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A Quiet Breakthrough in Geothermal Energy - Businessweek - 1 views

www.businessweek.com/...akthrough-in-geothermal-energy geothermal energy cost
shared by parkergar99 on 08 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Geothermal power has massive potential in many areas of the U.S. but it has long remained a niche technology.
  • vanierfel98 on 08 Mar 13
     
    Talks about how much potential there is
  • parkergar99 on 11 Mar 13
     
    "While traditional geothermal can be cheaper than coal power, enhanced geothermal systems are generally more expensive than traditional ones. But being able to create multiple geothermal zones from one well brings down the overall cost of enhanced geothermal by 50 percent, Petty said."
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Devices that Harness Wave Energy | Wave Energy Cost - 2 views

www.oceanenergycouncil.com/...Wave-Energy.html cost wave pollution
shared by tvedepai00 on 11 Mar 13 - Cached
  • Wave energy is an irregular and oscillating low-frequency energy source that can be converted to a 60-Hertz frequency
  • Kinetic energy, the energy of motion, in waves is tremendous. An average 4-foot, 10-second wave striking a coast puts out more than 35,000 horsepower per mile of coast.
  • Because wave energy needs only 1/200 the land area of wind and requires no access roads, infrastructure costs are less;
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • It varies in intensity, but it is available twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
  • or now, the best wave generator technology in place in the United Kingdom is producing energy at an average projected/assessed cost of 7.5 cents kWh. In comparison, electricity generated by large scale coal burning power plants costs about 2.6 cents per kilowatt-hour.
  • As long as
  • the sun shines, wave energy will never be depleted
  • produce energy at about 4.5 cents kWh.
  • 7.5 cents kWh
  • In comparison, electricity generated by large scale coal burning power plants costs about 2.6 cents per kilowatt-hour.
  • about 3 cents per kilowatt hour
  • Wave energy devices are quieter and much less visually obtrusive than wind devices
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of wind power - 0 views

wiki.answers.com/...nd_disadvantages_of_wind_power wind
shared by conwayjam99 on 13 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • conwayjam99 on 13 Mar 13
     
    "Wind power will become cheaper than fossil fuel in the next few years (when the price of carbon is added to coal and oil), and in many places already is."
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Unearthing the True Cost of Fossil Fuels : TreeHugger - 0 views

www.treehugger.com/...true-cost-fossil-fuels.html fossil fuels cost
shared by dpurdy on 21 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • “true” cost of coal: Depending on how you factor in the costs of climate change, it could be between a few additional cents per kWh to a whopping ¢26.89 extra per kilowatt hour—the high-end estimate from the Harvard study. By way of comparison, the average American paid ¢11.54 per kWh on their residential electric bills last year.
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Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicles - Is Hydrogen the Fuel of the Future? - 1 views

environment.about.com/...fcv.htm hydrogen fuel all benifits
shared by smithree98 on 15 Mar 12 - No Cached
  • The benefits of ditching fossil fuels for hydrogen are many, of course. Burning fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil to heat and cool our buildings and run our vehicles takes a heavy toll on the environment, contributing significantly to both local problems such as elevated particulate levels and global ones such as a warming climate. The only by-product of running a hydrogen-powered fuel cell is oxygen and a trickle of water, neither of which will cause any harm to human health or the environment.
  • But right now, 95 percent of the hydrogen available in the United States is either extracted from fossil fuels or made using electrolytic processes powered by fossil fuels, thus negating any real emissions savings or reduction in fossil-fuel usage. Only if renewable energy sources—solar, wind and others—can be harnessed to provide the energy to process hydrogen fuel can the dream of a truly clean hydrogen fuel be realized.
  • They concluded that we’d lower greenhouse gas emissions more by driving gasoline/electric hybrid cars than by driving fuel-cell cars run on hydrogen from coal. Hydrogen made using natural gas would fare a little bit better in terms of pollution output, while making it from wind power would be a slam-dunk for the environment.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • many reasons, ranging from safety to cost to lack of demand.
  • Another problem is the lack of hydrogen refueling stations
  • replacing the fossil fuels responsible for global warming and various nagging forms of pollution.
  • they are spending upwards of $1 million to produce each one due to the advanced technology involved and low production runs. Toyota hopes to reduce its costs per fuel-cell vehicle to around $50,000 by 2015
  • smithree98 on 22 Oct 12
     
    says most things about hydrogen and what it does
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Biofuel Facts, Biofuel Information - National Geographic - 0 views

environment.nationalgeographic.com/...biofuel-profile
shared by stockmanchl99 on 13 Mar 12 - Cached
  • Biofuels have been around as long as cars have. At the start of the 20th century, Henry Ford planned to fuel his Model Ts with ethanol, and early diesel engines were shown to run on peanut oil.
  • stockmanchl99 on 08 Mar 13
     
    "On the face of it, biofuels look like a great solution. Cars are a major source of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas that causes global warming. But since plants absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, crops grown for biofuels should suck up about as much carbon dioxide as comes out of the tailpipes of cars that burn these fuels. And unlike underground oil reserves, biofuels are a renewable resource since we can always grow more crops to turn into fuel. Unfortunately, it's not so simple. The process of growing the crops, making fertilizers and pesticides, and processing the plants into fuel consumes a lot of energy. It's so much energy that there is debate about whether ethanol from corn actually provides more energy than is required to grow and process it. Also, because much of the energy used in production comes from coal and natural gas, biofuels don't replace as much oil as they use. For the future, many think a better way of making biofuels will be from grasses and saplings, which contain more cellulose. Cellulose is the tough material that makes up plants' cell walls, and most of the weight of a plant is cellulose. If cellulose can be turned into biofuel, it could be more efficient than current biofuels, and emit less carbon dioxide. "
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The Hidden Cost of Fossil Fuels | Union of Concerned Scientists - 2 views

www.ucsusa.org/...the-hidden-cost-of-fossil.html Fossil fuels pollution
shared by dpurdy on 19 Mar 12 - Cached
  • Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—are America's primary source of energy, accounting for 85 percent of current US fuel use.
  • Many of the environmental problems our country faces today result from our fossil fuel dependence. These impacts include global warming, air quality deterioration, oil spills, and acid rain.
  • Over the last 150 years, burning fossil fuels has resulted in more than a 25 percent increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • limate scientists predict that if carbon dioxide levels continue to increase, the planet will become warmer in the next century.
  • Several important pollutants are produced by fossil fuel combustion: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and hydrocarbons. In addition, total suspended particulates contribute to air pollution, and nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons can combine in the atmosphere to form tropospheric ozone, the major constituent of smog.
  • Finally, fossil fuel use also produces particulates, including dust, soot, smoke, and other suspended matter, which are respiratory irritants.
  • Oil spills, for example, leave waterways and their surrounding shores uninhabitable for some time.
  • Production, transportation, and use of oil can cause water pollution.
  • Sulfur oxides are produced by the oxidization of the available sulfur in a fuel. Utilities that use coal to generate electricity produce two-thirds of the nation's sulfur dioxide emissions. Nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides are important constituents of acid rain
  • Hydrocarbons are emitted from human-made sources such as auto and truck exhaust, evaporation of gasoline and solvents, and petroleum refining.
  • Two oxides of nitrogen--nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxide--are formed in combustion. Nitrogen oxides appear as yellowish-brown clouds over many city skylines
  • dpurdy on 19 Mar 12
     
    The article we read in class. Use the summary we wrote or refer to this.
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Traditional Energy Sources vs. Green Power Sources | National Geographic - 2 views

greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/-green-power-sources-2442.html pollution Fossil coal biofuel
shared by dpurdy on 20 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Coal generates 2,249 pounds of carbon dioxide, 13 pounds of sulfur dioxide and 6 pounds of nitrogen oxides for every megawatt hour of energy generated.
  • Biomass produces nitrogen oxides and small amounts of sulfur dioxide. The amount of carbon dioxide produced does not exceed that of the Earth's normal carbon cycle and is considered negligible.
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When Solar Becomes Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels | azizonomics - 0 views

azizonomics.com/...omes-cheaper-than-fossil-fuels solar cost
shared by sokolkyl00 on 30 Sep 13 - No Cached
  • If the trend continues for another 8-10 years, which seems increasingly likely, solar will be as cheap as coal with the added benefit of zero carbon emissions. If the cost continues to fall over the next 20 years, solar costs will be half that of coal.
  • When applied to electricity prices this predicts that solar generated electricity in the US will descend to a level of 12 cents (7 pence) per kilowatt hour by 2020, possibly even 2015 for the sunniest parts of America.
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Electricity from Geothermal Energy - 1 views

www.powerscorecard.org/tech_detail.cfm convert geothermal
shared by hardingmar00 on 14 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • The heat from the earth's own molten core can be converted into electricity. This core consists primarily of extremely high temperature liquid rock known as magma. This "geothermal" heat circulates within the rock or is transferred to underground reservoirs of water, which also circulate under the earth's crust. Because of the near limitless ability of the earth to produce magma, and the continuous transfer of heat between subsurface rock and water, geothermal energy is considered a renewable resource.
  • faglejoh98 on 14 Mar 13
     
    "The heat from the earth's own molten core can be converted into electricity. This core consists primarily of extremely high temperature liquid rock known as magma. This "geothermal" heat circulates within the rock or is transferred to underground reservoirs of water, which also circulate under the earth's crust. Because of the near limitless ability of the earth to produce magma, and the continuous transfer of heat between subsurface rock and water, geothermal energy is considered a renewable resource. Geothermal resources have been harnessed as an energy source since the dawn of civilization, when natural hot springs were first used for cooking and bathing. The geothermal resources tapped to generate electricity are far more intense than those used for space heating and can reside as deep as 10,000 feet below the earth's surface. Capital costs for the construction of geothermal power plants are much higher than for large coal-fired plants or new natural gas turbine technologies. But geothermal plants have reasonable operation and maintenance costs and no fuel costs. Though more expensive than wind power in most cases, new geothermal electricity generation facilities are increasingly competitive with fossil options."
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Geothermal energy in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

en.wikipedia.org/...al_energy_in_the_United_States current geothermal
shared by hardingmar00 on 12 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • knightoli99 on 12 Mar 13
     
    "eothermal energy in the United States continues to be an area of considerable activity. In 2012, the United States led the world in geothermal electricity production with 3,386 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity;[1][2] the largest group of geothermal power plants in the world is located at The Geysers, a geothermal field in California.[3] The United States generates an average of 15 billion kilowatt hours of geothermal power per year, comparable to burning some 25 million barrels (4,000,000 m3) of oil or 6 million short tons of coal per year.[4] Geothermal power plants are largely concentrated in the western states. They are the fourth largest source of renewable electricity, after hydroelectricity, biomass, and wind power. A geothermal resource assessment shows that nine western states together have the potential to provide over 20 percent of national electricity needs.[4][5]"
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DOE - Fossil Energy: Current Technology for Producing Hydrogen - 0 views

www.fossil.energy.gov/...currenttechnology.html
shared by conboyeri98 on 12 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Today, most hydrogen in the United States, and about half of the world's hydrogen supply, is produced through the steam reforming of natural gas. The U.S. demand for hydrogen currently is about 9 million tons per year. Of this amount, about 1.5 million tons is merchant hydrogen production that is sold to refineries and chemical plants. In refineries, hydrogen is produced as a by-product of naphtha reforming, and any supplemental hydrogen is produced from steam reforming of natural gas. The chemical industry also uses hydrogen, mostly to manufacture ammonia and other nitrogen-based fertilizers. Hydrogen for the chemical industry is also produced from steam reforming of natural gas, although some chemical plants use coal gasification (i.e., partial oxidation) to produce hydrogen. In total, about 95 percent of U.S. hydrogen production for supplemental refinery needs and the chemical industry is produced from natural gas using steam reforming technology.
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Wind Turbine Syndrome | Wind energy: The "least sustainable energy option" - 0 views

www.windturbinesyndrome.com/...east-sustainable-energy-option wind energy cost sustainable pollution co2
shared by mcdermottaar99 on 12 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Wind turbine installations impact vast amounts of land, far more than traditional power plants.
  • Raptors, bats and other beautiful flying creatures continue to be sliced and diced by wind turbines.
  • Principal health issues are associated with noise – not just annoying audible noise, but inaudible, low-frequency “infrasound” that causes headache, dizziness, “deep nervous fatigue” and symptoms akin to seasickness. “Wind turbine syndrome” also includes irritability, depression, and concentration and sleep problems. Others include “shadow flicker” or “strobe effect” from whirling blades, which can trigger seizures in epileptics, “vibroacoustic” effects on the heart and lungs, and non-lethal harm to animals. Serious lung, heart, cancer and other problems have been documented from rare earth mining, smelting and manufacturing in China, under its less rigorous health, workplace and environmental regulations.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Wind turbine installations require vast amounts of steel, copper, rare earth metals, fiberglass, concrete, rebar and other materials for the turbines, towers and bases.
  • Wind turbines are supposed to reduce pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. But because backup generators must repeatedly surge to full power and back to standby, as wind speed rises and falls, they operate inefficiently, use more fuel and emit more – much like cars forced to stop repeatedly on freeways.
  • Even huge subsidies cannot cure wind power’s biggest defects: its electricity costs far more than coal, gas or nuclear alternatives – and its intermittent nature wreaks havoc on power grids and consumers.
    • dpurdy
      dpurdy on 21 Mar 13
       
      Be cautious as this site is obviously anti wind power. The points might be valid though.
  • mcdermottaar99 on 12 Mar 13
     
    wind turbine impacts 
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Wind energy FAQ | EWEA - 0 views

www.ewea.org/...wind-energy-faq wind climate change
shared by carusonepay99 on 12 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Each year we release millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide by burning fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas). In 2010, on average, every single EU citizen emitted 9.4 tonnes of CO2 – that’s enough to fill ten three-storey buildings. For every kWh of wind energy that you use, you will save approximately 696g of CO2. EWEA estimates that wind energy avoided the emission of 140 million tonnes of CO2 in 2011 in the EU, equivalent to taking 33% of cars in the EU – 71 million vehicles – off the road. This avoided CO2 costs of around €3.5 billion (assuming a price of €25/t CO2). Choosing how your electricity is produced plays an important role in protecting the climate: it’s easy to switch to a green power provider; you request the change and your current and future providers will organise it themselves.
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Research Report: how does geothermal energy prevent climate chang3 - 0 views

ultimate-research-assistant.com/ResearchReport.asp co2 geothermal
shared by behanjos99 on 12 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Unlike a coal or Natural Gas plant, geothermal facilities do not need to purchase fuel to generate electricity
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Geothermal Energy Information, Geothermal Power Facts - National Geographic - 0 views

environment.nationalgeographic.com/...geothermal-profile geothermal sustainable
shared by faglejoh98 on 08 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Geothermal energy has been used for thousands of years in some countries for cooking and heating. It is simply power derived from the Earth's internal heat.This thermal energy is contained in the rock and fluids beneath Earth's crust. It can be found from shallow ground to several miles below the surface, and even farther down to the extremely hot molten rock called magma.These underground reservoirs of steam and hot water can be tapped to generate electricity or to heat and cool buildings directly.A geothermal heat pump system can take advantage of the constant temperature of the upper ten feet (three meters) of the Earth's surface to heat a home in the winter, while extracting heat from the building and transferring it back to the relatively cooler ground in the summer
  • There are three types of geothermal power plants: dry steam, flash, and binary. Dry steam, the oldest geothermal technology, takes steam out of fractures in the ground and uses it to directly drive a turbine. Flash plants pull deep, high-pressure hot water into cooler, low-pressure water. The steam that results from this process is used to drive the turbine. In binary plants, the hot water is passed by a secondary fluid with a much lower boiling point than water. This causes the secondary fluid to turn to vapor, which then drives a turbine. Most geothermal power plants in the future will be binary plants.
  • It can be extracted without burning a fossil fuel such as coal, gas, or oil. Geothermal fields produce only about one-sixth of the carbon dioxide that a relatively clean natural-gas-fueled power plant produces.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • wer plants: dry steam, flash, and binary. Dry steam, the oldest geothermal technology, takes steam out of fractures in the ground and uses it to directly drive a turbine. Flash plants
  • behanjos99 on 08 Mar 13
     
    good info.
  • vanierfel98 on 11 Mar 13
     
    Geothermal energy doesn't release much CO2
  • faglejoh98 on 12 Mar 13
     
    "There are three types of geothermal power plants: dry steam, flash, and binary. Dry steam, the oldest geothermal technology, takes steam out of fractures in the ground and uses it to directly drive a turbine. Flash plants pull deep, high-pressure hot water into cooler, low-pressure water. The steam that results from this process is used to drive the turbine. In binary plants, the hot water is passed by a secondary fluid with a much lower boiling point than water. This causes the secondary fluid to turn to vapor, which then drives a turbine. Most geothermal power plants in the future will be binary plants."
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Wind Power - What is Wind Power and How Does It Work? - 0 views

environment.about.com/...wind_power.htm wind form
shared by wellsann99 on 11 Mar 13 - Cached
  • wind power as a better way to generate electricity than plants fueled by coal, hydro (water) or nuclear power.
  • willisjos98 on 11 Mar 13
     
    "Wind power is actually a form of solar power, because wind is caused by heat from the sun. Solar radiation heats every part of the Earth's surface, but not evenly or at the same speed. Different surfaces-sand, water, stone and various types of soil-absorb, retain, reflect and release heat at different rates, and the Earth generally gets warmer during daylight hours and cooler at night. As a result, the air above the Earth's surface also warms and cools at different rates. Hot air rises, reducing the atmospheric pressure near the Earth's surface, which draws in cooler air to replace it. That movement of air is what we call wind."
  • wellsann99 on 11 Mar 13
     
    what is wind power
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Institute for Energy Research | Fossil Fuels - 1 views

www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/...fossil-fuels energy fossil fuels fossil fuel
shared by whalenkil98 on 22 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • Scattered records of the use of coal date to at least 1100 BC.
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HowStuffWorks "Mechanics of Hand-powered Generators" - 1 views

electronics.howstuffworks.com/...hand-powered-generators1.htm fossil fuels convert
shared by dpurdy on 19 Mar 13 - No Cached
  • A generator is basically an electric motor working in reverse.
  • By spinning a coil of wire around a magnet, he found that he could create a steady current. Thus, he could convert energy used to spin the coil into electrical energy.
  • This principle powers generators that run on gasoline or diesel fuel, as well as the massive turbines in modern power plants, where the coils are turned by falling water or steam generated by burning coal or igniting nuclear reactions.
  • dpurdy on 19 Mar 13
     
    How a generator works
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