The Future Of Energy Is Blowing In The Wind

By Mary Beth Griggs / September 6, 2016

Leaning over the ferry railing, a passenger can just make out the four completed turbines in
the distance, three-and-a-half miles off the coast of Block Island. The industrial grey towers
are distinct from the hazy blue of the summer sky, and the grey green waters of the
Atlantic, but not by much. At this distance, they are an extension of the busy seascape,
populated with ferries from the mainland, fishing and pleasure boats, and the occasional
adventurous parasailer.

The turbines are part of the recently constructed Block Island Wind Farm, the first offshore
wind farm in the United States. The pilot project pales in comparison to the massive
offshore wind farms of Europe and Asia, but it is a start.

A Department of Energy assessment of the potential for offshore wind energy found that
there were over 320,000 square miles of water off our coasts that could be used to
generate 4,150 gigawatts of electricity if it was completely utilized. For comparison, the
capacity of all energy plants in the entire United States measured 1,100 GW in 2012.

It's a huge potential source of power, but first someone has to show that it can be done.
States from around the country, but particularly nearby Massachusetts, New York and
other Northeastern states are watching the Block Island project to see how the experiment
turns out.

Reference:

https://www.popsci.com/future-energy-is-blowing-in-wind/
Wind is a renewable energy source. Overall, using wind to produce energy has fewer effects
on the environment than many other energy sources. Wind turbines do not release
emissions that can pollute the air or water (with rare exceptions), and they do not require
water for cooling. Wind turbines may also reduce the amount of electricity generation from
fossil fuels, which results in lower total air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.

An individual wind turbine has a relatively small physical footprint. Groups of wind
turbines, sometimes called wind farms, are located on open land, on mountain ridges, or
offshore in lakes or the ocean.

Wind turbines have some negative effects on the environment

Modern wind turbines can be very large machines, and they may visually affect the
landscape. A small number of wind turbines have also caught fire, and some have leaked
lubricating fluids, but these occurrences are rare. Some people do not like the sound that
wind turbine blades make as they turn in the wind. Some types of wind turbines and wind
projects cause bird and bat deaths. These deaths may contribute to declines in the
population of species also affected by other human-related impacts. The wind energy
industry and the U.S. government are researching ways to reduce the effect of wind
turbines on birds and bats.

Explanation

Reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offshore_wind_power
A Bright Solar Future Will Be Flawed And Imperfect

By Jeremy Deaton / September 28, 2016

Solar panels represent the paragon of high-tech power — sleek, silent, clean, elegant.

For decades, engineers have made solar panels more and more efficient by using ever-
purer silicon to capture a greater share of the sun’s energy.

But that quest for perfection may be coming to an end, as scientists discover they can
generate more solar power — not by eliminating flaws in the raw materials, but by
embracing them.

A new study published in the journal Science says the future of solar lies in hybrid organic-
inorganic perovskites — an imperfect material that could outperform pure silicon.

To understand how it works, let’s take a look inside a conventional solar cell.

Beneath a glass panel and an anti-reflective coat, rest two thin layers of silicon. The top
layer boasts a surplus of electrons, while the bottom layer bears a deficit. When particles of
light pass through the top layer, they knock surplus electrons free. The newly liberated
electrons move through the bottom layer of silicon and flow through the metal plates lining
the cell. From there, they travel by wire to their final destination  — be it a cell phone, laptop
or electric car.

Not every electron will help turn the wheels of a Chevy Volt or charge an iPad. Some will
careen off course, derailed by microscopic defects in the silicon. For a solar cell to operate
efficiently, the silicon must be 99.999 percent pure. Even then, solar cells only convert
about a quarter of the sun’s energy into electricity.

Reference:

https://www.popsci.com/bright-solar-future-will-be-flawed-and-imperfect-2/
Solar power is arguably the cleanest, most reliable form of renewable energy available, and
it can be used in several forms to help power your home or business. Solar-
powered photovoltaic (PV) panels convert the sun's rays into electricity by exciting
electrons in silicon cells using the photons of light from the sun. This electricity can then be
used to supply renewable energy to your home or business..

The roof system

In most solar systems, solar panels are placed on the roof. An ideal site will have no shade
on the panels, especially during the prime sunlight hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; a south-
facing installation will usually provide the optimum potential for your system, but other
orientations may provide sufficient production. Trees or other factors that cause shading
during the day will cause significant decreases to power production. The importance of
shading and efficiency cannot be overstated. In a solar panel, if even just one of its 36 cells
is shaded, power production will be reduced by more than half. Experienced installation
contractors such as NW Wind & Solar use a device called a Solar Pathfinder to
carefully identify potential areas of shading prior to installation.

Explanation

Reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel