Pimentel.Dickinson.Ouma.MMA.Spring2009.Energyandwater

 Hydro, Solar, and Wind Power

//**By: 4/c Armand Pimentel **// //**4/c Paul Ouma **// //**4/c Brendan Dickinson  What is the Problem at Hand? The problem at hand is the United States push to go Green as a country. With the Economy today, anything and everything should be done to save money and help the Environment. There are many alternative energy sources that can be used, three in particular that can help with this problem. The three sources of Hydro, Wind and Solar power are free in every day life, why not use them for power? The only cost that would exist would be the build price of these power generators. This Wiki Space will break down and explain the pros and cons of Wind, Hydro, and Solar Power. 

Dissecting the problem

 **// ==== The problem we face with our energy production today is two pronged. We combust petroleum based products to produce energy. There is an obvious environmental issue with this method. The very materials that we burn for energy were once living carbon based organisms who have been preserved in the earth in such a way that all the carbon was not decomposed and instead stores some energy. We must dig in the earth to extract these fossil fuels which degrades the environment and surrounding ecosystems which depend on that land. ==== **A man made hole in the earth from coal mining. http://limitthesky.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/biggest-hole-earth-04.jpg**

==== Aside from the problems with extraction there are environmental problems with the use of the by-products of fossil fuels. The only way that we have of currently attaining energy from things like coal, oil, and gasoline is by burning it and releasing the energy trapped within. This releases energy that we can use but it also releases undesirable materials in the fuel. Burning these fuels releases greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gasses are naturally present in earth's atmosphere but the amounts are negligible. Nitrogen and oxygen make up about 99% of the air we breath, leaving 1% to all other gasses. When considering the fact that methane has 20 times the heat trapping ability as CO2 and that it has increased 150% since 1750 it is easy to see that we may have serious problems in the near future with our atmosphere. ==== ==== The second part to the problem with modern fuel is sustainable efficiency. It literally takes millions of years for fossil fuels to form in our earth. Unfortunately for the supply of fuel humans do not take millions of years to consume that amount of fuel produced. We are greatly outpacing the earth with the amount of fuel we use, therefore we are bound to run out of the very limited supply that currently exists. We need fuel to do most daily processes including find more fuel. The oil that we pump out of the earth does not just sit under the surface in a liquid ocean like form. We must use special equipment to extract the oil. There is a point referred to as peak oil at which the amount of oil used to extract the oil in the earth out weights the amount of oil actually extracted. Since it costs oil to get oil it would be inefficient to continue pumping oil from that spot. The spot will be abandoned and they will search for a new location. This destroys the land and is wasteful of the oil we have. The current process is just not that sustainable or efficient so the real problem is to find a clean source of renewable energy that will efficiently convert to energy without producing negative effects. ==== 

1. http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2005/02/01/global_warming_methane_could_be_far_worse_than_carbon_dioxide.htm
 Wind Power Wind Power is beginning to become more and more popular around the united states due to its efficiency in generating power. Turbines are being built all around to be used as a source of energy for surrounding areas. In some cases 100’s of turbines are put up together in one area, these are called wind farms. “At the end of 2004, U.S. capacity reached 6,740 MW. Utility -scale wind power projects now under construction or under negotiation will add at least 5,000 megawatts of wind capacity in the U.S. over the next five years.”(AWEA 1) These man made farms are capable of generating numerous amounts of electricity and generating power for thousands. “The U.S. Department of Energy has announced a goal of obtaining 6% of U.S. electricity from wind by 2020--a goal that is consistent with the current rate of growth of wind energy nationwide. As public demand for clean energy grows, and as the cost of producing energy from the wind continues to decline, it is likely that wind energy will provide a growing portion of the nation's energy supply.”(AWEA 1)
 * What People are doing to solve the Energy Issue?**

A wind Turbine in simplex terms is the opposite of a fan. Instead of using power to make wind, the turbine uses wind to make power. The wind pushes a rotor with usually 3 blades on it. The rotor spins and in turn spins the main shaft, which is connected to a generator. When the generator is spinning energy is being created and power is formed. The size of wind turbines range from over 100 kilo watts to provide large amounts of power, to below 100 kw, which is smaller and used for single homes**.**
 * How the hell does this wind turbine work?**


 * []**
 * great animation of wind turbine**

The United States push to go green is never going to end. The use of Wind Power is a great source of alternative energy for the states. The Massachusetts Maritime Academy where I attend school is a top campus for using alternative energy. The campus is equip with a 660 kilowatt turbine that is 242 feet tall. **“**The new wind turbine comes with significant educational and financial opportunities; proposing to reduce electricity costs by more than 27% and generating over one quarter of the campus electricity needs. This could mean an annual savings of $300,000 per year in electric bills. The turbine will also be used as an educational tool for students interested in pursuing careers in renewable energy.” (Maritime 1)

The use of Wind Turbines is a great change and source of power. I personally believe that this could solve many problems with the economy problem in the United States. My personal experience with win turbines is good. In my hometown, behind my house there is a proposition in effect for there to be a wind turbine places in Little Bay, Fairhaven MA. I also attend MMA where every day out my window I see the Wind Turbine powering the campus and aiding its power sources.

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//**Citations**// AWEA: American Wind Energy Association. 501 M Street, NW, Suite 1000 | Washington, DC 20005. ** C ** opyright 1996 – 2009  U. S Departmeny of Energy:Wind and Hydro Technology Program. []

Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Wind Turbine. [|http://www.maritime]. edu/l2.cfm?page=169

What is the problem at hand The main problem at hand is global warming. Global warming technically is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. Global warming occurs when the gasses we omit reach the atmosphere and tamper with the natural occurring reactions. One great problem created is the Greenhouse Effect. The Greenhouse Effect is directly responsible for the great increases in temperature, because it traps the suns energy. Hydropower Hydropower is the most frequent used renewable energy source that is used to create electricity. Alone hydropower accounted for six percent of America’s electrical generation and seventy one percent out of the renewable sources. Hydropower is one of the oldest sources of energy known to man. It has been used for thousands of years, most notably to grind grain. The first use of it by America was in 1880 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Here a water turbine was used to power sixteen brush-arc lamps. September 30, 1882 the first hydropower plant officially opened on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin. One thing that hindered hydropower’s emergence early on was its source. Because hydropower plants have to be located on a big water source, it was not until means to transfer electricity over a vast distance, could they be used more than locally. What exactly it is and how it works To understand this source of energy you must understand the water cycle. This is because mechanical power channels moving water. It uses falling and flowing water to generate power. Like the water cycle, the hydropower plants push water through and recycle it. It comes out the other side, eventually is evaporated, falls and adds to the source which leads back into the dam. The dams are set in a source such as a rushing river (Colombia) or at the foot of a waterfall (Niagara Falls). They channel the water and add to the pressure by controlling the flow. They then channel the water into pipes that then move turbines and more or less produce electricity. This electricity is then shot out through power lines. Helpful Tools [] If you visit the site above you can view simulations of hydroelectric plants, the water cycle, solar energy, and mechanical energy to name a few things. Pros and Cons Of all energy sources this is regarded as the best. Hydropower is efficient, cheap and its source is abundant. Because of the availability of water and its power, the cost of this energy type is very low. However one big problem with it, is hydropower plants often affect natural habitats. One main problem that has been noticed is, some plants affect fish and their reproduction. In the Colombia River, salmon swim upstream to spawn. However the dam gets in their way. People are suggesting things such as fish ladders to help them step up. All in all, hydropower is taking great steps to help solve the power problem. With a nation constantly growing, an efficient, clean, harmless way to produce energy is important. Without one, we are dooming ourselves. But hydropower seems to be the frontrunner for the solution. But this being said the people of the earth need to contribute more and be more conscious of our actions. After all, global warming is completely our fault.

Citations: __Fish Ladders__. 7 June 2009 . __HydroPlant Diagram__. 7 June 2009 <http://www.energymanagertraining.com/‌power_plants/‌img/‌hydro2.gif>. __HydroPlant Picture__. 7 June 2009 <http://www.eia.doe.gov/‌kids/‌energyfacts/‌sources/‌renewable/‌images/‌HYDROPLANT1.gif>. __Hydropower Info__. 7 June 2009 <http://www.eia.doe.gov/‌kids/‌energyfacts/‌sources/‌renewable/‌water.html#hydroelectricity>. __Reich WIki__. 7 June 2009 <http://reich-chemistry.wikispaces.com/‌MMA+Spring+2009+Water+and+Energy+Wikis>. __Simulations__. 7 June 2009 <http://www.edumedia-sciences.com/‌en/‌a406-hydroelectric-plant>. __Water Cycle__. 7 June 2009 <http://www.horizonsscience.com/‌WaterCycleUSGS.jpg>.

<span style="font-size: 15pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Solar Power



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