Alternate Energy Sources

Details: Written by: Glenn and Rick; Category: Alternate Energy Sources; Hits: 103

Europe confirms a century-old myth: We can now produce infinite energy out of thin air. Econews Gemma M.April 4, 2025 The renewable industry has been a centre for innovation for as long as it has been around. Each invention brings us closer and closer to a net zero future. This fascinating new design from the CATCHER project aims to harvest the latent power of the air around us to power our homes, cities, and lives. What does this mean for the renewable industry and, more pressingly, for our climate future?

Something out of nothing: the history of atmospheric power.....Designs targeted at drawing power from the air can be traced to Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla. In the early twentieth century, Tesla began experimenting with the electrical charges in the atmosphere (as opposed to this deep sea energy source found at the bottom of the ocean). His goal of converting the electrical charges in the atmosphere into useful electrical energy was, unfortunately, not realised during his lifetime. Ever since Tesla’s day, scientists have endeavoured to generate electricity from the air around us. Recently, this aspiration has been realised. Researchers in the CATCHER project have developed a way to channel the miniscule charges of static electricity found in the gaseous water molecules in the atmosphere, into usable electrical current known as hygroelectricity or humidity electricity. The project is spearheaded by Andriy Lyubchyk who is the chief executive officer of the Portuguese start-up Cascatachuva Lda. Lyubchyk is also a chemical engineer at Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies in Lisbon, Portugal.

The programme that is generating electricity from thin air.......CATCHER draws its funding from the European Innovation Council’s Pathfinder programme. 22% of the EU’s energy comes from renewable sources of energy. This programme could assist the EU in reaching its 2030 goal of sourcing 45% of its energy from renewables. To harness the static electricity in the air, CATCHER uses panel-like zirconium oxide cells. Zirconium oxide is a hard crystalline ceramic material found in anything from dental implants to electronics and cladding for nuclear fuel rods.

Researchers working on the project found that an eight by five centimetre plate of zirconium oxide can generate 0.9 V in laboratory conditions of 50% humidity. For scale, this is roughly the amount of electricity produced by half an AA battery. It is important to note, however, that the project is still in its infancy. Scientists are working on making the process more efficient. Current speculations expect hygroelectricity to be able to produce the same amount of electricity as a photovoltaic cell of the same size in the future.

How is it possible to create electricity from thin air?......It seems that the answer to this over-a-century-old question is the zirconium oxide. To create these cells, small, uniform nanoparticles of zirconium oxide are compressed into a sheet of material that has a uniform structure throughout, and a collection of channels or capillaries. This nanostructure produces electrical fields within the capillaries. These electrical fields separate charge from the water molecules in the atmosphere. This produces a cascade of physiochemical, physical and electrophysical processes that work to capture electrical energy. While this complex process does not quite produce electricity from thin air, it comes pretty close. Important to note, however, is that hygroelectricity requires atmospheric humidity to function. In areas where humidity is low, like very cold regions, the system will not produce electricity.

What does the future of hygroelectricity look like?......Hygroelectricity, though a relatively new entrant to the renewable sphere, has the potential to provide renewable solutions to regions where other sources of renewable energy are not possible – like areas with little direct sunlight but plenty of rainfall. New renewables (like this infinite, invisible power source) continue to emerge, disrupting the renewable industry for the better. https://www.ecoticias.com/en/we-can-produce-energy-out-of-thin-air/12984

Details: Written by: Glenn and Rick; Category: Alternate Energy Sources; Hits: 101

Tidal Energy Explained: All You Need to Know Impactful Ninja

Grace Cabrera

26 Mar 2024 Tidal energy is one of the most underused and underexplored renewable energies that promises one of the lowest levels of carbon dioxide emissions. So, we had to ask: What is tidal energy really, and how can it help mitigate climate change? Tidal energy is the conversion of the movement of ocean water volumes into electrical energy. Per KWh produced, tidal energy emits 22 grams of CO2 on a life-cycle basis. Tidal energy is the conversion of the movement of ocean water volumes into electrical energy. Per KWh produced, tidal energy emits 22 grams of CO2 on a life-cycle basis. Tidal energy helps combat climate change and has various environmental benefits, however, more research and development is needed. Find out all about what tidal energy is, its global capacity, its carbon footprint, its environmental benefits and drawbacks, and how it can mitigate climate change.

The Big Picture of Tidal Energy.......Tidal energy contributes to the avoidance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the burning of fossil fuels (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas). It is classified as a renewable energy source because the resource (water) naturally replaces itself over time. How Is Tidal Energy Defined.......Tidal energy is defined as the conversion of the movement of ocean water volumes into electrical energy through the use of various tidal systems. Tidal energy is potential energy created by tides, height changes in sea level that are caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon coupled with the rotation of the earth. Tides are complex, and most major bodies of water also have internal tidal systems.

What Are the Different Types of Tidal Energy........There are three types of tidal energy technology........ Stream: turbines are placed in tidal streams. The machines are large and can disrupt the tides. The size of the turbine and the location of the tidal stream will dictate the level of environmental impact. Barrage: a barrage (dam) is placed across a river, bay, or estuary. The barrage gates open as the tide rises and close at high tide, creating a lagoon. The water is then released through the turbines which spin a generator to create electricity. Barrages cause significant land disruption within the tidal range, and the change in water and salinity levels within the lagoon can harm plant and animal life. Also, turbines in barrages move fast and can kill marine life in their blades. Lagoon: a body of ocean water is partially enclosed by a man-made barrier. Lagoons function in the same manner as a barrage, but they generate continuous power and can also be constructed along a coastline. Lagoons provide a minimal level of environmental impact but also generate the least amount of energy. They can be constructed with natural materials like rock and would easily allow marine life to pass through.

What tidal energy is.......Tidal energy is defined as the conversion of the movement of ocean water volumes into electrical energy through the use of various tidal systems. What the different types tidal energy are......The three types of tidal energy technology are stream, barrage, and lagoon systems. How tidal energy works.......Tidal energy is generated when tidal turbines, barrages, and lagoons use the rise and fall of tides to produce electricity. The global capacity of tidal energy......There are roughly 3,000 GW of energy stored in the world’s tides. South Korea, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Belgium are the top 5 tidal energy-producing countries taking advantage of this large energy-generating potential. The carbon footprint of tidal energy........Estimates for the life-cycle global warming emission of tidal energy are below 22 grams (0.05 pounds) of CO2 equivalent per kWh of electricity produced. The environmental benefits of tidal energy......Tidal energy is a predictable, stable, and concentrated energy source that mitigates climate change, promotes energy independence, and creates jobs. The environmental drawbacks of tidal energy.......Tidal energy may negatively impact estuarine ecosystems via underwater noise pollution, habitat changes, and wildlife collisions with turbines. Tidal energy and climate change......Tidal energy combats climate change by mitigating the temperature rise, sea-level rise, ice melting, and ocean acidification associated with global warming. How Does Tidal Energy Work.......Tidal energy is generated when tidal turbines, barrages, and lagoons use the rise and fall of tides to produce electricity. How Does Tidal Energy Actually Produce Energy.......Tidal energy operates in the following way.....read on, there's much more https://impactful.ninja/tidal-energy-explained/

Details: Written by: Glenn and Rick; Category: Alternate Energy Sources; Hits: 109

Clean Energy 101: Geothermal Heat Pumps. A time-tested clean heating and cooling technology with untapped potential.RMI March 29, 2023 Lauren Reeg, Mike Henchen, Chris Potter, The age of the electric heat pump is well underway. This clean heating and cooling technology has been in use for decades and is widely adopted across Asia and parts of Europe such as Norway where heat pumps heat and cool 60 percent of its buildings. However, it’s only recently that advances in its technology have spurred more home and building owners in the United States to realize the outsized economic, health, and climate benefits of going electric. Today, the heat pump market is booming. Sales in Europe last year rose to a record high with a 37 percent increase from 2021. In the United States, heat pump sales outpaced gas furnaces for the first time in decades. With new tax credits and upfront rebates in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA — the climate bill passed in 2022), the stage is set for further ramping up equitable building electrification. One key technology that has received less attention but has untapped potential to bring the immense benefits of clean heating and cooling to millions of people is the geothermal heat pump, also commonly referred to as a ground-source heat pump.

Geothermal Heat Pumps: The Basics......A geothermal heat pump is a clean, renewable technology that helps a home or building stay comfortable in any season. It harnesses the constant temperature below the earth’s surface to provide heating, cooling, and often hot water. Since geothermal is an abundant and renewable resource just beneath our feet, geothermal heat pumps are considered some of the most efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly HVAC and water-heating systems available. And because heat pumps simply move heat and don’t rely on combustion, like a gas furnace or water heater, they can reduce energy costs by up to 50 percent and produce zero direct emissions that contribute to air pollution and climate change. Systems typically consist of a heat pump that replaces your furnace and is connected to pipes or a ground loop that contains heat-transferring liquid. These ground loops can be buried in horizontal trenches just below the earth’s surface or in deeper vertical boreholes, depending on location and density. The heat pump uses electricity to pull heat from the ground during colder months and works in reverse to dump heat into the ground when it’s hot out, acting as an air-conditioner. Conventional ductwork is most often used to distribute heated or cooled air from the heat pump throughout the building. Geothermal heat pumps are not geothermal power plants. Geothermal power plants produce electricity by using the heat underground to rotate a turbine, and they are primarily used for large-scale grid power, not connected homes and buildings.

Other benefits of geothermal heat pumps include reduced operating and maintenance costs, a quiet and long-lasting system with good humidity control, and less energy demand to support a more resilient electric grid. Curious if a geothermal heat pump is right for you? The Department of Energy has helpful tips for choosing and installing. Networked Geothermal: Powering Campuses and Neighborhoods in Hot and Cold Climates......In addition to single-family homes and apartments, geothermal heat pumps have been successfully installed at universities, hospitals, commercial office parks, [high rises] and neighborhoods. They are particularly effective in network systems that connect multiple buildings through shared piping and which use energy from the ground, wastewater, and ponds, among other sources. These network systems can achieve more than 500 percent efficiency, meaning for every unit of energy that goes in, five go out. These larger systems require infrastructure to be installed and maintained, fostering local jobs and growing the clean energy economy. They can transition whole communities onto geothermal at a time, creating economies of scale that bring energy costs down for all participants......read on https://rmi.org/clean-energy-101-geothermal-heat-pumps/

Details: Written by: Glenn and Rick; Category: Alternate Energy Sources; Hits: 95

Geothermal Company- Eavor-Aiming for clean energy independence in every town and country. National Observer Patricia Lane John RedfernNovember 25th 2024 Tell us about Eavor.....We use next-generation geothermal technology to create clean, reliable, affordable energy that can be scaled globally. We do not contaminate aquifers, use fracking, use excessive amounts of water, pollute water or increase earthquake risk. Our land footprint is insignificant and power production is entirely reliable, which are advantages over solar and wind. We use no pumps, so energy generation is highly efficient. We can work well where there is water scarcity without depriving the people in the area of the water they need for life.

We drill a well far below the earth’s surface and then, send out lateral wells from it to form a hermetically-sealed, closed-loop radiator. Hot water rises to ground level where we generate other forms of energy like electricity from it. Once cooled, the water naturally flows back into the inlet to be heated again. We know exactly how much power is going to be produced for at least the 30 years we have modelled and with a confident prediction for 100 years or more. Our name comes from the word “endeavour” without the first syllable “end.” Our work has no end date. We ran our first proof of concept outside Rocky Mountain House in Alberta in 2019 and have shown it works over five years with wells sunk in stable sedimentary sandstone. Our second project demonstrated its reliability in hotter, deeper rock in New Mexico in the exact location where fracking efforts for both traditional geothermal and gas had failed. Our first commercial build is just outside Munich in Bavaria, Germany. It will provide distributed energy to two communities by 2025. How did you get into this work?......read on or listen https://www.nationalobserver.com/2024/11/21/opinion/pat-lane-john-redfern-geothermal-energy

Details: Written by: Glenn and Rick; Category: Alternate Energy Sources; Hits: 85

Why Nuclear Power Must Be Part of the Energy Solution- a six year old article but still very relevant, Yale Environment 360 Richard Rhodes • July 19, 2018 Many environmentalists have opposed nuclear power, citing its dangers and the difficulty of disposing of its radioactive waste. But a Pulitzer Prize-winning author argues that nuclear is safer than most energy sources and is needed if the world hopes to radically decrease its carbon emissions.In the late 16th century, when the increasing cost of firewood forced ordinary Londoners to switch reluctantly to coal, Elizabethan preachers railed against a fuel they believed to be, literally, the Devil’s excrement. Coal was black, after all, dirty, found in layers underground — down toward Hell at the center of the earth — and smelled strongly of sulfur when it burned. Switching to coal, in houses that usually lacked chimneys, was difficult enough; the clergy’s outspoken condemnation, while certainly justified environmentally, further complicated and delayed the timely resolution of an urgent problem in energy supply.

For too many environmentalists concerned with global warming, nuclear energy is today’s Devil’s excrement. They condemn it for its production and use of radioactive fuels and for the supposed problem of disposing of its waste. In my judgment, their condemnation of this efficient, low-carbon source of baseload energy is misplaced. Far from being the Devil’s excrement, nuclear power can be, and should be, one major component of our rescue from a hotter, more meteorologically destructive world. Like all energy sources, nuclear power has advantages and disadvantages. What are nuclear power’s benefits? First and foremost, since it produces energy via nuclear fission rather than chemical burning, it generates baseload electricity with no output of carbon, the villainous element of global warming. Switching from coal to natural gas is a step toward decarbonizing, since burning natural gas produces about half the carbon dioxide of burning coal. But switching from coal to nuclear power is radically decarbonizing, since nuclear power plants release greenhouse gases only from the ancillary use of fossil fuels during their construction, mining, fuel processing, maintenance, and decommissioning — about as much as solar power does, which is about 4 to 5 percent as much as a natural gas-fired power plant. Nuclear power releases less radiation into the environment than any other major energy source. Second, nuclear power plants operate at much higher capacity factors than renewable energy sources or fossil fuels. Capacity factor is a measure of what percentage of the time a power plant actually produces energy. It’s a problem for all intermittent energy sources. The sun doesn’t always shine, nor the wind always blow, nor water always fall through the turbines of a dam.

In the United States in 2016, nuclear power plants, which generated almost 20 percent of U.S. electricity, had an average capacity factor of 92.3 percent, meaning they operated at full power on 336 out of 365 days per year. (The other 29 days they were taken off the grid for maintenance.) In contrast, U.S. hydroelectric systems delivered power 38.2 percent of the time (138 days per year), wind turbines 34.5 percent of the time (127 days per year) and solar electricity arrays only 25.1 percent of the time (92 days per year). Even plants powered with coal or natural gas only generate electricity about half the time for reasons such as fuel costs and seasonal and nocturnal variations in demand. Nuclear is a clear winner on reliability.

Third, nuclear power releases less radiation into the environment than any other major energy source.......read on https://e360.yale.edu/features/why-nuclear-power-must-be-part-of-the-energy-solution-environmentalists-climate ......AND...... What are Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)? Small modular reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors. SMRs, which can produce a large amount of low-carbon electricity, are:

Small – physically a fraction of the size of a conventional nuclear power reactor.
Modular – making it possible for systems and components to be factory-assembled and transported as a unit to a location for installation.
Reactors – harnessing nuclear fission to generate heat to produce energy. https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/what-are-small-modular-reactors-smrs

Learn more about nuclear fission and energy.

Europe Confirms a century-old myth: We Can now Produce Infinite Energy out of thin Air.

Tidal Energy Explained: All You Need to Know

Clean Energy 101: Geothermal Heat Pumps.

Aiming for Clean Energy Independence in Every Town and Country.

Why Nuclear Power Must Be Part of the Energy Solution

More Articles …

User Menu