchased from the local utility.
Larger machines can be seen on hilltops, often a dozen or more in
number, generating power for the local utility. Power that is tabled
as 'green ' and sold at a premium to conscientious consumers. More
recently, we hare seen a new type of wind turbine. Positioned
offshore in shallow water, massive blades turn slowly in the
predictably strong winds. These blades are so large, they require an
entire tractor-trailer (wide load) to move just a single one. As an
example, an installation just off the east coast of England provides
electricity for thousands of homes in the area.
Wind power is a proven alternative source of energy to help meet our growing future needs. The installation of a wind turbine-regardless of the size-requires an upfront capital investment. With the combination off high energy prices and low operational and maintainence costs, operators can enjoy a profitable return on their investment. As oil and natural gas prices continue to trend upwards, we should see growing applications of wind turbines worldwide.
Geothermal sources are simply those that provide energy from the heat found beneath our feet in the Earth. The idea of geothermal power is often associated with Iceland. A country whose society can be considered the greatest in the world and a model to the rest of us provides us with a fine example of geothermal power utilization. This small island nation (population around 400,000) sits far to the north in a place where the Earth's crust is quite thin. This means you only have to drill a short distance before you strike heat, if you hare to drill at all that is. This natural heat source provides electricity and hot water (heat) to most of the residents.
In the United States, a geothermal research program has found a practical method for extracting energy from sources with a much lower temperature. A hole is drilled into a region of granite that is naturally warmed by the Earth, and water is pumped down into the rocks. The water is then heated, and electricity is extracted from that heat. While this is only a test program, it does show promise for geothermal power applications without the need to be sitting on top of an active volcano (Iceland.)
How many times have we heard about the coming Hydrogen economy? When we will all drive our zero emissions automobile to the local gas station and be able to tank up on real gas-Hydrogen gas. Well, it is coming-but slowly. Before it can happen, we will need to make a significant commitment as a nation. A commitment of much money, time, and scientific effort, but this won't happen anytime soon. Not while we continue to invest in stop gap measures such as Ethonal and Biodisel. There is nothing wrong with these fuel sources, indeed we must develop them so we can begin to wean ourselves away from gasoline and oil. But let us not fool ourselves into believing that we will develop our Hydrogen economy until America is ready, really ready, to make the necessary commitment.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. It sits perched at the top of the Periodic Table of Elements. All the other elements were created from hydrogen. While it is so common it can be found everywhere, it is almost never found by itself here on planet Earth. It is always attached to something, like oxygen in water (H2O) for example. Hydrogen is an excellent source of energy. You can set fire to it, and it burns clean. In fact/the only emission is water. You can also run it through a fuel cell, and you get a direct electron flow (electricity) and water.
Before we can start using hydrogen on a large scale, we need to solve a few issues first: storage and extraction. We need to develop efficient methods of separating hydrogen from the other atoms in the many substances that contain it. Then we need to be able to store it efficiently and economically. For use in an automobile, there must be a gas tank. This gas tank must be able to hold enough fuel to give the car enough range to be practical otherwise nobody world buy one. Now, as a gas, not enough hydrogen can be stored in a fuel tank to be practical. Compressed into liquid form, there world be plenty but the energy required to provide the necessary refrigeration to keep it a liquid would also not be practical. What now?Researchers are working on a process involving hydrides that would allow hydrogen to be stored at room temperature without the need of refrigeration. Like a sponge, this product would absord and store a quantity of hydrogen in a greater concentration than in gaseous form, without the need to compress it into a liquid. Such an advance would allow a hydrogen feel cell automobile to carry enough fuel to provide the range that consumers would demand.
Fuel cell technology continues to be an area of intense interest for researchers. Fuel cells feature prominently in policy discussions about the future energy. This technology that helped the Apollo missions to the moon, is nothing new. The basic idea has been and for over fifty years. New chemical substrates and procedures are developing new cells that more efficiently generate electricity from hydrogen and other hydrocarbon molecules.One exciting application for fuel cell technology is the potential to replace batteries in small portable electronics. Consumer products like MP3 players and laptop computers offer a tremendous potential market. Imagine that your iPod battery has been replaced with a combination of fuel cell and gas storage tank of exactly the same size. When the unit requires recharging, the user need only to fill the small tank with methane from a portable container. Like the butane lighter is instantly charged from the small can of gas, your iPod or computer can be instantly refilled and ready to go.
Methane, like hydrogen, is an ideal source of energy for modern fuel cell technology. As the gas travels through the membranes of the fuel cell, electrons are stripped off the atoms and are sent in one direction, while the residual material combines with elements in our atmosphere to produce exhaust in the form of water. Basically, the gas goes in, and out comes an electron flow (electricity) and water.
The idea of automobiles driving by producing nothing more than a constant drip of water to be quite exciting. Think what would become of the daily smog indices in places like Los Angeles or Denver. Superior air quality is just the proverbial icing.
Applications for the new construction of nuclear power plants are now pending before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) pending approval. Even though their are more mothballed plants than operating ones, new technologies promise to see that nuclear energy will continue to provide clean, safe electricity.
Written by: Owen R. Matthews
