Artificial Geothermal Energy – An Experiment that Works

Success is Around the Corner Geothermal Power Plant Though artificial or engineered geothermal energy is still in an experimental stage of development, there are a few small commercial plants in operation: Japan demonstrated this capability on the side of a volcano, at Hijiori. It converted enough heat in a test run of one year to support a 130 KW power plant. Australia has some bright prospects...

Artificial Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Energy Natural geothermal energy, also known as hydrothermal energy, starts with water underground trapped in holes or cracks in rocks. The water and rocks, heated by the earth’s mantle or radioactive minerals in the rock, becomes steam. This steam is released by drilling, drives turbines in generators, and thereby creates electricity for homes and other facilities. It’s termed...

Spray-on Solar Panels

Solar Panels According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), by 2020 photovoltaic (PV) technology will represent 15 percent of the energy consumed in the U.S. and the National Center for Photovoltaic (NCPV) expects that 10 percent of the power produced during peak times will be by solar energy. Solar energy is plentiful, clean, and renewable. In fact the amount of energy provided by...

Solar Panel Cleaning

Solar Panels Installing a Photovoltaic (PV) system represents a huge investment, but one that many feel is worth the price both financially and environmentally: PV systems convert sunlight into electricity without producing air pollution or hazardous wastes. In a typical year, fossil fuel plants produce 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, as million tons of sulfur dioxide, and 7 million tons of...

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve

 The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a federally controlled oil stockpile, that was created in 1975 as a result of the 1973-1974 oil embargoes. Its purpose is to reduce U.S. vulnerability to any interruptions to the oil supply, regardless of whether they are initiated by one of its supplying OPEC nations or a natural disaster (e.g. Hurricane Katrina). Procedural Framework for Releasing...

Offshore Drilling

Offshore Drilling Rigs Worldwide daily consumption of oil generally exceeeds 80-85 million barrels thereby driving the petroleum industry to continually search the planet for new reserves. Since the world’s oceans comprise almost 75 percent of the earth’s surface, it stands to reason that much of the world’s future new oil reserves will be discovered underwater. Underwater exploration,...

Introduction to Artificial Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the conversion of sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into usable fuel and it is typically discussed in relation to plants where the fuel is carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Using only 3 percent of the sunlight that reaches the planet, plants collectively perform massive energy conversions, converting just over 1,100 billion tons of CO2 into food sources for animals every...

Solar Energy at Night

The energy emanating from the sun can be converted into electricity by using: Photovoltaic Cells where semiconductor materials absorb photons and releases electrons, or Solar-Thermal Turbines that generate steam from the sun’s heat, spinning a turbine to produce electricity. Since cloudy days and nighttime limit the practical conversion time of the sun’s energy, traditional applications of...

Gasification – Clean Coal and Other Fuels

Gasification involves a set of chemical reactions that convert carbon-containing feedstock into synthetic gas. It uses only a small amount of oxygen which when combined with steam and put under intense pressure produces a gaseous mix of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. This synthetic gas can be burned directly or used to start the development of fertilizer, pure hydrogen, methane, or liquid...

Offshore Drilling – An Unending Controversy

One of the most controversial topics dominating the energy discussion is related to opening the remaining protected U.S. coastline to oil exploration. Questions remain regarding the impact of offshore drilling on the economy and the environment. Specifically: Figure 1 - Offshore Drilling Platform Those in favor of offshore drilling point toward lower gasoline prices and reduced reliance on...