Overview of immediate energy solutions reveal US, world options

While many people have heard that America needs energy options for the future, many might not know or understand what these are.  For that reason, this article provides an overview of immediate energy solutions.

Immediate Energy Solutions

In the long run, non-polluting renewable energy sources are ideal. For the world's immediate needs, however, compromises must be made due to ever-increasing demand for energy and the supply of available materials. Current energy sources include nonrenewable fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, and renewable energy resources such as nuclear energy, solar energy, and wind power. About 85 percent of the world's energy consumption is from nonrenewable sources, and while the use of renewable energy is increasing, development is slow.

Coal

Coal is the largest domestically produced energy source in the United States and is used to generate much of the nation's electricity. It is the most abundant fossil fuel in the world, and is found in the U.S., Russia, China, India, and other countries. Coal's main advantages are its large supply and relatively low cost of use. However, it is also the most polluting energy source on this list. The combustion of coal releases gases, including carbon dioxide, sulfur, nitrogen oxide, and mercury, which are harmful to the atmosphere and environment. Though currently abundant, the supply of coal is dwindling and finite. Coal mining also damages the landscape.

Natural Gas

Though the United States is the world's largest natural gas producer, large new deposits have recently been found off the coast of Southern Africa. Of all fossil fuels, natural gas is by far the cleanest. It is used for both heat and power generation. Compared to coal, it is economical to build and maintain a gas plant. In the short term, it is a viable alternative to coal to help reduce greenhouse emissions, urban smog, and acid rain. However, it is still nonrenewable and harms the environment.

Oil

In recent years, oil consumption has decreased, not only because the supply is dwindling, but due to shifts to natural gas and nuclear power to meet similar energy needs. However, oil is still highly demanded for both energy and transportation. It is easy to extract, store, handle, and transport. Rapidly decreasing supplies force oil companies to drill offshore, however, which is hazardous for the earth.

Nuclear Power

Generated using uranium or plutonium, nuclear power provides about 6 percent of the world's energy and 14 percent of its electricity. With relatively low operating costs, nuclear power plants generate a tremendous amount of energy. Nuclear energy enables countries to rely less on polluting fossil fuels. Nuclear power plants are expensive, however, and time-consuming to build and maintain. Nuclear waste is radioactive and must be stored safely at great cost. An accident at a nuclear plant would release radioactive materials which could cause great harm to the environment and human populations.

Solar Power

Solar energy is a possible future solution to the world's energy needs. The supply of energy from the sun is inexhaustible. It is available everywhere, safe and clean. It can be used in both households and factories. Presently, its use is limited mainly due to its cost and the development of efficient storage technology.

Other nonrenewable energy technologies such as wind power, geothermal power, biomass energy and tidal energy are currently used sparingly, but should prove to be more important energy supplies in the future.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This article was provided by Amanda Nies, gardener and locally-sourced consumer. If you're interested in switching things up with your energy provider, Amanda recommends you check out commercial electricity rates from Tara Energy.

 

How solar panels can keep the planet healthy

Max Johnson — Solar panels are being used more and more by businesses, schools and other organizations for a number of reasons: they're green, clean, and can have a hugely positive impact on energy expenditure for nearly everybody. Solar panels are being tipped as a 'clean technology’ (as well as a technology perfect for keeping the planet healthy) so they might be an investment worth thinking about. They can be deployed in locations across the world in order to generate massive amounts of electricity, or just installed to supplement existing energy supplies and reduce greenhouse emissions. Green energy is an industry that has been taking the world by storm over the past decade, and wholesale solar panels are a prime example of a green energy technology that can save the planet AND save people money. Let's look at how.

The Science

Solar panels work very similarly to the leaves on a plant. Solar panels use a method called photovoltaics, they absorb light energy from the sun (or other light source) and convert it into electrical energy. This electrical energy, in the form of a current, can then provide power to appliances and devices, potentially cooking food, charging mobile phones, or even powering electric vehicles. Alternatively, energy from solar panels can be stored in batteries or capacitors – ideal for remote locations where constant power isn't always reliable. In some locations, solar panels are actually installed in order to provide energy BACK to the national grid, to be used elsewhere.

When solar panels generate energy, unlike other means of energy generation using fossil fuels, no fumes or emissions are given off: light energy is simply absorbed, and electricity is generated. It's as simple as that. In fact, solar panels can continue to do this for years without interference, as long as they're kept happy with a plentiful source of light, such as sunlight.

Protecting the Planet

In a national grid (where we get most of our power from: think energy companies) much of the energy comes from dirty, “carbon-rich”, polluting power stations such as coal-fired turbines. While these power stations are able to provide masses of electricity, they're not very environmental-friendly. Traditional power stations can pump out thousands of tons of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases each year, damaging the Earth's atmosphere and, according to scientists across the globe, eventually leading to global climate change.

Solar panels generate sustainable energy: something we need to adopt on a large scale in order to keep the planet healthy. Traditional fuel-burning methods (like coal, gas, and oil) provide a lot of waste products and toxic emissions, whereas solar panels can be installed and left to generate guilt-free energy without contributing to climate change nearly as much. Solar panels are so environmentally friendly because they use a renewable source of energy, one which can never be exhausted and provides lots of energy already: the sun.

As more energy is generated from solar panels, less energy needs to be generated by traditional power stations, meaning less emissions and less impact on the environment. Solar panels are a sustainable source of efficient energy, not just green energy. Even when compared to alternative renewable energy technologies, such as wind turbines, solar panels emerge as the least wasteful way of generating electricity. Solar panels are also virtually silent and take up much less space than wind turbines, ultimately meaning a lesser impact on the environment they're installed in. Quieter technology means happier wildlife!

Solar Panels Saves Pennies (Lots and Lots of Them)

Ultimately, very few of us can afford to make the switch to renewable energy just on environmental factors alone. Fortunately, however, solar panels are a viable investment for the vast majority of people. As they provide a virtually constant source of energy for their lifetime, solar panels are a good way of saving money on energy costs, particularly in environments where lots of electricity is used regularly. Depending on the kind of environment they're placed in and the amount of energy required, solar architecture can pay for itself with the money it saves in a couple of years – a long, long time before you need to worry about replacing panels. For this reason, even local councils in England have started to install solar panels on property as a medium-term investment: one which is only going to be more lucrative as energy prices continue to soar through the roof.

For large business, it's not uncommon for tax breaks and rewards to exist for carbon-friendly behavior. Solar panels are an ideal way of reducing your organization's overall carbon footprint as saving money on energy bills. Carbon-friendly businesses can get access to a number of different incentives and in some countries, unused solar energy can be 'sold' back to the national grid in order to generate extra revenue.

Whether they're used as a way of combating climate change or installed in order to avoid rising energy prices, it's a good idea to buy wholesale solar panels as an investment this January.



About the Author

This article was written by Max Johnson  Max is a student in London, studying climate and the atmosphere and he enjoys writing about renewable energy and technology.

Renewable Energy and Urban Agriculture

Bob Ewing - The World Bank presents a picture of a world that is rapidly becoming urbanized. In other words, people are leaving the country and moving to urban centres. On the Bank’s Youthink page, they cite the following statistics:

[caption id="attachment_15702" align="alignright" width="300"] Solar panels on residence[/caption]

• 3.3 billion people—half the world's population—live in cities.
• Two-thirds of all people will live in cities by 2050. (In 1800, only 2% of people lived in cities and towns. In 1950, only 30% of the world population was urban.)
• Almost 180,000 people move into cities each day.

This movement toward city life places increased pressure on, already stressed, urban infrastructure. How can society sustainably solve existing problems while urban populations continue to rise? First, energy, our current society is built upon the cheap and ready availability of oil and to some extent coal. Renewable energy sources such as the sun and wind have been given insufficient attention, a lot of talk but little development, for many years.

Both solar and small-scale wind power could provide the needs of a city on a local basis. The American Wind Energy Association states: “Small wind turbines are electric generators that utilize wind energy to produce clean, emissions-free power for individual homes, farms, and small businesses. With this simple and increasingly popular technology, individuals can generate their own power and cut their energy bills while helping to protect the environment.”

Unless, the home or business has a battery storage system to store energy for the days when the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining, hybrid systems, both sun and wind, may be the best approach.

Second, urban agricultural projects can move the farm closer to the table and reduce the distance our food needs to travel. Urban greenhouses can be powered by sun and wind and operate year round. This combination of renewable energy and urban agriculture is a major step towards building a community which has the ability to withstand the coming crises.

Not all our food can be produced in city limits, and the need for small farms, located close to urban centers, must also be considered, as do the setting up of farmers’ markets where business can take place. Inside the city, herbs, vegetables, and eggs can be produced and sold; while in the countryside, cows, pigs, sheep, orchards are the best choices.

Energy and food are essentials and offer opportunities to create sustainable communities if we accept and recognize the need and then do the work.

It is not likely that the trend toward urban living will reverse itself. I, for one, like living in a city, a small one, yes, but still a city. What we can do is put our resourcefulness at work, reclaim our communities, relocalize production, and build our own future.