Alternative Energy Resources - Renewable Resources We
Should All Be Using
Welcome to my site on Alternative Energy Resources.
Solar Energy for heating water, generating electricity and concentrating solar energy to create
fuel for your vehicles. And you will learn how to tap into rebates and tax credits offered through
the government to offset the cost of the installation. In Florida, I could receive a 50% rebate in
solar panels while increasing my property value.
Biomass Energy Discover ways to use corn, corn stalks, wheat, pine cones, twigs,bark....to
generate fuel to heat your home or drive your vehicle. the technology has been around for over
100 years.Basically, anything that decomposes or burns can be used to generate energy for your
home or car. learn how to become your own bootleggger and drive on Ethanol or produce your
own biodiesel fuel or methane. Or run a vehicle on all three.
Wind Energy Another of the more popular alternative energy resources. Though not a reliable
resource for every household, it is a viable option for may depending on your location. Learn
about the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy and see if it will be an asset for your
energy needs.
Hydrogen You will see that this is my favorite. The must abundant element in the universe is
Hydrogen. H2O. Ever think about driving your car on pure water? Apparently, it has been done.
How about generating HHO in your own electrolysis unit in your vehicle and increase your gas
mileage 20 - 50% or maybe more with a cost of less than $100? In this site you will learn about
the controversy regarding this technology, its history, and its science.
Other Resources I will be discussing are, of course, hydropower energy. Not everyone can
have a Hoover Dam, but some homes can utilize microhydro generators. Geothermal Energy,
tapping into the heat generated from our earth's core, and
Controversial Topics I would be remiss if I did not include discussions on Global Warming,
Peak Oil and all kinds of conspiracy theories related to the oil companies and our government
as well as alternative products that affect our health.
To start out learning about solar energy facts, you can reminisce to your childhood days when
you might have had the experience of taking a magnifying glass outside and focus the sun's rays
through the lens to concentrate it's energy to start small fires , or for the barbaric one's, to "fry
ants".
Today we have become more sophisticated. now we use a Fresnel lens or the 5X magnifying
mirror. using these items develops concentrated energy close to 3000 degrees Fahrenheit.That is
a great demonstration of the power of our Sun's energy. And it is free for the taking. On a good
day, we can harness 51% of this energy.
What is Geothermal Energy? Can it Be Utilized in Your Home?
What is geothermal energy? Simply put, it is energy from the Earth. Geo refers to the solid part
of the Earth and thermal refers to heat energy. Anywhere the Earth's surface is in close proximity
to magma or volcanic activity under or near the Earth's surface, we can harness the energy.
According to the Department of Energy,"Geothermal energy technologies use the heat of the
earth for direct-use applications, geothermal heat pumps, and electrical power production.
Resources of geothermal energy range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found
a few miles beneath the Earth's surface and down even deeper to the extremely high temperatures
of molten rock called magma.
Three power plant technologies are being used to convert hydrothermal fluids to electricity. The
type of conversion used depends on whether the fluid is steam or water and its temperature.
Dry Steam Power Plants
What is Geothermal Energy? It is found in steam plants that use hydrothermal fluids that are primarily
steam. The steam goes directly to a turbine, which drives a generator that produces electricity. The
steam eliminates the need to burn fossil fuels to run the turbine. This is the oldest type of geothermal
power plant. Steam technology is used today at The Geysers in northern California, the world's largest
single source of geothermal power. These plants emit only excess steam and very minor amounts of
gases as waste.
Flash Steam Powerplants
What is geothermal energy? It utilizes hydrothermal fluids above 400 degrees F that can be used in flash
plants to make electricity. Fluid is sprayed into a tank held at a much lower pressure than the fluid,
causing some of the fluid to rapidly vaporize, or "flash," to steam. The steam then drives a turbine,
which drives a generator. If any liquid remains in the tank, it can be flashed again in a second tank to
extract even more energy. Only excess steam and trace gases are byproducts.
Binary Cycle Power Plant
Here is the system that most people would have as a resource. It is the most common if you are
fortunate to live in an area that has geothermal opportunities. Most geothermal areas contain
moderate-temperature water (below 400 degrees F). Energy is extracted from these fluids in binary-
cycle power plants. Hot geothermal fluid and a secondary fluid with a much lower boiling point than
water pass through a heat exchanger.
Heat from the geothermal fluid causes the secondary fluid to flash to steam, which then drives
the turbines. Because this is a closed-loop system, virtually nothing is emitted to the atmosphere.
Moderate-temperature water is by far the more common geothermal resource, and most
geothermal power plants in the future will be binary-cycle plants. (DOE)
advantages
Think of all the advantages of geothermal energy when you have a lava flow in your backyard.
You could dry your clothes, warm your house and heat your water. Even cook dinner if you
wanted.
Well geothermal does help you do that without having to get so close to the source. if you are
fortunate enough to live in an area with this geologic activity in play close under the surface of
the Earth, you can harness this energy. Let's look at some of the advantages of geothermal
energy.
1. No fuel is needed. For me to heat my home, I have to tap into the electric grid powered by
Florida Power and Light. They get most of their electricity from The Power Plant that burns coal
to run the generators. With geothermal energy, the fuel is already there. No need for coal or oil
or wood.
2. No Pollution. Geothermal Energy produces no pollution. There are virtually no greenhouse
gases given off. There is no pollution.
3.Relatively efficient. Geothermal energy is also very efficient, because after a site is located
and a geothermal power plant is built, the efforts required to channel it are negligible.
You will also find there there is much less land impact when using geothermal plants. They
usually are not as obtrusive as are nuclear or electric power plants.
4. Geothermal Energy is Renewable. Perhaps one of the most important advantage of
geothermal energy is that, unlike energy derived from carbon-based sources, geothermal energy
is a constant energy source. it will never run out. And because it is ubiquitous, its cost will never
continue to rise with time.
So after you place your initial investment into researching the site and building the geothermal
plant, your expenditures besides maintenance are nil. Virtually free energy from this point on.
disadvantages
1. The location must offer geothermal activity close by. Here is a quick lesson on the
disadvantages of geothermal energy. Check out the picture below. Study it for a few minutes.
Do you see any lava flows or steam vents? Probably not. This is a picture of Amelia Island
where I live. There is no volcanic activity anywhere near this area. So you see the big drawback
to geothermal energy is that there must be hot rocks close enough to drill into in order to harness
this energy. Not only do the rocks have to be hot, but they also must be suitable for drilling. The
rocks also must be close enough to be able to access. Not many areas are as fortunate as Iceland
in this regard.
2. Geothermal activity is not always so faithful. Sometimes the geothermal activity takes a
rest. it will be constant for several years and then stop for a few months. hence, not all areas offer
faithful heating resources.
3. You cannot transport geothermal energy. I used to live in the coal region of Pennsylvania.
For years coal trucks used to drive by our front door hauling Anthracite coal to home and
industries. Coal cars a mile long along the railroad tracks were often times filled with King Coal
to be shipped to the Reading Foundry. Can't do that with geothermal energy. it is only good
where it is at. So the steam is utilized to run the generators to produce electricity. Another big
one in the discussion of the disadvantages of geothermal energy.
4. There may be geothermal gases. Geothermal steam and hot water do contain naturally
occurring traces of hydrogen sulfide (a gas that smells like rotten eggs) and other gases and
chemicals that can be harmful in high concentrations. Geothermal power plants use "scrubber"
systems to clean the air of hydrogen sulfide and the other gases. Sometimes the gases are
converted into marketable products, such as liquid fertilizer. Newer geothermal power plants can
even inject these gases back into the geothermal wells. For a good article to read on the
disadvantages of geothermal energy, click here
5. Tectonic Activity. Usually where there is volcanic activity where you find geothermal energy,
you will also find other types of tectonic activity such as earthquakes and also active volcanoes.
There have been cases where earthquakes have caused damage to the geothermal plants and/or
caused disruption in the geothermal heat source. Click on the following link to learn more about
alternative energy along with the disadvantages of geothermal energy
Chevron is the largest producer of geothermal energy in the world.
Chevron began geothermal operations during the 1960s in the western United States by
pioneering the development of The Geysers in California. In the 1970s, two discoveries in the
Philippines led to the development of the Tiwi and Makiling-Banahaw (Mak-Ban) geothermal
projects on Luzon. We discovered the Salak and Darajat fields on Java in Indonesia during the
1980s and began commercial production in 1990s.
Chevron's geothermal operations from the four projects in Indonesia and the Philippines have a
capacity to produce 1,273 megawatts of renewable geothermal energy, which is enough to meet
the needs of millions people.
The earth's geothermal resource represents significant untapped energy. As Chevron continues to
pursue geothermal opportunities, it is at the forefront of bringing this clean, renewable energy to
our communities.
What Is Geothermal Energy?
Geothermal energy is created by the heat of the earth. It generates reliable power and emits
almost no greenhouse gases.
This is how it works: When groundwater seeps below the earth's surface near a dormant volcano,
the water is heated by reservoirs of molten rock, usually at depths of up to 9,800 feet (3,000 m).
Wells similar to those used to produce crude oil and natural gas are drilled to recover the water.
Once captured, steam and hot water are separated. The steam is cleaned and sent to the power
plant. The separated water is returned to the reservoir, helping to regenerate the steam source.
Only a small group of sites around the globe provide the special conditions needed to generate
geothermal energy. At these locations, deep fractures in the earth's crust allow the molten rock to
surge close enough to the earth's surface to heat water that goes underground.
What Are the Benefits?
In addition to providing clean, renewable power, geothermal energy has significant
environmental advantages. Geothermal emissions contain no chemical pollutants or waste —
they consist mostly of water, which is reinjected underground.
Geothermal energy is a reliable source of power that can reduce the need for imported fuels for
power generation. It's also renewable because it is based on a practically limitless resource —
natural heat within the earth.
The electricity produced by our geothermal power operations is sold to local power grids,
providing clean energy to fuel the growth of some of the most rapidly expanding economies in
the world.
Examine the solutions that GES has to offer, especially the Geothermal Energy Systems, which can
reduce your energy costs by as much as 70%.
