Green Power Solar Power Energy Generation Guide
Green Power Technologies And Manufacturing Processes
By John M Saragunter
All the world needs to do, is switch completely to
renewable energy sources, and the problems of pollution
and global warming will be resolved. Right? You would
think it’s exactly that easy, if you listen only
to the enthusiastic public relations efforts behind
each type of green technology.
Yet, as people throw themselves into the use of different
green power sources, they need to remember there’s
always a cost involved. Whether it’s a cost to
the environment and other people’s lives, even
green energy doesn’t come out unscathed. The cost
to their pocketbooks is likely to be the first shock.
Manufacture Of Green Technologies
Add to this, the fact that the green power technologies,
while saving vast amounts of energy when they’re used
to generate power, often require equally large amounts
of energy as they themselves are manufactured.
If a green technology uses as much "dirty"
energy to produce as it would save during its lifetime,
this leads to questions about whether there is any energy
saving at all in using it.
Toxic Materials Used To Create New Energy Sources
Then one must consider the fact that the materials
used in the production of some of these new energy sources
may be toxic. Does a solar panel that contains some
of these materials end up in a landfill, or is there
a way to recycle it?
Questions about materials lead to another disturbing
fact connected to the manufacture of green energy technologies.
Many of these new tools for generating power, such as
solar panels, wind turbines, and powerful, lightweight
batteries, depend on rare earth metals for their special
properties.
Mining These Materials Harms The Environment
Most of these metals, at the moment, are found mainly
in China. They are often mined in a destructive way
that harms the environment and adversely affects farmers.
If the rest of the developed world must depend on these
metals to create their renewable energy sources, will
they turn a blind eye to the high cost the Chinese people
might pay so they can feel virtuous?
It’s easy to talk and review the benefits of
green power, how it’s less destructive to the
environment, and how its energy efficiency stacks up
when it’s finally manufactured and being used.
But for all these green energy solutions there is some
kind of cost.
It’s true that no living thing can create or use anything
without having some sort of impact on the world around
them. The question is how to weigh the costs of creating
and using green energy realistically against the costs
of not doing so.
About the Author:
John M Saragunter is writing more articles on alternative energy, solar
power systems, renewable energy, green ideas and global warming including
Green Energy Resources,
Green Electricity,
Renewable Energy,
Solar Pool Covers,
Solar Swimming Pool Heating,
Global Warming.
Look out for new articles as they become available on
this site.
Little Known Green Energy Facts.....
What are second generation green energy technologies?
Second generation green energy
technologies are a little more difficult than first
generation. The main obstacle for second generation
technologies is that it is harder to utilize them and
achieve enough energy to make them efficient. Some areas
are not suited to second generation renewable energy
sources due to climate or cost.
Two great examples of second
generation technologies are solar power and wind power.
You may think that both are plentiful everywhere but
that really is not the case. Wind farms take up a large
amount of space and have to be positioned precisely
in order to catch the normal wind currents.
This makes them a bit more difficult
to install and are more costly initially. Solar power
can generally be found anywhere on the planet but once
again if the climate does not have a steady supply of
bright and sunny days…it makes the installation costly
and the output of the solar panels is not what it could
potentially be.
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