Marine Tidal Energy For Future Energy Needs

Green energy is the common term for energy that utilizes renewable resources that do not hinder biodegradable sustainability. Finding and harnessing these energy sources is the next big leap in technology in the energy sector.

With these sources of energy, cheaper and cleaner energy sources can be tapped so the human race does not develop into contingent on environmentally damaging fossil fuels. One source for this advanced energy is the power of the tides and waves.

Tides and waves can provide the ability for technological components to generate electricity from the movement of seabed waters. Waves and tidal calisthenics have a browbeat that can turn turbines at such a rate that the turbines convert the aquatic movement kinetic energy into electricity.

The concept of these marine energy turbines is similar to wind turbines. Wind turbines are powered by the constant flow of wind energy that turn giant fans on the turbines. Once they are turning, the kinetic energy from the wind is converted into electrical energy. Hence, there is a constant renewal of electrical energy since the wind or marine tidal army will never stop.

Marine turbines would be located at various points crosswise the seabed depths. Some of the turbines may be near to the surface while others would be deep in the ocean. Some of the deep aquatic areas can produce highly hurried tidal forces, which can hopefully yield more electrical output. The tidal forces are generally constant as is the force of gravity on the planet. The Moon, for example, causes tidal energy to flow low or high as the Moon’s gravity pulls against the Earth.

Estimates of this potential energy are astounding. According to a report by the United States Department of the Interior, utilizing just 1/1000 of the tidal energy that exists within the Gulf Stream could produce more power than the hydroelectric energy at Niagara Falls. New studies by investment firms and universities, like the University of Michigan, have also found ways that some turbines can apply the slow arousing waters in lakes and surrounded by land for marine tidal energy. This can help areas, like states around the Great Lakes, to apply their aquatic commodities for marine tidal electrical energy.

Money and investment is still desirable however. Under the administration of President Obama, seabed property off the coasts of the United States are annually leased to investment firms who will bear the investment costs for this type of marine tidal energy turbines. The United Kingdom has also been investing in this type of energy for decades, especially with the actuality that fossil fuels are not economically sustainable or environmentally friendly. All of these actions allow marine tidal energy to of huge potential in the booming renewable energy industry over the next few decades.

 

Solar Energy – A Green Energy Source

A very popular and most commonly known green energy source is solar energy. Much of the popularity stems from the fact the technology is within the financial reach of many homeowners. Part of the popularity is because the energy is renewable and using it for the generation of electricity does not harm the environment. Solar cells capture the suns rays and those rays are converted to power. A solar array can be mounted on a roof and the power generated can be used to supplement your existing power source.The three ways that solar energy is used are: using photovoltaic cells, active and passive. When you use passive solar, you are not converting the energy. You are merely directing it to the use you want. It is staying in the same form that it arrived inthe suns rays. What you are doing is capturing the heat or light from those rays to help heat space or supplementing your lighting using a variety of windows, light tunnels, etc. It is the design of the building that optimizes the use of the sun. Studies show that this optimization can significantly reduce the heating costs of a building. Using design to capture the suns rays means that you do not require as much electricity since your heating and air-conditioning units are running less often, which results in a cost saving on your power bills. Denver Roofing . Imagine if everyone did this!Using active solar converts the suns rays into heating or electrical energy by using processing. Since it relies on mechanical or conventional power to process the energy, you are still using fossil fuels. Active solar has limitations and is usually used on a relatively small scale. Photovoltaic cells can be used on a small or large scale to produce electricity from the suns light. This technology can power something as small as a calculation or something as large as a large complex. The array needed for a large complex requires a large area of land. The limitation of using solar energy is that is totally reliant of the weather. While energy can be harnessed when the sun is shining and the skies are clear, no energy can be harnessed at night or in inclement weather. When the system is not generating power, the energy needed is used from stored reserves or conventional power. There is a very popular solar car race that students compete in on a global basis. NASA (National Aeronautical Space Administration) uses solar panels to power satellites that they have launched into space. Several airports have implemented solar panels and are now harnessing this green energy to reduce costs. One kw of solar energy will produce 5 hours of electricity a day. More electricity will be generated when more solar panels are used. If there is adequate storage for the electricity, the electricity generated can last for days. There are many forms of green energy sources and solar energy is just one of them. Technology allows us to harness and utilize safe, clean, renewable sources of green energy that include biomass, wind, geothermal heat, water, and solar. All of these can and do help us reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.In order for us to make a massive difference, politicians have to climb on board and develop the political will to make a dramatic change. While they often talk the talk, few walk the walk. Very little changes are actually made.Countries like Germany and Japan have embraced solar energy. The governments have been proactive in encouraging the citizens to utilize solar, which has substantially decreased both countrys dependency on fossil fuels. The US is not among the top 10 countries embracing solar power. When will they climb aboard the green energy train?

Biomass – A Green Energy Source

What is biomass? Can Biomass be a source of green energy? It is indeed a source of green energy. Biomass is part of the process of the carbon cycle and is usually included in bioenergy. Bioenergy is a renewable source of energy derived from organic material like wood, animal waste, and plant matter and wood. The energy produced is then used to produce electricity and heat.

When using biomass, the byproduct of hot water or air is used to generate electricity. The most basic and common method of producing energy from biomass is direct combustion.

Beside electricity, biomass is used to generate hot air to be used for heat. To produce heat, biomass is used to heat water or air that is then pumped to buildings to heat them. On a smaller scale, there are biomass systems that are appropriate for residential use. You can use them for the provision of hot water and heat.

Because biomass can be used to produce heat and electricity, there are systems that produce both. This is called CHP or Combined Heat and Power systems. The benefit of this is that you are using one source of energy for dual purposes. Something that many consider to be good as you use one energy source for two purposes.

Biomass is capable of generating more energy than solar energy. The reason for this is that the collection of solar or wind energy requires a lot of space. Since biomass is produced from organic matter, there is no space required for collection purposes. Another reason is that both wind and solar depend on favorable weather to generate power however biomass is not weather dependant.

A huge benefit of using biomass is that electricity can be generated using organic waste. The savings from this aspect are tremendous. It can eliminate the cost of disposing of that waste and reduces dependency on fossil fuels. A green energy that disposes of waste and the resulting disposal costs could be a huge boon to jurisdictions that implemented the use of biomass plants.

A negative impact from the use of biomass is the emissions that result from the burning of the organic waste. Planting crops that are known to pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere can neutralize the effect of these emissions.

The building of a biomass plant is expensive in the short term because of the cost of construction for the plant, fuel storage of the biomass, and a distribution system. The savings are realized in the long-term through the availability of free fuel and low plant maintenance costs.

Biomass is considered to be a green energy because of the renewable nature of the fuel and our ability to neutralize the emissions. The major challenge is to be able to locate suitable land to use to plant the necessary crops.

Geothermal – A Green Energy Source

The technology exists so that tapping the Earth for energy is no longer futuristic. Utilizing the heat from within the Earth is called geothermal power and is a source of green energy source. The heat comes from the magma layer and is radiated up into the other layers as well as the decay of potassium, thorium, and uranium. We then extract that heat and use it for energy.

Unfortunately geothermal energy plants are very expensive to construct. The benefit is that it is a renewable, sustainable green energy source because the crust of the Earth is in continuous decay therefore constantly replenishing the heat.

Geothermal plants fall into three categories: flash, binary and dry steam. All three types use turbines but the processes they use to power the turbines differ. Flash plants pull water, which is hotter than 200 degrees Fahrenheit, from the ground. That water continues to boil as it is pulled to the surface where the steam and water are separated. The resulting steam is used to generate electricity through a turbine. A dry steam plant extracts steam from fractures deep within the Earth and uses that steam to power a turbine that, in turn, generates electricity. Binary plants utilize heat exchangers and, by pushing hot water through them, the turbine is powered and generates electricity.

All three types of plants inject the left over geothermal fluids and condensed steam back into the Earth to reheat.

Several parts of the world use geothermal plants. Since this type of plant is normally most useful in unstable areas of the world, geographically speaking, you tend to see them in countries such as Iceland, the Philippines, Chile, Italy, New Zealand, and the United States. Two of the most notable areas in the United States that have geothermal plants are northern California and Yellowstone basin.

There is an Australian company that is exploring the viability of deriving power from dry, hot rocks. Some scientists believe this is possible. The hot radiogenic granite is found at depths of 3 kilometers below the Earth’s surface.

Although solar power is more cost effective and generates more net power, geothermal energy should still be considered because of the limitations on solar. Solar energy is not able to be harnessed efficiently when it is overcast and at night.

A green energy source, geothermal energy is like hydropower, biofuel and wind since they are all renewable and therefore sustainable. If we maximize the potential, we are not held hostage by the rising costs of fossil fuels and their diminishing supplies.

Using green energy is not just about cost. It is also about being good stewards and protecting the environment. The processing fossil fuels to meet our needs contribute a great deal to the pollution hanging in our atmosphere and nuclear plants have the added problem of radioactive waste that has to be stored for hundreds of years..

If we have learned nothing from the accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, hopefully we have learned that nuclear plants are not safe and that accidents of this nature can happen. We have a responsibility to protect the population and the environment for future generations. We can slow global warming, as well as protect other parts of the environment by looking to and using green energy sources. Geothermal energy is just one option.

Hydropower – A Green Energy Source

Harnessing the power of water has opened up incredible options for us in our quest to help the environment heal from the damage that our dependency on fossil fuels has caused. Technology allows us to effectively harness the power of water and convert it into electricity.

In ancient China and Greece, the power of water was harnessed using the simple mechanics of a waterwheel to power millstones and other mechanical devices. This was an innovative way of replacing manual labor. As North America was developed, water was used to power sawmills and other equipment.

Today, hydroelectric plants are still using the same principles to generate power. The major difference is that the energy of water is harnessed to power turbines to generate electricity.

Dams are built to control the flow of the water in order to ensure that a steady supply of swiftly moving water. As there is a need to generate more electricity, the dam’s gates are opened so that the water flows. When there is sufficient power, the gates are closed. Some dams are equipped with recovery systems that pump the water for reuse.

One of the problems with the use of hydroelectric dams is that they can disrupt the aquatic ecosystem on either side of the dam. Another issue, which was illustrated by Egypt’s Aswan Dam, can negatively affect the crops that are dependent on the silt that is nutrient rich. When you alter a waterway, you change the ecosystem and can do permanent damage.

There are solutions to these issues and, if they are implemented, we can benefit from clean, safe, green energy. Instead of the pollution spewing coal fired plants we have the ability to use hydroelectric plants which have none of the toxic emissions.

Another form of hydropower comes from the sea’s movement and is known as wave energy. This type of electrical generation uses air levels in sealed chambers to power the turbines. As the water rises in the chambers, the water forces the air out and that turns a generator. As the water recedes, air flows back into the space and the doors close.

The amount of power produced by this method depending on the motion of the seas. Many of these plants can be found in areas where there is a lot of ocean movement like the northern Canada, west coast of Scotland, Australia. The plants are typically small and are used to produce power for very localized needs such as warning buoys or small lighthouses.

Tidal energy is also a form of harnesses the energy of the ocean. As the tide recedes, water is captured in reservoirs behind the dam and released to create a flow of water that is used to generate power in a manner similar to a conventional hydroelectric dam. In order for tidal energy to be productive 16 foot tides are required. Very few areas in the world have tides that are that high.

Still in the experimental stages in Hawaii and Japan is the process of extracting thermal energy from the ocean. To use this form of energy there needs to be a 38 degree Fahrenheit difference in the temperature of the surface and the deep levels of the ocean.

With such diversity in hydropower, we have several alternative methods of harnessing a clean, green energy source. We need to utilize what nature offers.