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Energy Renewable Smart National 100% Clean Clean Plug-in
Efficiency Generation Grid Energy Cars
Contents - Renewable Energy Generation
Introduction
Advantages
Clean Renewable Energy Sources
References
The world’s current energy generation relies heavily on fossil fuels such as coal and is unsustainable. Fossil fuels will run out, emit large amounts of greenhouse gases and fuel prices are volatile. Non-polluting alternative energy sources exist and must be used to reduce the world’s carbon emissions. It is not enough to just stabilise them, they must be decreased.
Renewable energy generation technologies like solar thermal, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal and biomass have been adding clean, reliable power to power grids of many countries for decades.
Technology maturity – Renewable power technologies are cutting-edge and come with the associated reliability and enhancements mature technology offers.
No fuel costs – At a time when fossil fuel prices are volatile and will inevitably rise, using renewable will vastly decrease expenditure. This money could be used for other purposes.
Investor support – Alternative energy is not as expensive as it sounds as green technology is popular with investors. During the past few years, clean energy has been among the fastest growing sectors in the venture capital and investment banking worlds – in 2007 global investment in clean energy climbed 60% to $150 billion.1
Resource availability – All the resources are readily available all over the world and will never run out.
Workforce availability – Manufacturing new power plants will not require qualifications. It is easy to learn how to manufacture components, even if a person is from another sector. In Pennsylvania former steel workers are now building wind turbine components. Former appliance manufacturers are doing the same from Iowa. In California and New Jersey, former construction workers are now installing rooftop solar Photovoltaic cells. Creating new power plants will also create crucial jobs during present tough economic times.
Interactive wind power presentation
Solar Thermal
Solar Photovoltaic
Geothermal
Tidal Power
Hydroelectric
1. UNEP.
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=538&ArticleID=5849&l=en
2 Clipper Wind,
http://www.clipperwind.com/pr_073008.html; http://www.census-charts.com/HF/South_Dakota.html
3 Solar Energy Industry Association. "US Solar Industry Year in Review 2007."
Repower America (2008) Renewable Generation [Online] (Date of update unknown)
Available at: http://www.repoweramerica.org/elements/renewable-generation/
[Accessed 18 December 2008]
Background Image:
James Balog, 2007, Mer De Glace Glacier[electronic image]
Available at: environment.nationalgeographic.com
Accessed 27 February 2009 |
Also
See:
Geothermal energy |
Green jobs can save
the economy
|
Power from underneath
the ocean
|
Greenhouse effect |
The world’s largest wind farm, the
Titan Wind Project, will be built in
South Dakota - the 2,000 turbine,
5,050 MW wind farm will provide
enough energy to power 1.5
million homes. 2
These wind turbines are a popular
means of clean, renewable energy.
Interactive presentation
Germany’s solar resources are similar to those of Alaska’s, an desirable solar region. Yet, Germany currently has eight times the installed solar capacity of the entire US due to its supportive policy framework.3
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