Types Of Energy - Essay Example

Types Of Energy The pitchandikulam community is a 50-acre area within Auroville's GreenBelt. The community was formed in 1973 when Joss began protecting and regenerating the land through various processes. Before this time, the area was desolate and dry with a few scattered palm trees. For the many years, the strong emphasis has been placed on the conservation of plant species that are indigenous. Over the recent years, there has also been a special focus on medicinal plants and a group of young botanists is working with the community. Currently, Pitchandikulam is a sanctuary of self-regenerating forest composed of a large diversity of plants and animals. The environment is less developed and inhabited with only 9 houses and 10 residents. Wind power and why it is not suitable for Pitchandikulam Wind power is a good alternative to hydroelectric power, fossil fuel and other sources of energy. This form of energy is obtained by the conversion of wind energy a utilizable form of energy, for example, making electricity using wind turbines, wind pumps for pumping water, windmills for mechanical power or sails to propel ships. The important features of this form of energy include being clean, plentiful, renewable and zero emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) when in use. Large-scale production of wind power generation is done in wind farms which consists hundreds of single wind turbines connected to a network of electric power transmission. Its production is influenced by wind distribution in terms of strength and speed. This makes the production of wind power to be limited to certain places that experience winds that are substantially strong to turn turbines. This could be onshore and offshore places. Offshore wind power production involves the construction of wind farms inside in water bodies to generate electricity. Better wind speeds are available in these places compared to on land/onshore. Some of the largest onshore wind farms are found in the US. Unlike other forms of energy, the production of wind power does take away farms from farm owners and neither does it render the land unusable for other purposes. It is highly compatible with agriculture. According to American Wind Energy Association (2009), landowners in the US receive a rental income of between $3,000 to $5,000 for each wind turbine as they continue to graze cattle or grow crops up to the foot of the turbines. In comparison to fossil fuels and other sources of power, the effects of wind power on the environment are less problematic. Their trends for the production and use of wind power have been rising and as of 2011, a total of 83 countries worldwide are using this form of energy on the commercial basis (REN21, 2011). Despite having lower levels of adverse environmental effects, wind power is not suitable for some places like Pitchandikulam because the area is forested. Trees act as windbreaks and therefore they reduce the speed and strength of the wind. This means that wind blowing over Pitchandikulam does not have sufficient power to turn turbines for generating electricity from wind. Pitchandikulam is also surrounded by other communities belonging to Auroville Green Belt and these communities are also forested and this reduces the power of the wind reaching this place. Pitchandikulam does not have an area with a very high altitude compared to its surrounding areas. This could have enabled it to utilize high-altitude winds for the generation of wind power. Alternatives energy supply or solution for Pitchandikulam which does not have a negative effect on the environment Wind power as a clean source of power could be the most suitable for Pitchandikulam. The alternative energy solutions or supplies for Pitchandikulam that do not have a negative effect on the environment is solar power. Solar power is a form of energy that is obtained from the conversion of sunlight into electricity. This is achieved through the use of various technologies that can be categorized as either active or passive depending on the mechanism through which they capture, convert and distribute solar energy/sunlight. Active technologies include solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic panels. Solar panels can be installed/placed on the flat roof terrace upstairs (Zavadil et al, 2005). Solar power can also be harnessed directly through passive methods such as orienting a building to the Sun or choosing materials with favorable thermal mass. Among all the methods of harvesting solar energy, solar panels are the most popular. When using this technology, the photovoltaic cell panels are placed in position in which they are exposed to sunlight for example rooftops. (Bradford 2006). Bolton (1977) describes Hybrid solar lighting as active a method of utilizing solar power by providing interior illumination. In this technology, sunlight is collected by HSL systems using focusing mirrors. These mirrors track the sun and transmit it inside the building using optical fibers to supplement conventional lighting. Another powerful way of harnessing solar power is through the use of a Solar Bowl. This technology concentrates light on a receiver which is moveable to produce steam for cooking. The concentration or focusing of light on the heat receiver is done by hundreds of mirrors. There is a coil wound around the receiver and this coil is filled with water. When this water turns to steam, it is pumped to a boiler room below where it is used for cooking. A diesel component is incorporated into this technology for use when solar generations are too low. This technology is already in use in Auroville in the famous Solar Kitchens. Generally, the energy obtained from solar power can be used for heating water and treatment, cooking, heating, cooling, and ventilation. Under large-scale production, solar energy can be used to power the generation of electricity. This relies on photovoltaics and heat engines and can generate energy that is substantial for industrial purposes that require high temperatures. Just like the hydroelectric power (HEP), electricity generated from the solar energy can also be stored. This is achieved through the integration of an inverter into the unit and a battery storage system. This electricity can be substantial to run a house all year round. References American Wind Energy Association (2009). Annual Wind Industry Report, Year Ending 2008. Online: www.awea.org/_cs_upload/learnabout/publications/5094_1.pdf. Accessed on 11th September 2011. Bolton James (1977). Solar Power and Fuels. London. Academic Press, Inc. Bradford Travis (2006). Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry. New York. MIT Press. REN21 (2011). “Renewables 2011: Global Status Report.” Online: www.ren21.net/Portals/97/documents/GSR/REN21_GSR2011.pdf. Accessed on 11th September 2011. Zavadil Robert, Miller Nicholas, Ellis Abraham and Muljadi Eduard (2005). “Making connections.” Power and Energy Magazine, IEEE (6) pp 26–37. Read More