Solar energy and wind energy – The best alternative energy resources

[Guest HOUSTON21]

News On Renewable Energy resources is gaining a lot of prominence these days. Both private and government agencies are trying their best to find and use the most lucrative renewable energy resource. Have you ever thought about the most convenient renewable energy resource?

The best and the most convenient among the renewable energy resources are solar energy and wind energy. Both these energy resources can easily manage in providing enough energy for worldwide consumption.

Let us consider solar energy first. Here are a few advantages of solar energy, over the other energy resources.

1. You don’t require any specific fuel.

2. This energy usage does not release any harmful pollutants.

3. Solar energy is one of the cost effective modes of renewable energy.

The price of solar energy has decreased with the advancement of newer technologies. The efficiency is also much higher when compared to other renewable energy resources.

Unlike the other energy resources, solar energy is available 24/7, without any break.

Another important energy resource is wind energy. Like solar energy, wind energy is also one of the lucrative alternative energy resources. Here are a few advantages of wind energy, over the other energy resources.

The prices of wind turbines may vary according to various factors like size of the wind farm and location, as these directly influence the cost of installation and wind speed.

But when considered in general terms

If the farm is bigger the production cost would be usually cheaper and if the wind is faster the production cost becomes cheaper.

Wind turbines are lucrative than any other alternative energy resource as

1. It does not require fuel

2. It helps a lot in green house gases elimination

3. It is low-priced and efficient than any fossil fuel power plant

Imagine a proper combination of these two renewable energy resources. It would surely put an end to the present energy crisis.

[Guest m&pc9]

Unlike the other energy resources, solar energy is available 24/7, without any break.

You are going to have to explain that statement.

Its not available with out storage of the energy. And we all know those huge batteries are bad for the environment.

Nuclear energy is to only option.

Edited August 14, 2010 by m&pc9

[greenego]

Before you go out and buy that solar collector or wind mill read the book "Lights Out" by Spencer Abraham, former US Secretary of Energy. Wind and solar will play a part, but they will never alone be the answer to our electrical needs. If we don't start doing something in the near future, the country will look like CA. in the year 2000. Remember the black outs and then governor Gray "out' Davis. TVA resently announced they were going to look at building a small Nuke at the old Breeder site in Oak Ridge. Lets hope this gets done.

[Defender]

North American Platform Against Windpower: Call for Wind Energy 'Reality Check'

4/18/10 10:40 AM

http://www.na-paw.org/na-paw-statement-p.php

Call for Wind Energy ‘Reality Check’

The North American Platform Against Windpower (NA-PAW) was formed in early 2009, following theexample of the European Platform Against Windpower (EPAW) which was founded in Paris onOctober 4, 2008, by French, German, Spanish, and Belgian organizations. Since then, 350 Europeanorganizations from 19 countries have joined EPAW in a call for a halt to industrial wind facilityconstruction to conduct a thorough study of wind power's effects on the environment, people's lives, theeconomy, and the energy system.

Like EPAW, NA-PAW supports renewable energy schemes when they are effective and socially,economically, and environmentally acceptable. Wind energy installations are often pushed throughunder pressure from financial or ideological interest groups with little regard for the communities orecosystems affected. Under the mantle of "clean and green", the claims of wind developers are notsubjected to the proper scrutiny necessary for such large and expensive installations. They are oftenexempted from proper regulatory review that would protect the environment and hosting communities.

The necessarily sprawling facilities, huge towers, and turning blades required to collect such a diffuseresource as wind degrades and fragments wildlife habitat and threatens the health and well-being ofnearby residents. And the effectiveness of large-scale wind energy remains problematic.

Wind power's contribution to reducing COZ emissions or fossil fuel use is limited, becauseother power plants must be kept on line -- and used more often and less efficiently -- tocompensate for the intermittent and variable nature of electricity generated by wind turbines.

Increasing numbers of large wind facilities require thousands of miles of new high-voltagetransmission lines and more control installations to maintain grid stability in the face of theerratic nature of wind energy. These add substantially to the already high costs of wind energyand further degrade the environment while also raising eminent domain issues.

Even after several decades of technical development, wind energy remains economicallyunviable. Wind power devours colossal amounts of public money and depends on artificialmarkets for its existence. Considering the minuscule benefit, our money ought to be betterspent.

Wind facilities are significantly altering the natural and cultural heritage of rural and wildareas that are otherwise protected from such levels of development. They threaten tourism,leisure, and recreation. They have an obvious negative impact on property values, which forhomeowners often represent the fruits of a lifetime of work.

The noise and flicker of giant wind turbines cause loss of sleep, stress, and other health effectsin nearby residents. "Wind turbine syndrome", caused by the effect of low-frequency noise on

the organs of the inner ear, is widely reported.

Wind facilities imperil wildlife and destroy natural habitats which have hitherto escaped thedestructive powers of earth-moving equipment, concrete operations, and other highly invasivehuman activities.

The North American Platform Against Windpower therefore calls for a "reality check" on industrialwind energy, to examine its actual record and cumulative impacts.

Carbon savings: How much carbon dioxide is emitted during the manufacture, shipping,construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of wind energy facilities? Howmuch is potential carbon displacement reduced by the indirect effects of grid integration, suchas preferred response with hydro or lower-carbon natural gas, or extra COZ emitted due tomore frequent ramping or running fossil fuel–fired stations at lower efficiency incompensating for the power fluctuations of wind-generated electricity?

Economic impact: What are the direct and indirect costs of wind power, including the impacton overall public expenditure and, over the long term, on electricity charges for consumers.Cost analysis should include subsidies, fiscal advantages, regulatory tariffs, and specialmarkets which benefit the wind industry, and the cost of building power stations and/orstorage mechanisms to balance unstable wind power, upgrading and installing power lines totransport wind power from remote areas to load centers, building control centers to regulatethe wind's unpredictable variability, and upgrading electricity networks. What is the actualcost to hosting communities?

Social impact: What is the impact of wind energy facilities on quality of life and ruralamenity? What are the effects of changes to the environment on local residents and visitors?What is the impact of wind facilities on property values, recreation, and tourism?

Health impact: What is the impact of wind energy facilities on human health? Existing "gagorders" in leases and easements must be cut through to determine the full range of healtheffects caused by noise, flicker, and possible ground current from buried cables.

Environmental impact: What natural habitats and otherwise protected landscapes have beenand will be sacrificed as a result of erecting wind energy facilities? What are the individualand cumulative effects of existing and proposed wind energy facilities and associatedinfrastructure on wildlife and ecosystems? What is the extent to which the construction andoperation of wind turbine facilities pollute the ground cover, topsoil, groundwater, streams,and rivers? Particular attention should be paid to the effects on the environment ofcontamination resulting from lubricants leaking from worn or collapsed wind turbines,detergents used to remove dirt and insects from turbine blades, the large-scale use of concretefor their bases, the excavation and compacting of the area around the towers, and theconstruction of access roads.

Documentation continues to grow of the negative effects of industrial wind turbines on people,landscapes, tourism, property values, wildlife, and public budgets. A "reality check" is long overdue.

North American Platform Against Windpower

[Desert Rat]

Thanks for bringing the reality point of view into this discussion. Wind and solar are anything but environmentally friendly. Nuclear is the most ECO friendly option that is currently available for electricity.

[1gewehr]

I'd like to point out that California has huge wind farms near Mojave and est of Berkeley. Even with massive subsidies, they do not produce energy at a cost that competes with fossil fuel sources. Mostly because the maintenance costs have proven to be enormous and the initial capital outlay is more than you would think.

"Unlike the other energy resources, solar energy is available 24/7, without any break."

:dropjaw:Huh? Run that by me again.

[Magiccarpetrides]

There is a major company working on a better storage solution battery wise for people with solar energy...I believe it basically has a cooler around the battery....i will try to see If I can google it...if it becomes mainstream solar will improve greatly....however for the masses atomic energy is the only way to go...course if a plant ever melted down Chernobyl style near our residence I would probably sing a different tune.

[Magiccarpetrides]

Side note:...I had a customer about a year ago from Ohio thats been off the power grid since 1979 due to having solar energy. If I lived out in the "sticks" *cough* desertrat *cough* I would probably have some solar power ;-D

[greenego]

however for the masses atomic energy is the only way to go...course if a plant ever melted down Chernobyl style near our residence I would probably sing a different tune.

This is one of the problems with have with building nukes, the public believing we can have a Chernobyl type accident. The reactor at Chernobyl didn't have a containment structure. It was also a graphite reactor. Very different from US nukes. If want to worry about a nuke plant accident, look at Three Mile Island or Browns Ferry. These plants had problems 30 years ago. Do you think the safety has been improved since then? How much radiation was released at TMI? Nukes are the way to go.

[Desert Rat]

I did look into that before deciding what to build in 06 and I do have solar on my 5th wheel but it will not drive AC or the refrigerator so the fridge is gas and I was paying 40 a week or more for propane in Nov through April when the electricity was turned on here. The return on investment was negative according to average life expectancy for solar panels and storage batteries. I do use CFL and low energy appliances. I also went overboard on insulation because that cost is recoverable in 5 years or less.

[greenego]

I did look into that before deciding what to build in 06 and I do have solar on my 5th wheel but it will not drive AC or the refrigerator so the fridge is gas and I was paying 40 a week or more for propane in Nov through April when the electricity was turned on here. The return on investment was negative according to average life expectancy for solar panels and storage batteries. I do use CFL and low energy appliances. I also went overboard on insulation because that cost is recoverable in 5 years or less.

To use your system for AC you would have to have an inverter. You probably chose the best option.

[Currently]

Wind energy is raising eyebrows when the hidden costs are revealed.

Maine started a windfarm fast track program and now seeing these issues arise and are having second thoughts.

Those people that live next to the wind generators are bothered by the noise and their real estate values plummeted as a result of this. Once you factor in the costs of bringing the energy to market; wind farms have to be in remote areas, the costs make it not worth it.

Solar is getting more efficient and is perfect as a secondary powersource. Its highest production is at the time of the highest demand and with the incentives given, will make it more attractive in the coming years.

[Guest db99wj]

When I flew to Oregon last year, you could see tons of windfarms on ridges from Colorado to Oregon. On a side note, I saw a blade of a turbine going down the road Saturday, those things are huge!