Types of Alternative Energy
Alternative energy is a catch phrase for any source of usable energy intended to replace other fuel sources with undesired consequences. The problem these days is of course that the energy has become too expensive because of limited supply. So renewable, alternative energy sources become much more desirable—even required.
To learn more about the leading types of alternative energy click on the links on the left.
What Makes An Energy Source Undesirable?
Other undesired consequences besides cost, include global warming and difficulties with radioactive waste disposal of nuclear fuel. The needs and problems of the future are hard to predict today. Times change and so do the types of alternative energy.
Over the years, the nature of what was regarded alternative energy sources has changed considerably, and today because of the variety of energy choices and differing goals of their advocates, defining some energy types as "alternative" is highly controversial.
In other words, what was once considered an alternative energy source, like nuclear energy, has become something that we no longer find desirable. Times change and what was once the ceiling becomes the floor. Coal, whale oil, and petroleum each has replaced another type and was considered an alternative.
Coal Is An Alternative to Wood
Historian Norman F. Cantor describes how in the late medieval period, coal was the new alternative fuel to save the society from overuse of the dominant fuel, wood…
"Europeans had lived in the midst of vast forests throughout the earlier medieval centuries. After 1250 they became so skilled at deforestation that by 1500 AD they were running short of wood for heating and cooking... By 1500 Europe was on the edge of a fuel and nutritional disaster, [from] which it was saved in the sixteenth century only by the burning of soft coal and the cultivation of potatoes and maize."
Petroleum Is An Alternative to Whale Oil
Whale oil was the dominant form of lubrication and fuel for lamps in the early 19th century, but by mid century and the depletion of the whale stocks, whale oil prices were skyrocketing and could not compete with the newly discovered source of cheap petroleum from Pennsylvania in 1859.
Alcohol (ethanol) Is An Alternative To Fossil Fuels
In 1917, Alexander Graham Bell advocated ethanol alcohol from corn and other foodstuffs as an alternative to coal and oil. So that idea has been around for a long time.
Since the 1970s, Brazil has had an ethanol fuel program which has allowed the country to become the world's second largest producer of ethanol (after the United States) and the world's largest exporter.
Brazil’s ethanol fuel program uses modern equipment and cheap sugar cane as feedstock, and the residual cane-waste (bagasse) is used to process heat and power. There are no longer light vehicles in Brazil running on pure gasoline. By the end of 2008 there were 35,000 filling stations throughout Brazil with at least one ethanol pump.
Alternative Energy Is Evolving
So the variety of alternative energy is continually growing. For our children to truly have a green future it must continue. The most common and well known alternative sources like wind, solar, and biodiesel are just the tip of the iceberg. New technologies, and not so new, must be encouraged and used. Old technologies need to be enhanced and updated all the time.
New battery technology, geothermal, and water power, are old ideas that are being enhanced and reborn in new ways and in new forms.
Hybrid cars make use of combinations of energy sources. Ethanol makes use of corn. And pedal power makes use of good old fashion human power — the original power source. New ideas and new inventions are bound to come along as our motivation to find better energy sources grows. And sometimes old ideas just get better.
For example…
Batteries
Batteries store electricity in a chemical form, inside a closed-energy system. They can be re-charged and re-used as a power source in small appliances, machinery and remote locations. Advances in battery technology may one day help to solve parts of our energy crisis.
Fuel Cells
A fuel cell is an electrochemical devise that converts a fuel source into electricity. Fuel cells require a fuel source, but will perform for infinite periods of time if inflows are maintained. Because of this they are different from batteries, which are closed energy storage systems. The articles on this page explore fuel cell technology and its uses.
Hydrogen Power
Hydrogen is one of two natural elements that combine to make water. Hydrogen is not an energy source, but an energy carrier because it takes a great deal of energy to extract it from water. It is useful as a compact energy source in fuel cells and batteries. Many companies are working hard to develop technologies that can efficiently exploit the potential of hydrogen energy.
Waste Energy
The consumption habits of modern consumer lifestyles are causing a huge worldwide waste problem. Having overfilled local landfill capacities, many first world nations are now exporting their refuse to third world countries. This is having a devastating impact on ecosystems and cultures throughout the world. Some alternative energy companies are developing new ways to recycle waste by generating electricity from landfill waste and pollution.
Conclusion
The point is there are many possibilities for alternative energy. What the future holds remains to be seen. The links on the left will provide more details on the leading alternative energy types today. But you can be sure the future may hold many surprises.
