Monthly Archives: November 2013

Your Questions About Renewable Energy Definition

Linda asks…

Is tidal Power tiddle power compared to the power of the Nukes Industry?

Slim Footwear (Greenpeace) responding to Chris Hulme’s announcement that 8 Nuclear Power Stations are to be built and the Green Energy tidal generation plans will be scrapped.
“Lib Dem voters backed a party that supported renewable energy and opposed taxpayer handouts to the nuclear industry..”

admin answers:

It depends largely on how you cost the two proposals. If you ignore the cost of decomissioning and waste treatment, then nuclear power is more economical.

If however, you factor in the cost of decomissioning and treatment of waste – the case for nuclear power becomes very, very difficult to support. That’s just the financial cost – there’s also human costs as regards unwanted land use.

Tidal power – by definition – does not take up any land, other than to manufacture the equipment.

This is very disappointing.

Paul asks…

What is the difference between renewable and sustainable energy sources?

Can something be sustainable but not renewable?

admin answers:

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources—such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat—which are renewable (naturally replenished)Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources.

Each of these sources has unique characteristics which influence how and where they are used.

Sustainable energy sources are most often regarded as including all renewable sources, such as biofuels, solar power, wind power, wave power, geothermal power and tidal power. It usually also includes technologies that improve energy efficiency

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Some Suppliers of Alternative Energy

Amelot Holdings is a company which presently specializes in the development of biodiesel and ethanol plants throughout the US. Amelot’s objective is to establish relationships between various suppliers of alternative energy who are biodiesel and ethanol researchers or producers to further their ends with long-term profitability and growth in mind. Amelot furthers the cause of these alternative energy suppliers through the formulation of joint ventures, mergers, and construction contracts.

Environmental Power is an alternative energy supplier that has two subsidiary companies. One of these is Microgy, which is Environmental Power’s research and development arm. Microgy is a developer of biogas facilities for the cost-effective and environmentally clean production of renewable energy derived from food and agricultural waste products. These biogas fuels can be used in a number of different applications. They can be used in combustion chamber engines, used directly to make fossil fuel reliance less of a need, or cleaned up to meet natural gas standards and then piped to offices or homes for heating. Environmental Power’s other subsidiary is Buzzard Power. Buzzard has an 83 megawatt power facility which generates green energy from mined coal waste. Environmental Power says of itself, we have a long and successful history of developing clean energy facilities. Since 1982 we have developed, owned and operated hydroelectric plants, municipal waste projects, coal-fired generating facilities and clean gas generation and energy recovery facilities. We are proud to have a management team and board of directors comprised of leaders from both the public and private sectors, including the energy, agriculture and finance industries.

Intrepid Technology and Resources, Inc, is a company that processes waste into natural gas as an alternative source of energy. The company’s vision centers on the fact that the US produces two billion tons of animal waste every year, while at once the US’ supply of natural gas is dwindling. ITR builds organic waste digesters local to sites of organic waste. These facilities produce, clean, and distribute the methane gas from the organic waste methane gas is a viable alternative to natural gas. ITR is presently operating in Idaho with plans for national expansion.

Nathaniel Energy is a company with the objective of protecting the environment and minimizing total cost of business ownership. The Nathaniel Energy Total Value Preservation System (TVPS) gives companies unique benefits through Nathaniel’s recognition of the alternative energy potential of materials that are usually seen as nothing more than waste or pollutants. Nathaniel Energy’s technology allows it to extract and transform into alternative energy virtually all of the potential energy locked in waste materials. All of this is produced at almost no additional cost beyond what a company would have had to spend in order to install pollution control and prevention systems. Nathaniel Energy’s innovative TVPS recovers valuable resources which other processes fail to. Throughout the entire process, the maximum amount of valuable material is recovered for reuse, which results in lowered costs and environmental protection. Usual pollution cleanup and control processes treat these materials as mere contaminants that are either destroyed or discarded. The TVPS therefore decreases the total cost of business ownership through the provision of an additional stream of income.

Your Questions About Sustainable Energy Companies

Michael asks…

Can there ever be a sustainable company?

That is, a company that uses completely renewable energy and does not waste any of earth’s resources or pollutes the environment. Plus also produces ethical goods (ie. not made from animals) and workers are well paid, etc. There is no company at present that can fulfill all elements of sustainability; but can there be one? Please state your sources as well. Thanks.

admin answers:

No company on earth can function effectively under the parameters you describe. To make anything, ANYthing, requires resources, which in turn creates waste products. Workforces do not work for nothing and will not work for what they are worth. They will always want more, which in turn means the employer can afford to employ fewer of them and they will have to do more work per head as a consequence. Try working for yourself for a while and you will see what I mean.

Sharon asks…

Major in ChemEng, and minor in sustainable energy, good idea?

I want to do a Major and Minor, University of Toronto offers chemical engineering program and it says i can minor in 1) sustainable energy 2) environmental engineering 3) biomedical engineering

I would choose 1) because i think it has the highest demand in the future.

So, will I be able to find a job with a minor in like lets say, Hydro company with my minor in sustainable energy.

Does having a minor really help?

admin answers:

You have a winning combination./

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Your Questions About Renewable Energy Certificates

Richard asks…

What possible reason could anybody ever have for wanting to get a renewable energy training certificate?

What possible reason could anybody ever have for wanting to get a renewable energy training certificate?

admin answers:

With engineering, manufacturing, agriculture, and customer support all outsourced to other countries what is left are the jobs that have to be done locally. This includes jobs to come to a customers home to survey, install and service their energy use.

Lisa asks…

What possible reason could anybody ever have for wanting to get a renewable energy training certificate?

What possible reason could anybody ever have for wanting to get a renewable energy training certificate?

admin answers:

To be a salesman perhaps is all it is really good for.

Most of that training is too short to go into any real depth or address any real issues such as structural integrity, windloading, building code issues, electrical code issues, and applicable state laws. As a standalone seminar, it is only consciousness rasing. If it is not part of an established curriculum in technical colleges, or universities- it has no recognizable value to the people doing the hiring. Who is accediting them? Another 501C3? Or a legit accredition agency like “North Central?”

If it is just another 501C3- save your money.

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Your Questions About Sustainable Energy For All

Joseph asks…

United Nations resolutions that China has signed concerning renewable energy?

I know that China has a lot of renewable energy in their country but i’m in Model United Nations and I’m having a hard time finding *specific* resolutions or acts that China has signed or agreed to from the United Nations. If someone could direct me to a website or a name of a resolution concerning sustainable energy It would be much appreciated!

admin answers:

Here is a list; http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sgsm12381.doc.htm

Maria asks…

What engineering major am I looking for?

The development of a sustainable energy source has fascinated me for years. During the past few years, I have tinkered with wind turbines, solar panels, and other types of renewable energy sources. I do not want to confine my education to the already existing energy sources (wind, energy, solar, thermal, etc) because I believe that a revolutionary, sustainable energy source will be discovered – like zero point energy. Does anyone have any suggestions for possible engineering fields that are centered on the development of sustainable energy sources?

admin answers:

I am a mechanical engineer graduate with masters. I would say mechanical engineering for two reasons. First, I think it suits exactly what you want to do (wind turbines, solar panels, energy sources, solar thermal etc) are all completely mechanical engineering related, I did most of them myself. Secondly, suppose you were to change your mind and for instance, would like to go to the finance sector. I think that institutions prefer hiring mechanical engineers than other types of engineers because its the toughest and they are generally perceived as the most competent.

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Investments in Alternative Energy

It is possible to have a portfolio which profitably (that’s the key word, is it not?) invests in alternative energy funds. Green energy production is expected to be a multi-billion (in today’s dollars) industry by 2013.

The most recently developed wind-turbine technologies have brought us wind-produced energy which is more cost efficient as well as more widespread. More state-of-the-art wind energy technologies are typically more market competitive with conventional energy technologies. The newer wind-power technologies don’t even kill birds like in days of old! Wind energy production is a growing technology, and companies engaged in it would make up an excellent part of a growth or aggressive growth portfolio.

Next to consider are solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, technologies. These are to be found implemented in pocket calculators, private property lights, US Coast Guard buoys, and other areas. More and more they find their way onto the roofs of housing and commercial buildings and building complexes. Cost is falling. Their energy efficiency (the ratio of the amount of work needed to cause their energy production versus the actual energy production) is steadily on the rise. As an example, the conversion efficiency of silicon cells has increased from a mere four percent in 1982 to over 20% for the latest technologies. Photovoltaic cells create absolute zero pollution as they are generating electrical power. However, photovoltaic cellls are not presently as cost effective as utility produced electricity. PV cells are not [capable at present for producing industrial-production amounts of electricity due to their present constraints on space. However, areas where photovoltaic cell arrays could be implemented are increasingly available. In sum, costs are going down while efficiency is rising for this alternative fuel technology.

Many alternative energy investment portfolio advisers are confident that alternative energies derived from currents, tidal movement, and temperature differentials are poised to become a new and predominant form of clean energy. The French are actually fairly advanced at hydro power generation, and numerous studies are being made in Scotland and the US along these sames lines. Some concerns center around the problems with the deterioration of metals in salt water, marine growth such as barnacles, and violent storms which have all been disruptions to energy production in the past. However, these problems for the most part seem to be cured through the use of different, better materials. Ocean-produced energy has a huge advantage because the timing of ocean currents and waves are well understood and reliable.

Investments in hydro-electric technology have grown in the last two decades. Hydro-electric power is clean however, it’s also limited by geography. While already prominent as power generation, the large, older dams have had problems with disturbing marine life. Improvements have been made on those dams in order to protect marine life, but these improvements have been expensive. Consequently, more attention is now being paid to low-impact run-of-the-river hydro-power plants, which do not have these ecological problems.

The reality is, the energy future is green, and investors would do well to put their money out wisely, with that advice in their minds.