qmstech2

"A geothermal heating system uses pipes buried more than four feet deep in the earth. That is another reason why it's important for adults to call 811 before they dig in their yard so they don't hit buried piping. The system pumps a liquid through the pipes to absorb the heat and brings it back indoors. A device called a "heat exchanger" takes the heat from the liquid and uses it to heat the air inside the home."

"The fuel cell is being considered as an eventual replacement for the internal combustion engine for cars, trucks and buses. Major car manufacturers have teamed up with fuel cell research centers or are doing their own development. There are plans for mass-producing cars running on fuel cells. Because of the low operating cost of the combustion engine, and some unresolved technical challenges of the fuel cell, however, experts predict that a large scale implementation of the fuel cell to power cars will not occur before 2015, or even 2020."

"Advantages: Solar power gives you a return on your investment, while paying your utility for electricity gives you 0% return. Solar energy is renewable unlike the conventional resources (coal, oil) which will inevitably run out. Non-polluting, no carbon dioxide like fossil fuels Free except for capital expenses. Longevity - solar panels can last over twenty years Low maintenance - solar panels require very little upkeep Independence - an off-grid system allows you to break free from the electrical grid Environmentally friendly because the conversion of energy doesn't produce any carbon dioxide. It comes from the sun, which, unless you are in The South or North pole, comes out almost everyday Solar power is better for the environment, compared to burning fossil fuels and other electrical power. sun is renewable You get clean energy without harming the environment [in term of carbon emissions] , in certain countries, excessive power generated can be sold back to local electricity provider reduces pollution helps create jobs - shores up economy - to build -> you hire - innovate-maintain - basically economic activities reduced dependence on fossil fuels Once installed, the power is free It is environmentally friendly and no pollution is associated with solar power You can sell your excess power back to the power companies It can be installed anywhere You can use batteries to store power for use at night Energy from the sun is renewable, that is, it keeps on coming It is free It does no damage to the earth or its atmosphere It produces no carbon dioxide It doesn't have to be dug up from the ground like coal, oil, natural gas, or uranium It doesn't have to be cut down, like wood from forests. It produces clean, green power in the form of electricity and can be used to power just about everything we need. There is more solar energy landing on the earth every day than it would take to supply the world for a year. Solar energy can heat swimming pools, power calcul

"Such a system, experts say, would effectively eliminate most of the benefits offered by hydrogen. Although the fuel-cell cars themselves may emit nothing but water vapor, the process of producing the fuel cells from hydrocarbons will continue America's dependence on fossil fuels and leave behind carbon dioxide, the primary cause of global warming."

where geothermal energy comes from

"The first fuel cell was built in 1839 by Sir William Grove, a Welsh judge and gentleman scientist, who conducted dozens of experiments using his "gas battery."  More than a century later, equipment manufacturer Allis Chalmers plowed a Wisconsin alfalfa field using fuel cell-powered tractor (1959).  Serious interest in the fuel cell as a practical energy generator did not begin until the 1960′s, when the U.S. space program chose fuel cells over riskier nuclear power and more expensive solar energy, using fuel cells to furnish power for the Gemini and Apollo spacecraft and electricity and water for the space shuttle.  Also in the 1960s, the first passenger vehicle, a prototype van, was built by GM (1966); major auto manufacturers began more concerted fuel cell development efforts in the 1990s."

"An FCV is currently valued at around US$1.1 million. Toyota leases its FCV for US$9,400 a month, or US$110,000 a year.""

the sun

"Tidal turbines use similar technology to wind turbines, although their blades are much shorter and stronger. So a good way to think of them is as underwater windmills. Basically the water currents turn the turbines, which in turn activate a generator that produces electricity. These systems work best where there are very strong tidal zones (Norwegian and British coastlines.) and although it is still in it's infancy it does show great promise. The upfront cost of these tidal stream systems is very high and also installation and maintenance is difficult."