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Renewable and alternative energy

Page history last edited by PBworks 15 years, 8 months ago

     see also:  Renewable and alternative energy  ,    Clean-tech and environmentally conscious investing ,   energy industry , Environment issues , solar energy  ,  wind energy  ,  hydroelectric power  ,  geothermal power  ,  using bio waste to generate energyEthanol  ,  micropower for emerging marketstidal power  ,   fuel cells,   government encouragement of green business natural gas  , nuclear energy ,  nanotechnology and energy ,  clean-tech clusters ,  coal ,  oilsands of Canada , superconductivity

 

 

 

In emerging markets

 

Understandably, poorer nations are reluctant to invest in expensive alternative energy technologies, but Moreno said alternative energy could actually help the region fight poverty.

 

One well-known example is Brazil's investment in ethanol production, which has been an economic boon. Brazil's example sends somewhat of a mixed message, though, as ethanol production has raised the price of food, making life very hard for many poor people. Next-generation biofuels may find ways of avoiding what Moreno calls the "food-fuel-wilderness" tradeoff.

 

Latin America has been investing in other areas of alternative energy as well. Brazil has seen a nine-fold increase in wind power production, while Mexico has recently geared-up capacity to some 500 MW, (though still a paltry amount compared to tens of thousands of total electric capacity in the country).

 

Hydroelectric power , generated from the energy of river flow, has already been a significant player in Latin America. The construction of dams in such areas as Costa Rica and elsewhere has brought electricity to many rural communities, as well as reduced dependence on energy imports.

 

Due to the high cost of building dams and turbines, the IDB has been looking at "micro-hydro," smaller dams with shorter construction times, less capital investment, and, hopefully, mitigated environmental effect.

 

Programs such as micro-hydro, supported by international development money, can strike a formula for fossil-fuel reduction on rural development that is a winning equation for Latin American governments.

 

 

 

Industry Overview

 

U.S. energy production from renewable sources was about 10% of the total market in 2006, at 7,00,000 billion BTUs out of total production of about 70,000,000 billion BTUs. (In this case, “renewable” includes conventional hydroelectric and geothermal, along with solar, wind and biomass.) This is up from about 7.6% in 1970. Meanwhile, nuclear generation accounts for another 11.5% of total U.S. energy production, or 8,100,000 billion BTUs.
 
Globally, sources for worldwide generation of electricity in 2007 included about 16% hydroelectric; 16% nuclear; and 2% “renewables” including waste, wind, geothermal and solar, in addition to fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil.
 
 
Worldwide, there is very rapid growth in wind power. Major technological advances in wind turbines (including much larger blades creating very high output per turbine) and government incentives encouraging investment in wind generation in many nations are fueling very rapid growth in wind turbine installation.
 
 
Wind power generation grew dramatically in the U.S. from 29,007 billion BTUs in 1990 to 258,385 billion BTUs in 2006. BP plc reports that wind power accounted for 16% of electricity generation in Denmark, 8% in Spain and 5% in Germany, as of the end of 2005, and that global installed wind generation capacity increased 23.7% in 2005 over 2004. Global wind generation capacity was 74,306 megawatts at the end of 2006.
 
 
Meanwhile, solar power is enjoying significant technological innovation. The most important factor in solar is the percent of energy that is converted into electricity, and that ratio is climbing. Meanwhile, the use of polymers is leading to exciting, flexible solar panels; and nanotechnology is creating breakthroughs in new solar technology. Solar panel installation is growing so quickly around the world that photovoltaic panels (and the materials they are made from) are in short supply. BP reports that installed global solar photovoltaic capacity was 3,704,758 kilowatts at the end of 2005 within the IEA Photovoltaic Power System Program Member Countries.  This was an increase of more than 100% over 2003.
 
 
Biomass energy is growing rapidly as well, both in the U.S. and elsewhere. Biomass power consumption in America grew from 1,562,307 billion BTUs in 1950 to 3,226,918 billion BTUs in 2006.
 
Ethanol production also is increasing rapidly. This is especially true in the U.S. where federal government incentives encourage the use of ethanol as a transportation fuel. However, the ethanol industry has gotten ahead of itself. As of the end of 2007, supply was greater than demand to the extent that market prices for ethanol were depressed. Meanwhile, prices for corn, the feedstock for most ethanol production, had risen to such heights that it was nearly impossible for ethanol refiners to make a profit.
 
 
Meanwhile, we are entering an era in which the construction of new nuclear generating plants will accelerate rapidly, particularly in China and India.
 
 
It should be noted that the use of renewable sources does not always mean clean power generation. For example, burning wood under the wrong conditions can create a lot of pollution.
 
 
In the U.S., emphasis on alternative energy and conservation has a varied history. More than 30 years ago, the 1973 oil trade embargo staged by Persian Gulf producers, vastly limited the supply of petroleum to the U.S. and created an instant interest in energy conservation. Thermostats were turned to more efficient levels, solar water heating systems sprouted on the rooftops of American homes (including a system that was used for a few years at the White House) and tax credits were launched by various government agencies to encourage investment in more efficient systems that would utilize less oil, gasoline and/or electricity. Meanwhile, American motorists crawled through lengthy lines at filling stations trying to top off their tanks during the horrid days of gasoline rationing.
 
 
While some consumers maintained a keen interest in alternative and conservative energy methods from an environmentally friendly point of view, most Americans quickly forgot about energy conservation when the prices of gasoline and electricity plummeted during the 1980s and 1990s. Gasoline prices as low as 99 cents per gallon were common for many years. As advancing technology made oil production and electricity generation much more efficient, a low commodity price trend kept market prices under control. As a result, Americans returned to ice-cold air-conditioned rooms and purchased giant, gas-guzzling SUVs, motor homes and motorboats. The median newly constructed American single-family home built in 1972 contained 1,520 square feet; in 2005 it contained 2,434 square feet. More square footage means more lights, air conditioning and heating to power. Meanwhile, federal and state regulators made efforts to force automobile engines and industrial plants to operate in clean-air mode, largely through the use of advanced technologies, while requiring gasoline refiners to adopt an ever-widening web of additives and standards that would create cleaner-burning fuels.
 
 
Fortunately, the first energy crisis in the early 1970s did lead to the use of technology to create significant efficiencies in some areas. For example, prior to that time, as much as 40% of a typical household’s natural gas consumption was for pilot lights burning idly in case a stove or furnace was needed. Today, electric pilots create spark ignition on demand. Likewise, today’s refrigerators use about one-third the electricity of models built in 1970. Many other appliances and electrical devices have become much more efficient. While the number of electricity-burning personal computers proliferated, computer equipment makers rapidly adopted energy-saving PC technologies.
 
 
Today, soaring oil and gas prices have created a renewed interest in all things energy-efficient. Smaller cars, high-efficiency homes and even solar power are once again part of popular culture. Sales of gas-guzzling SUVs have slowed to a crawl while the demand for light, high-efficiency cars is rising steadily. At the same time, renewable energy sources and cleaner-burning fuels are of great appeal to the large number of American consumers who have developed a true interest in protecting the environment. For example, surveys have shown that some consumers would be willing to pay somewhat more for electricity if they knew it was coming from non-polluting, renewable sources.
 
 
Hybrid gasoline-electric automobiles made by Toyota and Honda are selling well in the U.S. “Clean diesel” cars that deliver very high mileage are extremely popular in Europe. Meanwhile, some municipalities, such as the city of Seattle, Washington, are investing in buses and other vehicles that are hybrids or run on alternative fuels. FedEx and UPS are both eyeing the long-term purchase of tens of thousands of hybrid or fuel cell-powered trucks.
Alternative energy is also attracting rapidly growing interest from investors. Many high-profile investment firms are offering “socially responsible” investment products, with fund profiles as green as the fat returns ethical investors hope to make. Venture capital and new public offerings of stock have helped to support innovation at firms that focus on alternative energy or energy conservation technologies. Likewise, the federal government is helping to fund many energy efficiency projects, ranging from fuel cell research to the design and development of high-efficiency office buildings.
 
 
As 2007 was drawing to a close, the United States Congress was close to passing a sweeping new energy bill. In particular, the bill would require increased average fuel efficiency in cars and light trucks, encourage the use of organic material such as agricultural waste as a feedstock for ethanol, and boost development of renewable energy sources by requiring that electric utilities get a growing portion of their generation from sources such as wind and solar. Whether this 2007 bill passes or not, it is certain that government will continue to keep a heavy hand in the development and utilization of alternative and renewable energy sources.
 
 
 

 

 

 

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