Whether or not you’re ready to heat your entire house using solar energy, there are some simple ways you can start going solar. Imagine how much you would save each month simply by using the sun for all your cooking needs? What you will want to look for are sun ovens, and they can satisfy all your cooking needs if so desired. You can purchase a solar cooking device for approximately one hundred dollars, and just give it about an hour or so and it is ready to go. As you can see, this is just one example of what you can do to take care of your cooking needs and save money.

If you want the luxury of a swimming pool or hot tub, you can have one that’s environmentally friendly if it’s solar powered. The traditional approach here has been with gas units or those powered by electricity. Accomplishing this is not terribly involved, and in fact you can purchase a kit to make the change from electric/gas to solar. So it is very clear that you can take advantage of the benefits of solar power to heat your pool or anything else.

Solar energy can easily be used with greenhouses to help your plants stay healthy and grow better. What you can also do is buy material that will protect the plants from extremes of outside weather changes. That approach will make it possible to grow the plants you like regardless of how low the temps drop.

A solar powered greenhouse can maintain an environment that’s warm all year round. You could even visit local nurseries to find out what they use. Growing food is another option that we are sure somebody does, and you will save even more with that.

Solar energy truly is your friend, and it is available for anyone with motivation to use it. Some people only decide to have a few solar power devices in and around their home, and that is fine too. There are also other means of alternative and renewable energy sources, so do not limit yourself in any way.

When you really look at it, solar energy and alternative energy are more popular because people are genuinely concerned about making a difference. It really does seem practical to use solar power because all the efforts are geared to making it more affordable rather than more costly. If you have been sitting on the fence with solar energy, then maybe you should take a closer look.

The Original Post is Located Here: Why Solar Energy Makes Good Sense

Floating Solar Panels: Solar Installations on Water

Most of the solar energy systems on the market today bare two major weaknesses: they require vast land areas in order to be built, and the costs related to solar cells fabrication and maintenance are high. A new technology is about to overcome these challenges and many more: floating solar power plants.

Developed by a Franco-Israeli partnership,* this innovative solar power technology introduces a new paradigm in energy production. Solar power plays a dominant role in the world-wide effort to reduce greenhouse gases, it is considered a clean energy and is an efficient source of electricity. Yet several obstacles have been undermining the expansion of this sector and many of its actors are looking for a new approach towards the markets.

A win-win Situation
Soon after the design phase was over, at the end of March 2010, the fabrication of a prototype began and the team is now aiming to launch the implementation phase in September 2011. The tests will take place at Cadarache, in the South East of France, the site having a privileged position on the French electric grid and being close to a local hydro-electric facility providing the water surface to be used for the installation of the system. It will operate on-site during a period of nine months, while assessing the system’s performances and productivity through seasonal changes and various water levels. The research team members believe that by June 2012, they will have all the information required to allow the technology’s entry on the market.

Floating solar panels (Credit: Image courtesy of Eureka)

After solving the question of space, the team also took on the problem of cost. “It sounds magical to combine sun and water to produce electricity, but we also have to prove that it carries a financial logic for the long run,” explains Dr. Kassel. The developers were able to reduce the costs linked to the implementation of the technology by two means. First they reduced the quantity of solar cells used thanks to a sun energy concentration system based on mirrors, while keeping steady the amount of power produced.

Made of modules
Secondly, the team used a creative cooling system using the water on which the solar panels are floating. Thanks to this efficient cooling method, the photovoltaic system can use silicon solar cells, which tend to experience problems linked to overheating and need to be cooled down in order to allow the system to work correctly, unlike standard type more expensive cells. The particular type of solar cell used also allows a higher efficiency than the standard ones, achieving both reliability and cost reduction.

Still for the purpose of making the technology efficient and ready to market, the system is designed in such way that on a solar platform it is possible to assemble as many identical modules as needed for the power rating desired. Each module produces a standard amount of 200 kiloWatt electricity, and more power can be achieved by simply adding more modules to the plant.

The team also worked on the environmental impact of the technology. It works in fact as a breathing surface through which oxygen can penetrate to the water. This feature ensures that sufficient oxygen will maintain the underwater life of plants and animals. Dr. Kassel adds: “One of the implementation phase’s goals is to closely monitor the possible effects of this new technology on the environment with the help of specialists” and “a preliminary check shows no detrimental environmental impact on water quality, flora or fauna. Our choices of materials were always made with this concern in mind.”

*The project results from a collaboration between Solaris Synergy from Israel and the EDF Group from France. EUREKA provided the supporting platform which allowed to enhance both companies’ partnership. After receiving the “EUREKA label” the project, called AQUASUN, found also support from the Israeli Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor.

Eureka (2011, February 27). Floating solar panels: Solar installations on water. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 10, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2011/02/110225123026.htm

If you want to know more about loating solar panels, you may click on the resources to lead you to more information. You may also use the search box to further lead you to other articles. If you want to contribute to this website, we would love to hear your suggestions! It would be great to have you share your thoughts about loating solar panels.

The Original Post is Located Here: Solar Panel Installations on Water

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Using a common metal most famously found in self-cleaning ovens, Sossina Haile hopes to change our energy future. The metal is cerium oxide — or ceria — and it is the centerpiece of a promising new technology developed by Haile and her colleagues that concentrates solar energy and uses it to efficiently convert carbon dioxide and water into fuels.

Solar energy has long been touted as the solution to our energy woes, but while it is plentiful and free, it can’t be bottled up and transported from sunny locations to the drearier — but more energy-hungry — parts of the world. The process developed by Haile — a professor of materials science and chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) — and her colleagues could make that possible.

The researchers designed and built a two-foot-tall prototype reactor that has a quartz window and a cavity that absorbs concentrated sunlight. The concentrator works “like the magnifying glass you used as a kid” to focus the sun’s rays, says Haile.

Sossina Haile and William Chueh stand next to the benchtop thermochemical reactor used to screen materials for implementation on the solar reactor. (Credit: Courtesy of Caltech)

“What is special about the material is that it doesn’t release all of the oxygen. That helps to leave the framework of the material intact as oxygen leaves,” Haile explains. “When we cool it back down, the material’s thermodynamically preferred state is to pull oxygen back into the structure.”

Specifically, the inhaled oxygen is stripped off of carbon dioxide (CO2) and/or water (H2O) gas molecules that are pumped into the reactor, producing carbon monoxide (CO) and/or hydrogen gas (H2). H2 can be used to fuel hydrogen fuel cells; CO, combined with H2, can be used to create synthetic gas, or “syngas,” which is the precursor to liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Adding other catalysts to the gas mixture, meanwhile, produces methane. And once the ceria is oxygenated to full capacity, it can be heated back up again, and the cycle can begin anew.

For all of this to work, the temperatures in the reactor have to be very high — nearly 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. At Caltech, Haile and her students achieved such temperatures using electrical furnaces. But for a real-world test, she says, “we needed to use photons, so we went to Switzerland.” At the Paul Scherrer Institute’s High-Flux Solar Simulator, the researchers and their collaborators — led by Aldo Steinfeld of the institute’s Solar Technology Laboratory — installed the reactor on a large solar simulator capable of delivering the heat of 1,500 suns.

In experiments conducted last spring, Haile and her colleagues achieved the best rates for CO2 dissociation ever achieved, “by orders of magnitude,” she says. The efficiency of the reactor was uncommonly high for CO2 splitting, in part, she says, “because we’re using the whole solar spectrum, and not just particular wavelengths.” And unlike in electrolysis, the rate is not limited by the low solubility of CO2 in water. Furthermore, Haile says, the high operating temperatures of the reactor mean that fast catalysis is possible, without the need for expensive and rare metal catalysts (cerium, in fact, is the most common of the rare earth metals — about as abundant as copper).

In the short term, Haile and her colleagues plan to tinker with the ceria formulation so that the reaction temperature can be lowered, and to re-engineer the reactor, to improve its efficiency. Currently, the system harnesses less than 1% of the solar energy it receives, with most of the energy lost as heat through the reactor’s walls or by re-radiation through the quartz window. “When we designed the reactor, we didn’t do much to control these losses,” says Haile. Thermodynamic modeling by lead author and former Caltech graduate student William Chueh suggests that efficiencies of 15% or higher are possible.

Ultimately, Haile says, the process could be adopted in large-scale energy plants, allowing solar-derived power to be reliably available during the day and night. The CO2 emitted by vehicles could be collected and converted to fuel, “but that is difficult,” she says. A more realistic scenario might be to take the CO2 emissions from coal-powered electric plants and convert them to transportation fuels. “You’d effectively be using the carbon twice,” Haile explains. Alternatively, she says, the reactor could be used in a “zero CO2 emissions” cycle: H2O and CO2 would be converted to methane, would fuel electricity-producing power plants that generate more CO2 and H2O, to keep the process going.

The work was funded by the National Science Foundation, the State of Minnesota Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment, and the Swiss National Science Foundation.

California Institute of Technology (2011, January 19). New reactor paves the way for efficiently producing fuel from sunlight. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 19, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2011/01/110119102746.htm

There are lots of issues to be considered about solar energy, and those that are heavily into solar energy are likely to want to know more. Even if this article serves as no more than an introduction to solar energy, nothing stops you from putting the information to good use.

The Original Post is Located Here: New Reactor Paves the Way for Efficiently Producing Fuel from Sunlight

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory have fabricated transparent thin films capable of absorbing light and generating electric charge over a relatively large area. The material, described in the journal Chemistry of Materials, could be used to develop transparent solar panels or even windows that absorb solar energy to generate electricity.

The material consists of a semiconducting polymer doped with carbon-rich fullerenes. Under carefully controlled conditions, the material self-assembles to form a reproducible pattern of micron-size hexagon-shaped cells over a relatively large area (up to several millimeters).

Top: Scanning electron microscopy image and zoom of conjugated polymer (PPV) honeycomb. Bottom (left-to-right): Confocal fluorescence lifetime images of conjugated honeycomb, of polymer/fullerene honeycomb double layer and of polymer/fullerene honeycomb blend. Efficient charge transfer within the whole framework is observed in the case of polymer/fullerene honeycomb blend as a dramatic reduction in the fluorescence lifetime. (Credit: Image courtesy of DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory)

Furthermore, the material remains largely transparent because the polymer chains pack densely only at the edges of the hexagons, while remaining loosely packed and spread very thin across the centers. “The densely packed edges strongly absorb light and may also facilitate conducting electricity,” Cotlet explained, “while the centers do not absorb much light and are relatively transparent.”

“Combining these traits and achieving large-scale patterning could enable a wide range of practical applications, such as energy-generating solar windows, transparent solar panels, and new kinds of optical displays,” said co-author Zhihua Xu, a materials scientist at the CFN.

“Imagine a house with windows made of this kind of material, which, combined with a solar roof, would cut its electricity costs significantly. This is pretty exciting,” Cotlet said.

The scientists fabricated the honeycomb thin films by creating a flow of micrometer-size water droplets across a thin layer of the polymer/fullerene blend solution. These water droplets self-assembled into large arrays within the polymer solution. As the solvent completely evaporates, the polymer forms a hexagonal honeycomb pattern over a large area.

“This is a cost-effective method, with potential to be scaled up from the laboratory to industrial-scale production,” Xu said.

The scientists verified the uniformity of the honeycomb structure with various scanning probe and electron microscopy techniques, and tested the optical properties and charge generation at various parts of the honeycomb structure (edges, centers, and nodes where individual cells connect) using time-resolved confocal fluorescence microscopy.

The scientists also found that the degree of polymer packing was determined by the rate of solvent evaporation, which in turn determines the rate of charge transport through the material.

“The slower the solvent evaporates, the more tightly packed the polymer, and the better the charge transport,” Cotlet said.

“Our work provides a deeper understanding of the optical properties of the honeycomb structure. The next step will be to use these honeycomb thin films to fabricate transparent and flexible organic solar cells and other devices,” he said.

The research was supported at Los Alamos by the DOE Office of Science. The work was also carried out in part at the CFN and the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies Gateway to Los Alamos facility. The Brookhaven team included Mircea Cotlet, Zhihua Xu, and Ranjith Krishna Pai. Collaborators from Los Alamos include Hsing-Lin Wang and Hsinhan Tsai, who are both users of the CFN facilities at Brookhaven, Andrew Dattelbaum from the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies Gateway to Los Alamos facility, and project leader Andrew Shreve of the Materials Physics and Applications Division.

DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory (2010, November 4). Transparent conductive material could lead to power-generating windows. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 04, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/11/101103135354.htm

Obviously, there is a lot more to know about solar energy. This brief article is just a start, and the next step is to do some more research. In any case, the tips in the article set the stage for a more detailed treatment of solar energy.

The Original Post is Located Here: Transparent Conductive Material Could Lead to Power-Generating Windows

Mankind has recently enhanced its living standard and its population in an explosive way. In fact, the human population quadrupled and primary power consumption increased 16-fold during the 20th century [1]. The consumption of energy, food, and material resources is predicted to increase 2.5 fold in the coming 50 years. As a result of our efforts for better life, we have come to face, in this 21st century, serious global issues threatening our safe life or even our existence itself on our mother planet earth. These are issues such as global warming, environmental degradation, declining nutrition on land and sea from rising CO2, and rapid decrease of fossil reservoir. Since the living standard and the population of developing countries are increasing continuously, the demand of energy will be several times larger than that of today’s requirement by the time of the half way of this century.

In 2000, the world had 6.1 billion human inhabitants. This number could rise to more than 9 billions in the next 50 years as shown in Fig.-1. This future population increase is mostly due to very rapid increase in less developed countries although the number in more developed countries will be almost constant (about 1 billion) or rather decrease [2].

The explosive increase in the human population inevitably requires an exponential increase in the consumption of energy, food, and material resources. One primary power source at present comes from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. However, the fossil fuels have two serious factors which prevent them from being used for a long term as primary power source. One is their limited amount that does not last long if used with the same or higher pace than that of today (Fig.-2). The other is their negative feature of emitting carbon dioxide, one of the green house gases, which causes the global warming.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide monthly mean mixing ratios. Data prior to May 1974 are from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO, blue), date since May 1974 are from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, red). A long term trend curve is fitted to the monthly mean values [4]

Atmospheric CO2 has increased from 275 parts per million (ppm) before the industrial era begun to 379 ppm in March 2004 as shown in Fig.-3. Some scientists suggest that it will pass 550 ppm this century. Climate models and paleoclimate data indicate that 550 ppm, if sustained, could eventually produce global warming comparable in magnitude but opposite in sign to the global cooling of the last Ice Age [5].

Global energy demand continues to grow along with worldwide concerns over fossil fuel pollution, the safety of nuclear power and waste, and the impact of carbon-burning fuels on global warming. As a result sustainable energy sources like solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, geothermal, hydrogen, ocean thermal, tidal power etc are drawing prime attention, out of which solar power is the most promising one. Terrestrial solar power has too many limitations like atmospheric attenuation, daily and seasonal variation, and affects by climate conditions etc. To overcome these limitations concept of Solar Power from Space is getting momentum, which was first proposed by Czech-American engineer Peter Glaser as a solution to the oil crises of the 1970s [6]. Solar Power from Space is a proposed concept to place a gigantic solar power station in space orbiting around the earth that uses microwave power transmission to beam solar power to a very large antenna on earth where it can be used in place of conventional power sources.

2. SPACE SOLAR POWER (SSP) vs TERRESTRIAL SOLAR POWER (TSP)

The SSP concept arose because space has several major advantages over earth for the collection of solar power. Space is free from day-night cycle, atmosphere, clouds, dust, rain, fog and other climatic changes, so it would receive 30% more intense and at least eight times more sunlight than that of at ground constantly and continuously unaffected by the weather. In geosynchronous orbit it would receive sunlight almost 24 hours a day hence avoiding the expensive storage facilities necessary for earth-based solar power systems.  Since earth’s axis is tilted, it would be in earth’s shadow only for 70 minutes maximum at late night when power demands are at their lowest, during 42 days near the equinoxes [7] .

3. SSP: SYSTEM DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGIES

The SSP system is composed of a space segment and a ground power receiving site (Fig.-6). Space segment consists of mainly three parts; solar energy collector to convert the solar energy into DC (Direct Current) electricity, DC-to-microwave converter, and large antenna array to beam down the microwave power to the ground. Ground power receiving site uses a device called rectenna (rectifying antenna) to receive and rectify the microwave power beam. The rectenna system converts the microwave power back to DC power which is then converted to conventional AC (Alternating Current), and is connected to existing electric power networks.

Assuming typical values for efficiencies like 15% for solar panels to convert solar energy into DC, 70% conversion rate in the space segment from DC to microwave, 90% beam (power) collection efficiency, and 80% conversion rate for rectenna from microwave to DC in ground segment, the estimated over-all efficiency is approximately 7.5 %. With such efficiency a SSP space segment would be of size of about 50 km2 (5 km x 10 km) to generate 5 GW DC power on earth

Fig.-6 : Reference Model: 5 GW GEO based Space Solar Power Station Designed by US Department of Energy (DOE) and NASA in 1979 [8]

3.1 -SOLAR CELL: EFFICIENT STRUCTURES

In the very near future, breakthroughs in nanotechnologies promise significant increase in solar cell efficiencies from current 15% values to over 50% levels. That might decrease required size of space segment by about 3 fold. Author proposes Metal-Metal junction cavity solar cell which theoretically promises to increase solar-electric conversion efficiency many folds.

A cavity of metal m2 (work function W2) with thin polish of metal m1 (work function W1, W1 <W2 , Fig.-7) on inner surface, with a pin hole is kept at the focus of the solar concentrator coinciding the pinhole and focus. Pinhole is covered with transparent glass to protect inner polish of cavity from atmospheric reaction. Such cavity behaves as metal-metal junction solar cell (termed as M-M cavity solar cell) with various features (described below) leading to enhancement of solar-electric conversion efficiency.

·  The major loss in usual structures is the reflection loss (about 30%) but in M-M cavity solar cell once ray enters in cavity, undergoes multiple inner reflection

The Original Post is Located Here: Energy Compensation Using Solar Power Stations in Space

The Original Post is Located Here: How It’s Made – Solar Panels

Much renewable energy is harnessed for the production of electricity to power homes and offices. While biofuels, wind, and solar energy are making strides in Canada, wave and tidal power has not received the same amount of attention. This may soon change due to the amount of ocean available on both coasts and to the north. In fact, these coasts are capable of producing a quarter of Canada’s annual electricity consumption through wave and tidal power. And because the waves and tides are a consistent natural force, wave-powered energy production is more dependable than that provided by the intermittent sun and wind.

The perception that Canada is lagging in the wave and tidal power department is partially due to its overshadowing accomplishments in solar and wind power. In actuality, Canada trails only the United States and United Kingdom in wave power development. Natural Resources Canada is helping future wave and tidal projects by creating an atlas that points to useful locations in which to construct wave and tidal power plants.

Nunavut is one such location. Meaning “our land” in Inuktitut, it became independent of the Northwest Territories in April of 1999 and comprises a large portion of northern Canada. Consisting of just over 29,000 residents spread over a region the size of Western Europe, it is an ideal location upon which to set up onshore wave and tidal power systems. Because the residents that live along Nunavut’s water do not use the shores for recreation, the concrete and steel structures of a wave powered turbine would not interfere with swimmers or boaters. Furthermore, in the waters of Nunavut and Canada’s eastern and western coasts, there are plenty of available oceans for offshore wave and tidal power systems.

Riding the waves in order to create the pressure needed to move electricity-producing turbines, the bobbers and hoses of a wave power system require no power besides the renewable energy of the earth’s waves to operate. Canada has more than enough water power on its shores to make wave and tidal power a priority.

The Original Post is Located Here: Canada Looking To Ride The Waves To Electricity Production

Greenhouses operate with the same principle having glass or clear plastic all around it attracting and capturing the sun and not allow it to escape causing the greenhouse to stay very warm for the plants to grow effectively.

A home solar power system can cost you around $3,500.00 and more depending on many things, like the size of your home, the amount of appliances used, the size of your family, the amount of electronic components used and much more. There are some very good step by step guides with videos out there to help you build your own solar power system even if you know nothing about solar power. I have come across one package on the internet that claims that you can build your own home solar power system for about $200.00, now that is amazing and hard to believe. Think of all the money you will be saving and all the nice things you will be able to afford for your home with those savings and much more. You shouldn’t ask yourself how much does solar power cost but rather ask yourself how much money will I save ?

In time, solar energy helps to heat your home naturally without worrying about the high electrical bill at the end of the month. and without depending on a company to supply it for you. Solar energy is found wherever the sun is shinning.

The Original Post is Located Here: How Much Does Solar Power Cost

You may not know this, but wind turbines are becoming a great alternative to run power at many home across our country. While it cost you to own one initially, but in the long term, you will eventually recoup your costs. And if you were to utilize wind turbines that are powered with solar panels, the two items are a powerful force in creating low cost energy.

Solar energy by itself is totally free. However, if you are not careful, the price and maintenance of a solar panel can be very expensive so you need to consider whether your want to build one or buy one to use at home.

Another potential source of free electricity is nuclear power. This kind of power is already developed in many different countries. The initial price of setting up this system is very expensive. But the bad concern with nuclear power is that people are afraid of the risks because of the incidents at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. While it is not entirely impossible, using a nuclear power plant to run the power of the most part of the earth is expensive and risky.

When you consider all the power sources that we have mentioned here, it appears that the wind power is the most affordable. You just need to have a windy environment to effectively run the electricity. A gentle breeze will do for as long as it will keep the turbine running.

Wind turbines are very affordable. In fact, many companies today are selling wind turbines on an increasing scale. Capturing free power from the wind will only require that you install a wind turbine generator at your home.

A wind turbine can be constructed from auto parts (either new or old). Put the wind turbine at the highest place in your house as possible. Winds turbine is actually a good substitute for places that do not have access to the local power utility. Anyone who has knowledge with auto workshop and mechanic can actually build one wind turbine for himself.

The Original Post is Located Here: Wind Power Is The Best Choice

Biofuels. What a great name! It just sounds green. Looking around I see a proliferation of Biodiesel bumper stickers everywhere I look. In my home state of Oregon all filling stations will be required to add at least 10 % ethanol to all gasoline by next year. Environmentalists are cheering as politicians and the media are jumping onto the Biofuel bandwagon. Sounds like a big win for the environment and society – think again, in reality Biofuels are much more brown than they are green.

Here are five reasons why Biofuels may actually be harmful for the environment:

1. Biofuels are so profitable that rain forest, the most efficient absorber of greenhouse gases, is being cut or burned to grow grains and sugarcane to make ethanol or Biodiesel.
2. Farmers growing highly profitable Biofuel crops are looking for the fastest growth and biggest yields and use heavy amounts of chemical fertilizer; which strips key micronutrients out of our increasingly scarce topsoil, and the nitrogen-rich runoff causes massive algae growth that destroys our streams, rivers and lakes.
3. Because Biofuels are more profitable than food crops large amounts of prime farmland is being devoted to Biofuel production creating grain shortages and increasing the price of grain products, especially in third world countries.
4. Although Biofuels emit less greenhouse gases per gallon than petroleum fuels they still emit significant amounts. Biofuels are also less fuel-efficient. In my vehicle mileage drops substantially when I use a fuel containing ethanol. So, overall Biofuels do not reduce greenhouse emissions nearly as much as claim.
5. This is perhaps the most important reason. To permanently solve both the energy crisis and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions we will have to move away from consumable fuels to toward energy sources that do not consume fuel, emit heat or produce pollutants. At the moment electricity is the cleanest energy source available and companies are beginning to develop and produce powerful electric cars that can go a few hundred miles on a charge. For these vehicles to be practical we will need to establish charging stations in every town and alongside every highway. This requires a massive transition from filling stations to charging stations. The use of Biofuels will perpetuate the existing infrastructure of filling stations and delay the transition to charging stations. The longer we delay this transition the more greenhouse gases will be released into our atmosphere.

At this point some of you might be wondering why our political leadership and big business is so supportive of Biofuels – yet they never even mention electric vehicles. It might be worth your time to see the movie “Who Killed the Electric Car”, which is available on DVD. Click Here to go to their website.

To begin with most big grain producers are large corporate farms with a strong lobbying presence in Washington and a history of making campaign contributions to politicians that support their agendas. Biofuels are big business for these companies.

The auto industry also is heavily involved in politics, lobbying efforts, and campaign contributions. These companies have a big investment in continuing to make internal combustion engines that burn fuels. Moving to electric motors will require major retrofitting for these companies. Biofuels allow them to avoid making this investment.

The petroleum industry has perhaps the most to gain from the implementation of Biofuels. They know that the public will eventually demand a move away from petroleum. All the other solutions will take business away from them. However, they will be refining and distributing Biofuels just like they do with petroleum – and crude Biofuels are cheaper too. So, the petroleum industry stands to make a great deal of money from the distribution of Biofuels.

The petroleum industry makes huge campaign contributions to certain politicians. They have been successful at having many of their supporters and former executives elected and appointed to the highest levels of power in our current administration. It is not surprising that our political leaders are embracing Biofuels.

The solution to both the energy crisis and pollution is to transition to non-consumable fuels. This means solar, geothermal, wind and tidal energy production of electricity. Even nuclear energy could be a viable alternative if spent fuel can be safely transported out of the Earth’s atmosphere using the low-cost rocket technologies recently developed. All of these kinds of energy production are already in use and are becoming cheaper and more efficient every day. We have not yet begun to see the economies of scale and innovation that will make this kind of energy production much cheaper the more that it is developed and used.

At this very moment several companies are planning massive solar energy installations in Arizona, which is beginning to be called the Silicon Valley or Middle East of Solar energy production. Huge wind farms are being planned for the Plains states. We could be only years away from a massive transition to electric vehicles. For this to be successful we need to get big business and our political leadership to focus on this transition. This will take a lot longer if we allow them to remain focused on Biofuels instead.

When comparing non-consumable energy sources to fuel based energy production remember that all fuels must be transported to where they are sold. The transportation of fuels burns more fuel – so these transportation costs must be figured into the numbers used for greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency. Distribution of electricity does involve some energy loss, but it is fractional compared to how much energy is used to transport fuel and does not emit greenhouse gases.

Some of you might be wondering why I have not mentioned hydrogen fuel cells. There are three reasons why: 1. Hydrogen combustion still produces heat, 2. Our engineers still have not figured out how to produce hydrogen without using large amounts of energy to do it, and 3. The other renewal energy sources mentioned earlier have already moved beyond the experimental stage and are in real-world use.

On the Bright Future website we offer a comprehensive discussion about energy and climate. Check out our radio show: Click Understanding Climate Change on the Listen page. On our panel for this discussion is Greg Jones, a distinguished climate scientist from Southern Oregon University. This discussion reveals some of the complexities of properly addressing Climate Change.

The Original Post is Located Here: The Great Biofuel Hoax of 2008 – Energy Policy and Climate Change