...The Future of Energy In the world that we live in today there are a vast array changes going on in the world of energy, from the materials used to create it to the different types of applications in which the energy created can be used. Some of these changes have been made out of necessity and others from pure genius innovation. In this document we will discuss some of these new energy technologies and how these technologies will provide a cleaner and more efficient source of energy as we look into the future. The Sun’s energy has been harnessed for close to two and a half centuries when a Swiss scientist, Horace-Benedict de Saussure, created an insulated box covered with three layers of glass to absorb heat energy in 1767. We have come a long way since then in the various applications that we use the Sun’s energy for in today’s world. In 2012 the people of India built one of the world’s largest applications of using the Sun’s energy and transforming it into electrical energy. The Gujarat Solar Park is a collection of solar farms scattered around the Gujarat region, boasting a combined installed capacity of 605 megawatts of power that is completely harnessed from the Sun’s rays. Advancements in solar technology are being made every day. Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Central Florida in Orlando may be one step closer to tapping into the full potential of solar cells. The team found a way to create large sheets of...
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...Stafford December 13, 2012 Energy of The Future In today’s day and age roughly sixty percent of citizen of the United States get their electricity from fossil fuels. This is not too bad but this is still a problem due to the fact that it causes a lot of pollution from the burning of fossil fuels. Out of one hundred percent, wind energy is responsible for giving four percent of the American population electricity. The atmosphere is not going to get better on its own so we must take action from moving from burning fossil fuels to renewable energy like wind energy. Although it would be a very slow process, the atmosphere and the wallets of every American family would benefit from the change. Wind energy, unlike fossil fuels, is available through wind turbines. These tall towers with huge blades move in a circular motion where they capture wind in between the blades. The blades in a turbine are connected to a shaft inside and this only has 18 rpm (rotation per minute), which is nowhere near enough to create electricity for homes. So because of this the shaft is connected to a series of gears that roughly has 1800 rotations per minute. With the gears moving 1800 times a minute this creates electricity, which is transmitted to a generator. From there, the turbine is connected to a transformer, which increases the voltage of the electricity in order for it to flow through the transmission lines. Once the electricity reaches the transmission lines the energy flows to the grids of electric...
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...Energy sources are used as fuels. Fuel is burned in machinery to create motion that we use in our cars or heat in a home energy system. When fuels are used for producing electricity, heat or motion causes a generator to rotate, creating electricity for everyday use in homes and businesses. Energy sources can be classified into two types: nonrenewable and renewable. Nonrenewable resources, such as fossil fuels and nuclear material. Fossil fuels were formed from the fossilized remains of tiny plants and animals that lived long ago. Most electricity used in the world is generated from power plants that burn fossil fuels to heat water and make steam. The highly pressurized steam is directed at turbine blades to make them spin. Nonrenewable resources cannot be replenished. We have limited supplies of them, and when these supplies are gone we will not have any more. These resources have been the most used type of energy in the modern era. Renewable resources, such as wind, water, solar, and geothermal, come from sources that regenerate as fast as they are consumed and are continuously available. Renewable energy resources can be replenished in a short period of time, so they will never be all used up. Some, such as biofuel produced from food crops and other plants, are replenished every growing season. In the early part of the twenty-first century, renewable sources have become more popular as nonrenewable sources have begun to be depleted. Energy companies around the country are...
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...The United States nuclear energy sector stands at a crossroads. We have the opportunity to resume construction of new nuclear plants, revive a once-vital nuclear supply chain, explore and deploy new technologies and reclaim our place as a global leader in the production of nuclear energy. If we do, this nation will reap the benefits: abundant, emissions-free baseload electric power and process heat for industry and substantial economic growth. Additionally, the United States will reestablish its leadership in global nuclear energy and nonproliferation policy, which is directly related to the credibility and vitality of our own nuclear industry. But the rebirth of the American nuclear industry is not guaranteed. The lead times are long, and the costs of building new plants and developing new technologies are high. The various private sector firms that will ultimately decide the future of nuclear energy—through what they design, finance, purchase and build—all must consider the complex economics of such huge investments. This is made all the more difficult in the face of substantial uncertainties about broad government policies, specific regulatory actions and the price and availability of other energy sources. Indeed, the future of nuclear energy is dependent upon an interwoven set of decisions made by both the public and private sectors. On the one hand, private industry cannot act without clear, stable policies and active involvement from the...
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...------------------------------------------------- HISTORY OF JAPANESE SOLAR ENERGY A. The Beginning i. The Boom of Solar Power One of the most significant and perceptible booms in the country of Japan recently is one that will probably broaden and remain an enduring fixture, unlike other technological booms that are going on in Japan. Utilizing solar energy from the sun’s rays to heat water has long been frequent in Japan for some time. Nevertheless, in the last decade a collection of photovoltaic cell panels have began to appear mostly everywhere, via the rooftops of homes, businesses, airport terminals, large factories and schools. The most interesting thing about this obvious growth though has been the large number of new homes having solar energy being incorporated into their designs. It’s amazing to see houses being retrofitted with solar panels on their rooftops across Japan. A decade ago, Japan took the lead as the nation producing the majority power from solar energy, a lead which has expanded during the years with production passing 1.13 million kilowatts during the year of 2005. Similar to the case during the 1960s, it’s the exports that are obtaining the headlines, although it’s domestic demand that is actually countersigning the “Solar Boom”. The number one market leader in solar energy in Japan is Sharp Corporation, this industry have reinvested deeply into their production capacity, other manufactures of solar energy are mobilizing into the business as high demand continues...
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...Can nuclear energy be a main alternative energy socio-economically rather than other alternative energy to decrease global warming? Introduction Nowadays it seems that most people recognize about the severity of global warming. Houghton (1997) believes that increasing alternative energy rather than using fossil fuels is very important to decrease global warming. Therefore, I chose this topic: Can nuclear energy be a main alternative energy socio-economically rather than other alternative energy to decrease global warming? This assignment will identify why serious global warming started and discuss about nuclear energy as an alternative energy. Finally, it will be examined how people think about nuclear energy used to decrease global warming. Global warming by human activity According to Houghton (1997), since Industrial Revolution fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas are being burnt worldwide rapidly and a lot of carbon dioxide from burning the fossil fuels is promoting global warming. Giddens (1998) stated that many scientists believe the main cause of global warming is carbon dioxide increased. Carbon dioxide which is one of green house gas such as methane, water vapour and nitrous oxide absorbs heat and then re-emit on the earth. So, with carbon dioxide increase, temperature rises on the earth (Carter, 2010) Wyatt (2008) stated that “Industrial revolution stimulated a major increase in production and mass consumption. The ancient sources of power-human...
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...Alternative Energy or Alternative Future Throughout the course of history, technological breakthroughs have paved the way for human advancement in all areas. Civilization has advanced so fast that the results from the breakthroughs are now having an impending damaging effect on the environment. Environmental degradation has long been a threat but presently this threat is exponentially greater since it has been compounding within the last century. These threats have forced the hand in researching and developing alternative technologies to maximize the potential of renewable energy sources. The requirement to reduce harmful emissions, toxins and pollutants needs to be a main concern. The ongoing change of this world deserves a modified stance on how it needs to be guarded. This world needs to shift priorities in order to develop alternative energy sources further so reliance on fossil fuels will decrease to prevent any additional environmental ruin. A key approach to alleviating the process of the evolving global warming issue is to reduce the GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions released in to the environment. Global warming causes a slow increase in the temperature worldwide. The continued temperature increase will cause drastic ecological changes affecting the world. According to Mckibben from Sojourners Magazine, “Global warming isn't happening slowly, and it's not a problem (just) for the future. We've already burned enough coal and gas and oil to increase the temperature...
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...The Future of Energy: Rooftop Solar Panels Coal fired energy plants have long been recognized as extremely damaging to the environment. The role of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, in precipitating climate change is well documented. Carbon-dioxide emissions have increased manifold since the Industrial Revolution and have led to an increase in the Earth’s temperature in the past 50 years, worsening forest fires, drought and coastal flooding among other disastrous side effects of climate change, according to the U.S. Global Change Research Program. (NOAA National Climatic Data Center). In Kentucky where 91% of its power is generated from coal (Department for Energy Development and Independence; Kentucky Coal Association), there is a great impetus for utilities to cut down on carbon emissions. Unfortunately current efforts to reduce carbon emissions are largely insufficient because they do not attempt to reduce America’s and Kentucky’s overreliance on fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. Rather, currently adopted technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS) and natural gas-fired plants that halve carbon emissions merely seek to reduce the environmental impact while still relying on fossil fuels for energy. (Nijhuis) (Breeze) For a solution to be viable in the long run, it must propose an alternative energy source to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels for energy which is the root cause of excessive carbon emissions. Investing in renewable energy like solar power is...
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...I believe that the future nuclear power plant in the East Pennsboro Township, should not be built. The current effects of both the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants are something to consider before the construction of this power plant. While TMI was safely decommissioned, we learned during TMI’s years of service that accidents can happen and the disadvantages still outweigh the advantages of nuclear energy. As you know the chain reaction caused a meltdown and radiation leak throughout the plant. Also, many wrong decisions during the management of the Chernobyl nuclear plant caused a big nuclear explosion, just like in Fukushima where the operations done by the staff were highly questionable. Even with the advanced technology we...
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...The Future of Energy: Guiding Decisions with Evidence In order to reduce the negative environmental impacts of an ever growing human population and increasing demands for energy as technological advances continue, individual countries, states, cities and even households have the opportunity to shift their energy sources to those that are renewable. However, not all locations are equally amenable to any particular form of energy. For this assignment you will assess your own location, existing energy use, the advantages and disadvantages of different energy sources, and ways to reduce energy demand through conservation. Be sure to explore the following resources to begin your research and to support your ideas with supporting facts. While the provided resources focus on the United States, you are welcome to explore the energy situation within your own state of residence, one that you would like to live in or have visited in the past, and also an international location. In order to focus your discussion, be sure to focus on a specific region. Resources: * U.S. Department of Energy: * http://www.energysavers.gov/ * http://energy.gov/ * U.S. Energy Information Administration: http://205.254.135.7/ * State energy profiles provided by the U.S.E.I.A.: http://www.eia.gov/state/ * National Renewable Energy Laboratory: http://www.nrel.gov/ * Energy4Me: http://www.energy4me.org/energy-facts/energy-sources/ Your assignment should be written in an...
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...The interest group that I chose is the Energy Future Coalition. It was formed in 2002 with interest in three primary issues: how dependent we are on oil, the risks of climate change, and most of the world's lack of access to energy. By focusing on effecting policy changes that will provide a "clean energy future", the group hopes to address and implement solutions for each of these three issues. Just a year after it was formed, the group released its initial report and has actively been talking with important people in the realms of the environment, energy and climate. Their broad agenda includes lowering the cost of energy, increasing energy efficiency, and increasing the use of more renewable energy sources. In the short thirteen years since its formation, it has launched several initiatives including the...
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...The Future of Energy: Guiding Decisions with Evidence SC300 October 16, 2012 Kaplan University The Future of Energy: Guiding Decisions with Evidence Here in my home I try and do what I can to conserve energy. I use a low flow water head on my shower and I rarely use the bathtub. I keep my water heater set at 120 degrees. I buy only compact florescent bulbs for my lights. I keep my thermostat no higher than 68 degrees, even if that means wearing hoodies inside when it feels chilly. There are other things I should do to conserve. I need to add more insulation to my attic, turn off my electronic devices when not in use, and upgrade some of my appliances to newer energy efficient ones. (I did just upgrade my washer and dryer). On an average day it is amazing to think of the energy that I use. My cell phone, which I have to recharge, is my alarm clock. I use the water heater when I shower. My furnace heats the house now that it’s gotten colder out. I use my stove or microwave to make something to eat. The refrigerator keeps my food cold. I use my computer to do my homework on. I have to drive myself to work because there is no public transportation where I live. I do not have central air conditioning in my home, and although I have window a/c units, I really try and not use them. Luckily my house sits where trees do most of the shading during the summer months. Over the course of a year my energy needs vary very little. The only difference is not using...
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...* In the Lake Michigan food web, is it possible to identify the most important producer? Why or why not? It is not possible to identify the most important producer. There are multiple consumers which are consumed by several different primary consumers. The image was blurry so it was difficult to determine what everything was in the food web. * What would happen if there was a change in the population size for any one of the producers (either an increase or a decrease)? How could these changes impact other producers and organisms on other trophic levels? If there were an increase in population in any one of the producers, they would begin to dominate the other producers and therefore would increase the number of consumers which feed on the producer. If there were a decrease in one of the producers then there may be a decrease in consumers that are reliant on the producer for food or the consumer could choose a different producer. If the consumer chose a different producer for food, the result would be a depletion of this producer. It could end up like a snowball effect by one affecting the other. * Provide at least two types of impacts that humans could have on this food web. Burning of coal can cause air pollution which can cause acid rain and change the ecosystem of the lake. http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c02b.html Dumping of toxins into the lake which could disrupt producers and have an effect on producers. * Read the description of the sea...
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...Solar Energy: The Present and Future of the Middle East Aalim Saleem The American University of Sharjah Dr. Victoria Amador November 22, 2015 Abstract Solar energy, a pure and limitless amount of energy, has been one of the rising and popular forms of power in the Middle East. A region that is solely dependent on oil and gas as a form of energy. Since oil and gas is non-renewable and also damages the environment severely, countries in the Middle East have turned to a different form of energy. solar energy has become its direct competitor in recent years. The different projects and prospects that each country in the Middle East is pushing towards is a clear example of how important solar energy has become to these countries. Increase in economy and the many advantages of having solar energy for the environment are two benefits that this source of power is capable of providing to these countries. A limitation of solar panels is an aspect that helps gives both sides to this research paper. Accordingly this research paper discusses how all these factors are benefiting the Middle East and hence should solar energy be the main source of energy in this region. Solar Energy: The Future and Present of the Middle East Solar energy is the energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy. It is one of the most abundant and cleanest renewable energy sources available, since it’s directly obtained from the sun. Solar energy has been around since the time...
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...The Benefits Of Powering Our Future With Nuclear Energy February 26, 2015 The Benefits Of Powering Our Future With Nuclear Energy A significant issue that impacts the American economy today is the increasing demand for energy, the availability of fuel, and the rising cost of electricity. There are many Americans who have anti-nuclear views for many different reasons related to safety, security and economics. These Americans oppose the construction of new nuclear plants because they are focused solely on the potential negative aspects of nuclear power generation such as radiation exposure and terrorism. These concerns are legitimate; however, evidence suggests that America should support building more nuclear power plants because nuclear power is a safe, economic and environmentally sound energy source. In exploring the safety aspects of nuclear power generation, we find that one of the most prevalent reasons that people are opposed to nuclear plant construction is their fear of the risks that are associated with radiation exposure. When nuclear power is generated, material is produced that emits radiation. This material can come into contact with people during routine power plant operation. In addition, radiation can be released during nuclear power plant accidents, and transportation of nuclear material. As described by University of Pittsburgh Professor Bernard Cohen, “radiation exposure can damage biological cells and thereby initiate a cancer and cause genetic diseases”...
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