Energy Myths and Realities: Bringing Science to the Energy Policy Debate
 | There are many misconceptions about the future of global energy often presented as fact by the media, politicians, business leaders, activists, and even scientists—wasting time and money and hampering the development of progressive energy policies. Energy Myths and Realities: Bringing Science to the Energy Policy Debate debunks the most common fallacies to make way for a constructive, scientific approach to the global energy challenge.When will the world run out of oil? Should nuclear energy b | |
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Carsten Reisinger Illustrations – Wooden mannequin light bulb energy saver saving recycle symbol icon preserve save conserve renewable – Drawing Book – Drawing Book 8 x 8 inch
 | Wooden mannequin light bulb energy saver saving recycle symbol icon preserve save conserve renewable Drawing Book is a great way to start sketching, drawing, designing, scrapbooking, or just jotting down your thoughts. This unique spiral bound hard covered book includes acid free bright white paper and features twin loop wire spring binding. A great alternative to the standard photo album or notebook. Perfect for use with crayons, markers, paints, pastels, stickers, pencils and pens. Great as a | |
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Alternative Energy for the Home
The trend toward homes that are powered by alternative energy sources, ranging from wind turbines and solar collection cells to hydrogen fuel cells and biomass gases, is one that needs to continue into the 21st century and beyond. We have great need of becoming more energy independent, and not having to rely on the supplying of fossil fuels from unstable nations who are often hostile to us and our interests. But even beyond this factor, we as individuals need to get off the grid and also stop having to be so reliant on government-lobbying giant oil corporations who, while they are not really involved in any covert conspiracy, nevertheless have a stranglehold on people when it comes to heating their homes (and if not through oil, then heat usually supplied by grid-driven electricity, another stranglehold).
As Remi Wilkinson, Senior Analyst with Carbon Free, puts it, inevitably, the growth of distributed generation will lead to the restructuring of the retail electricity market and the generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. The power providers may have to diversify their business to make up for revenues lost through household energy microgeneration. She is referring to the conclusions by a group of UK analysts, herself included among them, who call themselves Carbon Free. Carbon Free has been studying the ever-growing trend toward alternative energy-using homes in England and the West. This trend is being driven by ever-more government recommendation and sometimes backing of alternative energy research and development, the rising cost of oil and other fossil fuels, concern about environmental degradation, and desires to be energy independent. Carbon Free concludes that, assuming traditional energy prices remain at their current level or rise, microgeneration (meeting all of one’s home’s energy needs by installing alternative energy technology such as solar panels or wind turbines) will become to home energy supply what the Internet became to home communications and data gathering, and eventually this will have deep effects on the businesses of the existing energy supply companies.
Carbon Free’s analyses also show that energy companies themselves have jumped in on the game and seek to leverage microgeneration to their own advantage for opening up new markets for themselves. Carbon Free cites the example of electricity companies (in the UK) reporting that they are seriously researching and developing ideas for new geothermal energy facilities, as these companies see geothermal energy production as a highly profitable wave of the future. Another conclusion of Carbon Free is that solar energy hot water heating technology is an efficient technology for reducing home water heating costs in the long run, although it is initially quite expensive to install. However, solar power is not yet cost-effective for corporations, as they require too much in the way of specialized plumbing to implement solar energy hot water heating. Lastly, Carbon Free tells us that installing wind turbines is an efficient way of reducing home electricity costs, while also being more independent. However, again this is initially a very expensive thing to have installed, and companies would do well to begin slashing their prices on these devices or they could find themselves losing market share.
Eva-dry Electric Petite Dehumidifier
 | The Eva-Dry Electric Petite Dehumidifier uses Peltier Technology (no compressor) which makes it light and quiet. It is perfect for bathrooms, and small to mid-sized rooms where dampness and humidity are a problem. This unit is small enough to easily fit on your desk or workbench. It extracts the moisture from the air and stores it in a spill-proof reservoir. Just plug it in and it quietly dries the air. Features an automatic shut off switch to shut the unit off when the water reservoir is full. | |
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A Primer on Renewable Energy
 | The power available from a wind turbine depends on the winds, not upon the political orientation of the pundit who extols or maligns the installation. There is no Republican or Democratic version of how much power can come from a hydropower installation. No religious, philosophical, or political view holds sway over the intensity of sunlight.A Primer on Renewable Energy asks to what extent renewable energy sources are adequate to the task of providing our energy. That task involves studying how | |
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Your Questions About Sustainable Energy For All
Lizzie 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:
A minor will only “expose” you to the subject. I don’t think it will have any direct impact on your future employment since it only introduces you the very basic foundations. Referring to what you said about Hydro companies, i think they would much prefer someone with a more suitable background (i.e Civil or Engsci’s Energy Systems Engineering).
Did you know that U of T now allows engineering students to take a minor in the faculty arts & science. Why not choose one of the hundreds of minors available within art&sci? I think something like Chem Eng & Econ/ Chem Eng & Stats would be a good combo.
David asks…
What do you think is stopping human beings around the world from thriving?
People live in poverty, lack access to food, clean water and sustainable energy. People die from starvation, disease and war. Who or what is responsible for this?
Joe – I’m talking about lack of access on a global scale.
It’s time that people start thinking “outside the box.” We close our minds to certain ideas or realities because not doing so would reveal just how dire our situation is. Most of the population have become sheep who have been convinced that they need a shepherd.
just thinking – But why?
admin answers:
The people who have the money and control of it are greedy. They do not care enough to change those things.And the people who do care and try to help do not have the resources to do it.
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Renewable Energy – 36″H x 24″W – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys
 | WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won't damage your paint or leave any mess. PLEASE double check the size of the image you are ordering prior to clicking the 'ADD | |
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Investing in the Renewable Power Market: How to Profit from Energy Transformation (Wiley Finance)
 | The financial challenges facing clean energy installationsThe path to the widespread adoption of renewable energy is littered with major technological legal, political, and financial challenges. Investing in the Renewable Power Market is a reality check for the mass roll out of green energy and its financial dominance of the world energy market, focusing on real energy costs and global energy needs over the next decade. If green energy is to be truly successful, the market must be properly under | |
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Alternative Energy from the Ocean
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) was conceived of by the French engineer Jacques D’Arsonval in 1881. However, at the time of this writing the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii is home to the only operating experimental OTEC plant on the face of the earth. OTEC is a potential alternative energy source that needs to be funded and explored much more than it presently is. The great hurdle to get over with OTEC implementation on a wide and practically useful level is cost. It is difficult to get the costs down to a reasonable level because of the processes presently utilized to drive OTEC. Ocean thermal energy would be very clean burning and not add pollutants into the air. However, as it presently would need to be set up with our current technologies, OTEC plants would have the capacity for disrupting and perhaps damaging the local environment.
There are three kinds of OTEC.
Closed Cycle OTEC uses a low-boiling point liquid such as, for example, propane to act as an intermediate fluid. The OTEC plant pumps the warm sea water into the reaction chamber and boils the intermediate fluid. This results in the intermediate fluid’s vapor pushing the turbine of the engine, which thus generates electricity. The vapor is then cooled down by putting in cold sea water.
Open Cycle OTEC is not that different from closed cycling, except in the Open Cycle there is no intermediate fluid. The sea water itself is the driver of the turbine engine in this OTEC format. Warm sea water found on the surface of the ocean is turned into a low-pressure vapor under the constraint of a vacuum. The low-pressure vapor is released in a focused area and it has the power to drive the turbine. To cool down the vapor and create desalinated water for human consumption, the deeper ocean’s cold waters are added to the vapor after it has generated sufficient electricity.
Hybrid Cycle OTEC is really just a theory for the time being. It seeks to describe the way that we could make maximum usage of the thermal energy of the ocean’s waters. There are actually two sub-theories to the theory of Hybrid Cycling. The first involves using a closed cycling to generate electricity. This electricity is in turn used to create the vacuum environment needed for open cycling. The second component is the integration of two open cyclings such that twice the amount of desalinated, potable water is created that with just one open cycle.
In addition to being used for producing electricity, a closed cycle OTEC plant can be utilized for treating chemicals. OTEC plants, both open cycling and close cycling kinds, are also able to be utilized for pumping up cold deep sea water which can then be used for refrigeration and air conditioning. Furthermore, during the moderation period when the sea water is surrounding the plant, the enclosed are can be used for mariculture and aquaculture projects such as fish farming. There is clearly quite an array of products and services that we could derive from this alternative energy source.
Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation: Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
 | This Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report (IPCC-SRREN) assesses the potential role of renewable energy in the mitigation of climate change. It covers the six most important renewable energy sources - bioenergy, solar, geothermal, hydropower, ocean and wind energy - as well as their integration into present and future energy systems. It considers the environmental and social consequences associated with the deployment of these technologies, and presents strategies to overcome | |
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Your Questions About Renewable Energy
James asks…
What is the role of renewable energy in addressing climate change?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy in to climate change? Whatare the contributions of renewable energy to climate change?
admin answers:
It is a political term to describe power sources that don’t emit much CO2 but which can’t actually provide the power our civilisation needs (so far no country has managed to get much more than 20% of their power from wind or solar and even then they had to rely on their neighbours’ hydro and nuclear as well as their own coal to prevent the grid from collapsing). Hydro is the main renewable energy source for electricity production right now but is opposed by most of the people who claim we need renewable energy (and unlike their opposition to nuclear power they actually have good reasons to oppose hydro).
They are used mainly to delay the switch to nuclear power (which despite being not renewable should be good for millions of years at higher than current energy use) that would allow us to actually solve the global warming problem and thus contribute to global warming by keeping the fossil fuel industry in business.
Basically the way it does that is that a bunch of windmills get built and start supplying power to the grid but because of natural variability in the wind they don’t provide that power all the time (20% of rated capacity is considered pretty good for wind) nor can we control when they provide their power so to use wind power you need a source of backup power that is reliable and usually that means fossil fuels (nuclear could be used but if you use nuclear for that then you may as well not bother with the windmills because the windmills would not reduce CO2 emissions or save money). Solar is less variable but PV cells cost a lot more and it still needs backup at night and partial backup on cloudy days. The need for backup means that the fossil fuel industry still gets to exist (and continue pumping CO2 into the atmosphere) if the way to address (if very badly) climate change is to use wind and solar.
Hydro and geothermal have the reliability to be used for baseload although they only work in some locations and hydro power probably won’t be used where it can be because of the massive environmental damage building a dam causes.
Wave and Tidal power when you calculate how much energy there is turn out to be way too diffuse to be useful. Biofuels show promise but not much because you need land to grow them on and that land could be better used growing food or even being turned back into forest.
William asks…
What’s the difference between renewable energy and environmental resources engineering?
Oregon Tech offers renewable energy engineering and Humboldt State offers environmental resources engineering. When I look at the differences between these 2, I couldn’t tell so what should I do? I’m a senior in highschool with a 3.6 GPA
admin answers:
Oregon tech is a masters degree. Humboldt is a bachelors. The humboldt state program is a more traditional “civil” engineering program, which is sort of parallel to environmental engineering. This is probably the safe bet, as these jobs are always in demand. The civil/environmental/water resource engineer does a variety of work and large and small projects. Treatment plants design, sewer line design, water line design, levee design, floodway studies, water quality studies (streams, lakes, rivers, industrial discharge water quality, etc…). Also, alot of report preparation, dealings with the EPA on almost all projects, public meetings explaining projects, drainage studies, storm drain design, environmental clean-ups… The list goes on…
As for the Oregon tech program, it seems more like a ‘green’ energy engineering program. I only briefly looked at the curriculum, bit it appears that they teach the fundamentals of todays renewable energy markets, and also emphasize research into those technologies. This type of engineering is more volatile and risky from a career standpoint, as those companies who engineer renewable energy are often start-ups, government subsidized, and so forth… With the price of copper so high now, the wind energy market is dying fast, since it is effectively impossible to cost effectively use wind power now… Same with solar, the rare earth minerals needed to produce the panels are in short supply, and getting more and more expensive, and on top of that, I belive the U.S. Has only one location where such minerals are mined, the rest are controlled by the Chinese overseas… Thats worth checking into, but I believe that to be the case currently. At any rate, perhaps the graduates from Oregon Tech will engineer new renewable energy sources that we haven’t heard of yet… That seems like the type of program that is… Highly research and innovation based. So a career in that line of work you have to understand the emerging technologies, strength of the markets, and the politics that usually go hand in hand with renewable energy technologies…
Both are ABET accredited engineering degrees, so you’ll be able to become professionally licensed once you complete your degree… That is a good thing, and you’ll want to avoid a program that isn’t accredited.
Good luck.
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Sunforce 37130 130W Crystalline Solar Panel
 | The Sunforce 130-Watt Crystalline Solar Panel has an aluminum frame for extended outdoor use. The bypass diode minimizes the power drop caused by shade. This unit is ideal for RVs, homes, boats, back-up and remote power use, 12 Volt battery charging, and solar power stations, pumps, and lighting equipment. The solar panel has high efficiency crystalline solar cells, and is easy to install and completely maintenance-free. The solar panel is completely weatherproof, and comes with a 25-year limite | |
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Didax Renewable Energy Kit
 | Help your students change the future! Teach the concepts of renewable and sustainable energy generation through hands-on exploration of solar, wind, and water power. Indoor/outdoor kit has 4 interchangeable monitors and 3 interchangeable power heads, easily snapped into a high-impact plastic base. Includes activities, teacher information, and 20 feet of tubing for water module. Base: 7" x 10". Max. height: 20" | |
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Wind Power for the World: The Rise of Modern Wind Energy (Pan Stanford Series on Renewable Energy)
 | This book sheds light on how the modern 3-bladed wind turbine came into being, and who, how and what in the proceeding period caused the success. It looks back over three decades to find the roots of this exciting development, a long cavalcade of developers, inventors, and manufacturers including the Danish authors who themselves were part of the breakthrough. Written for non-specialists, the book covers minimal science, emphasizing the story of how wind power became a worldwide 30-billion-euro | |
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Renewable Fuels for Alternative Energy
The Germans have really taken off when it comes to renewable fuel sources, and have become one of the major players in the alternative energy game. Under the aegis of the nation’s electricity feed laws, the German people set a world record in 2006 by investing over 10 billion (US) in research, development, and implementation of wind turbines, biogas power plants, and solar collection cells. Germany’s feed laws permit the German homeowners to connect to an electrical grid through some source of renewable energy and then sell back to the power company any excess energy produced at retail prices. This economic incentive has catapulted Germany into the number-one position among all nations with regards to the number of operational solar arrays, biogas plants, and wind turbines. The 50-terawatt hours of electricity produced by these renewable energy sources account for 10% of all of Germany’s energy production per year. In 2006 alone, Germany installed 100,000 solar energy collection systems.
Over in the US, the BP corporation has established an Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) to spearhead extensive new research and development efforts into clean burning renewable energy sources, most prominently biofuels for ground vehicles. BP’s investment comes to 50 million (US) per year over the course of the next decade. This EBI will be physically located at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The University is in partnership with BP, and it will be responsible for research and development of new biofuel crops, biofuel-delivering agricultural systems, and machines to produce renewable fuels in liquid form for automobile consumption. The University will especially spearhead efforts in the field of genetic engineering with regard to creating the more advanced biofuel crops. The EBI will additionally have as a major focal point technological innovations for converting heavy hydrocarbons into pollution-free and highly efficient fuels.
Also in the US, the battle rages on between Congress and the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA). The GEA’s Executive Director Karl Gawell has recently written to the Congress and the Department of Energy, the only way to ensure that DOE and OMB do not simply revert to their irrational insistence on terminating the geothermal research program is to schedule a congressional hearing specifically on geothermal energy, its potential, and the role of federal research. Furthermore, Gawell goes on to say that recent studies by the National Research Council, the Western Governors’ Association Clean Energy Task Force and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology all support expanding geothermal research funding to develop the technology necessary to utilize this vast, untapped domestic renewable energy resource. Supporters of geothermal energy, such as this writer, are amazed at the minuscule amount of awareness that the public has about the huge benefits that research and development of the renewable alternative energy source would provide the US, both practically and economically. Geothermal energy is already less expensive to produce in terms of kilowatt-hours than the coal that the US keeps mining. Geothermal energy is readily available, sitting just a few miles below our feet and easily accessible through drilling. One company, Ormat, which is the third largest geothermal energy producer in the US and has plants in several different nations, is already a billion-dollar-per-year business geothermal energy is certainly economically viable.
Gurin Electric Compact Dehumidifier
 | The Gurin Electric Compact Dehumidifier uses Peltier Technology (no compressor) which makes it light and quiet. It is perfect for bathrooms, and small to mid-sized rooms where dampness and humidity are a problem. This unit is small enough to easily fit on your desk or workbench. It extracts the moisture from the air and stores it in a spill-proof reservoir. Just plug it in and it quietly dries the air. Features an automatic shut off switch to shut the unit off when the water reservoir is full. W | |
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Your Questions About Sustainable Energy Solutions
Mark asks…
Why are there no good suggestions for mitigating CO2 levels?
Most of the “solutions” to global warming are just methods to tax companies for unspecified projects to reduce global warming. Most of the suggested solutions are merely schemes to make companies pay for being big bad meanies. Why are there very few people with actual intelligent solutions for reducing the CO2 in our atmosphere? Yes, burning less fossil fuels would do that, but if we gave up fossil fuels we would have mass starvation on our hands. I’m all for sustainable alternate forms of energy, but what of other solutions, such as devising ways to absorb any extra CO2 in our atmosphere?
admin answers:
The only solution is to enjoy an atmosphere richer in CO2, which, if it continues will be beneficial for plant life… Which will benefit all life on earth.
The more CO2 there is, the more plants use it. Compared to naturally growing plants, we could have no appreciable effect at all. There’s a lot of them, not many of us.
Michael asks…
How to green power my home?
I am a father of 3 and tired of paying these outrageous energy bills monthly. We pay in the neighbourhood of 450 canadaian and its got to end! I have come to the conclusion I am going to invest in renewable energy solutions for my home. I want to FULLY remove my home from the energy grid.
I need to know exactly what I will need? I understand I need solar panels and batteries, or windgenerator and batteries but, what else? What past the batteries in the system will I need?
admin answers:
Buy a book called the Solar Living Sourcebook…
Http://www.amazon.com/Real-Goods-Solar-Living-Sourcebook-12th/dp/091657105X
that’s a description of it, it’s about $25 but it has everything you need to know from start to finish, plus other topics / methods in sustainability/renewable energy
it’s basically the hornbook for sustainable folks…if they don’t own it then they’ve at least heard of it, i promise you that
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Seiko Men’s SNE039 Solar Black Dial Watch
 | Seiko SNE039 Solar Watch runs on Earth's most reliable source of renewable energy! Constant power, courtesy of the sun! This Seiko Solar watch recharges its battery over and over, instead of forcing you to buy new ones! It's an earth-smart design built into a gorgeous silver-tone timepiece that's sure to enhance your look, whether in formal or leisure situations. For durability, scratch-resistant Hardlex crystal covers the case. Stores up to two months of battery life on full solar charge; Black | |
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Wind Power – Renewable Energy Science Kit
 | Build a working wind turbine to harness power out of thin air. Wind is one of the most promising sources of clean, renewable energy available today. Wind energy has been used for centuries to pump water and crush grain in windmills, and is now increasingly being used to generate electricity to power our modern world. Warning Choking Hazard! Contains small parts, not for children under 3. | |
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Your Questions About Renewable Energy Certificates
Mark 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:
While NABCEP or some other certification will not guarantee a job, it does give an advantage to an applicant. They show that the person has at least some basic knowledge and/or skills. It also shows an interest in the industry prior to the job posting.
If you know that you can get a job without it, good for you.
If you have no interest in the industry then don’t bother.
If you want to work in the industry or know what you enough to talk intelligibly about topics relating to renewable energy then get training.
Steven 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:
Marketing. Depending on how recognized that certificate is, it could help a person find a job in that field and increase a person’s knowledge of the field.
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