Hydrogen Power Blog

Abhishek Agarwal


The need of having alternative energy sources was felt by us decades ago. University of Florida Statue and Shell Energy have jointly conducted research on trees and biomass by planting Energy Crop Plantation which is the largest in the United States. Over 250,000 native Cottonwoods and the non-invasive eucalyptus together with different row crops like soybeans sprawl over 130 acres of the Energy Crop Plantation area. The University undertook research in collaboration with some agencies and some local groups who are striving to develop future alternative energy sources independent of fossil fuels. These include The Common Purpose Institute, Shell, Department of Energy of US and various individual groups. As an outcome of their ceaseless efforts, this group of super trees got created.

These energy crops which are also called closed loop biomass are fast-growing crops and are good biomass energy supply sources. This research based project is committed to growing crops and biomass energy supplies processing from fast-growing energy crops or closed loop biomass. The research is primarily on the planting of energy crops which are fast-growing crops called closed loop biomass and processing of resultant supplies of biomass energy. The project aims at developing power wood-pulp plants which provide wood-fiber; providing clean biogas to the industries; ethanol development from plants such as sugarcane; and biodiesel fuel production from crops like soybeans.

The petroleum over-dependence of our nation for power has given rise to an urgent need for an alternative energy source to be developed. Penn State University has undertaken special research to develop anl alternative energy source which is practical and which will not cause an increase in the pollution like petroleum products. Such focused research is taking us to a hydrogen-fuelled economy, when the hydrogen power would be a sustainable and clean and endlessly renewable energy resource. This Hydrogen energy can be obtained from crop plants and water and can be continuously renewed. The Penn University seeks to build this sustainable energy resource within the US’ own infrastructure. This assumes great importance in a situation where the world’s supply of oil peaks and ultimately begins to decline. Fuel cells powered by Hydrogen need to be developed commercially to be used as substitutes or together with conventional combustion engines for motor vehicles.

President Bush recently envisaged the concentrated research and development of fivecenters of Sun Grant for this alternative energy initiative. One such center is Oregon State University with government grants of $80 million to be spread over four years span for this special mission. Thus OSU will be the leader in the research for alternate energy sources since it represents Pacific Islands, the US’ Pacific Territories, and the nine Western states. Various teams of leading scientists are doing specific research on alternative energy. One of the projects which deserves a mention here is how to convert straw-like products into an efficient and renewable source of biomass fuel and yet another project is conversion of wood fibers into efficient liquid fuel. According to Edward Ray, OSU President, this pioneering work being done by the their Sun Grant Center is the direct answer to the challenge given by President Bush for achieving energy independence.

David J Hughes


Due to a number of major factors, including the state of the economy, the climate crises and the general higher visibility of environmental issues, renewable energy has become a significant and high profile subject. Now, more than at any time in history, there is a growing awareness of our impact on the planet and consequently a growing movement toward environmental responsibility through the use of renewable energy.

The fundamental shift toward using renewable energy is not just motivated by those who are environmentally conscious and who want to do their part to stabilize the climate. Renewable energy is also attractive to the countless people out there who are interested in saving money on heating and cooling bills by using alternative energy sources. Regardless of the motivation, the result is the same; unprecedented numbers of average people are looking into all types of renewable energy in order to save money on household energy bills. Many have numerous questions about renewable energy. Here are some renewable energy FAQs:

What is renewable energy?

Renewable energy is generally defined as energy that is unlimited in quantity and which renews or regenerates itself without any input from humans.

What are the different types of renewable energy?

Solar power: one of the most popular and reliable forms of renewable energy available, today, solar power is collected by solar panels that have numerous solar cells that store the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity, just like a traditional battery. Solar panels are usually installed on the roofs of structures and are linked together and then tied into the house’s electrical wiring system. Many people find that having a solar power system saves them dramatic amounts of money in heating and cooling bills and some people are even able to disconnect entirely from the electric company and live off the grid on solar power.

Wind power: wind power comes from wind generators that capture the kinetic energy from the wind and translate it into electricity. This is essentially accomplished with propellers mounted on towers. As the wind turns the propellers, electricity is generated. Many electrical cooperatives have built large farms of massive wind generators, but a scaled down version is available for residential use.

Hydrogen furnace: while somewhat different and much more complex than solar or wind power, hydrogen furnaces are just beginning to become proven and reliable technology to create unlimited sources of energy. Essentially, the hydrogen furnace produces energy from waste material by separating the hydrogen molecules. Hydrogen furnaces have posed massive engineering problems for years, but recently there have been breakthroughs that have allowed this technology to become viable.



Can one save money by using renewable energy?

If done correctly, one could save thousands of dollars per year in electricity costs by using renewable energy technology such as solar or wind power. In many places, solar panels can provide the majority if not all of the electricity necessary to power a household every month. The cost of installing a renewable energy system is often recaptured in savings in the first year.

rcdreamz


What alternative energy sources would you recommend for Third world countries to acquire instead of nuclear technology?

Ksee


This may sound ridiculous at this moment but we may need to face it sometime in the future , so what kind of alternative energy sources that we can tap into before we run out of gasoline? Do you think the oil companies or some other major corporations should really invest in such energy development since this is essential for the survival of our civilization.

Carbonbased Lifeform


I’m looking for something besides the usual fuel cells, solar collectors, photovoltaic cells, waste-to-energy, hydro-electric, etc. I think I read somewhere about harnessing body heat for energy. Anyone know anything about that or can give me some links on that or on other developing technologies for alternative sources of energy away from gasoline and natural gas?
Wind mills is included in the “etc.”.

Eleni del Egeo


Are alternative power sources (solar energy, wind power, etc) popular in your country?
What is the percentage of their use?

dedawheaty


Other colleges would be helpful…I was wondering if Chemical Engineering would be best, or Environmental Engineering. If there isnt a specific major, what can I combine to give me the best edge on producing alternative energy sources that are specifically geared towards environmentally sound policies. After that, I also want to open up my own consulting firm for companies who want to make their factories more environmentally friendly. I am just wondering what’s the best tract to go for.