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How Long Has Solar Power Been Around? | eHow - 1 views

  • August Mouchout is credited with the creation of the first active solar motor. In 1861, he developed a steam engine fueled completely by the sun.
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    "Ever since ancient Romans installed glass and mica around their southern-facing door entrances, people have been finding ways to harness the power of the sun. From those origins, solar energy has slowly progressed into a viable source for powering your home. Other People Are Reading"
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Geothermal Technologies Office: A History of Geothermal Energy in the United States - 0 views

  • Archaeological evidence shows that the first human use of geothermal resources in North America occurred more than 10,000 years ago with the settlement of Paleo-Indians at hot springs
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    "Archaeological evidence shows that the first human use of geothermal resources in North America occurred more than 10,000 years ago with the settlement of Paleo-Indians at hot springs. The springs served as a source of warmth and cleansing, their minerals as a source of healing. While people still soak in shallow pools heated by the earth, engineers are developing technologies that will allow us to probe more than 10 miles below the earth's surface in search of geothermal energy. We invite you to study the timeline of the recent history of geothermal energy in the United States."
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peak_flow_spring.png (1170×907) - 0 views

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    renewable
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Biodiesel as a Transportation Fuel - 0 views

  • Biodiesel is an alternative fuel produced from renewable resources, such as soybeans or used restaurant grease. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in diesel engines with no major modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.
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Fuel Cells Save Money, Fuel and Mother Earth | ReTechnology Power and Water Engineering - 0 views

  • Although fuel cells are more expensive than fossil fuels, it is predicted that in the near future, fuel cell power will be less expensive and more efficient. The cost is an enticing advantage for the future.
  • The only emission is water vapor, a lot environment-friendly than the toxic elements released into the air by burning fossil fuels and gasoline burning cars.
  • The only waste product is water vapor.
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    "Although fuel cells are more expensive than fossil fuels, it is predicted that in the near future, fuel cell power will be less expensive and more efficient. The cost is an enticing advantage for the future."
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Tidal Power: Nature's renewable hydro electric engine: Additional info - 2 views

  • Tidal power energy is still being studied and developed, but in the future it could be a major renewable hydropower energy source.
  • England, for example, could supply over 10 percent of its electricity in this way.
  • . Wind and solar energy generators convert much less.
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  • They can convert about 80 percent of the energy into electricity
  • Another disadvantage is that the start-up costs involved are very high and a lot of time is required for the construction projects, which can cost millions of dollars and take up to 10 years to build
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    Tidal hydropower energy has various advantages. The first of these is reliability and consistency. Other alternative energy sources like wind and solar can have varying amounts of energy generated depending on the weather conditions. Tidal power energy can generate electricity by the clock and indefinitely. This means that shortages can be easily avoided. In addition, tidal turbines are efficient when it comes to generating energy. They can convert about 80 percent of the energy into electricity. Wind and solar energy generators convert much less. Of course, another great benefit of tidal power renewable energy is that it is environmentally friendly. There are no CO2 emissions that are damaging to the atmosphere or Sulfur Dioxide emissions responsible for acid rain.
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How sustainable is wind power? | OregonLive.com - 0 views

  • When looking at a wind powered electric generator, many people see a permanent source of renewable electricity. The problem with this image is that wind generators have shorter life spans than the term “sustainable” would imply. Wooden windmills in Holland that used to power industrial machinery before the invention of steam engines were more durable than these picket lines of propellers along our Columbia Gorge. The composite material and rare earth chemicals they require are both perishable and costly to replace. More important, like fossil fuels, our planet has a finite supply of these materials. Wind power is such an inefficient means of generating electricity that a world that seriously relied on it the way we do fossil fuels would run out of the limited resources needed to build and maintain them long before our present trends would exhaust our vast bounty of hydrocarbons.
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    "The first hard core environmentalist I ever encountered in life taught my 8th grade energy class at Estacada Junior High, a course that President Carter's brand new Department of Education had mandated upon us a decade before as a symbolic gesture to show he cared about America's energy future. Despite an overall policy of separating church and state, in this class it was the gospel that we would deplete all fossil fuels by the year 2000. Back when "2000" was preceded by "THE YEAR" it seemed so far away didn't it? The only lasting lesson this course taught me was a healthy skepticism of government mandated indoctrination."
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Wind power - sustainable power generation from wind farms across the globe - 0 views

  • Wind power is safe, clean and increasingly affordable – with the potential for production on a much larger scale.Government support is crucial in ensuring the expansion of wind power. We believe such support should be transitional and limited. In the US, there is continuing uncertainty over the renewal of the production tax credit, which provides incentives to invest in wind energy. We are working with other wind energy suppliers to make an effective case for wind energy generation and the renewal of the production tax credit.Wind farms can provide large volumes of electricity (sometimes at a lower cost than conventional power generation)
  • Wind power is safe, clean and increasingly affordable – with the potential for production on a much larger scale.Government support is crucial in ensuring the expansion of wind power. We believe such support should be transitional and limited. In the US, there is continuing uncertainty over the renewal of the production tax credit, which provides incentives to invest in wind energy. We are working with other wind energy suppliers to make an effective case for wind energy generation and the renewal of the production tax credit.Wind farms can provide large volumes of electricity (sometimes at a lower cost than conventional power generation) Wind energy and the environment While wind farms can be an attractive alternative energy offering, they can also stir debate. During the planning stage for each new wind farm we assess the potential social and environmental impacts.The impact on wildlife and habitat The impact of wind farms on local residentsNoise from wind turbinesShadow flicker Interference with communications signalsWe then take steps to manage any negative impacts through engineering design changes, technology and other elements.
  • Wind power is safe, clean and increasingly affordable – with the potential for production on a much larger scale.Government support is crucial in ensuring the expansion of wind power. We believe such support should be transitional and limited. In the US, there is continuing uncertainty over the renewal of the production tax credit, which provides incentives to invest in wind energy. We are working with other wind energy suppliers to make an effective case for wind energy generation and the renewal of the production tax credit.
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Five Reasons Why Tidal Energy is the Wave of the Future - Green Living Ideas - 3 views

  • Green energy has never been more important than it is today with the looming threat of global warming. Every possible effort must be made to reverse the worldwide threat of climate change by subsidizing and switching to green energy. One often-overlooked source of clean, renewable energy comes not from solar, wind or geothermal power, but from the tides.
  • Tidal Energy is valuable to environmentalists because unlike fossil fuels the source of energy will not be depleted in the foreseeable future no matter how much energy is collected.
  • The collection of tidal energy is clean because it involves very little emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
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  • The pattern of tides is extremely stable and not strongly affected by weather conditions which suggests that it would be a very stable source of green energy.
  • Moving water can exert a much greater force on a turbine than wind which means the turbine can turn slowly and still produce a great deal of electricity. The slow and stable tidal forces are ideal parameters for engineering energy solutions. The fact that the turbines can be slow-moving makes it easier to avoid interfering with local ecosystems
  • While the initial cost of building tidal energy plants is high, the plants are expected to run for a very long time which will make them more cost-effective in the long run
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    "Five Reasons Why Tidal Energy is the Wave of the Future JANUARY 4, 2013 BY GUEST CONTRIBUTOR LEAVE A COMMENT Join GLI's 10,000 other followers on Twitter! Green energy has never been more important than it is today with the looming threat of global warming. Every possible effort must be made to reverse the worldwide threat of climate change by subsidizing and switching to green energy. One often-overlooked source of clean, renewable energy comes not from solar, wind or geothermal power, but from the tides. 1. Tidal Energy is Renewable Tidal Energy is valuable to environmentalists because unlike fossil fuels the source of energy will not be depleted in the foreseeable future no matter how much energy is collected. The gravitational relationship between the Earth and the moon is extremely stable in the long term just like solar, wind and geothermal energy. 2. Tidal Energy is Green The collection of tidal energy is clean because it involves very little emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. However, the marine ecosystem is fragile and great care must be taken to avoid interfering with the lives of organisms that depend on the tide."
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Tidal Power - Generating electricity from tidal currents - 1 views

  • Tidal energy is produced through the use of tidal energy generators. These large underwater turbines are placed in areas with high tidal movements, and are designed to capture the kinetic motion of the ebbing and surging of ocean tides in order to produce electricity. Tidal power has great potential for future power and electricity generation because of the massive size of the oceans. These articles explore the potential energy of tidal power technologies.
  • We can use slow moving ocean and river waves for a new, reliable and affordable alternative energy source. A University of Michigan engineer has developed a device that acts like a fish that turns the potentially destructive vibrations in water into clean, renewable energy.
  • It will generate one of the most environmentally-friendly forms of energy - it makes no noise
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  • "But if we could harness 0.1 percent of the energy in the ocean, we could support the energy needs of 15 billion people
  • Tidal energy is produced through the use of tidal energy generators. These large underwater turbines are placed in areas with high tidal movements
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    This is how tidal energy is converted into useful form of power. 
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tidal energy - National Geographic Education - 0 views

  • Tidal energy is produced by the surge of ocean waters during the rise and fall of tides.
  • During the 20th century, engineers developed ways to use tidal movement to generate electricity in areas where there is a significant tidal range—the difference in area between high tide and low tide. All methods use special generators to convert tidal energy into electricity.
  • For most tidal energy generators, turbines are placed in tidal streams. A tidal stream is a fast-flowing body of water created by tides. A turbine is a machine that takes energy from a flow of fluid.
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  • The world's first tidal power station was constructed in 2007 at Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. The turbines are placed in a narrow strait between the Strangford Lough inlet and the Irish Sea. The tide can move at 4 meters (13 feet) per second across the strait.
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    ". The United States has no tidal plants and only a few sites where tidal energy could be produced at a reasonable price."
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How does an electrical generator work? - 0 views

  • Electric generators are essentially coils of electric conductors, usually copper wire, that are tightly wound onto a metal core and are mounted to spin around inside an array of large magnets
  • the copper conductor can spin at very high speeds through the magnetic field, producing a powerful flow of electricity. The same principle applies whether the generator is driven by a bicycle wheel, a tractor engine or a steam turbine.
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Benefits and Challenges - 0 views

  • Fuel cell systems are not yet as durable as internal combustion engines, especially in some temperature and humidity ranges.
  • FCVs are currently more expensive than conventional vehicles and hybrids. Manufacturers must bring down production costs, especially the costs of the fuel cell stack and hydrogen storage, to compete with conventional technologies.
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    "FCVs are currently more expensive than conventional vehicles and hybrids. Manufacturers must bring down production costs, especially the costs of the fuel cell stack and hydrogen storage, to compete with conventional technologies."
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Revolution Green: A True Story of Biodiesel in America - 0 views

  • There are over 180,000 fueling stations nationwide. About 40% of those service petroleum diesel fuel, and less than 1% service biodiesel.
  • Biodiesel is simple to use and requires no costly engine conversions or infrastructure changes to the current delivery system of diesel fuel.
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Wind power - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

  • Sailboats and sailing ships have been using wind power for thousands of years, and architects have used wind-driven natural ventilation in buildings since similarly ancient times. The use of wind to provide mechanical power came somewhat later in antiquity. The windwheel of the Greek engineer Heron of Alexandria in the 1st century AD is the earliest known instance of using a wind-driven wheel to power a machine.[15][16].
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Soymet to distribute biofuels for engines - 0 views

  • All Soymet biofuel products have zero petroleum toxins and lower emissions. Primary byproducts are carbon dioxide and water vapor. These biodiesel fuels burn cleanly and produce the same amount of energy as conventional diesel fuels.
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    Supposedly cleaner but still gives off emissions
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HowStuffWorks "Algae Biodiesel Engineering: Extracting Oil from Algae " - 0 views

  • How can we get oil from algae? It's like getting juice from an orange -- with an additional chemical reaction thrown in
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Biofuels - 0 views

  • Biofuels are basically any fuel that can be burned in air to produce heat that is produced by biological means, normally by plant growth. Currently the most prominant biofuels are ethanol and bio-deisel because these can be burned in existing internal combustion engines and are thus a direct replacement for oil. The most important biofuel historically is wood with oth
  • Biofuels are currently cheaper than oil although this is only because we are seeing very high oil prices at the moment. Under what might be termed more 'normal' market conditions, biofuels lack any meaningful price advantage. Biofuel production is very labor intensive and very land intensive. Production of ethanol from sugar cane was pioneered by the Brazilians in the 1970's as a solution to an oil import bill they could ill afford. It worked for them as they have plenty of land they can convert to growing sugar cane and at the time, plenty of cheap labor with which to harvest it.
  • he simple truth is the world does not have enough land to produce anywhere near the quantity of biofuels we need to make any dent in our oil consumption. They are only in fashion now oil prices are high and it is cost effective to produce them. Sooner or later food prices will rise to such a point that biofuel production will cease to be economic.
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  • In any case the current price of oil is unlikely to be sustained. Much of today's oil prices can be attributed to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East and the hording of oil both for security of supply and more recently as a hedge against the falling dollar.
  • e they cheaper than oil? That depends how you calculate the cost!
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    "But herein lies the first problem with biofuels. They may be carbon nuetral but they are certainly not as green as they might be. Not if the land to grow sugar is coming from cutting down the Amazon jungle and not if vast quantities o"
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Uses of Wind Energy | eHow.com - 2 views

  • For hundreds of years mankind has been making use of the energy and power generated by wind. Whether it has been to travel the world, manufacture products, or in the modern age to generate electricity, wind has provided the means. And while there have been dozens of different methods over the years, new technology is still being invented to make even further use of this ancient power source.
  • Windmills were one of the second most widespread uses of wind energy. The variety of uses that windmills were put to included grinding grain, as well as pumping water, up until the industrial revolution where the windmill was mostly replaced by the steam engine.
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