Clean Sources of Energy to Avoid Contributing to Global Warming
Wind, Solar, Geothermal & Hydropower Energy Sources Hold Promise for a Clean Planet
Many people wonder what they can do to help dampen the effects of the climate crisis. One method of doing so incorporates the usage of ‘clean’ energy; that is, energy that does not contribute to the levels of greenhouse gas present in our atmosphere. There are several sources of clean energy, and although it may cost more, the benefit on the planet’s ecosystem is well worth the extra money. Commonly known as ‘green power', the Environmental Protection Agency has formed a partnership to help encourage the usage of these alternative sources of energy.
Wind energy is one option when it comes to renewable power. Large spinning turbines harvest the movement of the air, and the energy is transferred into an electricity generator for usage in any application. While it’s not available everywhere, wind energy represents one of the fastest sectors of growth when it comes to alternative power sources, and it is consequently one of the most widely used alternative sources. As a matter of fact, since the year 2000, the number of wind turbines present in the United States has more than doubled!
Solar power is another significant source of renewable energy. Solar cells known as photovoltaics are placed on sun-catching areas such as the roof of a house. These cells turn light energy into electricity, and enough electric panels can provide power for an entire home, leaving you independent of the energy companies altogether.
Geothermal energy represents a source of energy that is not commonly discussed. Heat from underneath the earth’s surface is harvested as steam, which helps to spin a turbine much in the way of wind power. The spinning motion is sent to an electricity generator, and the power can be used in any modern application.
Low impact hydropower represents another significant source of renewable energy. Incorporating the use of a turbine, hydropower is created in streams and rivers which produce enough of a force to properly spin the turbines. Many aspects of hydropower need to be approved to ensure that the turbines do not significantly effect wildlife that may be living in the area where the energy is being harvested. Most hydropower sources do not dam a river up; they operate with the river in free-flow as to minimize the effect on the environment.
While these sources may not be easy to come by, your conscience can be unburdened regarding the climate crisis by switching to one of these environmentally friendly sources of energy. Do your part in helping to change our planet for the better!
Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Weather, Real Estate, and Science
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How is Hydrogen Made?
Alternative Fuel Information: Hydrogen Production
Hydrogen can be produced using diverse, domestic resources including fossil fuels, such as natural gas and coal (with carbon sequestration); nuclear; and biomass and other renewable energy technologies, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro-electric power. Researchers are working to develop a wide range of technologies to produce hydrogen economically and in environmentally friendly ways.
Today the two most common methods used to produce hydrogen fuel are:
- steam reforming of natural gas
- electrolysis of water
Producing Hydrogen from Natural Gas
The predominant method for producing synthesis gas is steam reforming of natural gas, although other hydrocarbons can be used as feedstocks. For example, biomass and coal can be gasified and used in a steam reforming process to create hydrogen.
Producing Hydrogen from Water Using Electrolysis
Electrolysis uses electrical energy to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The electrical energy can come from any electricity production source including renewable fuels.
Article Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)
Economics of Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Understanding the Viability of the Future Hydrogen Economy
Hydrogen is the most promising energy source to be used in future and as such the economics of hydrogen fuel cells are a quite important issue today. This paper targets the above issue and considers the following aspects: opportunity cost factors, supply and demand, role of government and impact on USA taxes concerned with economics of hydrogen fuel cells. The United States of America is the largest energy consumer in the world – it spent hundreds billion dollars on oil production and consumption, research and innovation in order to provide energy supply for the nation. But this money could be spent for the rapid development of hydrogen fuel cells and potentially provide cheap and effective energy abundance for the future through advanced technologies.
This is an example of opportunity cost or the cost of a forgone opportunity. Of course it is very difficult to make a more or less precise assessment of the opportunity cost concerning the oil and hydrogen energy sources in financial terms and that is why such assessment is not used in economics. But why is opportunity cost issue is so important and why it is raised ultimately? To answer these questions it is necessary to understand that growing needs of our society can not be satisfied because of lack of resources. Modern technologies allow to produce energy by extracting oil from the deepest entrails and of course such production is more expensive. Despite of growing prices on energy the demand grows also and increased demand increases prices even more. One day most people just could not afford using oil as a primary source of energy and it will result in economic crisis if another energy sources would not be mastered. For this reason scientists search new energy sources taking into consideration its price, availability and cleanness. Demand on one or another energy source depends on consumers’ income, tastes, wealth, inflationary expectations and future expectations. It means that hydrogen will be purchased only by those people who can afford it, who like it (from the point of ecology, convenience, prevalence etc), who need it (e.g. to fill up a car powered by hydrogen) etc.
If there would be a clear and marked trend to use hydrogen as the energy of future the demand would also increase because people would buy hydrogen powered cars and need fuel. Supply of hydrogen is affected by the following non-price factors: availability of resources and production techniques – if technology would be not too expensive but effective and based on the resources which are available in abundance then supply will be significant and vice versa; taxes and subsidies – if the government would establish very high tax rate on production or distribution of hydrogen then such business will not be profitable and fetching, in the opposite subsidies and low tax rate will cause supply increase by attracting investors.
The government plays an important role in the economics of hydrogen fuel cells. First of all, the U.S. government finances its own research programs on effective technologies of production, transportation and storage of hydrogen. By the way modern technologies allow quite affordable hydrogen production but the storage and transportation technologies are too expensive and it makes hydrogen not so attractive and perspective. In order to get new effective technologies government should stimulate commercial researchers and producers by instituting prizes, granting subsidies and lax credits, decreasing tax rates and providing discounts for them. In addition government can draw together the researchers and give them a basis for cooperation by organizing scientific conferences on the fuel issuer etc. Another way how a government can stimulate hydrogen research and application is by regulating tax rates on oil and gas production. High tax rate will cause a desire to use another energy sources and consequent research programs. Low tax rates will make no difference to energy producers so far.
Burning hydrogen is considered to be ecologically clean but its production is concerned with atmospheric pollution and this in turn requires regulation on governmental and legal basis, in other words, the allowed pollution amounts must be determined by the international law. In addition, the world community is not aware of all effects of burning and producing hydrogen processes and future researches may reveal new facts of pollution or other harmful effects and thus the law should make certain restrictions and limitations in accordance to which hydrogen producers are subjects to licensing and active government regulation.
Aaron Schwartz is a writer at Custom Essays Writing Network. He is an experienced writer of custom essays and will be glad to share his experience with you.
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