Solar Energy – Facts About What It Is, How It Works, Its Pros And Cons, And Solar Power Panels And Systems Used By Companies And The Residential Sector

Image via Wikipedia What is Solar Energy? Solar energy, by definition, is an alternative energy source which uses the bright light of the sun and converts it to electricity. It is much the same with wind and water energy source but the only difference is where and how it gathers the power. Due to technology and science, it has become easier for companies and houses to acquire this source of...

The Real Cost of Renewables

Renewables-Cheaper or Better? Or Not? According to the Institute for Energy Research, states with mandates around renewables, particularly wind and solar,  are experiencing energy costs significantly higher than during the pre-mandate period. And, conversely, thoses states that have maintained a strong focus on fossil fuel have experienced the opposite.  The following article provides...

Distributed Generation – A Solution or Challenge?

Solar Panels On-site or decentralized generation is commonly referred to as distributed generation. It supplies electricity from sources that are at or near the point of consumption rather than that from large, centralized sources such as utility-owned coal, natural gas, oil, or nuclear power plants. The majority of these distributed systems include: Renewable energy sources such as sunlight,...

Introduction to Renewable Energy

Simply defined, renewable energy is energy that emanates from natural resources (e.g. sunlight, wind, and tides) which can be naturally replenished. There has been a significant push since the start of the 21st century to incorporate these sources of energy into an overall portfolio. By 2008, 19 percent of global energy consumption was satisfied by renewable energy sources. The main drivers of...

A Coming Bear Market for U.S. Electricity Sales?

Economic forecasters and business professionals alike are increasingly alarmed by the broad weakness of the U.S. economic recovery.  Forecasters in many sectors frequently highlight the “lost decade” of the Japanese economy following that nation’s stock market and real estate crash of the early 1990’s, and they openly wonder about parallel patterns in the U.S. and about the implications...

Energy Storage – Essential to Renewable Energy

Electric energy storage has becoming a more dominant topic of the overall energy management discussion primarily because of the: Increased production of electric vehicles being plugged into outlets for recharging every evening, Advent of net-zero homes, and Expansion of intermittent solar and wind generation into the mainstream of energy supply options. As these factors begin to take on greater...

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...

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...

Are Renewables Mainstream?

Figure 1-Wind Farm There is a prevailing view is that renewable electric power generation in its many forms is entering the mainstream as a viable alternative to the more traditional fossil fuel alternatives. Assisted by the ever increasing list of states with renewable portfolio standards (RPS), and continuing advancements in technology to enhance affordability, wind and solar generation are...

Introduction to Thermal Technology

With the pending threat of continually rising natural gas prices, alternative energy technologies are taking on greater significance. This article on thermal technologies explains how  the natural tendency of heat to travel from hot to cold is leveraged to turn heat into useful energy. Thermal Technology – Beyond Photovoltaic Panels Figure 1-PV Panels Photovoltaic (PV) panels are used to...