With more research, the solar thermal method might allow for storing energy

"With more research, the solar thermal method might allow for storing energy. Currently, all solar power is hampered by a lack of storage capability." They are certainly right. In fact, a lack of storage capacity hampers a lot of things.

While there's been a lot of talk about coupling energy storage to solar (and wind) power, there are additional reasons for addressing our lack of storage capability. In fact, storage technologies can act as a "shock absorber" for the whole grid and can help address some of the key challenges facing the industry, including efficiency, reliability, and security. Simply put, energy storage is good for the grid.

The current electric power system is built around a central tenet: electricity must be produced when it is needed and used once it is produced. Bulk energy storage technologies break this antiquated linkage by allowing operators to produce and store electricity for later use -- as one would in other commodity markets.

Bulk energy storage also benefits all of us by creating a reserve that could be tapped in case of national emergency, much like the petroleum reserve. After all, our entire economy -- including our national defense capability -- runs on electricity. If key parts of the grid are taken out, and there is no electricity reserve at the ready, what happens then?

Emergency back-up power more often than not means diesel generators, and as we saw during the blackout of 2003, many diesel generators either couldn't get up and running or ran out of fuel before the lights came back on.

More specifically, however, storage benefits the energy consumer by providing a risk-management strategy, and it benefits the energy generator by making its assets more productive and efficient. As electricity demand continues to increase over time, existing generation assets must achieve greater efficiencies -- for both market and environmental reasons.

The amount of electricity flowing through the grid at any one point is determined not only by consumer demand but by physics as well. The grid itself requires a certain level of electricity flow in order to maintain its integrity. Ramping power up or down without taking grid requirements into consideration risks destabilizing the grid and costs money. So, during off-peak hours, coal facilities ramp down their utilization rate while nuclear facilities provide the baseload power needed to stabilize the grid. As additional power is needed, coal facilities are instructed to increase generation to meet demand. (Whether you like coal or not, by capacity coal-fired plants represent the largest fleet of power facilities). This process is called load following.

Coal plants follow the load requirements of the grid by ramping up or down as needed. The problem with this is that it wreaks havoc on coal plant systems, lowers overall efficiency, increases O&M budgets with additional maintenance, and results in shorter life spans of critical equipment.

However, if coal plants were not required to ramp down during off-peak periods -- nighttime -- but could instead continue to generate power and store it for release during the day, these facilities would not be required to perform as much of the load-following role as they currently do. Instead, power generators can provide power in long-duration (and more efficient) discharges and then use stored energy to provide low-cost ancillary services such as load following and spinning reserves. This would increase a plant's capacity factor, a measure of asset productivity, and reduce systemic stress and the costs required to address that stress. Utilized in this manner, large-scale storage helps offset the need for some additional peaking capacity, but is focused more as a system optimizer than generation replacement.

Coupled with storage, a generation facility can also gain much-needed flexibility during the critical scheduled "outage" seasons (when units are taken out of service for planned maintenance) of the spring and fall to avoid spot make-up purchases.

Other optimizing roles for storage include improving the economic and environmental profiles of fossil assets by reducing regular dispatch and cycling costs. Storage lowers the fixed-cost-per-unit output, improves the economics of these capital-intensive facilities, and helps them to run in a more efficient -- both operationally and environmentally -- manner that lowers overall per-unit production cost.

And, of course, coal facilities must also deal with their impact on the environment. Because emission limits (NOx restrictions, etc.) can constrain a power facility from operating maximally during peak times such as summer, they are often forced to operate at partial power. Unfortunately, when operating at partial power, plants are less efficient and have higher emissions per unit of heat input. Storage could help these facilities reduce their total emission per unit of output by shifting some production to the evening when the facility could run at its rated -- instead of partial -- generating capacity. And, by producing more power at night, air quality near the coal facility is improved since ozone-induced haze, a by-product of NOx, O2, and sunlight, is less likely to develop.

Alternative Energy Today

Alternative energy today are growing in importance today because of environmental reasons and the rising prices of fuel.

With people in most parts of the world experiencing unprecedented high prices of fuel at the gas pumps, and the cost of heating American homes in winter projected to soar by almost fifty percent, the importance of finding ways to lower the costs of energy used for transportation, businesses, homes and schools has been growing. Fossil fuels are our primary sources of energy, and these are depleting at a phenomenal rate, with populations and development increasing around the world, creating an insatiable hunger for them. Some scientists are of the opinion that if fossil fuels continue to be consumed at the rate they are, they will be practically exhausted by the time this century ends. Apart from factors like the cost and the supply, scientists have been warning for long that burning fossil fuels is causing damage to the environment, which will lead to catastrophic results for life on our planet. Hence, it has become a primary concern the world over to find and develop alternative energy sources to power our automobiles, businesses and homes, so that we can preserve the environment of the only home we humans have - Mother Earth!

In order to understand just how alternative energy sources can help in preserving the earth's delicate ecological balance, and also to help in conserving its non-renewable sources of fuel, we need to know what kinds of alternative energy resources we already have, which can be incorporated in our daily lives, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Given below are a few of the most popular ones:

Solar Power: Solar power is generally used for cooking, heating, the generation of electricity, and so on. It works by the sunlight being trapped into solar cells where it is turned into electricity. Silicon is mounted under non-reflective glass, which creates solar panels. These panels collect the photons given off by the sun, which is turned into DC power, which then goes into an inverter. The inverter turns this power into the AC power that is used in homes and other places.

Advantages – This is a practically endless renewable source of energy, because we can get this energy as long as the sun exists. Since there is no chemical reaction due to fuels being combusted, solar power does not create any air or water pollution. This source of energy is already in use for practical purposes like heating pools, water tanks, and spas, and in lighting.

Disadvantages – The biggest disadvantage is that energy cannot be produced when the sun does not shine, such as in cloudy days and during the night. It can be expensive to build solar power stations.

Wind Power: This form of energy is extracted by harnessing the wind's power to propel the blades of wind turbines. The rotary motions of the blades of the turbines are then converted into electricity with the help of an electrical generator. In the windmills of the past, the energy derived from the wind was used for turning mechanical machinery to pump water or crush grain. These days, wind farms containing wind towers are used to generate electricity, which is used in individual homes and national electrical grids.

Advantages – There is no pollution created by wind power, hence there is no damage to the environment. Plus, since there are no chemical processes taking place, as it happens when fossil fuels are burnt, no harmful by-products are left over. Also, as wind power is a renewable energy source, there are no chances of running out of it. Grazing and farming can take place in the land where wind turbines are erected, hence the land is put to other uses too, plus also help in producing another good source of alternative energy, biofuel. Wind farms can also be built off-shore.

Disadvantages – The generation of wind power is sporadic, since consistent and continuous wind is required for generating power continuously. If the speed of the wind decreases, the turbine slows down, resulting in less electricity being generated. Also, many people think that large wind farms affect the scenery negatively.

Geothermal Energy: The word 'geothermal' literally means 'heat from the earth'. This form of energy is derived by harnessing the energy of the heat present beneath the surface of the earth. Water is heated by the hot rocks deep underground, which produces steam. If holes are drilled in the area, steam is released, which is purified and used for driving turbines, which then power electrical generators.

Advantages - Geothermal energy creates no damaging after-effects, when done correctly. The plants, once built, are usually self-sufficient, as far as energy is concerned. These plants are usually small, and hence do not mar the natural landscape.

Disadvantages – Geothermal does have the potential of producing pollutants if not done correctly. If the drilling is done incorrectly, hazardous gases and chemicals can be released. Geothermal sites have a tendency of running out of steam.

Biomass Energy: This is a form of energy that is relatively unused in most parts of the world. However biomass research and production are being funded increasingly. This energy is created by using plant materials. It is another good source of renewable and relatively clean energy.

Advantages - It is an abundant source of energy, since it can be found in every part of the earth as trees, seaweed, or dung. It can be easily converted into fuel like gas or alcohol. Also, it is much cheaper compared to other alternative energy sources. The production of biomass often means the restoration of waste land, such as deforested regions. Since plants absorb carbon dioxide, the production of biomass energy does not result in the net increase of this gas.

Disadvantages - It does have the potential of contributing to global warming as well as lead to particulate pollution if it is burned directly.

These are just a few of the alternative energy resources being thought about and used around the world. As the need for such resources becomes more acute, there will be increased funding for the research and production of many other such sources.

AMERICA DESERVES A SAFE, CLEAN, AFFORDABLE ENERGY FUTURE

America deserves a safe, clean, affordable energy future



A forward-looking, responsible energy policy includes four basic principles, all of which can be achieved with technologies available today. Good energy policy should:

• Protect public health and the environment by promoting clean, renewable energy sources and energy efficiency technologies to reduce our reliance on polluting fossil fuels and nuclear power.
• Protect consumers and taxpayers by eliminating subsidies for polluting industries and strengthening consumer protection laws.
• Enhance our energy and national security by reducing our dependence on oil.
• Avoid drilling in America's natural resource heritage, and protect special places on our western public lands and in fragile coastal ecosystems.

Renewable Energy

Tapping the Earth’s Potential

The term "renewable energy" refers to the use of the Earth’s systems and cycles to generate energy that humans consume on a daily basis. We have the technology to utilize the movement of the wind and water, the heat and light of the sun, and heat in the ground to create the electric power on which our society has come to depend.
Wind energy converts the power available in moving air into electricity. Wind power does not produce air emissions, generate solid waste, or use water.
Biomass is energy from trees and plants. This includes crops that are grown specifically for energy production and organic wastes, such as wood residues from paper mills and methane from landfills. Using biomass to generate electricity reduces global warming emissions if new plants are grown to replace those that are harvested.


Geothermal energy uses heat from inside the earth to make clean power.
Solar power captures the heat and light of the sun to generate electricity. Solar energy does not produce air emissions, generate solid waste, or use water.
Hydroelectric power captures the energy in falling water. It does not produce emissions or solid waste, but can have a relatively low or high impact on the environment, depending on the site-specific factors such as maintenance of water flow and water quality, fish impacts, and other land use issues.
At the present time, we get most of our electricity from the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels include coal, oil and natural gas. The U.S. currently generates more than half of its electricity using coal, the most polluting of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels differ from renewable energy sources because there is a limited or finite supply of these fuels, which will eventually run out if we continue to consume them at the current rate. Burning fossil fuels pollutes our air, water, and land, therefore causing harm to human health and contributing to global warming.


Only two percent of our electricity comes from renewable energy. However, advances in renewable energy technology have made large-scale commercial development economically feasible. The United States is blessed by an abundance of renewable energy resources from the sun, wind, and earth. We need to begin to tap these potential resources in order to protect our environment and decrease our dependence on fossil fuels.
In order to increase our use of renewable energy sources, NET advocates for the enactment of policies that would encourage the development and adoption of renewable energy technologies. NET supports the establishment of a Renewable Energy Standard, which would require that a certain percentage of our nation’s electricity come from renewable energy.

Fuel Cells and the Hydrogen Economy

What is a fuel cell?
A fuel cell is a device that converts the energy of a fuel (hydrogen, natural gas, methanol, gasoline) and an oxidant (air or oxygen) into electricity. The principle behind fuel cells was discovered in 1839. Using fuel cells to generate electricity dates back to NASA’s Apollo and Gemini missions - they are still used in space shuttles today. Fuel cells can be used to generate energy for cars, buses, homes and industry, as well as cell phones and laptops.
What are the advantages of fuel cells?
When fueled with pure hydrogen, fuel cells produce zero emissions of air and global warming pollutants such as carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide. Even when fueled with fossil fuels as a source of hydrogen, fuel cells offer significant improvements in energy efficiency, as they remove intermediate steps - like combustion - and mechanical devices such as turbines and pistons. Fuel cells can use hydrogen derived from a variety of sources including natural gas, biomass, wind, and solar energy.
Are fuel cells being used commercially?

Fuel cells already are coming into use now in commercial applications. Several fuel cell buses are already employed in public transport systems in cities such as Chicago. The largest new market opportunity available to fuel cell technology is the use of fuel cells in cars. In March 1999, Mercedes launched a prototype fuel cell car. Are there different kinds of fuel cells? There are many types of fuel cells, including PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane, which is used for small-scale applications like vehicles), molten carbonate (used for large-scale operations such as power plants), and alkaline (which is used by NASA). What’s NET’s position on fuel cells? NET supports U.S. commitment to leading and accelerating the adoption of fuel cell technology by: Initiating a “Manhattan Project” to develop fuel cell technology to speed commercialization at economically viable prices. Creating government funding to construct the fuel delivery infrastructure necessary to ensure that hydrogen and other alternative fuels are readily available by the year 2030 as gasoline is today. Different Applications for fuel cells. Fuel cells can be used to generate energy for cars, buses, homes and industry, as well as cell phones and laptops. For more about Fuel cells, see: www.fuelcells.org www.usfcc.com

Electric cars are they conserving energy? Rev2

Electric cars are they conserving energy? Rev2

Note: Electricity is a secondary form of energy derived by utilizing another form of energy to produce electric current.

Let us look at the facts:

In order to produce electricity, we need some form of energy to generate electricity, whereby you lose a substantial amount of your original source of energy.

In the process we are losing the efficiency of the initial energy source, since it is not a direct use of the energy.

Let us take it a step further. To generate electricity we utilize; coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydro electric - water, photovoltaic-solar, wind, geothermal, etc. Many electricity generating plants utilize fossil fuel, which creates pollution.

How much of the initial source of energy do you lose to get the electricity you need for your electric automobile; you also lose electricity in the transmission lines.

Why are we jumping to a new technology, without analyzing the economic cost, the effective return and efficiency of such technology; while computing and measuring its affect on the environment?

Natural gas vehicles are a direct source of energy, where you get the most for your energy source – in efficiency and monetary value.

In these hard economic times – I would think, you would want to get the most for your dollar – and not waste resources.

Another economic impact would be the loss road tax on fuel, these funds are used to build and maintain the highway infrastructure

YJ Draiman, Director of Utilities & Sustainability

“It is Cheaper to Save Energy than Make Energy”

Will High Electricity

Rates Drive

Innovation?

Renewable Energy Manufactures/suppliers should use their own product to manufacture.

Renewable Energy Manufactures/suppliers should use their own product to manufacture.

The manufacturers’ of Solar Panels and other forms of renewable energy with related support products manufactures/suppliers - should have at least the decency to practice what they preach what they market to the public.

That would be the best marketing approach I can think off.

If they believe in the product they manufacture/sell, they should utilize it to its fullest potential.

It will give the manufacturer the actual experience of utilizing the product on a daily basis, view and experience any shortcoming or improvements that are needed, implement the improvements and capitalize on that revision to improve the product and its performance.

This will instill confidence in the public to purchase the product.

YJay Draiman, Energy Analyst

PS

What kind of car are the executives of the automobile industry are driving.

As with any new technology, PV will become more efficient, cheaper and cleaner to produce. In order for this to happen we (Governments / NGOs / Individuals) need to invest more time and money into making PV viable, e.g. through increased incentives, regulations, technical standards, R&D, manufacturing processes and generating consumer demand.

Just like the automobile industry, the manufacture used its own product.

Over the years the automobile industry and technology has evolved from the early 1900 to what it is today the year 2011.

I predict that in 10 years the automobile we know today will change drastically for the better, with new fuel technology and other modification that will improve its scales of economy and features.