Difference between revisions of "Energy"
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[[Image:SOHO solar flare cropped.jpg|right|120px|The sun (image from SOHO spacecraft)]] We have these major sources of energy available to us, in no particular order and not including fossil fuels that we currently rely on for the majority of our energy today: | [[Image:SOHO solar flare cropped.jpg|right|120px|The sun (image from SOHO spacecraft)]] We have these major sources of energy available to us, in no particular order and not including fossil fuels that we currently rely on for the majority of our energy today: | ||
| − | *'''Solar: ''' {{wp|Solar_power|<nowiki>[1]</nowiki>}} {{wp|Photovoltaics|photovoltaics}}, {{wp|Solar_thermal_energy|solar thermal}} (such as [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6616651.stm power tower], {{wp|Ocean_thermal_energy_conversion|ocean thermal energy conversion}} and {{wp|Solar_updraft_tower|solar updraft tower}}). Prospective: {{wp|Solar_power_satellite|solar power satellite}} and [[stratospheric solar array]] | + | *'''Solar: ''' {{wp|Solar_power|<nowiki>[1]</nowiki>}} {{wp|Photovoltaics|photovoltaics}}, {{wp|Solar_thermal_energy|solar thermal}} (such as [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6616651.stm power tower], {{wp|Ocean_thermal_energy_conversion|ocean thermal energy conversion}} and {{wp|Solar_updraft_tower|solar updraft tower}}). Prospective: {{wp|Solar_power_satellite|solar power satellite}}, [[ubiquitous PV]] and [[stratospheric solar array]] |
*'''<!--[[Wind power|Wind]]--> Wind''': land-based wind turbine, off-shore wind turbine. Prospective: {{wp|Airborne_wind_turbine|jet-stream sky windmills}} | *'''<!--[[Wind power|Wind]]--> Wind''': land-based wind turbine, off-shore wind turbine. Prospective: {{wp|Airborne_wind_turbine|jet-stream sky windmills}} | ||
*'''<!--[[Ocean-based power generation|Ocean]]--> Ocean''': wave, tidal, ocean currents | *'''<!--[[Ocean-based power generation|Ocean]]--> Ocean''': wave, tidal, ocean currents | ||
Revision as of 21:49, 31 August 2007
- Solar: [1]
photovoltaics , solar thermal (such as power tower, ocean thermal energy conversion and solar updraft tower ). Prospective: solar power satellite , ubiquitous PV and stratospheric solar array - Wind: land-based wind turbine, off-shore wind turbine. Prospective: jet-stream sky windmills
- Ocean: wave, tidal, ocean currents
- Hydro-electric
- Nuclear: nuclear fission. Prospective: nuclear fusion and accelerator-driven thorium-fuelled energy amplifier
- Geothermal: shallow geothermal heat pumps, volcanic related geothermal and 'hot-dry-rock' geothermal . See also Future of Geothermal Power (in the United States) published by MIT
- Biomass: vegetable oil, compost methane, fermented crop waste, algae, sustainable wood, and clean burning of organic waste, animal dung and rubbish
The energy available from solar and geothermal alone far exceed our current and likely future energy requirements and could sustain humanity indefinitely. Also steadily increasing energy efficiency , due to improved system design and increasing cultural awareness should become a significant factor in our energy usage.
The issue currently is economics. The bottom line is that with the current economic framework it is still 'cheaper' to pump oil out of the ground and burn it to produce power than use other more plentiful, renewable and environmentally benign sources. These alternative energy sources are sitting right in front of us waiting to be harnessed. It may be that open-source methods can by-pass the economics issue to enable plentiful, environmentally friendly power.
