James asks…
How does solar Energy compare to other alternative energy sources?
Is it better or worse than majority of the other alternative energy sources? If so why?
The Expert answers:
It is actually a nice form of energy. Unfortunately it has a few negatives
1: Only available during the day (unless power produced goes to storage)
2: Only produces full power on sunny days
3: Requires a large array to supply decent amount of power, requiring larger area for the array.
4: Storage facility (so you have power at night) requires space and maintenance.
This is where wind is claimed to be better but if the wind dies the generator stops, but if wind it operates day, night, cloudy or rain and usually at night puts power back into the grid and can do so during the day while you’re at work.
Solar is great for low power demand items like lights (you can now get a variety of low power lighting systems) and chargers for cell phones and other devices. To run larger devices you need a large array and power converters and a power storage (batteries) with enough capacity to supply the demands of your devices. The whole system can be quite expensive but yes in the long run could save you money. Note that storage devices require weekly maintenance and checking for problems as they die after a few years so you have to replace them.
Michael asks…
How do companies emit greenhouse gases / how can alternative energy be applied?
I was recently discussing with someone the possibility of the government installing a cap-and-trade system on American companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I said that would be a baby step in the right direction, however I think we need a stricter solution, such as the development and eventually mandated uses of alternative energy (solar power, wind and tide energy, for example) instead. However, I was wondering if this is even applicable to the topic at hand? What processes exactly do happen within companies to emit so much greenhouse gas? And, could alternative energy even be substituted for the original methods of production?
The Expert answers:
One of the reasons this is difficult is that companies do a lot of different things that produce greenhouse gasses (and so do individuals).
Just to name a few:
– Heat buildings and furnaces
– Operate many, many different kinds of machinery
– Drive vehicles short distances
– Drive vehicles across the country
– Operate ships and airplanes
A solution that works well for one of these purposes usually doesn’t work well for others. So we keep coming up with solutions for individual problems. And make a little progress.
Betty asks…
What would be a simple alternative energy school project?
For some dumb reason I thought a class called “Alternative Energy Today” wasn’t going to be about actually making something. Have any ideas for a project that involves reusable energy? Simplist one gets best answer.
The Expert answers:
Many options, but you do not give any grade level to make a reasonable suggestion. Many projects are simple that you can actually put use at your home, from a solar box oven, even a black piece of plywood, a car inner tube, and a pane of glass will capture enough heat for you to put a cast iron pot or black enamel pot in and cook up a rice based dish in a few hours.
There are also heat penals you can make from spare windows and a scrap of black metal that you can use as a dupplemental heat source for your home, or a coil of copper tubing in that same basic box to make a thermo siphon water heater, and if made with food grade materials, could be used for making coffee,tea, or whatever you want.
There are a multitude of ideas here: http://www.builditsolar.com just go through the projects section and you will find something.
Lizzie asks…
Is alternative energy a pipe dream in the short run?
Should the citizens of the united states demand the government provide energy by any means until the technology and the hardware for alternative energy are ready?
I am not saying alternative sources of energy will not happen, of course they will, but we need energy now.
Get the electricity any way we can and phase out fossil fuels as alternative energy comes available.
The Expert answers:
You are correct.
Massive taxes on energy will NOT solve the problem – it will just cause more suffering for people already just trying to make ends meet.
Mandy asks…
What are some new and potentially useful alternative energy sources?
I’m looking for something besides the usual fuel cells, solar collectors, photovoltaic cells, waste-to-energy, hydro-electric, etc. I think I read somewhere about harnessing body heat for energy. Anyone know anything about that or can give me some links on that or on other developing technologies for alternative sources of energy away from gasoline and natural gas?
Wind mills is included in the “etc.”.
The Expert answers:
The ground temperature several feet beneath your home is fairly constant at around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take a few degrees. Circulating water or some other liquid through this region and returning it to your house, delivers to you a source to heat or cool your home to 60 degrees, even if the outside temperature is -10 degrees, or +120 degrees. Now you have solved most of your heating/cooling problems, and all you need is to let the outside air raise the inside temperature from 60 to 74 degrees in the summer, and install a simple secondary heating system (enough to only raise the temperature about 14 degrees) in the winter. Added insulation will even reduce further the need for the winter heat supplement.
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