Future Energy

Solar power systems comes to stores - Part 1

2008-01-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

The article in USA Today states that alot of solar panel systems are coming to stores for consumers and businesses to set up for solar energy.

One consumer set up a panel system in his backyard and is earning money back from the local utilities. Utility and energy officials are hoping more people will switch to solar power systems on their home or property to lower the usage of power grids during peak hours.

A joint program offered residential solar power systems made by British Petroleum company or BP, at Home Depot stores in California, New Jersey and Long Island, New York since 2004. The program also expanded to Home Depot stores in other areas of the country where there are more incentives, to make the systems more affordable, like in Colorado, Texas, and Arizona.

Congress takes first steps in renewable fuel - Part 5

2007-12-28T14:34:00.000-08:00

With the new legislation, corn ethanol use would reach 15 billion gallons by 2015, a large increase considering that 20 percent of the American corn crop is already going into ethanol.

Energy experts are wondering if the new mandates can be achieved in the short time.
They also estimate that more than 100 additional corn ethanol plants will be required, and also at least 200 biomass fuel plants, and this could change.

A alliance of advocates and environmentalists has promoted biomass ethanol as an alternative to fossil fuels, saying it can reduce the country's reliance on imported oil and help slow global warming, especially if biomass sources like switch grass and trees that can be developed that would need little water and fertilizer to grow.

Congress takes first steps in renewable fuel - Part 4

2007-12-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

An energy bill in 2005 took the ethanol industry to new levels and the politics set off a large buildup of ethanol plants across the Midwest.

The new energy bill if enacted, would convert the ethanol industry to partnership with the oil and gas industry. Ethanol companies have been canceling expansions lately, as the price of ethanol has slumped and the price of corn has climbed.

Ethanol producers acknowledge the challenges, but the pluses will keep the industry in line.

The 7 billion gallons of ethanol the country Will use this year will be used mostly as an additive, displacing around 4 percent of total gasoline use. The legislation took the USA to become the world's biggest producer of ethanol, followed by Brazil.

Congress takes first steps in renewable fuel - Part 3

2007-12-20T18:34:00.000-08:00

To reach the goal of large increases in ethanol production the Government will need allot of political and financial support to overcome allot of obstacles.

The end result would be the sort of energy transformations that was suppose to happen decades ago. Congress will put in new legislation the will obligate farmers to grow new crops in new ways, automobile companies to produce more vehicles that run on ethanol, and the oil industry to change their refineries and distribution to deliver the new fuel.

Congress takes first steps in renewable fuel - Part 2

2007-12-19T19:13:00.001-08:00

With Congress, they are calling for a huge increase in the amount of Ethanol the nation is using.

Much of it would be made from Corn, as it is made today, and the country is producing about 7 billion gallons a year now.

The large increase in Ethanol has reshaped agricultural markets and corn prices are soaring.
Congress wants to double production to 15 billion gallons per year.

Congresses bill calls for the country to use, by 2022, an additional 21 billion gallons a year of Ethanol or other bio fuels produced by using the energy contained in biological materials as straw, tree trimmings, corn stubble, and even garbage, material known as biomass.

Congress takes first steps in renewable fuel - Part 1

2007-12-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

The New York Times stated the Congress may help create a new industry of converting agricultural wastes and other plant material into automotive fuel.

The plus of this is reducing the nations dependence on oil and the greenhouse gases. Its very high goals and some speculate they can be achieved.

Any of this type of fuel has been produced commercially in the U.S., and the economics are uncertain.

Hundreds of new plants will be required, billions of tons of plant material will need to be moved around every year, and tens of billions of dollars in investments to start the industry.

Wind Power

2007-12-16T17:25:00.000-08:00

Wind power converts wind energy into electricity using wind turbines. The use of these has become more popular each year but currently produces around 1% of world-wide electricity.

Wind power is generated in the form of electricity by converting the rotation of turbine blades into electrical current by a electrical generator.

Wind power is being used on wind farms for large scale electrical grids and well as small individual turbines.

Wind energy is plentiful, renewable, clean and reduces greenhouse gases, if used to replace fossil fuels.

Fuel from algae - part 4

2007-12-15T17:36:00.001-08:00

Most research in algae-fuel production is being done in the private sector, but if positive signs and predictions hold true, using algae may be the best and most productive way to produce enough fuel to replace gasoline usage in cars.

Micro algae grow allot faster than other crops and the yield of oil from algae is estimated to be from 5,000 to 20,000 gallons per acre, per year which is 7 to 30 times greater that the next best crop.

Algae can also grow on marginal land, even desert area. The hard part is finding algal strain with a high lipid content and fast growth rate that in not to difficult to harvest.

Open pond systems have been given up for the cultivation of algae with high-oil content.

Fuel from Algae - Part 3

2007-12-14T17:42:00.000-08:00

With Algae for future fuel, a few problems have to be worked out for mass production.

They need to figure out how to provide maximum amout of light to grow the algae and how to get the algae to grow fast enough.

With new technology and research over the decade alot of problems have been worked out and there is great potential for Algae.

Fuel from Algae - Part 2

2007-12-13T18:03:00.000-08:00

It works by Algae ingesting carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen in the photosynthesis process.

Algae is rich in oils that can be used to produce bio diesel, starches that can be made into ethanol and protein that could have other uses.

The idea was born a few years ago, when a rocket scientist at MIT was experimenting with growing algae on the International space station.

The scientists think that they can get possibly 200 tons of algae per acre annually during mass production.

Fuel from algae

2007-12-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

Green algae to fuel our cars?

Algae is showing great promise as being one of the most productive renewable biofuels out there.
In Arizonia, researchers are working on the green stuff to hopefully one day replace some of the fossel fuels used by power plants and even automobiles.

Researchers have watched algae multiply so much in test tubes in the desert sun they were impressed.

Their experient has done well and will hopefully soon expand to into greenhouses on the property.

Chevy Volt Concept Car

2007-12-10T19:10:00.000-08:00

Chevy is working on the electric vehicle called the Volt which could be the future of the way automakers make cars.

A large percentage of commuters drive 40 miles of less to and from work, and the Chevy Volt is a car that be configured to run on electricity, gasoline, E85 or biodiesel. The engine is used to recharge the batteries and not the car. It can be plugged in to recharge the batteries also.

There is strong interest in this car and its future.

Solar Panels

2007-12-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

Solar Panels or Photovoltics(PV) is a growing solar power technology which uses solar photovoltaic arrays to convert light from the sun directly into electricity.

The manufacture of Photocell panels has expanded dramatically in recent years because of improved technology and demand from the popularity of green energy and cutting global warming.

Photovoltaics is a technology in which light is converted into electrical power and is a method for taking solar power by using solar cells packaged in photovoltaic modules.

Photons from sunlight take electrons into a higher state of energy, creating the energy.