Alternative Energy—The Future
As we move forward with research and application of green power, it makes sense to look at a wide array of alternative energy resources, rather than search for the one solution that will replace fossil fuels.
Of course we should conserve energy, not waste it. But will we continue to build houses that consume energy like a hummer guzzles gas? Or will we plan whole communities off the grid?
Can you image a community where every home and businesses is built with a passive solar heat and geothermal design? Where every house has solar panels that generate electricity as well as solar panels that heat water? A neighborhood wind farm? A run-of-the-river type generator if it’s located near moving water?
At the very least, our homes should incorporate every possible alternative energy source to minimize the need for energy from the grid.
We can capture the energy of the sun. We can harness the energy of the wind. We can build run-of-the-river systems and tap into natural steam with a closed system that returns the water to its source.
As we build new power plants and develop new technology, we should fully embrace the idea of working with Mother Nature instead of against her.
Conventional Energy Disguised as Clean
We live in the age of sound bites, a time when ugly truth is regularly tipped on its ear and spun by marketing magic. Our spin doctors don’t limit their slogans to big business ad campaigns. Our government, too often influenced by special interest groups, uses these slogans as well.
Phrases like “Clean Coal Technology” and “Clean Burning Natural Gas” blanket the media. We hear these slogans so often, from both energy companies and our government leaders, it’s easy to believe them.
Biomass Energy
Biomass energy is energy derived from plants and animals. We grow crops specifically to produce biomass energy, such as corn to make ethanol. But we also burn trees and other plant refuse to make electricity and harvest methane gas from animal excrement. Yes, biomass is renewable. But we could certainly use it faster than we can grow it. And when we grow crops for fuel, we are using land that could be used to grow food.
While it has long been argued that burning plants is less environmentally damaging than burning coal, not everyone agrees. The Massachusetts Environmental Energy Alliance reports that burning biomass emits as much fine particulate matter as coal, one-and-a-half times as much carbon monoxide, and one-and-a-half times as much carbon dioxide, It certainly isn’t clean.
Nuclear Energy
Yes, nuclear energy is touted as a clean source of energy, though every step of production from mining to waste containment places humans and the environment at great risk. A typical reactor produces 20 to 30 tons of high-level nuclear waste each year, dangerously radioactive waste that remains toxic for thousands of years. Add to this the risk of human error, terrorist acts, natural disasters (such as earthquakes), and equipment failure, and nuclear energy is clearly the dirtiest and the most dangerous energy resource known to man.
Clean Coal
Clean coal? There’s an oxymoron for you. Coal’s negative impacts begin with its mining and preparation and continue through combustion, waste storage, and transport. Coal mining strips the land, creating wastelands where acidic water often flows into nearby rivers and streams, and mines emit methane, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide. Coal-fired power plants pollute the air with sulfur dioxide, fine particulate matter, and heavy metals. Our waterways are polluted with mercury from coal-burning. And coal plants consume more water than any industry other than agriculture.
Natural Gas
Natural gas commercials abound. Clean Natural Gas! But is it so clean? So safe? The recent PG&E pipeline explosion would suggest otherwise. And natural gas hot water heaters, furnaces and stoves add to indoor air pollution, even when working properly.
Natural gas power stations contribute to air pollution and global warming, pumping particulate matter and gases into the air.
There are two methods of drilling for gas. One is to drill down for a pocket of gas. Under high pressure, the gas rises and is simply captured like oil. The other method is hydraulic fracturing, a drilling technique that injects water, salt, and hazardous chemicals deep into the earth to fracture rock formations to release natural gas. Wastewater from these operations can pollute groundwater with chemicals, saline, and cancer causing compounds.
We are ripping up the land, creating environmental devastation through mining and drilling, for non-sustainable fossil fuels that will be used up in the next hundred years. We fight wars to control these resources. We’ve created an economy and a lifestyle dependent on their use and abuse while ignoring the price we’ve paid. There is virtually no clean water in the United States; mercury from burning coal has contaminated our fish. Acid rain destroys plant life. Drilling and mining contaminate ground water. Nuclear waste is accumulating. And yet, the brainwashing media campaigns continue. The next time you hear “clean coal, clean natural gas, or clean nuclear energy”, think again.
Nano-technology Solar Energy
MIT Associate Professor Michael Strano and his research team have brought nano-technology into the solar energy race.
The team created a multilayered carbon nanotube, which concentrates solar energy—100 times more than a photovoltaic cell. The nanotube is used to build an antennae or “solar funnel.” Strano says, “Instead of having your whole roof be a photovoltaic cell, you could have little spots that were tiny photovoltaic cells, with antennas that would drive photons into them.”
Problems with Solar Energy
and New Solutions
Solar cell technology has a long history, beginning in 1839 when French physicist Antoine-César Becquerel experimented with a solid electrode in an electrolyte solution. In the 1850s the first solar cell was developed. Throughout the early 1900s small gains were made, raising the efficiency of early solar cells from 1% efficiency to 10% by the 1950s. And the drive to develop viable alternative energy resources is fueling new research and new breakthroughs. Recent advancements have raised efficiency to 40% and above.
Though solar is now the fastest growing alternative energy industry, it represents only 1% of the energy used today. But the International Energy Agency estimates solar may provide 20-25% of global energy by the year 2050.
Photovoltaic Panels
Photovoltaic panels (PV panels) are used in ground-mounted installations, in building-integrated installations, and to provide power for signal lights, parking meters, or other single sight uses.
Ground-mounted installations are built to provide energy for electric companies, communities, military bases, or single homes. Building-integrated systems usually provide energy for a particular building, but can also be used with net-metering systems to feed electricity back to the power company on a small or large scale.
When a single family residence installs a solar array, the homeowner may choose to store energy in a closed system through the use of batteries. In many cases, the homeowner may have the choice of hooking up to the power company instead through a net-metering system. When the solar panels provide more energy than needed, the energy flows back to the electrical company. When the sun is not shining, the power company provides electricity to the home. In many cases, this results in year round energy, 24/7, at little or no cost to the homeowner.
Electric companies are also experimenting with leasing large, building-integrated solar systems to companies with warehouses or other large buildings. The company does not have to pay the capital cost of purchasing the system or for installing it. Their buildings provide the “real estate” while the power company reaps the benefits and in turn sells the company electricity at a substantially lower cost.
Since solar energy is free, clean, and the most sustainable energy source on the planet, what are the problems that have plagued the industry?
Limited Sunshine
Solar energy is collected through light. If the sun isn’t shining, no energy is being collected. Obviously, solar energy cannot be collected at night, but battery banks and net-metering provide energy when the sun isn’t shining.
Cloud cover and pollution are factors as well as location—site location and latitude. The number of sunny days and the number of daylight hours are all factors.
Site Suitability
The energy output of photovoltaic panels is dependent on how much radiation can be converted into electricity. Sun exposure is critical. Optimal panel placement includes direct sun exposure without shading from trees or buildings, proper orientation, and proper tilt. The optimal angle of the panels varies with the seasons.
Inefficient Storage
As solar cell technology improves, so does the need for better storage. Electricity is lost as it is transported from the source to the end user. It makes sense to increase storage capability to create zero-energy homes and buildings with solar collection on site with storage capabilities that allow buildings to be completely off the grid.
The current system of using batteries is costly and inefficient. Researchers have discovered a new process inspired by plant photosynthesis, using the power of the sun to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases that are later recombined inside a fuel cell—using abundant, non-toxic materials to create carbon-free energy for use day or night.
Production and Disposal of Solar Panels
There is an ugly side to the solar industry. The production of solar cells and the disposal of solar cells are a concern that is rarely addressed. Chemicals from the production of solar panels can leach into the water supply, potent gases can be released into the air, and chemicals and toxins such as mercury can leach into groundwater when solar panels are discarded. Recycling is a must. An industry-Wide wide effort to produce this technology with a small footprint and full consideration for environmental concerns is essential.
Cost
Cost has been the most prohibitive factor in the adoption of solar systems, though it has dropped dramatically in the last two years. Rather than $35,000.00 to $72,000.00 to install a home system for an average family, mass production and new technology have lowered the cost of current systems, which now range from $13,000.00 to $27,000.00 before tax incentives and government rebates. Even though the capital outlay is one-third of what it was a mere two years ago, this is still a significant outlay of cash for a majority of homeowners.
Production Energy and New Technology
Production energy (solar cell efficiency) for PV panels has historically been low. Recent technological improvements have resulted in 40% production. But the latest technology promises even greater production. Bio-based materials from renewable plant resources are being used to reduce production costs. New research is being used to create solar cells constructed with mismatched alloys that together capture greater wavelengths. Promising research is also underway to learn how to capture infrared light. Concentrated solar technology, using mirrors to enhance and direct the sun’s rays, is also being utilized.
New nanotechnology may increase productivity a hundred fold and may change the face of the industry as antennas replace the current solar panels. With costs dropping and technology improving in leaps and bounds, many potential customers may choose to wait and see what changes occur in this fast moving industry before purchasing a system.
Living off the Grid
With Alternative Energy Sources
With our petroleum addiction wrecking havoc on our nation’s finances and our environment, more and more left–winged, environmentally conscious people are turning to sustainable living. On the other end of the spectrum, the belief that Obama is moving so far to the left he is turning America into a socialist dictatorship is inspiring more and more right-winged conservatives to get off the grid as well.
The two biggest eco-friendly steps we can make are to reduce gasoline consumption and to live in an energy efficient home. Seventy percent of the electricity produced by U.S. power plants goes directly to commercial and residential buildings1 and fifty-seven percent of that electricity comes from coal burning power plants.2
Net Zero Homes vs. Off the Grid
Sustainable living can be achieved by living completely off the grid or by maintaining a zero energy (or net zero) home.
A zero energy home is connected to the grid, but the home produces as much or more energy than it uses on an annual basis and feeds its excess energy back to the electric company.
Homes that gain their energy through solar panels may feed energy to the electric company during the day, but use current from the grid at night. A home in a colder climate may use the grid for heat during the winter months, while a home in a warmer climate may draw on the grid for air conditioning in the summer, though both homes create enough energy in the other months to equal the energy used.
The downside to being completely off the grid is the need to store energy with batteries. Batteries require maintenance. And you have to be careful that your usage doesn’t exceed the amount of energy stored, or you’ll have to use a fuel burning generator as a back-up system.
While this article is about living off the grid, obviously, many of the same principles and
technologies should apply to anyone hoping to substantially reduce their home’s energy consumption.
Home Site and Design
The first consideration to living off the grid is the choice of a home site. Running water might provide hydropower. Shade trees could be used for cooling, while open spaces lend themselves to wind and solar energy. A good southern exposure is required for passive and active solar power, while a hill could be used to burrow a portion of the house underground.
First and foremost, the design of the home should be as energy efficient as possible, utilizing all available attributes of the site and built with construction materials that enhance every energy feature. The Earthship is one design that is completely off the grid. Built from recycled materials, these houses incorporate wind, solar, and geothermal into their sustainable design. Rainwater collection and filtering are also built into the system along with a greenhouse for growing food year-round.
Geothermal design can help heat a house in the winter and cool it in the summer. If built into a hillside, the submerged portion of the home will retain a median temperature, cutting or eliminating the need for backup heating and cooling systems. Or if a more
traditional building is desired, air can be used to heat and cool a house through geothermal designs that utilize passive solar energy along with geothermal principles such as those used to build Enertia ® homes.
Just positioning the home properly capitalizes on the cooling effect of wind and the warming effects of the sun. In much of the United States, a properly built home taking breeze and sunlight into consideration has little to no need for additional heating or air conditioning.
If a heating and cooling system is required, a geothermal heat pump (though initially more expensive to purchase and install than a conventional system) will recoup its cost and cut energy use.
Solar Power
There are several ways to incorporate solar power into the design of an existing structure. Solar power can also be used to heat water, heat the home, provide light, and create electricity.
Photovoltaic solar panels can be used to feed energy back into the grid in order to offset energy consumption for net –zero homes or they can send energy to batteries in off the grid homes. For homes that are off the grid, storing energy for night and cloudy days is essential. For the do-it-yourself (DIY) type, the job is not too difficult. A solar power generator capable of powering a home consists of photovoltaic solar panels, batteries, a voltage regulator, and an inverter to convert the DC power in the batteries to AC power for the home.
The technology of photovoltaic cells is advancing rapidly. Solar panels are becoming more and more efficient with promises of designs in the near future that will make powering a home with fewer cells easy. Just ten years ago photovoltaic cells were 10 percent efficient at converting sunlight into energy. Today the average photovoltaic cells reach 15 percent, with some new technology reaching over 40 percent, with talk of getting over 50 percent by the end of 2010. And technology is being developed using materials to gain 60 percent or more efficiency.
Right now smaller systems can be built for only a few hundred dollars, and large systems that can power a whole home are becoming more and more affordable as the technology improves. Typical solar panel systems to run an entire home can cost anywhere from $4,000 to well over $20,000 depending on the amount of work the home owner himself can do on the project, the amount of energy the home uses, and the amount of sun the solar panels will receive. There is a plethora of information for the handyman (or women) who wants to build their own solar power generator. We’ve compared the free information on the net to information for sale, and found the free information to be superior. Here are a few links worth checking out:
Hydropower
Hydropower, or in this case more specifically micro hydropower, is a good option for those living near running water like a creek or a stream.
There are two numbers required to measure the amount of energy available for micro hydropower: flow and head. Flow, obviously, is the amount of water flowing through a stream or creek. The number that is important in this case is the cubic feet of flow per second that one can divert from the water source to turn a turbine to produce power. Micro hydro-generators need only a modest flow of water to produce electricity, less than even a few feet per second depending on head. If there is enough flow year round then the reliability of micro hydropower beats solar and wind power.
Head is a measure of the pressure of water falling."Low head" typically refers to a change in elevation of 10 feet or less. In most cases a vertical drop of less than 2 feet renders a hydroelectric system unfeasible. A high flow rate can compensate for low head (and vice-versa), but sufficient head can more easily compensate for less flow than vice-versa.
Using the flow and head measurements as an estimate of the amount of kilowatts the water source is able to generate is fairly simple. Choosing the right micro hydropower generator with the right turbine is critical. The equipment includes pipes, turbine, generator, inverter, and an electronic control system.
The cost of electricity produced per kilowatt decreases as the size of the hydropower system increases, but cost also depends on available head, as high head tends to lower total cost. Low head requires specialized, more expensive turbines, especially when combined with low flow.
The cost for a complete system for the DIY type starts at around $5,000, and is often closer to $11,000.
Check out these links for more information:
Wind Power
Wind turbine technology has advanced far enough to give us affordable and fairly reliable power from wind without many of the drawbacks we had to consider just a short time ago. In the right area, a windmill
generator can provide more electricity for less money than solar power.
Most of the windmill towers are between 50 to 120 feet tall, because windmills have to be mounted about 30 feet above trees and other obstacles. They also require a clear circumference of about 300 feet.
If you hope to install a windmill in a residential area, you’ll have to contend with zoning issues that regulate how high the windmill can be. Also, neighbors may consider your windmill to be an eyesore. Keep in mind anyone can sue for any reason.
But there are alternatives to the more expensive and very tall setups typically used. Now manufacturers, like WindEnergy7, have developed smaller wind turbines that work efficiently mounted on the roof of a home.
With a wide range of choices at a wide range of costs (from about $3,000 to more than $20,000 for a professionally designed kit not including installation), there is a lot of research to do before purchasing a windmill.
For the DIY type, windmill power generator systems can be built from scratch for a few hundred dollars. But it is important to note that new technologies have windmills operating at very low decibels (often the noise level is lower than the wind noise itself) while producing considerable electricity from
relatively low wind speeds, starting at only 6 mph.
A wind turbine power generator setup will also need many of the same components as a solar power generating system, including batteries, a voltage regulator, and an inverter to convert the DC power in the batteries to AC power for the home.
Savonius Wind Turbine
One option that differs from the conventional windmill is the savonius wind turbine. The savonius design has a few advantages over the convention horizontal axis windmill. The savonius windmill is a very simple wind turbine consisting of two or three wind scoops on a vertical axis. This design is much more stable at high wind speeds, and can operate at varying wind directions. The design even works well with very low wind conditions, and the system doesn't require an expensive tower as it can be close to the ground.
The design is simple. Any alternative energy enthusiast can create their own savonius wind turbine for their home. When built properly, the system is even quieter than the latest conventional windmills. These systems are also safe for birds. But there is a disadvantage. The savonius system is only half as efficient as conventional wind turbines, which results in less power generation.
