Alternative Energy Sources “In United States around half of million deaths each year are attributed to air pollution. It is estimated that air pollution each day kills three people in the city of Hong Kong. Air pollution also contributes to soil and water pollution. More than 15,000 people in the world die each day because of water pollution” (pollutionfacts.com). With these statistics, it is no wonder people are coming up with alternative energy sources. From energy to gasoline, there are many different ways to reduce these statistics. Some alternatives to energy sources are solar and wind power, alternative vehicle fuels and hybrid cars. Photovoltaic solar electricity, or more commonly known as solar power, is an alternative energy source. Basically, energy is produced from the suns light. The most common for of solar energy is active solar technology. Different ways to access active solar technology are with solar panels, fans, and pumps (Philibert). For example, the panels on a person’s roof work by absorbing the suns light, converting it into energy and distributing it all over the house. A downside to this method of energy is that when it is dark or cloudy, the solar panels cannot collect sunlight. A close relative to solar power is wind power. Wind power is another way to get energy. With this method, the energy is produced by wind. Wind turbines are a way to get energy out of wind. Wind turbines are just like windmills but more modern and sleeker in design. There are two types of wind turbines, horizontal-axis machines and vertical-axis machines (Deal). The more common of the two is the horizontal-axis machine. It is a three blade machine designed to face the wind. Inside a wind turbine is the generator. The gen... ... middle of paper ... ...ls." U.S. Department of Energy. N.p., 2011. Web. 7 Nov 2011. . Childress, Vincent W. "Energy Decisions: Is Solar Power The Solution?." Technology & Engineering Teacher 70.5 (2011): 9-14. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Nov. 2011 Deal III, Walter F. "Going Green With Electric Vehicles." Technology & Engineering Teacher 70.3 (2010): 5-11. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Nov. 2011. Deal, Walter F. "Wind Power: An Emerging Energy Resource." Technology & Engineering Teacher 70.1 (2010): 9-15. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Nov. 2011. Demirbas, A. "Fuel Alternatives To Gasoline." Energy Sources Part B: Economics, Planning & Policy 2.3 (2007): 311-320. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Nov. 2011. Philibert, FiCédricrst. "The Present and Future Use Of Solar Thermal Energy as a Primary Source of Energy." Paris, InterAcademy Council.. 2005. 16. Print.
Solar energy is energy taken from the light that reaches earth's surface from the sun. There are four different kinds of solar energy, which are active solar systems, passive solar systems, photovoltaic cells and concentrating power systems. An active solar systems is a system that captures solar energy by mechanical means. Common active solar systems are often in buildings or homes. Some examples are roof collectors and water heating. Low Intensity and high variability have limited the use of active solar energy in Canada. A pass...
Lof, George. “Solar Energy: An Infinite Source of Clean Energy.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Vol 410:52
The future American commuter will undoubtedly have to transition from the use of fossil fuels to new alternatives due to the diminishing availability of the nation’s oil resources. How will America respond to this upcoming issue? It is difficult to predict which alternative fuel source America will ultimately choose, but with the premier of Nissan’s electric powered Leaf and other companies; such as Tesla Motors and Chevy, with their electric cars ready for market, the electric car may be winning the race to become the new standard for the gasoline alternative. Electric cars resolve long standing environmental issues, but it will need to maneuver around many roadblocks to become a marketable consideration for the general public. The cost of electric cars, currently on the market, makes them an impractical purchase for the average consumer. If cost is not the growing concern in today’s economy which prevents the consumer from considering this option; they may deny the technological advance due to battery storage capabilities and the inadequate infrastructure in place to refuel and provide for them.
This project investigates alternative fuel source cars, such as Biodiesel, Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Natural Gas, Ethanol (e85), and Hybrid. I choose this topic when I realized how much people are paying for a fuel (gasoline) that only gives you 30% efficiency per gallon. This means that for every $100.00 that you spend on gas, you are wasting $70.00.
With a gasoline-fueled vehicle, buying gas to operate your car is a never-ending process. With the high price change of gasoline and oil, operating a gasoline-fueled vehicle tends to be very costly. While there are some types of small gasoline vehicles that get much better gas mileage than larger vehicles, even the most powerful gasoline cars will normally desire a contribution every month. According to some experts the only way a mainstream market for green vehicles wills materlize is with a pronounced and prolonged rise in fuel prices. (Buss, 4)
Hamer, Glenn. "Solar Power Can Help Fuel the Future." Energy Alternatives (2006). Print. 19 November 2014.
Saini, Keshav. "Solar Thermal Energy Pros and Cons | Environmental Issues." Environmental Issues Blog. N.p., 6 Jan. 2012. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. .
Solar is a viable alternative energy source with solar panels becoming more affordable and more efficiently designed.
"Costs and Benefits of Electric Vehicles: A 2010 Perspective." Journal of Transport Economics and Policy 37.1 (2003): 1-28. Web. DeGunther, Rik. Alternative Energy for Dummies.
Wind turbines are a great source of energy around the world. Wind turbines produce wind energy that can be used to power our homes. Wind turbines convert kinetic energy into mechanical power. Then this mechanical power gets generated into electricity. Wind turbines make energy by the wind turning the large blades, which spin a shaft that is connected to the large blades, which then operates the generator making electricity.
First of all, solar energy is the energy produced when the sun heats the solar panel. Thus, when the sun heats the panels, it produces electricity. Solar power produces energy during the day and can store energy for the night. Solar power does not pollute the environment. However, it has high maintenance cost, and it takes a lot of land space.
Wind is a form of solar energy. The term wind energy describes the process by which the wind is used to generate electricity or mechanical power. Wind turbines convert mechanical energy from the wind into electrical power. Wind turbines usually have three main parts. There are blades that connect to a central hub, a box behind the blades that contains the generator, and a long stem that connects to the ground. The way how it works is that the wind turns the blades, which spins a shaft that connects to a generator making electricity. After the electricity is produced it is sent through transmission lines to a substation that is sent to business and homes. For the sake of our planet, we must promote a renewable energy economy. Wind power can be a foundation of that sustainable energy future because it provides jobs in states that are building wind turbines, is a renewable energy source, and does not damage our environment. The environment will not be damaged by the pollution, the natural resources will not be used up, and there won’t be generating of hazardous wastes. Welcoming wind energy today will lay the foundation for a healthy tomorrow that will affect everyone in the United States. There are obstacles and challenges that will make it more difficult, but the environmental impact is well worth it to invest more money into wind energy.
With the depletion of fossil fuel resources comes speculations and debates about alternative energy sources. The world, including the Philippines, is practically dependent on a dwindling non-renewable source of energy. Today, experts are debating about and considering three options: Nuclear, Solar, or Wind Energy. Everyone has been accustomed to the bad image of nuclear energy as a result of the Chernobyl and Fukushima incidents above all others. The popular belief is that radiation from a nuclear meltdown is very harmful to humans and other living things—which is true—and that nuclear power plants are very dangerous and not ideal—which is not. According to Smith, et. al (n.d), all the nuclear disasters that ever occurred were caused by human error and natural disasters like tsunamis, not one because of system failure. Putting the false beliefs aside, with proper engineering and adequate maintenance by experts, a nuclear power plant is a very ideal and viable source of energy for the following reasons:
Deal, W. (n.d.). Wind power: An emerging energy resource.Technology & Engineering Teacher, 70(1), 9-15. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=a747d6c4-9f9f-4066-be3e-d7d26a427ef2@sessionmgr115&vid=1&hid=114&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWNvb2tpZSxpcCxjcGlkJmN1c3RpZD1zc2Mmc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZlJnNjb3BlPXNpdGU=
The sun warms up the planet but people can also use that to warm up their own house. Not only does the sun help with heating but it can also help with other renewable energy sources. The sun is considered the most powerful energy source because it makes wind, is part of the water cycle by evaporating water, and it helps plants grow (West). Solar power uses the dark blue, tile looking machines known as photovoltaic devices that gather the energy and convert it into energy (Wieman). Since the sun does not always shine on the same spot, people need to choose the location of these devices wisely. When they have the device in the right position then they can start gathering power. Solar power collects solar energy from the sun, then “converts that into sugar and starches which then break down to create chemical energy” (Heinrichs, 12). This seems as a wonderful but not many people realize how...