Renewable Energy At Home » alternative energy

What college major would be best for a future career in developing alternative energy sources?

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:49:01 +0000

Which major would be best for a job in cleantech companies or any other alternative energy businesses. I would guess some sort of engineering but I don’t specifically know which type of engineering. Thanks.

The best major would be Environmental Engineering, which deals with the environment, natural resources, consumerism, etc. Your second bet is Chemical Engineering, which has to do with detailed analysis of harmful chemicals, how to get rid of them, etc.

alternative energy ??

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:46:14 +0000

What form of alternative energy should be developed to solve the energy problems that we face today and could possibly face in the future?

Thank You.

All forms of renewable/alternative energy come with their own list of pros and cons.

Windmills are great for producing energy in the plains states and coastal regions, but they are a hazard to birds.

Photovoltaic cells work well just about anywhere in the US. But if we used enough of them to provide a significant amount of our energy, we’d also be contributing to a warmer climate because of the heat being absorbed by the black surfaces of the solar panels.

Hydroelectric dams interfere with wildlife and increase the amount of water that is lost to evaporation.

One of the sources of energy that has the most promising future with regards to having minimal adverse impacts would be that derived from geothermal sources. However, geothermal energy isn’t as widely available as other sources of energy.

The answer might just be that we shouldn’t limit ourselves to any one single source of energy but rather to draw from a variety of sources.

Should we start looking for an alternative energy source in this decade?

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:46:14 +0000

If so, what do you think is the best source of alternative energy?

We should have started decades AGO. Some people think it’s already too late.

For one thing, finding anything that is capable of providing the same amount of energy as easily as petroleum … is doubtful at best.

Additionally, the only way we’re going to make these discoveries is if we make them BEFORE we run out of oil.

Remember, oil is not just for energy. Most everything we use is made by using oil … like plastics.

Best source: solar. We should all have solar cells on our roofs, provided by the federal government.

What will it take for Americans to realize that we need to work even harder to find alternative energy?

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:32:20 +0000

It takes a war for oil, sending our troops to die for oil, gas prices skyrocketing, proposing to drill and destroy Alaska (one of the most beautiful places in the U.S. who’s ecosystem is already suffering from warming due to using gas), global warming and middle eastern powers and terrorists having something we need from them….all these things we do for oil. Isn’t it time we wake up? We need to work harder to find alternative energy!

The oil money has bought the media that is backing Obama so that is why he will not drill and why his alternative energy cannot pan out.
If you want alternative energy which we need in order to be a free country vote for McCain.
Are you kidding McCain will drill and go for alternatives if for no other reason than what has been spent by the Arabs on this election for Obama
BTW Palin can see Russia and I wish you could too
Russia may be able to usurp Saudi Arabia’s role as a primary supplier to the U.S. market.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3251/is_/ai_n25049780

However we still need alternatives because we will soon be ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.
But Obama will not let us do that because his backers think America is a capitalist imperialist pig, they are hard core Islamic Arab Oil interests.

How would you convince the US government to fully support and invest in alternative sources of energy?

admin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:45:45 +0000

I know if the government really put every resource they had into alternative energy, it would become possible to commercialize this industry in as little as 10 years. But 2 decades of war in the Middle East have not encouraged this move, neither have terrorist attacks. Greenland already is moving away from oil as its primary source of energy, why can’t we? We have scientists and MBA’s that are just as brilliant. The only good news I’ve heard is that somewhere in the Midwest, I think it’s Colorado, the state returns some money to homes which use wind-powered energy instead of the traditional forms of energy (oil or electricity). Tax breaks on electric cars are not enough, because I haven’t seen that big of a change in our energy resources yet.

It shouldn’t be the government that does this. I am an Economics major, and spent a semester studying Environmental Economics. The solution can, will, and should come from the private sector. There are many companies out there researching alternate sources of energy, and when it becomes more economical to use these new advances in technology, the market will use them. Right now it is too cost prohibitive to use alternate forms of energy, but as other resources become more scarce, the price of them will go up, and we as a society will use alternate forms of energy, all without having to get the government involved.

alternative energy?

admin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:13:27 +0000

Where can i find schematics or wiring diagrams on a wind baron 750 wind generator?
thanks for your answers guys. Im not using it for my house but I just want to fix it.
also thanks for the links but it wasnt quite what I was looking for.

http://www.fuelefficiency.org/generatorschematics.html

Which countries are leaders in alternative energy source research and utilization?

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:11:30 +0000

Why are these countries so interested in alternative energy?

yaay we are! (sings; rule britannia, brittania rules the waves!)

we have a working tidal stream turbine

http://www.marineturbines.com/

working wave generator farms;

http://www.pelamiswave.com/

two off shore wave power research facilities for new prototypes, one in devon and one in scotland.

come on usa! do keep up!

actually, in terms of per capita generation, the danes, closely followed by the swedes.

edit;
tde, i’m not sure you can count nuclear as ‘alternative’ lol!

I just want to know what is Obama planning to do with alternative energy if he wins the Presidency?

admin — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:25:33 +0000

Obviously, we can’t rely on fossil fuels anymore.

*Please no links. If you’re a die-hard Obama supporter, then please provide me with a one or two sentence summary of his alternative energy plan.
Thanx Danny Boy.

This is what he proposes, from his website:

"Require 25 Percent of Renewable Electricity by 2025: Obama will establish a 25 percent federal Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to require that 25 percent of electricity consumed in the U.S. is derived from clean, sustainable energy sources, like solar, wind and geothermal by 2025.

Clean Technologies Deployment Venture Capital Fund: Obama will create a Clean Technologies Venture Capital Fund to fill a critical gap in U.S. technology development. Obama will invest $10 billion per year into this fund for five years. The fund will partner with existing investment funds and our National Laboratories to ensure that promising technologies move beyond the lab and are commercialized in the U.S

Deploy Cellulosic Ethanol: Obama will invest federal resources, including tax incentives, cash prizes and government contracts into developing the most promising technologies with the goal of getting the first two billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol into the system by 2013.

Double Energy Research and Development Funding: Obama will double science and research funding for clean energy projects including those that make use of our biomass, solar and wind resources.

Convert our Manufacturing Centers into Clean Technology Leaders: Obama will establish a federal investment program to help manufacturing centers modernize and Americans learn the new skills they need to produce green products.

Increase Renewable Fuel Standard: Obama will require 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be included in the fuel supply by 2022 and will increase that to at least 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol by 2030.

Establish a Grant Program for Early Adopters: Obama will create a competitive grant program to award those states and localities that take the first steps to implement new building codes that prioritize energy efficiency.

Reduce Carbon Emissions 80 Percent by 2050
Cap and Trade: Obama supports implementation of a market-based cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions by the amount scientists say is necessary: 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Obama’s cap-and-trade system will require all pollution credits to be auctioned. A 100 percent auction ensures that all polluters pay for every ton of emissions they release, rather than giving these emission rights away to coal and oil companies. Some of the revenue generated by auctioning allowances will be used to support the development of clean energy, to invest in energy efficiency improvements, and to address transition costs, including helping American workers affected by this economic transition.

Expand Locally-Owned Biofuel Refineries: Less than 10 percent of new ethanol production today is from farmer-owned refineries. New ethanol refineries help jumpstart rural economies. Obama will create a number of incentives for local communities to invest in their biofuels refineries.

Renewable Fuels: Obama has worked on numerous efforts in the Senate to increase access to and use of renewable fuels. Obama passed legislation with Senator Jim Talent (R-MO) to give gas stations a tax credit for installing E85 ethanol refueling pumps. The tax credit covers 30 percent of the costs of switching one or more traditional petroleum pumps to E85, which is an 85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline blend. Obama also sponsored an amendment that became law providing $40 million for commercialization of a combined flexible fuel vehicle/hybrid car within five years."

Planning and proposing is one thing, but to actually do it is another. Let’s hope Obama can actually implement and execute what he wants to do if, and only if, he becomes President.

Can we sustain economic growth and switch to alternative energy source in light of the economic crisis?

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:27:42 +0000

How can you prove/What evidence is there to support the fact that we are capable of sustaining economic growth and prosperity while switching to alternative energy sources, even in light of this economic crisis?

Yes. You will be burning furniture to keep warm when you’re living in a tent in a government homeless camp.

What degree would give you adequate knowledge about Alternative Energy?

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:13:17 +0000

I plan on majoring in finance, but I want to go into finance with a specialization in alternative energy sector (or biotech). What would be the ideal degree for this?

Engineering.