Switching away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources has been very important for cutting down on emissions and pollutants and also keeping our nonrenewable resources from running out. However, according to the New York Times, people are straying away from this idea because of the economic crisis. Switching to renewable energy sources will require many costs and people are very sensitive to prices these days. Howeever, the Obama administration is trying to pass a cap-and-trade bill that will force polluters to reduce their emissions or buy permits from cleaner producers. They are also trying to decide if they should require a percentage of the country's electricity to be renewable. This may be tough to do during the state of our economy.
Currently, coal is the cheapest form of energy. By putting these rules in place, prices will increase for burning coal and also for electricity bill rates. This will probably not go over well with the public. Although, the increasing price of coal may cause many people to switch to alternative energy sources.
While I understand that people do not want to spend the extra money right now, I feel that switching to alternative energy may help the economy in the long run. The initial cost of renewable sources will be high but after a few years, the energy will begin to pay for itself. Therefore, people will be saving money that they would be spending on bills and will be able to put it towards the economy in other ways.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Solar Energy
For my project, I have chosen solar energy. I am going to compare active and passive solar energy systems but I wanted to research the basic background information on solar energy first.
The source for solar energy is the sun. The solar radiation comes from the sun's rays that reach the earth. Photovoltaic (PV) devices then use semiconducting materials to convert sunlight into energy. PV cells are also known as solar cells. Each cell produces about 1 or 2 watts of energy. In order to have a larger energy output, the PV cells are connected by PV modules. For even larger energy outputs, the modules are connected to form an array. This way, any energy requirement can be met.
Below is a picture that demonstrates this.
Sources:
U.S. Dept of Energy
Energy Information Administration
The source for solar energy is the sun. The solar radiation comes from the sun's rays that reach the earth. Photovoltaic (PV) devices then use semiconducting materials to convert sunlight into energy. PV cells are also known as solar cells. Each cell produces about 1 or 2 watts of energy. In order to have a larger energy output, the PV cells are connected by PV modules. For even larger energy outputs, the modules are connected to form an array. This way, any energy requirement can be met.
Below is a picture that demonstrates this.
Sources:
U.S. Dept of Energy
Energy Information Administration
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Landfill Methane Outreach Program
The speaker from Curtis Engine particularly caught my interest. It think that it is so fascinating that an energy source can be created from waste. Energy from methane gas uses a pollutant that can be very damaging to the environment and turns it into a very beneficial thing for us. In 1994, the EPA has created the Landfill Methane Outreach Program which is working to greatly reduce methane emissions from landfills by encouraging the use of landfill gas as an energy source.
A great benefit of using landfill methane as an energy source is the huge amount of greenhouse gas reductions. Methane is a huge participant in global climate change (it is 21 times stronger than CO2). About 60-90% of methane that is typically released into the air from landfills will be captured and used to create energy.
Another benefit is that using landfill methane as an energy source reduces our dependency on fossil fuels. By using less fossil fuels, we are cutting down other pollutant emissions and the reliance of foreign oil. The surrounding area will be benefited because there will be less landfill odors.
I found an article, One Man's Garbage, Another's Power Plant, and read it because I thought the title was clever. It was a positive article that discussed the benefits of methane gas as an energy source, particularly in New Jersey. New Jersey is one of the leading users of methane gas, which is good because the people of New Jersey produce 50% more pounds of trash per day than the national average. The article states that landfills are typically considered "wasted space" but after this new technology, they can be extremely beneficial.
A great benefit of using landfill methane as an energy source is the huge amount of greenhouse gas reductions. Methane is a huge participant in global climate change (it is 21 times stronger than CO2). About 60-90% of methane that is typically released into the air from landfills will be captured and used to create energy.
Another benefit is that using landfill methane as an energy source reduces our dependency on fossil fuels. By using less fossil fuels, we are cutting down other pollutant emissions and the reliance of foreign oil. The surrounding area will be benefited because there will be less landfill odors.
I found an article, One Man's Garbage, Another's Power Plant, and read it because I thought the title was clever. It was a positive article that discussed the benefits of methane gas as an energy source, particularly in New Jersey. New Jersey is one of the leading users of methane gas, which is good because the people of New Jersey produce 50% more pounds of trash per day than the national average. The article states that landfills are typically considered "wasted space" but after this new technology, they can be extremely beneficial.
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