Exploring Alternative Energy

Fossil fuels, oil and coal, are non renewable sources of energy and our dependence on them has grown. With the cost of a gallon of gas reaching unprecedented highs, we look to alternative options for solutions.

Alternative energy, renewable resources, solar power, wind power, sustainable energy, green energy, hybrid vehicles, biofuel, geothermal. These words have all become the buzzwords of the day. The concept of becoming less reliant on fossil fuel is appealing to most people and may be beneficial in many ways. Not only would we reduce our dependence on a non-renewable resource but we may be able to avoid wars as well.

Renewable energy sources, or RES, are those energy sources which are not destroyed when their energy is harnessed. Renewable energy sources are distinct from fossil fuels, which must be consumed to release energy. Renewable energy comes in may forms: wind, sunlight, waves, water flow, biomass, biological hydrogen production and geothermal heat. Renewable energies are sustainable energies and can be the answer to the predicted world wide destruction through global warming.

Use of renewable energy in the United States is not currently expected to approach levels of use of fossil fuels. Due to their limitations, renewable energies may never provide the answer to all energy problems but through research and development RES has a chance of making changes to our lives and those of generations to come. Current forms of renewable energies have limitations which need to be overcome. On cloudy days solar power cannot be generated; on windless days wind power turbines do not turn, and when rains cause flooding of the hydroelectric water reservoirs production drops. But the future holds hope.

The use of renewable energy is not new. Wood was one of the earliest energy sources in human history and is still in use today. It is used as a thermal energy source through burning. Burning wood was and is important in many areas around the world for both cooking and providing heat. While the use of wood is considered a renewable resource because wood can be grown, the length of time it takes to create more wood for consumption makes this option impractical. Though the smell of a wood fire is a wonderful olfactory experience and usually evokes memories of home fires burning or sing-alongs around the campfire, the smoke can be contain toxins at levels that are unacceptable. Wood burning also has limitations in the amount of energy produced from the amount of fuel consumed and its ability to be used by a majority of consumers.

Animals have also got their place in the history of energy production. Animals such as horses and oxen not only provided transportation but also powered mills. Animals are still extensively in use in many parts of the world for these purposes. Animals also provide us with the methane gas which is a contributor to global warming. But there are ways of controlling the damage done by methane and other remains from animal by-products. Manure and compost piles create heat. Biomass energy production methods are being used convert these stinky mounds into usable gas. Now, the animal and plant remains which would normally present a disposal problem are converted into electricity. In addition, biomass energy can be produced by using much of the materials found in landfills and garbage dumps thus reducing our dependence on these ever growing eyesores.

Water power eventually took over some animal power for the mills. Water power through hydroelectricity continues to be the least expensive method of storing and generating dispatch-able energy throughout the world. Historically, as well as presently, hydroelectricity provides more renewable energy than any other renewable source. As long as we have available water and can harness its powers, we can generate electricity and heat.

Wind power has been used for hundreds of years. Mention wind power and visions of Dutch windmills appear in most peoples minds. But more and more, wind power is becoming the fastest growing energy source in the world. Huge three bladed towers dot the landscape and turn in the wind. Along ridges in rural areas or the lake shore of a major city, they appear as giant moving flowers planted in rows. These odd flower windmills generate power for electricity and heat. Many individual families use wind power to live "off-the-grid" and can produce enough power to sell energy back to the power companies.

Solar power as a direct energy source has not been captured by mechanical systems until recent human history, but was captured as an energy source through architecture in certain societies for many centuries. Increasingly, today the sun is harnessed for heat and electricity. While large scale production using solar power is still being researched, use in some geographically compatible areas has dramatically increased in homes and commercial buildings as a method to offset utility costs.

Geothermal energy has been in use for thousands of years. Geysers and hot springs have been used as heat sources, health spas, and tourist attractions. The minerals that are a result of these occurrences are used as salts and medications. Using geothermal as a method of heating dates back to days of the Roman Empire. Where hot springs or other geothermal heat sources are found close to the earth's surface the water can be piped into buildings for heating. Reykjavik, Iceland is a modern example of this. The entire capital is warmed with geothermal heat. Using the temperature of the earth or of underground water to offset the temperature in the building is the primary use of geothermal heat pumps today. For closed loop systems, water or antifreeze solution is circulated through plastic pipes buried beneath the earth's surface. During the winter, the fluid collects heat from the earth and carries it through the system and into the building. During the summer, the system reverses itself to cool the building by pulling heat from the building, carrying it through the system and placing it in the ground. This process creates free hot water in the summer and delivers substantial hot water savings in the winter. The cost reduction for heating and cooling can be substantial.

The use of fossil fuels continues to grow and be a problem in so many ways. Fossil fuels can only continue to rise in financial and human costs while the reservoirs of oils and coal diminish. We cannot continue to pollute our lands, water, and air with this antiquated poison. Our future on the earth is dependent on our finding and using alternatives. We must learn new ways and change our behaviors. We must educate our neighbors and ourselves to learn the best methods for our regions and our lives.

Works Referenced

Union of Concerned Scientists, December 22, 2006. Union of Concerned Scientists: Citizens and Scientists for Environmental Solutions. March 26, 2008 http://www.ucsusa.org/ (Renewable energy: how they work: biomass, geothermal)

U.S. Department of Energy, November 1, 2006, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. March 26, 2008. http://lsa.colorado.edu/essence/texts/geothermal.htm

Geothermal Education Office, December 20, 2000. Geothermal Education Office, March 26, 2008. http://geothermal.marin.org

Energy Kid's Page, July 2007, Solar Energy: Energy from the Sun, March 26, 2008

http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/solar.html

Energy Kid's Page, July 2007, Wind Energy: Energy from Moving Air, March 26, 2008.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/wind.html