Energy Information

Alternative Energy Development – NREL Activities Exposed

President George W. Bush, in his State of the Union Address for the year 2007, called for an increase in the federal grant for the research and development of an alternative source of energy by 22%. However, I picked up mixed signals about the funding, in a speech the President gave soon after to those assembled.
Perhaps the mixed signals can be drawn from the fact that simultaneously the President was insisting on more backing from the government for the research and development of alternate energy.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden in Colorado (NREL) was letting go of contractors and workers with fine abandon. But it can be supposed that the laboratory understood the message, for not long after the State of Union Address, they were all re-hired. In fact, the President?s second speech was delivered at the NREL itself. There can be said to be undisputed public support for tax breaks, research grants and financial incentives for research and development of sources of alternative energy, through federal backing.
The NREL is the chief component of the ?virtual? National Bioenergy Center, which is a center with no actual office. The NREL was established exclusively to achieve the objectives of the United States alternative energy and so the Department of Energy can advance. Dan Arvizu, the Director of the laboratory, says that the staff scientists and field researchers sanction the objectives of the critical market towards accelerating research whether it be scientific innovation or feasible alternative energy solutions. He goes on to say that NREL?s technology and research development goals are the roots of this strategy. These goals start from the understanding of renewable energy resources, to the translation of these to renewable fuel and electricity and finally to the utilization of these in homes, vehicles and commercial buildings. The laboratory, federally backed, directly helps achieve the objectives for unveiling new alternative fuels for improving our economy and powering our lifestyle.
The NREL has been established to provide expertise in several areas pertaining to the development of alternative energy. It directs research and development initiatives in renewable sources of electricity including geothermal power, biomass power, wind power and solar power. It also steers the research and development of vehicle-powering fuels like biodiesel fuels, hydrogen fuel cells and biomass. It also aims at supervising an integrated system-engineering plan that includes activating alternative energy in buildings, delivery systems and electrical grids, and infrastructure transportation. The laboratory also targets the analysis and development of the objectives of alternative energy through economics, structuring the portfolio of alternative energy investment, and market planning and analysis.
In addition, a Technology Transfer Office furnishes the NREL. This office maintains a team of engineers and laboratory scientists who make a living by the application of their expertise including various technologies developed. The competence of the staff and facilities of NREL can be observed by the number of collaborative projects as well as licensed technologies shared by the laboratory and their partners, both private and public.

Means to utilize the energy of the Sun

Solar energy is the energy produced by the sun. During the fusion process that the sun undergoes during its lifetime, it emits radiation. The fusion process produces many different wavelengths of radiation and sub-atomic particles. Collecting and converting usable energy from solar radiation can be accomplished by using many different forms of technology and includes various direct and indirect methods of harnessing the solar energy.

solar energy

There are basically two ways to use this solar radiation, by collecting the heat from the light, and photovoltaic conversion of the light. There are many different methods of collecting the heat and converting it to electricity, and many ways of converting the light as well. One of the simplest ways that people use solar heat energy is by using greenhouses. A greenhouse is built so that it can best collect the sunlight and heat that it receives from the sun. Using special glass or plastics, the greenhouse and everything within it retains the heat energy from the sun. This heat is trapped inside the greenhouse by the roof and walls allowing plants to grow in an otherwise too cold climate. By combining various technologies and the use of alternative power sources such as electricity from the grid, a controlled growing climate can be maintained to optimize specialty and agricultural crop growth. A large greenhouse could make use of a solar updraft tower to generate most or all of the additional electricity it may require to keep the climate controlled. A solar updraft tower is a simple use of the excess heat generated by light heat that the greenhouse receives. Hot air rises and is channeled from along the ceilings of the greenhouse and directed into a tower. The hot air rises and the turbine blades are pushed by the hot air rushing past them to generate electricity. Storing any excess power in batteries for the night when there is no sun can also keep the use of grid power to a minimum. Expanding on the collection of heat from the sun, there are power plants in the hot sunny desert areas that collect the heat from the sun and convert the heat to electricity. Some of these solar energy plants make use of curved, highly reflective and focused surfaces to optimize the collection of heat from the sunlight. They focus the light onto a central tube that is filled with synthetic oil that gets very hot. This hot oil is then piped into a boiler filled with water that is flashed into steam from the heat of the oil. The steam produced is then used to turn turbines that produce electricity. This is a highly effective way to convert solar energy into usable power. Another way to collect the energy from the sun is through direct photovoltaic conversion. Here the light is converted into electricity by using special materials called photodiodes that are made into cells. The photodiodes emit electrons when the photons from the sunlight hits them. By using arrays of the special cells and electrically connecting them together, enough power is produced by the transduction process to make it a worthwhile alternative energy. As more and more people demand the use of free solar energy, governments as well as businesses are subsidizing researchers, and these combined efforts are meeting this demand by coming up with materials that can produce more and more energy from a given amount of sunlight. Solar electricity produced by arrays of solar panels is now almost as cost effective as using petroleum, coal, and nuclear generated power. The most common method of using solar energy is to store them in photovoltaic cells. This method was first used in U. S. space satellites in 1950s. The cells are made from silicon. When sunlight enters the cells, it causes the electrons to move about. The electrons then move towards the front side of the solar panels. This causes an imbalance of the electrons between the front and back side of the panels. On joining the two surfaces, a conductor is formed, just like a wire, and current begins to flow. The individual solar cells are arranged together in a PV module and the modules are grouped together to form an array. This current is used to charge cells and this energy is used to light lamps, tube lights and also to drive cars now. The current can also be used to run appliances. Another method of using solar energy is to direct the solar rays to a convergence point using a curved reflector and then make a current flowing system like a photo cell and store energy. This method is now used in India and U. S. Our planet receives enough raw energy in the form of sunlight in sixty minutes to illuminate all of the worlds lights for a full year. Unfortunately, a very small part of it can be harnessed so most of the population still gets most of its energy from power plants that burn fossil fuels. Fortunately for our environment, we have recently seen an increasing trend in the demand for solar energy. This is partly due to the fact that solar panels are becoming cheaper as technology advances. At the equator, the Sun provides approximately 1000 watts of energy per square meter on the earths surface. This means that 1 square meter of each panel can generate approximately 100 GW of raw power per year, which is enough to illuminate more than 50,000 houses. The entire area that would need to be covered by solar panels to power the entire world for a year would be the equivalent to one percent of the entire space of the Sahara Desert. The amount of power solar panels can generate on a given day depends on a few variables like smog, cloudy days, low temperatures and humidity. Solar panel farms are a lot like other normal power plants with the only big difference being that most power plants get their energy from fossil fuels. And when conventional plants burn fossil fuels, they generate the by products which are contributing to global warming. Solar panel farms or solar heat plants (or CSP plants) absorb the rays of the sun to generate electrical energy. This process of energy conversion in solar heat plants is rather simple. The panels absorb the rays of the sun, which then shines on the power receiver. In this receiver, the energy is converted into steam from the suns rays. The steam is taken to tanks where it will be used to spin turbines and generate electricity. The process is clean because it requires no fossil fuels to be burned. It is safe for the environment and doesn’t contribute to global warming like conventional power plants. If more solar panel farms are implemented, the demand for oil will be reduced sharply. Today, there are many households that use solar panels for energy and more people are adding panels every day. When this demand for solar energy and other alternatives goes up, fewer people will use gas and fossil fuels, and the prices for these will surely drop as well. Even though the initial investment into your solar panel system is a bit expensive, the panels will undoubtedly pay for themselves in the long run. Not only do you save money and perhaps even make some with your panels, you help the environment by reducing greenhouse gases and emissions. These systems are so durable they have been known to last years. PV cells are supposed to stay good anywhere from twenty-five to forty years. Most suppliers of solar panels have a standard twenty-five year warranty. Finally, solar panels take minimal maintenance and they can be placed basically anywhere that gets a good amount of sunlight all year. Scientists worldover say that the future lies with solar energy. Using solar energy for home use like heating, cooking, driving car and for all other uses like charging your mobile phone, street lights and heating the swimming pool and powering your computer will become a way of life. Just as the saying goes that sun never stops shining in California, a solar energy home will never lack the power required to run the house. China is another country which is fast using this solar technology for its future growth. Japan already is moving in the direction of saving its excess power and the government there is helping device methods to save money on fuel. The future of solar energy homes is spreading rapidly in the east. The Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy is formulating a program to introduce solar energy to more than a million homes in the next few years. India has long days and plenty of sunshine, especially in the Thar Desert region of Rajastan. With abundant solar energy available, this zone is attracting attention from the Indian government for its research purposes. Solar energy is being used in India for heating water for both industrial and domestic purposes. Human beings may not be trustworthy but the sun is always kind and generous to mankind in general. Let?s hope the future of solar energy homes all over the world is not very far away.

Geothermal Energy: Energy from the Earth

The simplest way to get energy is to use what is already there. The heat in the earth is already there and we just need to dig into it to tap it as a source of energy.
On the surface, we can stand the heat of the earth, but deep below, immense power is stored as tremendous heat.
The core of the earth is over 60 times hotter than boiling water. This heat creates pressure that is just below the surface of the earth. In other words, we don’t have to go to the center of the earth to reach this geothermal energy. If we only dig down three miles, the temperature is over 100, enough to produce steam to produce power.
It is a simple concept: we normally use coal or oil to produce energy which is converted to electricity for our everyday use. The superheated fluids in the earth can produce the same energy to convert to electricity.
This heat is extracted in the form of molten rock (magma).
Water seeps into the earth’s core and pools in little lakes.
The hot rock in the earth heat this water and wells are drilled to bring this heated water to the surface to power generators.
As the superheated fluid passes through pipes, any solids are removed and the water is forced through pressure to produce steam. This steam will power turbines which will power generators. Generators store energy and then send it to transformers that in turn send electricity to power lines.
Geothermal energy has been used for a while, but it is not fully exploited as the source of energy it could be. In the United States, geothermal energy remains a lessor source of energy for many reasons:
a. A lot of study and research must be done to find areas that are most conducive to geothermal energy.
b. Some geothermal sites may not produce steam for a long enough time to run generators.
c. It is very expensive to build a geothermal power plant, and the return is not guaranteed.
d. The process of bringing up the heat may also bring up materials that may be hazardous.
These factors make us wonder whether it it worthwhile to develop this source of alternative energy in a location.
Hopefully, these problems can be outweighed by the benefits:
a. Geothermal energy uses natural heat, and therefore does not cause any pollution.
b. You do not have to use energy to get the energy of geothermal heat, which is sometimes the case of other alternative energy sources.
c. We conserve fuel.
d. It does not require as much room as a traditional power station.
We will have to weigh the pros and cons of geothermal energy before it can be decided how feasible it is to use. But constant developments may eventually make it a perfect alternative fuel.

Solar Energy Profile: Straight from the Source

Every day, the Earth receives more energy from the sun than mankind uses in a year. Still, solar energy remains a tiny sliver in the global energy mix. Falling prices and better efficiency could change this, but can it happen fast enough?When it comes to meeting energy needs, humanity has not been able to eliminate the middle man. The energy we use today comes from the sun, but we get it indirectly. Sunrays fed countless generations of plants and organisms millions of years ago, which we now use to burn to produce electricity, heat our homes, and run our cars. Its heat also strikes up the winds that we use to sail ships and run turbines. Despite our dependence on the sun, mankind has still not fully realized the potential of harnessing the sun?s vast energy directly. Worldwide Importance and Future TrendsEven with steady annual growth, the International Energy Agency says solar energy – combined with wind and geothermal power – still only supplies less than one percent of the world?s energy. In Germany, the global solar market leader, solar supplies around 0. 3 percent of national electricity demand; in the United States, it supplies less than 0. 1 percent. The UN?s annual “Global Trends in Sustainable Development” report said that the solar sector attracted 16 percent of the 70 billion U. S. dollars invested in renewable technology in 2006 – behind wind (38 percent) and biofuels (26 percent). According to the World Energy Council, solar water heating market is growing at a rate of around 20 percent a year, and solar PV at 35 percent. If the costs of solar technology continue to drop, it has a chance to compete with other forms of energy production. In places like sunny California, solar has already reached “grid parity,” which means the costs of producing solar power are now competitive with conventional energy production even without government subsidies. Sinking production costs would allow solar power to eventually join or even replace coal, gas, and oil as a primary energy source by the end of the century, which some experts say is possible. Global Resources and ProducersThe amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth?s surface every 20 days exceeds the energy trapped up in all of the planet?s coal, oil, and natural gas reserves. The trick is finding cost-effective and efficient ways of converting this abundant resource into usable energy. Currently, there are two main ways of doing so. Photovoltaic (PV) panels, thin pieces of crystalline silicon, transfer sunlight directly into electricity. Solar thermal collectors, on the other hand, are used to heat water for domestic or industrial use and to run steam power plants. Germany is the world?s leading producer of PV and solar heating technology and energy. In 2006 alone, 968 Megawatts (MW) of PV was installed in Germany. Japan, which added 292 MW last year, is also an important market and exporter of PV technology. China is aggressively adding solar systems to its energy mix. The country already consumes half of all solar-heated water in the world, and aims to increase solar water heater coverage by 50 percent by 2010. China is also emerging as an important producer and consumer of PV cells, which the government is integrating in remote and urban area. Energy OutputThe energy output of photovoltaic and solar heating depends on the size location of the system. Most areas receive ample sunlight, but deserts that seldom get cloud cover are better suited for solar energy production. Standard PV cells have an energy conversion rate of 6 to 8 percent, meaning that 6 to 8 percent of all solar power absorbed is turned into energy. Some prototypes have already achieved conversion rates of more than 40 percent, but are still too expensive for mass-market production. Solar heaters utilize solar collectors that are significantly more efficient. Current collectors turn between 60 to 70 percent of absorbed sunlight into heat. Concentrated solar thermal systems use mirrors to reflect sunlight onto a tower, producing extremely hot temperatures to boil water or other fluids and produce steam to drive a thermal power plant. An 11 MW concentrating solar power plant was completed near Seville, Spain in March 2007. A 154 MW facility is planned in Australia, and a 500 MW system in California?s Mojave Desert. Environmental Impact and DrawbacksManufacturing and installing solar systems requires energy, and as with almost any industrial activity, involves handling hazardous materials, such as arsenic and cadmium. Mass production of PV cells is sometimes marred by shortages of quality silicon. Large-scale solar power plants also take up lots of land. Overall, however, the environmental impacts of switching to solar energy are positive. Solar heaters require significantly less fossil energy input than natural gas and electric systems. PV systems are cleaner energy producers compared to coal and oil. Greenhouse gas emissions of solar PV plant including production and installation are eight times less than that of a coal-fired plant. The initial costs of solar heating and PV systems, however, prevent many homeowners from installing them. But falling costs and subsidies have helped sustain market growth in some countries. Like with wind turbines, another technical problem is effectively storing solar energy to provide power throughout nights and cloudy days.