Mary asks…
How could renewable energy sources be used to meet a household’s needs?
Consider the following issues:
What renewable sources of energy are available?
Which sources could be used to supply a household’s needs? How could each source be used?
Where would the home have to be located to use each source?
What equipment would be needed? Where would this equipment be located?
What backup systems should be included?
For all you smart people out there, please answer all of these questions!
The Expert answers:
Renewable sources:
solar
wind
tide
wave
geothermal, while not renewable, is often classed in this area as it is inexhaustable.
Depends on the household and where it is located. Windy area, use wind power. Lots of sun, use solar power.
Solar array would be on the roof. Wind generator would be on a tower.
You will need a large array of batteries to supply power when the sun/wind is not available. Alternatively, sell power back to the electric utility company and use power from them during periods of no sun or wind.
If this is an isolated house with no access to the power grid, I’d have a diesel generator for backup.
Carol asks…
How much does it usually cost to convert to renewable energy in the Philippines?
Are there local manufacturers in the Philippines where small homeowners can buy or get service in installing equipments for solar panelling and the likes? maybe even bio-source energy?
If renewable energy is already available, is there also a program for selling (i’m taking small scale) excess energy back to the energy grid in the Philippines?
The Expert answers:
Yup, Solar Electric Company Inc. Www.solarelectric.com.ph. This is for personal use–I do not know about selling back excess energy. Renewable energy is not very popular/common yet, I would assume namely due to the initial layout for the panels, etc.
There is also a Solarhart distributor here but I misplaced the business card.
John asks…
What does it take to make Renewable Energy Economically viable?
Workable energy resource requirements, Independent of being Renewable:
1)Energy available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.
2)At retail level directly compete with energy resources for today’s activity – if not, sellable spin-off benefits to subsidize the cost.
3)Transportable
4)Technology available.
5)No more environmentally harmful than competing energy resources.
6)Supplies close enough to consumer that distribution losses due to capacity doesn’t become an issue.
7)Politicians that back any solution be able to explain it to their constituents.
The area below the question wasn’t answering the question, but the breath of the question.
I’ve heard you are brilliantly creative. Economically there is at least 1 item more disastrous than investing in renewable energy infrastructure, not having a replacement for fossil fuel. I don’t wish to taint your creativity with my solution. The governments have tryed thinking small with little addition to supply. I’ve gone the opposite route to change the economics of Renewable Energy.
Please be as creative as the person was that during WW II came up with running the exhaust through aircraft feul tanks to mitigate possibily of explosition when shot.
The Expert answers:
To answer your primary question, it just needs to be less expensive than fossil fuels…oil in particular.
1. Very few “direct” renewable sources are available non-stop. A few would be tidal power, geothermal power and hydroelectric power. There are many “indirect” sources, such as biofuels (ethanol, biodiesel, methane) which are the process of extracting energy from materials.
2. Nothing is really practical (at this point) to compete. Oil is still too cheap.
3. Storage either in liquid fuel form or conversion to electricity offers the two easiest ways to move large amounts of energy.
4. There’s many viable technologies available today, but they are under continuous refinement to make them better, more efficient, less costy, and ultimately, more competitive
5. This one is always fun. Wind and hydroelectric don’t pollute, but one is blamed for killing migratory birds and the other is hated for destroying habitats surrounding rivers. Both offer the most promise as the next best source of energy compared to fossil fuels.
6. Well, this depends on whether the consumer is in an energy rich or energy poor area. If you live in an area where there’s ample sun, good wind, and/or rivers you can dam up, then you’re living close to where you can produce it. If you can’t produce enough energy from the sources immediately available to you, then you will either need to conserve more or import it.
7. Politicians are likely only going to back solutions that prove to be overwhelmingly beneficial to their constituents. You will get corn belt pols that back ethanol for the obvious positive economic impact that it will have on their areas. Likewise, wind in areas that it could prove beneficial.
There is no one magic bullet for every energy need, that needs to be understood. Some sources will win over others, based on the application and its availability. But until oil gets more expensive (like over $100 per barrel) then most alternative sources just simply can’t economically compete with today’s renewable harnessing technology.
Charles asks…
Who are some important people in renewable energy history?
I need to do a biography on a significant person in renewable energy, but I can’t find anything on the Internet. Could you please send me a site where I can find a biography?
The Expert answers:
Look up T. Boone Pickens. He is a former oil man and corporate raider who has a ton of money and wants to do wind farms all over the place.
He became famous in the 1980’s be acquiring big oil companies then selling them off (in whole or in part) and made a ton of money.
Paul asks…
What kinds of jobs can this renewable energy certificate get me?
The courses that are required are chemistry fundamentals, basic electricity, applied alternative and renewable energy, and technical math 2. It’s a 14 credit program.
The Expert answers:
Go to http://www.monster.com
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