Energy Efficiency – Home Appliances

Though often taken for granted, home appliances exist to allow us to operate more efficiently on a day-to-day basis. And, though not critical to our well-being, they definitely save us time and labor, but questionable as to whether they save us money. Even those refrigerators, microwaves and dishwashers that come with energy and money-saving features need to be operated properly if one is to...

Introduction to Nuclear Fusion

Inertial Confinement Process As the debate around the viability of nuclear power continues, particularly as the reality of the limitations of renewable energy sources become better understood, the advantages of fusion become ever more apparent: Abundance of the primary fuel, deuterium, which is one of the hydrogen isotopes. It can be readily extracted from seawater and tritium, another of the...

Introduction to Micro Grids

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle With the increased importance of electricity in our day-to-day lives and overall economic prosperity, the notion of depending on outdated, centralized power grids that inefficiently deliver power and occasionally fails to meet basic needs for power may be insufficient, if not outdated. This has brought about the application of localized power grids, as part of an...

Extraterrestrial Energy – Moon or Sun Power

Control Room for Nuclear Fusion The search for viable forms of clean alternative energy continues as each potential solution carries with it significant shortcomings: Nuclear power presents environmental challenges, in the disposition of high and low level radioactive waste or in the event of a nuclear accident (e.g. Chernobyl), The sun can be impacted by the presence of clouds, Winds are...

Soy–Based Insulation

Soy is both renewable and sustainable, two qualities that make it an ideal alternative for addressing a number of energy-related challenges. According to the United Soybean Board, Americans used 450 million gallons of soy-based diesel fuel in 2007, a nine-fold increase over the previous five year period. Consequently, the thought of extending soy for building materials, specifically insulation,...

Introduction to Ocean Power

Ocean Power The scientific community remains intrigued by the prospect of harnessing the energy of the ocean, if for no other reason than the fact that oceans covers over 70 percent of the earth’s surface. A few successes have been experienced in this area: Tidal power plant in France, designed to produce 240 MW, which is larger than a typical wind farm and about 30-50 percent of the capacity...

SmartGrid and Renewable Energy: The Unresolved Questions

Wind Turbine Farms As the electricity industry forges ahead in defining and ultimately implementing SmartGrid and transitioning to a supply portfolio that includes renewable energy sources, there are a number of unanswered questions and obvious objections that must be confronted to ensure the full benefits of improved reliability, increased energy efficiency, and reduced CO2 emissions.  These...

Impact of Renewable Energy on Electric Transmission

Renewable Energy Impacts Transmission Grid Wind Power - Alternative/Renewable Energy The anticipated increase in renewable electric power generation (particularly wind power) will most likely be satisfied by the trend toward non-utility companies building only transmission facilities.  These trends are: Largely driven by the advent of independent power producers (IPPs), vertically integrated...

The Inevitability of Smart Grid

Expansion of Driving Forces Point to Smart Grid Wind Turbine Farm Much of the current industry discussion around Smart Grid tends to focus on its benefits related to improved environmental stewardship through energy conservation and the introduction of renewable energy resources. Although these benefits will have a permanent role in the overall business case for Smart Grid investments, there are...

Crude Oil Pricing

Oil Rig Crude Oil or petroleum, the “black stuff” that comes out of the ground, is made up of a variety of elements such as carbon, hydrogen and sulfur, and originates from the remains of plants and animals that existed in prehistoric ages. Hence, it is commonly referred to as fossil fuel. However, crude oil must be refined to produce energy, whether in the form of gasoline, kerosene or...