Other Energy Alternatives: Geothermal, Biomass, and Ocean Power
http://alturl.com/axjij
Three other renewable energy sources may play an important part in the next century's energy system. Geothermal heat, found deep in the earth's crust, can be captured for direct heating, or it can be used to generate electric power. Hot springs, which transfer some geothermal heat to the earth's surface, have been used since ancient times for recreation, therapy, and heating purposes. The first facility to turn geothermal heat into electricity, by using steam to spin a mechanical turbine, was built in Tuscany, Italy, in 1904.
Some 8000 megawatts of electricity around the world are currently generated from geothermal energy, a tiny fraction of global electrical production. The world's largest geothermal energy complex is located at The Geysers in northern California. It has a production capacity of more than 1200 megawatts—enough electricity to satisfy most of the daily power demands of a city the size of San Francisco. Geothermal power plants also operate in Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Hawaii. Iceland sits atop a massive volcanic system, and geothermal energy heats most of the country's homes. Other regions that have access to large reserves of geothermal energy are Mexico, Central America, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Although the potential to tap geothermal energy around the globe is almost without limit, in many regions adequate heat to generate electricity lies 5 km (3 mi) or more beneath the earth's surface. Drilling holes to access that heat can be prohibitively expensive.
Biomass provides another ready source of renewable energy. Agricultural wastes, ranging from sugarcane bagasse (the pulpy waste remaining after the cane is crushed) to rice hulls, can be burned directly or turned into combustible gases or liquids, such as ethanol. These products are currently used to produce electricity and as a substitute for petroleum. In Brazil, waste materials from the sugar industry alone could, in theory, provide most of the country's power. Ethanol from sugarcane already supplies half of Brazil's automotive fuel. The United States government is currently subsidizing efforts to turn Midwestern corn into ethanol for use as a transportation fuel.
Advocates argue that efficient use of biomass will not lead to an increase in atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide because newly planted crops—a primary source of biomass—will absorb any carbon dioxide produced. But the price of biomass fuels cannot yet successfully compete with fossil fuels in most markets. Technological advances that allow biomass to be converted into fuels with greater efficiency could eventually make biomass a competitive alternative.
Scientists are also looking at ways to tap the energy embodied in the ocean's tides, waves, currents, and temperature differentials. Two sizeable tidal power installations are currently in place, including a facility in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Basin that has been in service since 1984. Owned by the Tidal Power Corporation, a public company, the project captures energy from the tremendous movement of water in the Bay of Fundy.
Some researchers believe the most promising of these ocean energy technologies is ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), a process that uses temperature differences in the ocean to create electricity. The process works by capturing the heat differential between the warm water on the ocean's surface and the colder water below to drive a generator. Proponents believe that these naturally occurring temperature gradients have the potential to produce millions of megawatts of electricity, but the technology is still at an experimental stage.
Click Here Discover How You Can Build Your Own Electric Energy Source at Home!
Three other renewable energy sources may play an important part in the next century's energy system. Geothermal heat, found deep in the earth's crust, can be captured for direct heating, or it can be used to generate electric power. Hot springs, which transfer some geothermal heat to the earth's surface, have been used since ancient times for recreation, therapy, and heating purposes. The first facility to turn geothermal heat into electricity, by using steam to spin a mechanical turbine, was built in Tuscany, Italy, in 1904.
Some 8000 megawatts of electricity around the world are currently generated from geothermal energy, a tiny fraction of global electrical production. The world's largest geothermal energy complex is located at The Geysers in northern California. It has a production capacity of more than 1200 megawatts—enough electricity to satisfy most of the daily power demands of a city the size of San Francisco. Geothermal power plants also operate in Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Hawaii. Iceland sits atop a massive volcanic system, and geothermal energy heats most of the country's homes. Other regions that have access to large reserves of geothermal energy are Mexico, Central America, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Although the potential to tap geothermal energy around the globe is almost without limit, in many regions adequate heat to generate electricity lies 5 km (3 mi) or more beneath the earth's surface. Drilling holes to access that heat can be prohibitively expensive.
Biomass provides another ready source of renewable energy. Agricultural wastes, ranging from sugarcane bagasse (the pulpy waste remaining after the cane is crushed) to rice hulls, can be burned directly or turned into combustible gases or liquids, such as ethanol. These products are currently used to produce electricity and as a substitute for petroleum. In Brazil, waste materials from the sugar industry alone could, in theory, provide most of the country's power. Ethanol from sugarcane already supplies half of Brazil's automotive fuel. The United States government is currently subsidizing efforts to turn Midwestern corn into ethanol for use as a transportation fuel.
Advocates argue that efficient use of biomass will not lead to an increase in atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide because newly planted crops—a primary source of biomass—will absorb any carbon dioxide produced. But the price of biomass fuels cannot yet successfully compete with fossil fuels in most markets. Technological advances that allow biomass to be converted into fuels with greater efficiency could eventually make biomass a competitive alternative.
Scientists are also looking at ways to tap the energy embodied in the ocean's tides, waves, currents, and temperature differentials. Two sizeable tidal power installations are currently in place, including a facility in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Basin that has been in service since 1984. Owned by the Tidal Power Corporation, a public company, the project captures energy from the tremendous movement of water in the Bay of Fundy.
Some researchers believe the most promising of these ocean energy technologies is ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), a process that uses temperature differences in the ocean to create electricity. The process works by capturing the heat differential between the warm water on the ocean's surface and the colder water below to drive a generator. Proponents believe that these naturally occurring temperature gradients have the potential to produce millions of megawatts of electricity, but the technology is still at an experimental stage.
Click Here Discover How You Can Build Your Own Electric Energy Source at Home!
Source...