- Biomass Energy
- Wind Energy
- Solar Energy
- Geothermal Energy
- Hydroelectric Energy
If we will be able to use the alternative energy will help to ensure man's survival into the 21st century and beyond.
Biomass Energy
Biomass is carbon, hydrogen and oxygen based. Biomass energy is derived from five distinct energy sources
- wood
- waste
Wood energy is derived by using lignocellulosic biomass (second generation bio fuels) as fuel. The largest source of energy from wood is pulping liquor or “”.
Waste energy is the second-largest source of biomass energy. The main contributors of are (MSW), , and .
Sugars and oils (first generation bio fuels), such as and , are used to produce , an alcohol fuel. Alcohol fuels can be used directly, like other fuels, or as an additive to gasoline.
Solar Power
From an environmental perspective, solar power is the best thing going. With solar, there’s no acid rain, no urban smog, no pollution of any kind. Solar energy technologies include solar, , and , which can make considerable contributions to solving some of the most urgent problems the world now faces. In 2011, the said that "the development of affordable, inexhaustible and clean solar energy technologies will have huge longer-term benefits.
The Earth receives 174 (PW) of incoming solar radiation () at the upper atmosphere. Approximately 30% is reflected back to space while the rest is absorbed by clouds, oceans and land masses. The of solar light at the Earth's surface is mostly spread across the and ranges with a small part in the .
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth which is available everywhere. It is considered a renewable and beneficial resource because the heat emanating from the interior of the Earth is essentially limitless. Sometimes the heat, as magma, reaches the surface as lava, but it usually remains below the Earth's crust, heating nearby rock and water — sometimes to levels as hot as 700°F. This natural collection of hot water is called a geothermal reservoir.
Hydropower
Hydro power is generated by using electricity generators to extract energy from moving water. History shows that even many centuries ago people used the power of rivers for agriculture and wheat grinding. The hydropower is the source of energy which produces the most electricity in the United States. It accounted for 6 % of the total United States electricity generation and 63% of generation from renewable in 2011.
There are 5 generating methods of hydro energy
- Conventional (dams)
- Pumped-storage
- Run-of-the-river
- Tide
- Underground
Conventional (dams)
Most hydroelectric power comes from the of water driving a and . The power extracted from the water depends on the volume and on the difference in height between the source and the water's outflow.
Pumped-storage
This method produces electricity to supply high peak demands by moving water between at different elevations. At times of low electrical demand, excess generation capacity is used to pump water into the higher reservoir. When there is higher demand, water is released back into the lower reservoir through a turbine.
Run-of-the-river
Run-of-the-river hydroelectric stations are those with small or no reservoir capacity, so that the water coming from upstream must be used for generation at that moment, or must be allowed to bypass the dam.
Tide
A plant makes use of the daily rise and fall of ocean water due to tides, such sources are highly predictable, and if conditions permit construction of reservoirs, can also be to generate power during high demand periods. Less common types of hydro schemes use water's or undammed sources such as undershot.
Underground
An makes use of a large natural height difference between two waterways, such as a waterfall or mountain lake. An underground tunnel is constructed to take water from the high reservoir to the generating hall built in an underground cavern near the lowest point of the water tunnel and a horizontal tailrace taking water away to the lower outlet waterway.
Advantages of alternative sources of energy
Renewable energy generation will have mainly positive, long-term environmental effects as it reduces the need for power generation based on fossil fuels, thereby reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. These sources of energy are non toxic. This means that they do not emit harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. Admittedly, renewable energy will cause environmental impacts during construction and operation, however impacts during construction are normally temporary and no worse. In addition, renewable energy facilities generally require less maintenance than traditional generators. Alternative energy sources are available everywhere and can be put to use at any location. Most alternative sources of energy are a cost effective means for generating electricity.
Disadvantages of alternative sources of energy
In spite of obvious advantages, alternative sources of energy have, also, some disadvantages. One disadvantage with renewable energy is that it is difficult to generate the quantities of electricity that are as large as those produced by traditional fossil fuel generators. This means we may need to reduce the amount of energy we use or simply build more energy facilities. Another disadvantage of renewable energy sources is the reliability of supply. Renewable energy often relies on the weather for its source of power; hydro generators need rain to fill dams to supply flowing water, wind turbines need wind to turn the blades, and solar collectors need clear skies and sunshine to collect heat and make electricity. Besides, the current cost of renewable energy technology is also far in excess of traditional fossil fuel generation. This is because it is a new technology and as such has extremely large capital cost.
Conclusion and recommendations
There are number of various alternative sources of energy that are more than capable to replace the traditional energy sources. All sources of energy have an impact on atmosphere. Concerns about greenhouse effect, global warming and air pollution have led to an increasing interest and implementation of alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydroelectric. As we see one of the most important advantages of alternative sources of energy mentioned above is that they are more than enough ecologically acceptable unlike fossils fuels and other greenhouse gases that are definitely harmful both for the environment, and for the people as well. The development of different alternative energy technologies will help to implement the strategy of having the energy alternatives that will lead to constant and environmentally harmless development.
In order to succeed we should stop relying on fossil fuels to meet the population’s energy demand. By doing this, renewable energy will become a really competitive energy sources. As we see above in some countries the renewable energy sources are becoming the dominant energy sources.
Even though the renewable energy utilization will involve a lot of services and expenses, and there will still be people that will not be ready to pay for energy more than they are paying now, however, renewable energy will become a really competitive and the most available and basic source of energy and it will provide economic stability. So, focusing on removing barriers and putting in place incentives we eventually will increase renewable energy supply developing a range of renewable energy options for decarbonisation.
Green future can only be renewable future. A lot of companies are already aware of that and we hope that renewable sources will provide enough energy to supply the world’s future need of energy.
References
- Culley, M., Carton, A., Weaver, S., Ogley-Oliver, E., & Street, J. (2011). Sun, Wind, Rock and Metal: Attitudes toward Renewable and Non-renewable Energy Sources in the Context of Climate Change and Current Energy Debates. Current Psychology
- LePoire, D. J. (2011). Exploring New Energy Alternative. Futurist
- Sankey, D. (2012). Practically Green: Wind, Solar Options Make Going Green Affordable and Practical. Business In Calgary
- Tyner, W. E., & Taheripour, F. (2007). Renewable Energy Policy Alternatives for the Future. American Journal Of Agricultural Economics
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sunnylil (student)
