Building a Wind Turbine Kite for Alternative Energy Sector Beware

You'd think these days that everyone would be into wind power energy generation, but that's not true, in fact, there are now huge opposition groups. They have many complaints about these generating systems. Everything from the CO2 used in the concrete for the base of the 200 foot tower wind generators, to the ultrasound they create effecting human health, but that's just the start.

Not long ago, a business manager from a small startup group contacted me and wondered after reading an article I'd written if I might give him some advice on the challenges facing their concept of a donut shaped tethered mini-blimp with a wind turbine inside. Firstly, I recalled an anti-wind-turbine group who sent out weekly emails, would they stand in the way of such a new innovation?

Thus, I sent the gentleman back a note with his potentially most dire critic of the concept, the quintessential anti-Wind Turbine guy, along with his email address in case they might explain what they were doing and head things off at the pass. And I explained that he discusses things like wind turbines coming apart during operation and vibrating themselves to death in a fiery mess - yours solves that problem.

He discusses bird strikes, and bats losing lift in the low-pressure area - even though this new innovation type unit won't have that problem as it could be flown a bit higher than those normal flight paths. The critic also discusses problems with ultra-sound often associated with fans, and wind turbine blades and their effect on human health, other species etc. It seems to me you could solve those problems too. The challenge of "eyesore" could be a problem, or people calling in your device as a UFO? That's funny.

You see, just because you are passionate about alternative energy exploits, doesn't mean there is not someone else out there, who is Anti-Global Warming or stands against your new innovations or products. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 21,600 articles was a lot of work - because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off..

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Alternative Energy and the Economic Recovery Today

As oil hovers in the $80 per barrel range and the faltering global economy struggles to recover from the current decline, the need to invest in alternative energy and identify viable alternatives to oil as an energy supply becomes even more pressing. Why? In the past, when the cost of oil reached a certain percentage of GDP, an economic downturn ensures. In today's economy that figure is about $80 per barrel. If this is accurate, that would mean the global economy may be teetering on the verge of another down leg, if not a financial collapses, should oil increase in price appreciably higher than $80 per barrel.

If we are in a recession, why is oil trading at about $80 per barrel anyway? Is the world running out? No, the world is not running out of oil, however there are other challenges such as the price to bring oil to market.

Case in point: For oil producers to clear a profit on their oil production, the price of oil needs to be in the $60 to $70 a barrel. If it drops below some $60, drilling and research experience a substantial drop with a corresponding drop in output, putting future demand at risk.

Many people believe that offshore oil from countries like Brazil that have major untapped reserves is the answer. What is not fully appreciated is that the break even amount to get the oil from these sources that are up to 7 miles below the oceans surface is about $80 per barrel. And then we ask have to ask ourselves: Is deep sea oil even practical after the BP oil spill debacle?

Let's review the initial stage of the current recession which started about first quarter of 2008. Note that at that time, oil went over $100 per barrel and remained there for about the next 2 quarters. Initially, the economic effect was obvious to the majority of observers. The government denied we were in a downturn, but the general public was attentive enough to know that the economy was in less than healthy condition.

Then, the recession that was not a recession, was eventually confirmed to be one a few weeks after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in September of 2008. From there the recession morphed into the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression. Now the recession that wasn't a recession is going through a recovery that is not really a recovery as evidenced by high unemployment and real estate foreclosure levels.

So what would it take to cause a spike in energy to over the $100 range, placing the economy at risk? How about a geopolitical event in the Middle East? Or a terrorist attack on a major oil producers facilities? How about an attack on commercial vessels in the Straits of Hormuz where 40% of the global oil is shipped daily? If you believe that one of those scenarios is improbable, simply turn on the news and listen to the current events in the Middle East. It would appear we are on the brink of a major conflict.

A geopolitical event or terrorist attack notwithstanding, increased oil demand from the expansion of emerging economies could easily drive oil prices well past $100 per barrel inside of the next 12 to 24 months. The higher oil prices go, the more pressing a sound alternative energy arrangement on a domestic and global scale would be required.

Anyone can surf the web and read about developments in offshore wind power, solar power and hydrogen fuel cell technology. The recent advancements in electric / hybrid autos are impressive as well. While noteworthy progress is taking place in these areas, it is not anywhere near satisfactory to ease concerns of the current rate of rising oil costs.

The bottom lines is this: If an substitute fuel supply, minimally on a back up level, is not developed ASAP, then the increase in oil costs which are on their way could take this recovery which isn't a recovery and turn it into a depression that IS a depression. Which will come first?

Visit Hanks blog to read about alternative energy,
onsite energy systems, and hydrogen power company's

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Is Alternative Energy Really Affordable Today

Today there is a lot of talk about moving away from conventional energy sources that are typically high carbon emitting and pollution laden forms of fuel. Of course the most of us this sounds like a great idea but at this point in time have the alternative energy resources didn't develop to the point of becoming viable for business or the homeowner?

Arriving at the true cost of alternative energy involves many factors and is really quite difficult to pin down exactly numbers. There are many variables that need to be considered depending on the type of alternative fuel that is being discussed.

In the case of using biofuel some of the considerations would consist of crop yields for that particular year and region of the country from which the bioproducts such as corn and grain would be ascertained from, as well as transportation cost and the commodities exchange rates.

There are far less variables to consider when figuring the cost of conventional energy sources such as cold, oil or natural gas. When looking at the different types of alternative energy it doesn't take long to understand that investing in the types of technologies that consists of the minimal amount of variables to establish their true cost makes the most sense.

Alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and water turbines are the technologies that will provide the cleanest as well as the most consistent energy sources for our future.

For any type of alternative energy to become affordable will greatly depend on the amount of research and development that is dedicated to it. We can already see the price of solar energy dropping to the point where it is now feasible for many homeowners and businesses to install solar panels that will produce clean and affordable energy for your home or business.

This is a direct result to the advances in the technology which made it a lucrative choice for many companies to enter the marketplace. Now with the greater number of solar installers and providers available to businesses and homeowners this has had a direct correlation to the lowering of the price through added competition.

Although the energy resources previously mentioned are obvious there are also other aspects that need to be addressed to further reduce our energy dependency on fossil fuels such as advances in insulation products for buildings and homes as well as more affordable geothermal solutions.

Even though at present time energy sources such as wind solar or geothermal may not be in financial reach of everyone these resources are becoming much more of a reality for a larger part of the population than ever before.

With the increase in competition and product supply within these industries, as well as tax incentives and possible government subsidies for these clean energy resources, cleaner smarter energy will be in reach of many people over the next several years.

Looking for ways to save money on energy this year visit Wood Stove Reviews and Heat Pump Comparisons for great tips!

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Which Is the Best Alternative Energy

Several alternative energy options, though modified and refined over time, have been available for ages far back to the 17th century.

Some of these being solar, wind, geothermal, and ocean wave have helped many of us conserve as much energy as possible and even helped us remove ourselves from the mainstream dependency on hydroelectric power.

These days, homeowners can easily harness the power of the sun and transform it into usable energy in their homes. This is due to modern solar panes becoming more affordable and efficient as a result of new methods of design and manufacture.

Unfortunately many areas do not receive enough sunlight throughout the year and in some extremes the sun is only available for only certain times of the year. Therefore, solar power cannot be relied upon to provide a full solution for electricity generation. However, it works well as a supplement.

Wind, a renewable resource with no pollution, can be a valuable alternative energy source. Sadly though, few places in the world have the required wind speeds to generate electricity. Some regions remain windless for long periods especially if shielded by mountains and big trees.

Geysers, mud pots and other geothermal features create electricity by using steam to turn turbines. Again, only those places of the earth with volatile volcanic activity and underground systems can be relied to produce this kind of energy.

Ocean wave power generation, a rather new and expensive technology, harnesses the power of waves and tides to create electricity. Only those living close to oceans and with the required complex technology can benefit from waves power.

Another alternative has always been with us, though buried for decades until now. The inventor Nikola Tesla, talked of Radiant Energy, or Cosmic Rays found always in the atmosphere that can be harnessed to produce usable power. The device he invented, The Tesla Generator, can produce electricity under all weather and environment.

Learn more about The Tesla Generator and how you can easily built one at home here http://thoughtful-information.com.

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Alternative Energy Source Review of Solar Energy

Many people have learned much about solar energy after viewing Race the Sun, a movie that starred Halle Berry and James Belushi. The movie plot is about the efforts of the poorer Hawaiian students to build their own solar-powered car and participate in the Solar Car Race. Following a cockroach-look design, the team covered the car with solar panels to capture the sun's rays that served as their alternative energy source.

Solar energy refers to the power that can be harnessed from the sun, specifically light and heat. There is an unlimited, free supply of solar energy. The best thing about the use of solar energy is that it does not pollute the air and water. However, there are some indirect effects on the environment.

For one, there is the use of silicon to produce the photovoltaic cells that are used in converting solar energy into electricity. These photovoltaic cells eventually become waste materials too. Then there is the risk that the large solar thermal farms, if mismanaged, can disturb the delicate ecological balance of the desert where they are usually located.

There are many applications of solar energy such as in the following examples:

1. Agriculture

Greenhouses use solar heat to promote the growth of crops. Anthropologists have uncovered evidences that even the early Romans used greenhouses. The modern design of greenhouses began in Europe during the 16th century. Today, horticulturists are very reliant on their greenhouses.

2. Daylight systems

Daylight systems such as saw tooth roofs, skylights, light tubes, and light shelves are installed in buildings to maximize the use of solar light in providing illumination inside the premises and minimizing the use of artificial lighting. If implemented properly, daylight systems can effectively reduce consumption of electrical power by as much as 25%.

3. Solar thermal technologies

The most common use of solar energy is in heat generation. Solar energy is widely used to heat water, warm up a space, and improve ventilation.

4. Water treatment

Solar energy is often used in water distillation. Through the processes of evaporation and condensation, even sea water is made drinkable. Another popular application of solar energy is in the disinfection of drinking water. The principle of solar water disinfection (SODIS) is simple. It involves the exposure of water-filled plastic bottles to the sun for at least six hours, although it may take two days to complete the process during overcast days. Today, more than two million people in third world countries depend on SODIS for their supply of drinking water.

5. Supply of electric power

The conversion of sunlight into electricity is with the use of photovoltaics or PV. A good example is the ubiquitous solar-powered calculator. Many other modern gadgets no longer require batteries because they are equipped with solar cells, also called PV cells, photovoltaic cells, or photoelectric cells. Many homes employ photovoltaics, although what they use are the bigger solar panels to generate electricity.

6. Solar furnaces

Solar furnaces or solar cookers use carefully arranged mirrors to concentrate the sun's heat into a small, confined space to increase its temperature to very high levels. Many people in hot countries use solar cookers in cooking their food.

There is no doubt as to the viability of solar energy as an alternative source of energy. Unfortunately, it is not available at night. Besides, huge investments are required to build solar stations. Despite the downsides, however, the benefits that can be obtained from solar energy are greater, the foremost of which is the health of our planet.

Sue James is an enthusiast of renewable energy efforts at the residential and government level, and very concerned with extensive pollution of our planet. http://www.free-wind-energy.com/

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Alternative Energy Solutions and Challenges and Politically Correctness

Indeed, I've said it before and I'll say it again: we have way too many less-than-ethical folks chasing the alternative energy bubble money flows. We have too much investment dollars going into things which will not work. Does this mean I am down on alternative energy? NO! I am fine with anything that makes sense, any new way to generate energy which is more reliable, renewable, abundant, and inexpensive.

By all means if there are folks out there with decent

, bring them on, but we've sure seen a ton of BS being funded in that sector, things which have unintended consequences and don't work and can never achieve an ROI. We seem to be building an "alternative energy" bubble with incentives and subsidies and everyone is lining up to stand in that money flow.

Our Think Tank is not an environmental group, we do not side with the eco-terrorists. You know over the years, I've watched how easily these folks have tried to pave that road with good intentions, but much of the problems we face are due to their political actions. It takes entrepreneurs to solve those problems, but the environmentalists are so busy attacking us because they don't understand how free-markets work, why they work, or how they solve problems.

And as I say all this, I can say I revolutionized my industry with better BMPs for environmental controls, better efficiency, using low-cost methods, and innovations. And, I was attacked by environmentalists every step of the way. So, as you say, give them love? Well, I was thinking of revenge actually - it's a great motivator - but, if they would get real, get educated on the reality, and come to their senses that would be fine.

As it stands now this environmental - "global warming" - carbon CO2 footprint stuff is out of control, and they'd destroy our civilization, economy, and society and be perfectly happy to do it during the process, but in the end the environment will be worse, because they don't get it - too bad really. Hey, if something is efficient, cheaper to build, doesn't bring with it unintended consequences, let's do it, like yesterday!

But, if it's more of the same throwing good money after bad, I don't see how a Think Tank could get behind it. Further, this coming "carbon-credit trading scheme" well, I bet Enron would have loved to trade "AIR" after all that's what they are planning to do with CO2 a "trace gas" - even though mankind's contribution to the total CO2 in the atmosphere is only 2.6% and 97% comes from nature. I mean what on Earth are people smoking?

Now everyone has to breathe the air and drink the water, yes, I get that, no problem there, but we need a reality check, and back to your "less taxes!" comment, remember that all this wasteful spending on nonsensical alternative energy innovations with Zero-ROI ever, are raising not only taxes, but the cost of energy for EVERYONE. Higher energy costs mean more closed factories, fewer jobs, etc.

Indeed, I guess if people want to be shown the "love" for mouthing off and following the masses into the economic abyss over pie-in-the-sky nonsense, then they should go buy a dog, and a bible and go live in a log-cabin in the forest? Okay so, that is my reality wake-up call for today, however as you know I rely on you my faithful reader to respond.

Tell me, what cool eco-innovations have you come up with? Since you've been thinking here, maybe we ought to promote environmental innovations which actually work efficiently, save money, save energy, and help the balance between mankind's civilizations and the rest of the species out there? Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 21,600 articles was a lot of work - because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off.

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Eco Innovation Alternative Energy Devices Disaster Proofing

Sometimes entrepreneurs are the eternal optimists, and perhaps that's a good thing, because they will take risks that normal people might not take. Without these entrepreneurs who go for it, we wouldn't have many of the things that we have in our society today, those things which make our lives easier, and help us live a comfortable lifestyle, and maintain a positive quality of life.

Still, what I've found as the coordinator for a think tank which operates online is that many of these entrepreneurs are coming up with ideas and eco-innovations which simply do not have the proper return on investment, and they are too apt to have catastrophic failure. Consider if you will that many of the wind turbine blades have broken, and they cause an unbalanced system, and then they rip the rest of the system apart in a fiery mess.

Not long ago, I was talking to the business manager for an interesting concept of a donut shaped wind turbine generator which would be flown at altitude like a kite. This makes good sense, although unless it is built in a way which will allow it to work with 100% uptime, much the same as a nuclear power plant, a coal-fired plant, or a hydroelectric plant then it may not be able to compete in the real world against those other technologies.

Therefore, I asked the business manager if they had plans in case of various calamities. Things such as;

1.-If there is a solar flare which takes out all the power, could your unit still operate or would you be dead in the water because the tether power line would be toast as soon as you launched it?

2.-What about Lightning? How are you dealing with that?

Now then, it is possible to build a system which could handle a severe solar flare or solar storm, using military grade electronics. Although that raises the cost as well, and remember in business we are worried about return on investment, and even in the alternative energy sector where there are subsidies, someday that thing has to make a profit.

Likewise, there are sophisticated systems and airliners which discharge lightning when it hits the plane. These types of systems could be employed on wind generators, which are a loft or airborne attached to a long power cord. Of course, any lightning rod discharge system would have to also come down that power cord, and tethered to the ground. This adds weight to the power cord, and a lot of cost to the device.

You see, fail-safes are needed, and things like this drastically raise the cost of generating power, that is why nuclear power plants cost so much, and why hydroelectricity, even though it uses gravity fed water still costs money, it's not free. If you are an eco-Innovation entrepreneur, I hope you realize that you can't make money forever on the taxpayer or government-funded subsidies. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is the Founder of the Online Think Tank, a diverse group of achievers, experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, thinkers, futurists, academics, dreamers, leaders, and general all around brilliant minds. Lance Winslow hopes you've enjoyed today's discussion and topic. http://www.WorldThinkTank.net - Have an important subject to discuss, contact Lance Winslow.

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Advantages of Solar Energy as Renewable Energy

The advantages of solar energy and other alternative power is becoming increasingly important. Supplies of non-renewable fuels really are diminishing worldwide. For this reason, governing bodies as well as environmentalists are forewarning people that some thing must be implemented to sustain this need. Individuals are exploring the benefits of alternative energy as well as whether it is a source of energy that they're able to take advantage of.

Yet another significant problem with non-renewable fuels is they have a horrible effect on the planet. There is a strong connection relating to the use of standard fuels as well as climate change. Climatic change seriously effects the way of life for both people as well as animal species, as well as variations climate patterns including prolonged high temperatures, hurricanes and also droughts.

If you're looking for just a little bit of education and learning about the harm that climatic change plays, I recommend that you simply rent from your nearby video retailer the documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth'. You'll be astonished and definitely will want to integrate alternative energy into the design of your house regardless if you are constructing brand new, or even would like to make minor modifications to your dwelling to really make it power efficient.

One of the biggest advantages of alternative energy is the fact that it's a clean eco-friendly type of power and also generates a small carbon impact. Due to these factors numerous individuals are making the green bandwagon and deciding to make use of alternative energy such as solar energy, wind energy as well as geothermal power.

You may discover there are much more work opportunities created with using alternative energy, which will probably remain in America too. Several jobs offer excellent pay as well as benefits.

Another benefit of alternative energy is the fact that the federal government is stepping up and offering tax breaks and also incentive plans for those who decide to install alternative energy technology. You will find at the moment government duty credits readily available for individuals who decide to set up solar energy. These kinds of government tax credits make-up thirty % of the price of photo voltaic systems and may provide for both industrial as well as residential properties.

By making renewable power less expensive, individuals are much more ready to install alternative energy technology to safeguard the planet from additional climatic change if it's within their grasp. Those individuals that decide to set up renewable power tend to be individuals that promote eco-friendly communities. Several residential areas strive at becoming environmentally aware residents, as well as perform the things they can easily to enhance environmental surroundings as well as the world that we live in.

Eco-friendly metropolitan areas market particular environmentally friendly guidelines for individuals to stick to in order to become much more power efficient as well as reduce air pollution and harm to the earth. Annually, National Geographic generates the green Manual. It provides excellent details about numerous eco-friendly concerns and in addition provides the very best ten eco-friendly metropolitan areas. Is your area likely to be showcased in this years manual?

The benefits of renewable energy might fill a whole guide. It is also essential that we look at the drawbacks of renewable energy at the same time. The primary drawback that shouts out at all of us is always that it really is too price prohibitive to set up alternative energy technologies. Until this particular advances, just those that have disposable money can afford the $20,000 it costs to install a Photo voltaic solar system.

For more info on how you can more affordably implement solar technology, please download our free Solar Energy Unleashed E-book for amazing tips and techniques for producing solar energy. Also be sure to visit our website for the ultimate energy efficient homes resource.

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Green Innovations The Four Most Disruptive Alternative Energy Technologies

Greener lifestyles will be driven in part by the actions people choose to take to go green, but also by the development of new technologies. In fact, it may be the new, innovative technologies that provide the largest benefits of going green.

Billions of dollars in investments have been directed into the development alternative energy technologies over the past several years. The rate of innovation is rapid and the level of competition between companies is intense. This is precisely the ideal situation to give birth to novel, disruptive technologies that will have a profound effect on the world for years.

The Boston Consulting Group has published a report in which it attempts to identify the four areas most likely to benefit from disruptive technological developments that cause significant changes in energy efficiency and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

What are those four areas?

The first is advanced biofuels, which means fuels beyond ethanol. Ethanol has the main benefit that we can produce it now and it is domestic, which reduces our dependence on imported oil for transportation fuel. But ethanol is a poor fuel relative to gasoline, having only about 60% of the fuel value. Ethanol is also corrosive and absorbs water from the atmosphere, making it incompatible with current pipeline infrastructure. Advanced biofuels will be more gasoline-like and will be produced predominantly from waste products like cellulose and non-food crops like switchgrass, avoiding the crowding out of food crops caused by existing corn-based ethanol.

The second disruptive technology will be wind power. Wind power is already cost competitive in many part of the world at 9-10 cents per kilowatt-hour. However, companies in China are already gearing up to produce wind turbines en masse, which will bring the cost down further. As more transmission lines are added to transport wind generated power to places where it can be consumed, you can expect wind to command a larger share of national energy output.

The third technology identified as disruptive is solar photovoltaic power. Solar panels are already being used in states like California and Arizona, where sun is plentiful. However, costs are still too high by about a factor of two for widespread adoption. As technology continues to improve, expect to see solar panels used more widely to produce electricity.

Finally, concentrated solar power is picked as the fourth disruptive technology. This is distinguished from photovoltaic power in that the sun's energy is focused and can be used as heat as well as for direct electricity generation.

According to the report, you can expect these four technologies to be disrupting the status quo by 2025.

Interestingly, one technology was singled out as being unlikely to have a significant impact before 20205: carbon capture and storage.

I think the situation for carbon capture depends on the extent to which governments create disruptions through taxes and/or mandates.

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This 7-day e-mail course will show you how to make your lifestyle greener while saving money at the same time.

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Tubular Wind Turbine Aerostat Alternative Energy Future Concepts

Recently, I looked at a tubular wind turbine aerostat, which had the funny shape of an elongated donut, it was your basic flying wind tunnel venture-tube tethered like a kite. The long cable also housed the power cord and it generated electricity, nice new eco-innovation right? Well, hardly, as inventors and innovative minds have been discussing these things since the 1940s - go look through some old Popular Science Magazines some time.

Anyway, the young kids, grad students who put this non-new eco-innovation together claim it to be some new revolutionary device, and I'd hate to take away their self-esteem. Still, isn't it time to take such a contraption to the next level to really make it high-tech in the present period and on into future periods? Yes, at least yes, I believe it is. So, I asked the group three questions;

1.-Have you considered using the friction of the air across the airfoil as energy which could cause a shape-shifting material - graphine for instance with sandwiches ammonium atoms to adapt to the relative wind speed for better control? Maybe slightly changing the center of the donut hole inlet? Or creating a lower profile area in high winds?

2.-What are your thoughts on taking at least some of the energy you create to fire up a frequency device to align the air molecules coming in, thus, simulating "thicker air" or greater density - meaning more power generated?

3.-The unit appears somewhat translucent (even stealthy?) meaning it won't be an eye-sore, which makes people happy, but do you have a light weight set of strobe lights for aircraft for domestic use?

You see, if we are to really take our eco-innovations seriously, these kids graduating from college who somehow believe their passion for innovation will get them by - then we need to challenge them to take it to the next level without pretending it's good enough, when clearly it lacks real solid futuristic innovation. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 21,600 articles was a lot of work - because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off.

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Alternative Energy Sources The Advantages of Solar Power

The next time you go to fill up your car with petrol,diesel or even the more recent innovation of bio fuel think about the fact that it will be one of the last times you do this. Okay, so it is still going to be a good few years until these sources of fuel run out completely, but, as prices continue to rise, technology continues to thrive on creating new devices that use alternative energy resources.

Bio fuels might still be around a bit longer than the others, but eventually we will be using more easily gained and renewable resources. At the moment there are three main sources of alternative energy, but before we have a look at them let us ask ourselves a very simple question - is alternative energy really a new concept?

Why should we ask ourselves this? Well, when it comes to using the power of wind to do something for us that we would rather not do ourselves then history is teaming with evidence of wind power being utilised in our past. We had sailing ships up until the later part of the 19th century, we used and still use wind power to some extent to grind wheat. There is even evidence of a wind power land vehicle that used a sail to capture the wind and catapult it and it's enthusiastic passenger across the land.

Hydro power might seem like a new concept, but again if we take a step back in time we will see that water from rivers was used to turn wheels with the purpose of grinding grain.

Solar power, again, may seem like a new invention, but if we take a look out of our living room window and into our pretty gardens then we will easily be humbled by the fact that evolution has used solar (sun) power for millions of years to provide energy for plants. The advantages of solar power are obvious if we just look up.

What we have done more recently is not so much invent alternative energy sources, but rather to re-invent them to suit the modern needs of today.

If you have ever considered using solar power to power your home or would like an example of the advantages of solar power then read on:-

http://hubpages.com/hub/Is-Solar-Energy-Too-Expensive

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Renewable Fuels for Alternative Energy

The Germans have really taken off when it comes to renewable fuel sources, and have become one of the major players in the alternative energy game. Under the aegis of the nation's electricity feed laws, the German people set a world record in 2006 by investing over $10 billion (US) in research, development, and implementation of wind turbines, biogas power plants, and solar collection cells. Germany's “feed laws” permit the German homeowners to connect to an electrical grid through some source of renewable energy and then sell back to the power company any excess energy produced at retail prices. This economic incentive has catapulted Germany into the number-one position among all nations with regards to the number of operational solar arrays, biogas plants, and wind turbines. The 50-terawatt hours of electricity produced by these renewable energy sources account for 10% of all of Germany's energy production per year. In 2006 alone, Germany installed 100,000 solar energy collection systems.

Over in the US, the BP corporation has established an energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) to spearhead extensive new research and development efforts into clean burning renewable energy sources, most prominently biofuels for ground vehicles. BP's investment comes to $50 million (US) per year over the course of the next decade. This EBI will be physically located at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The University is in partnership with BP, and it will be responsible for research and development of new biofuel crops, biofuel-delivering agricultural systems, and machines to produce renewable fuels in liquid form for automobile consumption. The University will especially spearhead efforts in the field of genetic engineering with regard to creating the more advanced biofuel crops. The EBI will additionally have as a major focal point technological innovations for converting heavy hydrocarbons into pollution-free and highly efficient fuels.

Also in the US, the battle rages on between Congress and the Geothermal energy Association (GEA). The GEA's Executive Director Karl Gawell has recently written to the Congress and the Department of energy, the only way to ensure that DOE and OMB do not simply revert to their irrational insistence on terminating the geothermal research program is to schedule a congressional hearing specifically on geothermal energy, its potential, and the role of federal research. Furthermore, Gawell goes on to say that recent studies by the National Research Council, the Western Governors' Association Clean energy Task Force and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology all support expanding geothermal research funding to develop the technology necessary to utilize this vast, untapped domestic renewable energy resource. Supporters of geothermal energy, such as this writer, are amazed at the minuscule amount of awareness that the public has about the huge benefits that research and development of the renewable alternative ener

gy source would provide the US, both practically and economically. Geothermal energy is already less expensive to produce in terms of kilowatt-hours than the coal that the US keeps mining. Geothermal energy is readily available, sitting just a few miles below our feet and easily accessible through drilling. One company, Ormat, which is the third largest geothermal energy producer in the US and has plants in several different nations, is already a billion-dollar-per-year business—geothermal energy is certainly economically viable.

Investing in Alternative Energy Stocks

Alternative energy stock portfolios are a great part of a modern investor's financial plan, due to the fac that there is so much upward potential. These make excellent long term growth investment vehicles, and the money put into them by you, the investor, serves to further the cause of implementing the alternative energy power sources that we need as we sail into the 21st century and beyond.

Analysts predict that by 2013, the alternative energy industry will be a $13 billion dollar industry in today's dollars. This figure bespeaks an enormous return on investment. Indeed, if you were to invest in a start-up alternative energy company, you might find yourself having invested in the next Microsoft in terms of return on investment. People are fed up with the rising costs of gasoline—while this alone is not sufficient understanding of the need for developing alternative energy sources, it is a factor which can act as a market maker—meaning for you that investments in alternative energy companies makes a lot of financial sense.

However, this does not mean that you don't first want to do some careful research into alternative energy stocks, perhaps with the help of a financial planner. “A few alternative-energy companies are going after the right markets but that doesn't mean you should go buy every name in the sector. Investors need to be cautious about chasing the stocks,” says Sanjay Shrestha, who is an analyst at First Albany Capital. And if you are an investor, then you know that the problem in this sector is that nearly every single one of the major players in the alternative energy for profit game are start-ups or in the very early stages of growth. This means for you that they have relatively minuscule (even if rapidly growing) sales, and no expected profitability in the near term or history of earnings for you to be able to research. This can lead to some bubbling, as with what happened to the dot-com industry at the turn of the 21st century. Bubbling in the stock market is not a good thing for investors.

Ananlysts and financial planners can play a crucial role in helping you get it right with alternative energy investing. “We don't play around in the tiny cap stocks that have technology and not much revenue—the 'hope' stocks. We invest in companies with clear cash-generation plans in place,” are the words of Ben walker, who is a senior portfolio manager at the Gartmore Global Utilities fund out of London.

Still, the outlook is very positive overall—and healthy. “It is good to see that the number of renewable energy funds and the amount of money flowing into these funds is increasing,” according to chief executive of UK alternative elecricity supplier Good energy Juliet Davenport. “The renewable generation market is at an important stage in its development; it needs the continued support of the consumer, investor and government to ensure that it reaches its potential and really starts to make a difference to climate change.”

Alternative Energy in Ireland

The Irish are currently pursuing energy independence and the further development of their robust economy through the implementation of research and development into alternative energy sources. At the time of this writing, nearly 90% of Ireland's energy needs are met through importation—the highest level of foreign product dependence in the nation's entire history. This is a very precarious situation to be in, and the need for developing alternative energy sources in Ireland is sharply perceived. Ireland also seeks to conserve and rejuvenate its naturally beautiful environment and to clean up its atmosphere through the implementation of alternative energy supplies. The European Union has mandated a reduction in sulphuric and nitric oxide emissions for all member nations. Green energy is needed to meet these objectives. Hydroelectric power has been utilized in Ireland in some areas since the 1930s and has been very effective; however, more of it needs to be installed. Ireland also needs to harness the wave power of the Atlantic Ocean, which on its west coast is a potential energy supply that the nation has in great store.

Ireland actually has the potential to become an energy exporter, rather than a nation so heavily dependent on energy importation. This energy potential resides in Ireland's substantial wind, ocean wave, and biomass-producing alternative energy potentials. Ireland could become a supplier of ocean wave-produced electricity and biomass-fueled energy to continental Europe and, as they say, “make a killing”. At the present time, Ireland is most closely focused on reaching the point where it can produce 15% of the nation's electricity through wind farms, which the government has set as a national objective to be reached by 2010. But universities, research institutes, and government personnel in Ireland have been saying that the development of ocean wave energy technology would be a true driving force for the nation's economy and one which would greatly help to make Ireland energy independent. A test site for developing wave ocean energy has been established in Ireland, less than two miles off the coast of An Spidea

l in County Galway Bay. This experimental ocean wave harnessing site is known as “Wavebob”. The most energetic waves in the world are located off the West coast of Ireland, says Ireland's Marine Institute CEO Dr. Peter Heffernan. The technology to harness the power of the ocean is only just emerging and Ireland has the chance to become a market leader in this sector. David Taylor, CEO of the Sustainable energy Initiative,or SEI, tells us that SEI is committed to innovation in the renewable energy sector. Wave energy is a promising new renewable energy resource which could one day make a significant contribution to Ireland's electricity generation mix thereby further reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.

Padraig Walshe, the president of the Irish Farmers Association, tells us that with the closure of the sugar beet industry, an increasing amount of Irish land resources will become available for alternative uses, including bioenergy production. Today, renewable energy sources meet only 2% of Ireland’s total energy consumption. From a farming perspective, growing energy crops will only have a viable future if they provide an economic return on investment and labour, and if the prospect of this return is secure into the future. Currently the return from energy crops is marginal and is hampering the development of the industry. Biomass energies need to be further researched by Ireland.

An Alternative Energy Education Method

The best method of educating young people about alternative energy production that this writer has ever witnessed is the use of the PicoTurbine Company's kits, books, and projects. The PicoTurbine Company produces these things for the purpose of advancing the cause of renewable (alternative) energy and getting young people to look into the future and see that the environment that's being seeded now is the one they will inherit then. As the late, great Gerry Ford said, “Things are more like they are now than they have ever been before.” If we are to change the future world for the better, then it starts right here and now with the advent of “green” energy systems.

One of the core concepts of PicoTurbine can be stated: Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I might remember some of it. Involve me, and I will master it. Based on this old tried and true adage, the kits that the company produces come with activity suggestions to get the young people into hands-on learning situations. One suggestion of the company is to demonstrate how heat can be produced by wind energy (the company's specialty) through using a “picture wire” for the heating element. PicoTurbine has found that people typically think of wind energy as being “cold” energy, and are pleasantly surprised to see how wind can be used for generating heat in the home. Another project suggestion that the company offers is to have different groups split off in the classroom and then compare their respective wind turbines that they have built. They can see which ones produce the most or least electricity; which ones start up with need of the least amount of wind power; and for very young children, which ones have the most aesthetic appeal.

There is a core curriculum that PicoTurbine has in mind for teachers to instill in their pupils. Renewable, alternative sources of energy include solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass in addition to wind-produced energy. When we use more alternative sources of energy, we decrease our nation's dependence on foreign oil supplies, which often come from nations who cannot really be called our “allies”. Alternative energy is already becoming cost effective when set against the fossil fuels that we are so reliant on currently.

PicoTurbine points out that wind farms and solar arrays are already letting their makers enjoy commercial success. In the last two decades, the cost of photovoltaic cells expressed in terms of per-watt has gone from nearly $1000 to just $4! It has been predicted by analysts that by the year 2015, the cost per watt should only be about $1 (in today's dollars). Students also need to be taught about the hidden cost of fossil fuels: pollution and environmental degradation. Air pollution from burning fossil fuels has been shown through studies to increase incidences of asthma attacks, heighten the effects of allergies, and even cause cancer. Switching over to clean, green energy found in the alternative forms would prevent air pollution and help bolster the environment.

The Ways that the Military is Using Alternative Energy

The US military knows that its branches must revamp their thinking about how to engage in “the theater of war” in the new, post-Cold War world of the 21st century. One thing that the military leaders stress is the desire for the forces deployed in the theater to be able to be more energy-independent. Currently the US military has policies and procedures in place to interact with allies or sympathetic local populaces to help its forces in the field get their needed energy and clean water when engaged in a foreign military campaign. However, this is not wholly reliable, as the US might well find itself facing unilateral military activities, or have itself in a situation where its allies cannot help it with the resources it needs to conduct its military actions successfully.

The US military is very interested in certain alternative energies that, with the right research and development technologically, can make it energy independent, or at least a great deal more so, on the battlefield. One of the things that greatly interests the military along these lines is the development of small nuclear reactors, which could be portable, for producing theater-local electricity. The military is impressed with how clean-burning nuclear reactors are and how energy efficient they are. Making them portable for the typical warfare of today's highly mobile, small-scaled military operations is something they are researching. The most prominent thing that the US military thinks these small nuclear reactors would be useful for involves the removal of hydrogen (for fuel cell) from seawater. It also thinks that converting seawater to hydrogen fuel in this way would have less negative impact on the environment than its current practices of remaining supplied out in the field.

Seawater is, in fact, the military's highest interest when it comes to the matter of alternative energy supply. Seawater can be endlessly “mined” for hydrogen, which in turn powers advanced fuel cells. Using OTEC, seawater can also be endlessly converted into desalinated, potable water. Potable water and hydrogen for power are two of the things that a near-future deployed military force will need most of all.

In the cores of nuclear reactors—which as stated above are devices highly interesting, in portable form, to the US military—we encounter temperatures greater than 1000 degrees Celsius. When this level of temperature is mixed with a thermo-chemical water-splitting procedure, we have on our hands the most efficient means of breaking down water into its component parts, which are molecular hydrogen and oxygen. The minerals and salts that are contained in seawater would have to be extracted via a desalination process in order to make the way clear for the water-splitting process. These could then be utilized, such as in vitamins or in salt shakers, or simply sent back to the ocean (recycling). Using the power of nuclear reactors to extract this hydrogen from the sea, in order to then input that into fuel cells to power advanced airplanes, tanks, ground vehicles, and the like, is clearly high on the R & D priority list of the military.

Wind Power as a Viable Solution to Meeting Alternative Energy Needs

Although it is much less expensive to initially get hooked into the local electric company's grid than it is to set up and hook into wind turbines, in the long run one saves money by utilizing the wind for one's energy needs—while also becoming more independent. Not receiving an electric bill while enjoying the advantages of the modern electrically-driven lifestyle is a wondrous feeling.

Electric bills and fuel bills are rising steadily—but the cost of wind turbine energy is zero, and the cost of installing and hooking up a turbine is steadily coming down as demand rises and more commercial success is realized by various companies producing the turbines and researching technologies to make them ever more efficient. In addition, people are moving away from the traditional electric grids and the fossil fuels for personal reasons including desire for greater independence, the desire to live remotely or rurally without having to “go primitive”, political concerns such as fears of terrorist strikes on oil fields or power grids, or concerns about the environment. Again, this motivation to get away from the traditional energy sources is the same one that causes people to seek the power of the wind for their energy, giving more business opportunities to profit from wind turbine production and maintenance, which drives their costs down for the consumers. In nearly thirty states at the time of this writing, homeowners who remain on the grid but who still choose to use wind energy (or other alternative forms) are eligible for rebates or tax breaks from the state governments that end up paying for as much as 50% of their total “green” energy systems' costs. In addition, there are 35 states at the time of this writing where these homeowners are allowed to sell their excess energy back to the power company under what are called “net metering laws”. The rates that they are being paid by the local power companies for this energy are standard retail rates—in other words, the homeowners are actually profiting from their own energy production.

Some federal lawmakers are pushing to get the federal government to mandate these tax breaks and other wind power incentives in all 50 states. Japan and Germany already have national incentive programs in place. However, “A lot of this is handled regionally by state law. There wouldn't really be a role for the federal government,” the energy Department's Craig Stevens says. And as might be imagined, there are power companies who feel that it's unfair that they should have to pay retail rates to private individuals. “We should [only have to] pay you the wholesale rate for ... your electricity,” according to Bruce Bowen, Pacific Gas & Electric's director of regulatory policy. However, the companies seem to be more worried about losing short term profits than about the benefits, especially in the long run, of the increased use of wind turbines or wind farms. Head of the Center for energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies of California V. John White points out, “It's quality power that strengthens the grid.”

An Energy Alternative: Free Energy

There has been much debate about what is often called “free” energy—energy that can supposedly, with the right technology, be drawn straight out of the atmosphere, and in very abundant supply. The debates are about whether the stuff actually exists or not, what it would actually cost were it to be harnessed, and if it does exist is it truly as abundant and efficient as it's being made out to be by proponents of research and development into this potential alternative energy source.

When one hears the phrase “free energy device”, one might be hearing about one of several different concepts. This might mean a device for collecting and transmitting energy from some source that orthodox science does not recognize; a device which collects energy at absolutely no cost; or an example of the legendary perpetual motion machine. Needless to say, a perpetual motion machine—a machine which drives itself, forever, once turned on, therefore needing no energy input ever again and never running out of energy—is impossible. However, it is not so simple to say that a new technology for harnessing the energy “floating” in the atmosphere is impossible. New technologies replace old ones all the time with abilities that had just been “impossible”. Harnessing the power of the atom for providing huge amounts of energy was “impossible” until the 1940s. Flying human beings were an “impossible” thing until the turn of the 20th century and the Wright Brothers' flight.

The biggest claim of the proponents of “free” energy is that enormous amounts of energy can be drawn from the Zero Point Field. This is a quantum mechanical state of matter for a defined system which is attained when the system is at the lowest possible energy state that it can be in. This is called the “ground state” of the system. Zero Point energy (ZPE) is sometimes referred to as “residual” energy and it was first proposed to be usable as an alternative form of energy way back in 1913 by Otto Stern and Albert Einstein. It is also referred to as “vacuum energy” in studies of quantum mechanics, and it is supposed to represent the energy of totally empty space. This energy field within the vacuum has been likened to the froth at the base of a waterfall by one of the principal researchers into and proponents of Hal Puthof. Puthof also explains, the term 'zero-point' simply means that if the universe were cooled down to absolute zero where all thermal agitation effects would be frozen out, this energy would st

ill remain. What is not as well known, however, even among practicing physicists, are all the implications that derive from this known aspect o quantum physics. However, there are a group of physicists—myself and colleagues at several research labs and universities—who are examining the details, we ask such questions as whether it might be possible to 'mine' this reservoir of energy for use as an alternative energy source, or whether this background energy field might be responsible for inertia and gravity. These questions are of interest because it is known that this energy can be manipulated, and therefore there is the possibility that the control of this energy, and possibly inertia and gravity, might yield to engineering solutions. Some progress has been made in a subcategory of this field (cavity quantum electrodynamics) with regard to controlling the emission rates of excited atoms and molecules, of interest in laser research and elsewhere.

Alternative Energy Development in Japan

Japan is a densely populated country, and that makes the Japanese market more difficult compared with other markets. If we utilize the possibilities of near-shore installations or even offshore installations in the future, that will give us the possibility of continued use of wind energy. If we go offshore, it's more expensive because the construction of foundations is expensive. But often the wind is stronger offshore, and that can offset the higher costs. We're getting more and more competitive with our equipment.

The price—if you measure it per kilowatt-hour produced—is going lower, due to the fact that turbines are getting more efficient. So we're creating increased interest in wind energy. If you compare it to other renewable energy sources, wind is by far the most competitive today. If we're able to utilize sites close to the sea or at sea with good wind machines, then the price per kilowatt-hour is competitive against other sources of energy, go the words of Svend Sigaard, who happens to be president a nd CEO of the world's largest wind turbine maker, Vestas wind systems out of Denmark. Vestas is heavily involved in investments of capital into helping Japan expand its wind turbine power generating capacity. It is seeking to get offshore installations put into place in a nation that it says is ready for the fruits of investment into alternative energy research and development.

The Japanese know that they cannot become subservient to the energy supply dictates of foreign nations—World War II taught them that, as the US decimated their oil supply lines and crippled their military machine. They need to produce energy of their own, and they being an isolated island nation with few natural resources that are conducive to energy production as it is defined now are very open to foreign investment and foreign development as well as the prospect of technological innovation that can make them independent.

Allowing corporations such as Vestas to get the nation running on more wind-produced energy is a step in the right direction for the Japanese people. The production of energy through what is known as microhydoelectric power plants has also been catching on in Japan. Japan has a myriad rivers and mountain streams, and these are ideally suited places for the putting up of microhydroelectric power plants, which are defined by the New energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization as power plants run by water which have a maximum output of 100 kilowatts or less.

By comparison, “minihydroelectric” power plants can put out up to 1000 kilowatts of electrical energy. In Japan, the small-scaled mini- and micro-hydroelectric power plants have been regarded for a considerable time as being suitable for creating electricity in mountainous regions, but they have through refinement come to be regarded as excellent for Japanese cities as well. Kawasaki City Waterworks, Japan Natural energy Company, and Tokyo Electric Power Company have all been involved in the development of small-scale hydroelectric power plants within Japanese cities.

Resources for Alternative Energy

There are many different forms in which alternative energy is available.

One of these is solar power. solar power is driven by photovoltaic cells, and these are progressively getting less expensive and more advanced. solar energy power can be used for electricity, heating, and making hot water. solar energy produces no pollution, as its input comes completely from the sun's rays. However, much more work still needs to be done in order for us to economically harness the sun's energy. For the time being, the resource is a little too conditional—storage batteries are needed to be used as backups in the evenings and on inclement days.

wind energy has become the most-invested-in (by private investors and governments together) alternative energy source for the time being. The great arrays of triple-bladed windmills are being placed all over as “wind farms”, to capture the motion of the wind and use its kinetic energy for conversion to mechanical or electrical energy. Of course, there is nothing new about the concept of a windmill for harnessing energy. Modern wind turbines are simply are more advanced variations on the old theme. Of course, the drawback to wind energy is...what do you do when there is a calm, still day? Needless to say, during these times the electric company kicks in for powering your home or office. wind energy is not altogether independent.

Hydroelectric energy is available as a source of alternative energy, and it can generate a substantial amount of power. Simply put, hydroelectric energy uses the motion of water—its flow in response to gravity, which means downhill—to turn turbines which then generate electrical energy. Needless to say, water is ubiquitous; finding sources for driving hydroelectric turbines is, therefore, not much of a problem. However, hydroelectricity as a source of alternative energy can be complicated and expensive to produce. Dams are often built in order to be able to control the flow of the water sufficiently to generate the needed power. Building a dam to store and control water's potential and kinetic energy takes quite a lot of work, and operating one is complex as well,and conservationists grow concerned that it. Of course, a dam is not always needed if one is not trying to supply the electrical needs of a city or other very densely populated area. There are small run-of-river hydroelectric converters which are goo

d for supplying neighborhoods or an individual office or home.

Probably the most underrated and under-appreciated form of alternative energy is geothermal energy, which is simply the naturally-occurring energy produced by the heating of artesian waters that are just below the earth's crust. This heat is transferred into the water from the earth's inner molten core. The water is drawn up by various different methods—there are “dry steam” power plants, “flash” power plants, and “binary” power plants for harnessing geothermal energy. The purpose of drawing up the hot water is for the gathering of the steam. The Geysers, approximately 100 miles north of San Francisco, is probably the best-known of all geothermal power fields; it's an example of a dry stream plant.