Energy Power Alternatives
Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources, such as; sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat. Renewable energy technologies include the following:
1. Solar Power
2. Wind Power
3. Hydroelectricity
4. Micro Hydro
5. Biomass
6. Biofuels
The market is growing for renewable energy. While there are many existing large scale completed or “in the pipeline” projects, renewable energy technologies are ideally suited for smaller applications, as well.
Renewable energy sources are generally sustainable and in a sense are thought not to run out and their environmental and social impacts are considered neutral compared to fossil fuels.
$500 million in investment and production tax credits will expire Dec. 31 unless Congress renews them. Many experts say that without these vital tax credits, renewable energy projects will not be built. Consequently, Congress may put renewable energy companies in jeopardy, even as the presidential candidates and most lawmaker’s talk-up renewable energy technologies as part of the answer to the world’s growing energy shortage and global warming.
The Solar Energy Industries Association says 20 utility-scale solar power plants, which supply energy to millions of homes are at risk because of the uncertainty in Congress. Fundamentally, Investor’s want to be assured the tax credit will be availble before they invest millions of dollars in a project.
Investments in clean energy technologies of solar, wind, hydro electricity, micro hydro, biomass and biofuels will reduce the need for fossil fuels used for electricity, reduce the United States dependence on foreign oil, while at the same time create high tech jobs and improve the environment.
Following the green energy path to renewable energy technologies is part of the answer to the United States long t (more…)
Promotion of solar power generation is booming. After analyzing a few of these announcements one is left with quite a few questions. Why are solar farms built when financial data clearly show that solar power is still the most expensive electricity generation technology available?
Solar power plant developers and marketers obviously know that they need to lower costs. Cost reduction is, however, expensive and takes time. Many new enterprises have been formed and want to become profitable when the big construction boom in solar power plants will hit the road. In the meantime they must pay bills, advance their technologies, and stay alive.
There are two major technologies for solar energy conversion. One approach is based on the conversion of sunlight into heat and using the heat for the generation of steam. This concept has progressed to a relatively high readiness level. Electricity production with steam is a very mature technology. Remaining technical risks, therefore, relate exclusively to the design of the thermal concentrators or parabolic mirrors that optically transfer thermal radiation to a heat transfer medium and to the design of the heat receiving transfer and steam containment surfaces.
The other technology is the direct, photovoltaic conversion of sunlight into electricity. This technology will most likely become the dominant solar electric power generating technology - eventually. The big question for investors and for marketers is the uncertain duration of “eventually”. Converting sunlight directly into electricity is much more elegant and will almost certainly become less expensive than thermal conversion - eventually.
Very recently, IBM proposed a third concept, a kind of a hybrid approach. In this concept, the sunlight is concentrated onto a solar panel. This approach reduces panel area and saves lots of expen (more…)
