FUTURE OF ALTERNATING ENERGY

clean, renewable energy sources opens up
new possibilities of ways to use available
land. Alternatives to the current acceptable
use of fossil fuels are building a following.
Environmentalists as well as consumers
seek cost effective energy sources that
lessen the damage to the Earth. Geothermal,
wind power, solar power, along with
ethanol and burnable oils are all potential
uses for land.
Geothermal
Geothermal energy is found within the
earth's core. With an estimated 42 million
megawatts of power, the earth's interior
has the ability to provide much needed
clean and renewable energy to the world. In
a nutshell, wells are drilled into geothermal
reservoirs, which are simply natural hot
water or steam. The liquid is brought up
from the interior of the Earth and converted
into electricity. Companies are selling
Geothermal Heat Pumps (GHP) that tap into
the heat at the center of the Earth and use it
for heating, cooling, and cooking in homes
as well as for industrial uses. Geothermal, as
one of the most efficient means of energy,
will garner more following as part of the
march toward cleaner, renewable energy
sources.
Wind Power
A sight that is becoming more prevalent
throughout the U.S. and the world are the
tall turbines that capture the power of the
wind with elegant paddles that whir round
and round. Wind power is an ancient form
of using nature to work for man. The
uneven heating of the Earth creates winds.
Humans figured out thousands of years ago
that life could be made easier by harnessing
the wind's energy. Sailing across seas,
windmills grinding grain, sawing, or
pumping water made life easier.
The largest U.S. wind farm is in Altamont
Pass, Calif., and beneath the turbines graze
farm animals, which is the original use for
the land where they now stand. The
turbines at Altamont Pass have more than
20 industries installing more than 7,300
wind turbines. These gentle wind giants
have produced more than 6 billion kilowatt-
hours of electricity. The location of turbines
is the most important aspect when creating
wind energy. They must be in an open area
without tall buildings, hills, or mountains to
obstruct the wind. The time of year plays a
role into energy production, also. Nearly
pollution free, wind power is priced
competitively with little or no social cost to
the world.
Farming for Ethanol
Ethanol, widely publicized lately, is nothing
more than using plant sources to create a
chemical compound that has the ability to
fuel vehicles. Corn, sugar cane, sorghum,
barley, hemp, sugar beet, switch grass,
sweet potatoes, and sunflowers all have the
potential to be used in the production of
ethanol. Because of higher crop yields,
switch grass and sugar cane are the most
desirable crops to grow with the intention
of fuel conversion. Besides being a cleaner
source of energy, ethanol is renewable,
making it an attractive alternative to fossil
fuels.
Burnable Oils
Burnable oils, also known as biodiesel, are
clean burning, biodegradable, non-toxic and
have gained much attention. Usually made
from vegetable or animal fats, soybeans
have been the crop of choice. Research is
ongoing to find a higher yielding crop that
could eliminate the need for fossil fuels.
Solar Power
Solar power is converting the heat and light
that the sun puts out into energy. Two
forms of solar power, direct and indirect,
are there for the taking. Direct solar energy
is just that - it is the warmth of the sun put
to use. An example is a light mill that is
heated when hit by the sun. The heat in
turn causes the vanes to go around.
Photosynthesis is a form of indirect solar
energy. Sunlight hits a plant, and through
photosynthesis, the plant transforms solar
energy to chemical energy.
Most people are familiar with solar panels.
Solar panels simply take in the sun's light
and heat water for a supply of hot water
for home use, or provide electricity through
photovoltaic panels. Solar energy is used in
three main ways:
Solar cells take the energy directly from
the sun and change the light into
electricity. Calculators are good example
of solar energy at work.
Solar water heating is achieved by glass
panels on a roof. By going this route,
electricity charges are lessened.
The third way is with solar furnaces.