Instead of digging trenches or drilling a vertical well to install a geothermal system, some contractors will drill horizontal wells. This allows installation without digging trenches and the wells can travel under buildings, parking lots, athletic fields and more.
The United States Department of Energy has published their 2011 Critical Mineral Strategy. It explains how supply concerns for a variety of minerals threaten energy security in the United States.
“While sunlight is the most abundant source of energy at our disposal, we have yet to learn how to capture, transfer and store solar energy efficiently.” Quoted from the University of Toronto news release.
“Scientists from the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville have determined that an inexpensive semiconductor material can be “tweaked” to generate hydrogen from water using sunlight.” Quoted from the University of Kentucky news release.
Reno, Nevada has built a 100 megawatt geothermal plant that has the ability to supply the entire residential demand for the city. This video visits the plant and explains some advantages of using geothermal.
“Right now, we use 5 percent of our electricity to run our water infrastructure [...] We can literally pour wastewater into this fuel cell and take the energy in the wastewater and make electricity. We’re using bacteria to actually turn any organic matter and some inorganic matter directly into electricity.” Quoted from the National Science Foundation press release.
“UCLA researchers and their colleagues from China and Japan have shown that by incorporating gold nanoparticles into these organic photovoltaics — taking advantage of the plasmonic effect, by which metal helps to enhance the absorption of sunlight — they can significantly improve the cells’ power conversion.” Quoted from the UCLA news release.
“Inkjet printers, a low-cost technology that in recent decades has revolutionized home and small office printing, may soon offer similar benefits for the future of solar energy.” Quoted from the Oregon State University news release.
“University of Minnesota engineering researchers in the College of Science and Engineering have recently discovered a new alloy material that converts heat directly into electricity.” Quoted from the University of Minnesota news release.
Google and SolarCity, a rooftop solar power company, have announced a $280 million investment deal that will lease solar power systems to thousands of homeowners in multiple states.
“The method is expected to not only produce renewable electricity far more efficiently than conventional geothermal systems, but also help reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) — dealing a one-two punch against climate change.” Quoted from the University of Minnesota news release
The location of Japan on the ring of fire gives it an enormous potential for geothermalenergy development. The country ranks 8th in the world in installed capacity but 3rd in geothermal potential.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change believes that 80% of world energy can come from renewables by 2050. Renewables currently supply about 13% of world energy.
Storing energy from wind and solar sources when conditions are favorable is essential if they are to become reliable power sources. An electromechanical battery designed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has the potential to provide maximum bulk storage of energy with minimal energy loss.
“Joel Rosenthal, a chemist at the University of Delaware, is working to transform carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, into gas for your car and clean-energy future fuels.” Quoted from the University of Delaware news release.
The Senate Finance Committee will question oil company executives as deliberations continue regarding tax subsidies for oil and gas exploration. The oil and gas industry says that the subsidies encourage domestic oil production that provides millions of jobs. The administration wants to divert money to renewable energy.
Scientists from five Welsh universities will spend the next few weeks studying the potential impact of tidal power on Pembrokeshire’s marine environment.
“Researchers at MIT have found a way to make significant improvements to the power-conversion efficiency of solar cells by enlisting the services of tiny viruses to perform detailed assembly work at the microscopic level.” Quoted from the MIT news release.
“The production of wind energy in the U.S. over the next 30-50 years will be largely unaffected by upward changes in global temperature, say a pair of Indiana University Bloomington scientists who analyzed output from several regional climate models to assess future wind patterns in America’s lower 48 states.” Quoted from the Indiana University news release.
“NASA researchers are testing the biofuel on a NASA DC-8 to measure its performance and emissions as part of the Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment II, or AAFEX II. The fuel is called Hydrotreated Renewable Jet Fuel.” Quoted from the NASA news release.
While not everyone has a pond or lake on their property to house floating solar power, it does have a market. Farmers, mining companies and others can convert their ponds into dual-purpose real estate.
“The key technology is a photovoltaic cell based on organic molecules, which harnesses the energy of infrared light while allowing visible light to pass through. Coated onto a pane of standard window glass, it could provide power for lights and other devices, and would lower installation costs by taking advantage of existing window structures.” Quoted from the MIT news release
Biofuel from algae could reduce our dependence on imported fuel by about 50%. But to produce such large amounts of biofuel from algae would require about three times as much water that is currently used for crop irrigation.
The United States has a greater fuel diversity today than at any time in its history. There are also more options available for future growth, yet this is also a time of great concern about energy choices for the future.
An interesting article on the National Center for Policy Analysis website titled: “Will Green Energy Make the United States Less Secure?” explores how some of the materials needed in renewable energy development may not have a reliable supply line.
This is not a new video, however it does a nice job of presenting the concept of enhanced geothermal systems for reliable baseload continuous power that can be generated with very few emissions. Perhaps the most important point made in the video is the size of the potential geothermal resource (14,000,000 exajoules) compared to current needs (100 exajoules). The supply is close to unlimited.
In a Washington Post article the author explains how federal and local tax credits plus a state grant enabled him to pay less out-of-pocket for a geothermal heating system for his suburban home. He also saved over $2000 in home heating costs the first year after installation.
“Over the past decade the use of renewable energy is becoming more important to people, industry and governments. Why? Renewable energy resources are not depleted, they are becoming less expensive, and they have a softer environmental impact.”
Growing energy demand in Jamaica has the island nation rushing to find short term solutions. Coal, oil and LNG can fill demand quickly but renewable sources are more attractive from an environmental perspective. This article explores positive and negative sides of different energy strategies.
Lee Allison links to a nice summary of Enhanced Geothermal Systems in a National Geographic article and points out that there is “more to geothermal energy than geysers“.
Indonesia has a wealth of undeveloped geothermal resources and Chevron Pacific Indonesia is very interested in developing them.
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