Alternative Energy Technology

Green energy is energy that is derived from sustainable, ecologically sound sources. This means that the production of the energy doesn’t harm the environment and that the fuel providing the energy is from a renewable source.

Solar energy, wind energy and geothermal energy are all examples of green energy sources but are not suitable for powering automobiles or farm equipment. Electricity is a green energy but only if it is produced using green energy fuels. That is one of the biggest challenges facing the development of plug in hybrid vehicles. The electricity is mostly created by burning coal-more plug in electric cars means a greater demand for electricity causing power plants to emit more pollution.

Bio fuels like fuel ethanol and biodiesel may provide green energy for millions of vehicles, power plants and machines in years to come despite some of the negative issues found in producing first generation fuel ethanol and biodiesel. These include pollution and food shortages in some parts of the world as corn and soybean prices increase from their use as a fuel feed stock.

The most common green energy fuel in the world is fuel ethanol. Nearly all gasoline pumps display a sticker with “contains 10% ethanol” pasted on it. Ethanol that, for the most part, is made from corn and there is where the problem lies.

Large scale corn agriculture to produce ethanol has a devastating effect on soil quality and is seriously polluting the waters with nitrogen. A large scale study conducted by the Marine Biological Laboratory, the University of Georgia, and others found nitrogen run-off from urban areas and agriculture in 72 lakes and streams across the country.

The nitrogen run-off is causing the rapid growth of algae in both fresh and coastal waters. The algae make the water anaerobic which can lead to large die-offs of marine life-effectively killing that part of the marine ecosystem. Growing more corn for ethanol or soybeans for biodiesel only makes the problem worse.

Entrepreneurs, scientists and the oil companies are collaborating to provide new, cleaner sources of bio-fuels. Instead of using food crops some are creating bio-fuels from biomass cellulose. Switch grass and fast growing hybrid varieties of Paulownia trees provide tons of cellulose fiber which is converted into fuel using gasification techniques.

Green Energy from Weeds and Trash

Plants that will grow in soil too poor for agricultural use, trash trees and weeds-all can be turned into green energy fuels. One company, Agro Gas Industries of Cleveland, Tennessee is converting Kudzu (Japanese arrowroot) into bio-fuel. Long the bane of the Southeast, kudzu actually produces more fuel per acre than corn.

Other enterprising sorts are turning municipal garbage into a green energy fuel source. The Environmental Protection Agency lists 87 municipalities in the U.S. that operate waste to energy facilities. These facilities convert over 300 million tons of garbage per year into syn-gas that is then used to generate electricity.

Green Energy Fuels from Algae

Oil from algae is primeval-the very first oil was made by algae. Algae are also one of the most promising sources of bio-fuels because algae grow quickly and do not require the thousand of acres of land required by corn and soybeans.

There are several facilities currently producing fuel ethanol and biodiesel from algal growth. Companies like Solix Biofuels in Colorado grow algae and use the oils the algae produce as waste into bio-diesel fuel. The carbohydrate matter contained in the algal cellular structure can be harvested and converted into fuel ethanol.

These algal fuels could be used to power everything from the family car to giant electric power generators. Algae, like all plant life, need water, sunshine and carbon dioxide to grow. There are some cost issues and problems with growing the organisms in open ponds. These problems are being met in part by growing the algae in large closed photobioreactor units. An added bonus from using the enclosed system is carbon dioxide sequestration. The waste CO2 from electric power plants could be collected and used to feed the algae.

No one green energy source is adequate by itself to solve the problem of fossil fuel use but constantly improving green energy technology is producing better fuels and hope for the future.

If you want to learn more about bio-fuels and green energy you might want to read Fuel Ethanol-Hype or Hope.