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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Sprache: Englisch
The myths and facts about alternative fuels-and how they impact our lives As the price of energy continues to soar, so too has the demand for alternative energy. But there's no clear "winner" in the race to replace fossil fuels. Alternative Energy For Dummies explores the current fossil fuel conundrum and society's growing need for more and more energy. Cutting through the competing claims, this book offers a multifaceted examination of alternative energy, including solar, wind, nuclear, biomass, geothermal, biofuel, and other sources. Each alternative scenario is compared to current fossil-fuel intensive practices in the scientific, environmental, social, political, and economic realms. Readers also gain insight into the future of energy production.
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Seitenzahl: 607
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2009
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Alternative Energy For Dummies®
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
What You’re Not to Read
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Part I: The Basic Facts of Energy Life
Part II: Digging Deeper into the Current State of Affairs
Part III: Alternatives — Buildings
Part IV: Alternatives — Transportation
Part V: The Part of Tens
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I: The Basic Facts of Energy Life
Chapter 1: What a Mess!
Understanding Where Society Is and How It Got Here
Historical trends of energy use
Energy use today
Looking ahead to more energy use and waste
Putting Society Over a (Oil) Barrel: Problems in the Current System
Overreliance on fossil fuels
Declining supplies
Getting better at finding and using fossil fuels
Rising to the Challenge: Balancing Fossil Fuel Use with Appropriate Alternatives
Looking at the local impact
Adding up the alternatives
Evaluating the alternatives
Chapter 2: What Energy Is and How It’s Used (Politically and Practically)
Defining Energy: Grab Your Hats, Folks
Life itself is energy
Energy is order
From simple to complex: The evolution of energy
Trying to Tap into and Refine an Infinite Energy Supply
Refining ordered energy
Bridging the gap between policy and pollution
Getting energy leads to energy consumption
Reshaping Energy Policy to Include Alternatives
Political posturing over energy policy
What America’s policy needs
The argument for alternatives
Looking at alternative, renewable, and sustainable energy sources
Chapter 3: Putting Together Each Piece of the Energy Puzzle
Wrapping Your Mind Around the Metrics of Energy
Understanding energy versus power
Common measurements
Energy and volume density measurements
Types of efficiencies
The Fundamental Laws Governing Energy Consumption
First law of thermodynamics
Second law of thermodynamics
Carnot’s law
Understanding Electrical Energy
A short primer on electricity
Producing electrical power efficiently and safely
Tracking the Real Cost of Power
Raw fuel costs
Looking at conversion costs
Capital equipment costs
Energy utilization
Putting it together in practical terms
Part II: Digging Deeper into the Current State of Affairs
Chapter 4: Developing a Snapshot of Fossil Fuel Use and Availability
A Quick Look at Fuels from the Fossil Fuel Era and Beyond
The evolution of energy use
Petroleum products
Natural gas
Coal
Nuclear
Hydropower (dams)
Biomass (firewood and other natural sources)
Geothermal
Wind
Solar
Electricity
Energy Consumption Trends
Global energy consumption and use
Energy consumption in growing economies
Energy consumption in the U.S.
Looking at Current Availability and Cost
Global availability of fossil fuels
The U.S. and fossil fuels
The real cost of fuel
Chapter 5: Burning Up with Conventional Energy Sources
Combustion Processes
Hydrogen and carbon content in fossil fuels
Efficiency limitations of fossil fuels
Common Combustion Sources
Coal
Crude oil
Natural gas
Liquid petroleum gas (LPG)
Home heating oil
Wood
Processing Raw Fuel into Useable Power
Converting energy for heating
Powering engines for transportation
Utility scale power plants
Chapter 6: The First Alternative-Energy Sources: Efficiency and Conservation
Efficiency, Consumption, and the Energy Market
Efficiency increases demand
Price increases and decreased energy use
Big-Picture Strategies for Reducing Energy Consumption
Dealing with peak-demand problems
Dealing with urban sprawl
Promoting green communities
Making transportation more efficient
Efficiency and Conservation Changes You Can Make in the Home
Seal and insulate your home
Tune up your heating and air-conditioning system
Use efficient bulbs
Reduce water consumption
Use appliances more sensibly
Exploit sunlight
Use ventilation, fans, and air filters
Chapter 7: Understanding the Demand For Alternatives
Environmental Primer
Global Warming
Increasing carbon dioxide levels
Understanding the impacts of global warming
Combating global warming
Other Pollution Problems
Smog
Acid rain
Increasing Demand and Dwindling Supplies
Political Movements and Political Ramifications
The greens
Practical political advantages of alternative energy
A Final Thought on Fossil Fuel Use
Part III: Alternatives — Buildings
Chapter 8: Going Nuclear
Getting to Where We Are Now
Nuclear power: The early years
Protests and accidents in the ’60s and ’70s
The situation today
The Fundamentals of Nuclear Power
Atoms
Isotopes
Atomic weight
Ions
Nuclear Power Today: Fission
How nuclear reactors work
Radioactive decay
Nuclear waste
Uranium mining
The design of today’s reactors
Hydrogen Fusion: Nuclear Power of the Future
The process at a glance
Advantages and disadvantages of fusion
Issues Impacting the Move toward Nuclear Energy
The fear factor
Economics of nuclear power
Chapter 9: Harnessing the Sun with Solar Power
Turning Sunlight into Energy: The Basics of Solar Technology
Understanding light
The PV cell: Generating electricity from sunlight
Current and future efficiency ratings of solar panels
Challenges Facing Solar Power
Technological limitations
Weather and temperature considerations
The variability of sunlight
Getting enough power
The Economics of Solar Power
The dollars and sense of solar power
Looking at solar adoption, sector by sector
Looking at infrastructure
Comparing cost: Solar versus fossil fuels
The economics of net metering
Government Incentives for Solar Power
Federal tax credits
State incentive programs
Arguments against subsidies and tax breaks
Looking at the Full Range of Practical Solar Options
Passive solar
Solar PV
Solar hot water systems
Solar water purification systems
Utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) plants
Large-scale solar condenser power generators
Future Prognosis of PV
Financing through utility companies
Leasing schemes
Buying into solar farms
Mandating and amortizing
Chapter 10: Treading Water with Hydropower
The Hydropower Story
Hydropower history
Global trends
A quick look at hydropower systems
Impoundment Systems — The Big Kahuna
Advantages of impoundment systems
Environmental impacts of impoundment dams
Impound advantages over diversion and run-of-river systems
Small-Scale Hydropower Generators
The good and bad of small-scale systems
Choosing to use small-scale hydropower
Oceanic Energy Sources
Tidal power generators
Wave power generators
Chapter 11: Blowing Away with Wind Power
The Back Story of Wind Power
Growing Markets for Wind Energy
Wind markets at a glance
Economics of wind power
Tracking wind power around the world
Wind Farms: Utility Scale Electrical Production
Large-scale wind power technology
Picking the right spot
The pitch of the blades
Other things to know about wind farms
Small-Scale Wind Power
Stand-alone systems
Intertie systems
Advantages and disadvantages of small-scale wind power
Chapter 12: Digging into Geothermal
Geothermal Energy Basics
Where you can find geothermal energy
Geothermal uses
Economics of geothermal energy
Creating Electrical Power with Geothermal Sources
Types of electricity-generating systems
Things to know about geothermal power plants
Using Geothermal Energy Directly: Heat Pumps
What direct-source systems need
How heat pumps work
Types of heat pumps
The efficiency of heat pumps
Advantages of heat pumps
Chapter 13: Exploring Biomass
Biomass Basics
Biomass uses
Converting waste to energy
Growing energy: Fuel crops
The benefits of biomass
Looking at the future of biomass
Large-scale Biomass Power
The process of turning biomass into power
Advantages and disadvantages of biomass power plants
Biomass Fuels
Ethanol
Biodiesel
Small-scale Biomass for the Masses
Getting the lowdown on biomass stoves
Choosing a fuel
Chapter 14: Burning Wood
What the Blazes! Cleaner and More Efficient Ways to Burn Wood
Increasing demand, improving economics
Improving efficiencies
Open Fireplaces: Cozy and Costly
Wood-burning Stoves: An Efficient Alternative to Fireplaces
Comparing open- and closed-vent systems
Free-standing stoves and inserts
Types of wood stoves
Important Points about Burning Wood Efficiently
Enhancing efficiency by burning the right wood
Avoiding problems by burning the wood right
Maintaining a wood stove
Getting the hot air where you want it
Stove Safety Guidelines
Ensure proper installation and venting
Bring an existing chimney up to date
Follow manufacturer’s instructions
Chapter 15: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies
The Basics of Hydrogen Technology
Sources of hydrogen
Extracting hydrogen
How a fuel cell works
Practical and Pie-in-the-Sky Applications
Fuel cell-powered vehicles
Small-scale fuel cell electric power
Hydrogen-powered home of the future
The Future of Fuel Cells
Part IV: Alternatives — Transportation
Chapter 16: Alternative Transport Technologies
Turning the Pages of Alternative Vehicle History
The glory days of steam
Electric-powered vehicles
Hybrids enter the scene
Evolving from Mechanical to Electrical
Watching the rise of silicon
Decreasing demand for mechanical controls
Getting efficient: Same power, less weight
Recognizing the car of the future
Coming Full Circle — and Back to Electric
Chapter 17: Alternative-Fuel Vehicles
Natural Gas in the Tank
Advantages to natural gas
Producing natural gas
Natural gas vehicles
Flex Fuels for Vehicles
Sources of ethanol
Producing ethanol
Flex fuel vehicles
Clean Diesel and Biodiesel Vehicles
Diesel then and now
Clean diesel engines
Biodiesel
Clean diesel and biodiesel engines
Chapter 18: Plugging In: Electric Vehicles
A Drive Down Memory Lane
Early electric cars, circa 1900
Modern electric vehicles: 1960s to today
Basic Operation of an Electric Vehicle
Batteries
Lead-acid cell battery
Nickel-based batteries
Practical Concerns of Electric Cars
Performance
Service and maintenance
Battery charging and replacement
Environmental impact
Electric car safety
Economics of electric cars
Chapter 19: Hybrid-Electric Vehicles
History of Hybrids
Witnessing the fall of hybrid hoopla
Watching hybrid research pick up
The first modern hybrids
Gaining popularity
Two Key Hybrid Features
The onboard ICE and battery combo
Regenerative braking
Hybrid Technologies: Series and Parallel
Series design hybrid vehicles
Parallel design hybrids
Driving and Owning a Hybrid
Performance and handling
Maintenance
Environmental impacts
The economics of hybrids
Buggaboos and boogeymen: Unwarranted fears
Chapter 20: Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Vehicles
Fuel Cell Fundamentals and Challenges
Dealing with hydrogen
The high cost
Benefits of hydrogen and fuel cells
Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles
Hydrogen fuel vehicles
Fuel cell vehicles
A Hydrogen Future
Chapter 21: Exotic Propulsion Systems
Supercapacitors
Solar-Powered Vehicles
Flywheels
Hydraulic Accumulators
Magnetic Levitation Trains
Using magnets
Bullet trains
Nuclear-Powered Ships
Efficiency and environmental impact
Performance and maintenance
Safety issues
Part V: The Part of Tens
Chapter 22: Ten or So Myths about Energy
The World Is Doomed to a Gloomy Future
We Can Legislate Our Way Out of the Mess
The Electric Car Was Deliberately Killed
Conservation and Efficiency Can Save the World
There’s an Energy Shortage
Nuclear Power Plants Are Ticking Time Bombs
Electric Cars Will Displace All Others
Anything Labeled “Green” Is Green
Waste is Bad
Solar Power Can Provide All Our Electrical Needs
Burning Wood is Bad For the Environment
If Global Warming Isn’t Our Fault, We’re Off the Hook
Chapter 23: Ten-Plus Ways to Invest in an Alternative-Energy Future
Performing an Energy Audit of Your Home or Business
Installing a New Stove
Using Solar
Using Biofuels to Power Your Car
Driving a Hybrid
Installing a Geothermal Heating and Cooling System in Your Home
Driving with Diesel (Without the Stink)
Installing a Windmill in Your Own Backyard
Moving into a Smaller, Energy-Efficient Home
Living in an Urban Environment
Investing in Energy Stocks
Driving Less
Alternative Energy For Dummies®
by Rik DeGunther
Alternative Energy For Dummies®
Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
About the Author
Rik DeGunther attended the University of Illinois as an undergraduate and Stanford University as a graduate student, studying both applied physics and engineering economics (some of this education actually stuck). He holds several United States patents and has designed a wide range of technical equipment including solar energy platforms, military-grade radar jammers, weather-measurement equipment, high-powered radar vacuum tubes, computerized production hardware, golf practice devices, digital and analog electronic circuits, unmanned aerial vehicles, guitars and amplifiers, microwave filters and mixers, automatic cabinet openers, strobe light communications systems, explosive devices (strictly on accident), cloud-height sensors, fog sensors, furniture, houses, barns, rocket ships, dart throwers, flame throwers, eavesdropping devices, escape routes, and you name it. He’s one of those nerdy guys who likes to take things apart to see how they work and then put them back together and try to figure out what the leftover parts are for.
Rik is CEO of Efficient Homes, an energy-efficiency auditing firm in Northern California. He is actively engaged in designing and developing new solar equipment, including off-grid lighting systems and off-grid swimming pool heaters. He writes weekly op-ed columns for the Mountain Democrat, California’s oldest and most venerable newspaper. He has also written a highly acclaimed golf book (on putting) and spends most of his free time attempting to improve his relatively impressive but objectively droll golf handicap, usually to no avail. Sometimes the urge strikes him to play a very loud guitar, of which he owns a collection with far more intrinsic quality than the playing they receive. His hearing has been faltering the last few years, so he rebuilt his amplifier to go up to 11.
Dedication
Of course this book is dedicated to Katie, Erik, and Ally, the only energy sources that truly matter in my life. I would never choose any other alternative than what I have right now.
Author’s Acknowledgments
Many thanks to all those who have contributed to the material in this book, whether wittingly or not. Dick and Betty DeGunther; Professor Mitchell Weissbluth; Professor A.J. Fedro; John Lennon; Paul McCartney; Leland Stanford; Mike Pearcy; Jordan Cobb; Carl Marino; Eric Micko; Vikki Berenz; Connie Cowan; Betsy Sanders; Jim DeGunther; Sarah Nephew; Freddie Mercury; Dave and Perla DeGunther; Brad, Melinda, Samantha, and Emily Schauer; Chuck Albertson; Tilly and Evonne Baldwin; Joe and Marcia Schauer; and Kim and Gary Romano of Sierra Valley Farms. Thanks to Dr. Keith Kennedy and Watkins-Johnson Company for showing restraint above and beyond the call of duty. Thanks to John Steinbeck for making me understand what’s important and what’s not, and in the same vein, Derek Madsen.
Thanks to the excellent crew at Wiley: Mike Baker, Tracy Barr, and Jennifer Connolly. And thanks to my technical reviewer, Greg Raffio. Readers of this book will be amazed at how well it’s written . . . it’s not really my fault — I have the editors to thank for that. And thanks to Stephany Evans at FinePrint Agency for getting all the ducks in a row.
Thanks to all the For Dummies fans out there who have made the series what it is today.
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Introduction
Energy is a big topic these days. Newspapers and magazines have articles about green living and energy efficiency in virtually every issue. Everybody is concerned with the environment and the way that humans are affecting the world that they live in. It seems a foregone conclusion that the use of fossil fuels is causing global warming, or at the very least, making global warming worse than it otherwise would be. The consequences of rampant fossil fuel consumption are not crystal clear, but the scenarios being drawn by scientists point to a bleak future for humankind unless something can be done to solve the problem.
Alternative energy encompasses the range of options that can be pursued to make our world better. From solar to wind to alternative fuels for cars and trucks, everyone can make a difference. The purpose of Alternative Energy For Dummies is to explain the different alternatives and how they may be put into play in the most effective manner. Whether you want to make small incremental improvements, or grandiose, world-shaking changes, this book gives you the info you need to understand what the pros and cons of each alternative option are.
Some alternative energy strategies can be implemented on a small scale by individuals. You don’t need to sacrifice your quality of life when you choose to employ alternative energy schemes. Other alternatives, such as nuclear energy, you won’t be able to utilize in your own home. But you still need to understand the pros and cons and be able to make intelligent, well informed opinions about the alternatives that will very likely someday impact your area.
About This Book
As you undoubtedly know already, many alternative energy books and articles are on the market. So a lot of information is available. In this book, I condense all the info about alternative energy into easily digestible chunks, focusing on the those things that are most helpful in understanding alternatives to fossil fuels. In keeping with the For Dummies modus operandi, I give you only the most relevant ideas, explain the advantages and disadvantages of each, and offer the info you need to understand why and in what way certain schemes may be better than others.
There are a lot of energy-related books that get into far more detail than I do in this book. But this book is a great place to start, even if you’re striving for more detailed information. I give you the big picture, and that’s a great context to have before you dig in deeper. Although you won’t be a certified energy expert when you finish this book, you’ll be able to form logical, well-informed opinions about society’s need to change our energy habits. You’ll be able to discuss macro and micro energy issues and you’ll understand life on the planet earth much better. That’s a big claim to make, but energy is so entwined with life that understanding energy is a basic underpinning to understanding life. It may be said that life itself is energy . . . at least for some people it is — for others, a television is all that’s needed.
In this book, you will find information like:
What the term energy really means and how the basic laws of physics apply to all energy consuming processes, including alternatives. But don’t panic: I leave out the complicated physics while giving you a good idea of what energy can and can’t do.
How the world came to the point that we are at now. Fossil fuels are, by and large, our main energy source, and there is a good reason for that. I also explain why it’s going to be so difficult to change our economy over to alternative energy.
Why fossil fuels are so dangerous for our society. Not only do fossil fuels cause untold and unnecessary pollution, but supply and demand problems also threaten the world’s existing economy.
How both traditional fossil fuel combustion processes work, as well as how the alternative energy options work. You’ll also find info about the limitations and advantages of each.
How you can conserve (which some would argue is an alternative in and of itself) and what the limitations of conservation and efficiency are.
The range of alternative energy schemes currently being pursued and how society is grappling with the various problems inherent with the alternative energy schemes.
I wrote this book after having written two previous For Dummies books (Solar Power Your Home For Dummies [Wiley], and Energy Efficient Homes For Dummies [Wiley]). Both of these were very practical, with day-to-day tips and bulleted lists of information that allow a reader to grab their tool box and make effective changes in their homes. This book is more academic, and was much more fun to write. I expect that most readers will also have more fun reading it because knowledge and understanding are empowering. If I had my way, I would go back in time and finish my PhD in physics and be a college professor so that I would never have to do anything practical. I like knowledge for its own sake, and I feel empowered when I understand life in a particularly perspicuous way. My goal with this book is to empower the reader. When you’re finished, you’ll have a worldview that you did not expect, for there are some big surprises in these pages.
Conventions Used in This Book
For simplicity’s sake, this book follows a few conventions:
Italicized terms are immediately followed by definitions.
Bold indicates the action parts in numbered steps. It also emphasizes the keywords in a bulleted list.
Web site addresses show up in monofont.
When this book was printed, some Web addresses may have needed to break across two lines of text. Rest assured that I haven’t put in any extra characters (such as hyphens) to indicate the break. Just type in exactly what you see in this book, pretending as though the line break didn’t exist.
What You’re Not to Read
Although I’d like for you to find the topic so interesting that you wouldn’t think of bypassing anything in this book, I realize that you may have other things requiring a bit of your time and attention. For that reason, I’ve made skippable information easy to identify. You don’t have to read the following to understand energy alternatives. Although this information is interesting (if I do say so myself) and related to the topic at hand, it isn’t vital, absolutely-must-know information:
Material in sidebars: Sure, these are interesting. Some are fun. I like to think that all are helpful. But they contain info that you don’t absolutely, positively, without-a-doubt need to know.
Paragraphs marked with the Technical Stuff icon: Some people like details that only the technically minded or trivia-loving typically find interesting. If you’re not one of these people, you can safely skip these paragraphs without missing any need-to-know info.
Foolish Assumptions
In writing this book, I made a few assumptions about you:
You care about the world that you live in, and you care very much about how future generations will be able to enjoy their own lives on the planet earth.
You understand that if humankind continues on its present course, some very big problems will only grow bigger and even more intractable and you believe that it’s time to do something.
Whether you believe in global warming or not, you do understand that humankind needs to change how we use energy. You don’t have to be a tree-hugger or a “green” to see how the world is changing for the worse.
You want to understand the relevant and important ideas about alternative energy as sensibly and efficiently as possible.
You don’t have an engineering degree, and you don’t want to know every technical detail concerning the various technologies that I describe in this book. You simply want to understand an important subject.
Finally, because politics plays such a major role in the energy dialogue these days, let me explain where I come from, which may clear up some assumptions you have about me: I am a political centrist. I’m not a tree-hugger, nor am I a global-warming denier. I don’t believe politics should play such a major role because I believe that humankind needs to change its ways. We use too much energy, and we use the wrong kinds. We put ourselves in jeopardy with our unending pursuit of fossil fuels. Yet while I do not advocate any political positions in this book, I take for granted the fact that changes to our energy consumption are necessary.
How This Book Is Organized
This book is divided into parts, each one dealing with a particular topic related to alternative energy. Each part contains chapters relating to the part topic. The following sections give you an overview of the content within each part.
Part I: The Basic Facts of Energy Life
I begin with some historical perspective because that will give you an understanding of how we’ve gotten ourselves into the mess we’re in. Humans have evolved in step with their energy consuming processes. When people first started burning fires, society evolved as health improved along with lifestyles. And by and large, the evolution of all human societies has depended on the effective use of energy, particularly in military ventures. In this part I also describe some very fundamental physical facts of energy. Most people have a very basic idea of what energy is, but in order to truly understand alternative-energy schemes, you need to understand how energy moves through a system. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it merely changes form. I describe precisely how this works.
Part II: Digging Deeper into the Current State of Affairs
I describe existing fossil fuel machines and how they convert petrol potential energy into forms of energy that we use in our homes and to drive our vehicles. The picture of the world energy economy may seem bleak, but there are opportunities to introduce alternatives. I describe how energy efficiency and conservation can play an important role in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. Finally, I survey the problems with fossil fuels, ranging from smog to global warming to simple problems of supply. Whether or not you believe that fossil fuels are poisoning the planet, the simple fact is that someday fossil fuels will run out.
Part III: Alternatives — Buildings
In this part, which comprises a hefty percentage of the book, I describe the various alternative energy schemes that are being pursued and developed. I begin with nuclear power, which is going to play an increasingly important role in the future. Solar power is the “in” thing these days, and I explain the pros and cons and how you can use solar power in your own home (for more details, consult my book Solar Power Your Home For Dummies [Wiley]). Hydropower provides around 8 percent of American energy needs, but the future is very uncertain because of environmental questions. Wind power is a very good solution, but it’s not for everybody. Geothermal energy is available in abundance in many parts of the country, and when it works it’s a very good option. Biomass is an interesting alternative because it’s so widely available and makes good use of materials that have been, heretofore, simply thrown away. Wood burning, when done properly, can be an excellent alternative for those who have a ready supply, but there are some major problems that need to be understood in order to do it right. And finally, I touch briefly on fuel cells, which hold the most promise of any of the alternative-energy solutions.
Part IV: Alternatives — Transportation
The majority of fossil fuel consumption occurs in the transport sector. Cars and trucks spew billions of pounds of emissions into the atmosphere every year. I describe some alternative fuels that are increasingly being used, such as corn ethanol and biodiesel. I describe how these fuels are best used, and when and where. I describe how hybrid autos work, and how all-electric vehicles and fuel cell–powered vehicles work. I give you some guidelines to use if you’re interested in investing in alternative vehicles. And finally I survey some of the more exotic alternative transportation systems being developed.
Part V: The Part of Tens
Like every For Dummies book, this part includes quick resources that provide plenty of information and sage advice compacted into few words. Want a list of the best ways to invest in alternative energy? Or maybe you want to understand some of the more prevalent myths about alternative energy. Perhaps you want to help to change society? I give you the nitty-gritty, in as few words as possible.
Icons Used in This Book
This book uses several icons that make it easy for you to identify particular types of information:
The Technical Stuff icon lets you know that some particularly nerdy information is coming up so that you can skip it if you want. (On the other hand, you may want to read it, and you don’t actually have to be a nerd. You only have to be able to read.)
This icon indicates a nifty little shortcut or timesaver.
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Where to Go from Here
Some of you may look at the table of contents and skip straight to a particular section that addresses a topic you wish to understand without resorting to the fundamental background information. Others of you may start in Chapter 1 and work your way diligently through the book all the way through Chapter 23 Either approach is just fine and dandy because all For Dummies books are structured so that you can jump in and out or read them straight through to get the information you need.
The goal of this book is to impart a very basic and broad-ranging understanding of a major problem facing humanity. In this regard, it’s probably better to read the book from beginning to end because there is coherency and a logical flow to the arguments being presented. Understanding how current fossil fuel technologies work may not be necessary to understanding alternative energy, but the word “alternative” does have a particular meaning that is directly related to fossil fuels. Alternative energy schemes are simply alternatives to the fossil fuel paradigm that the world operates under.
Part I
The Basic Facts of Energy Life
In this part . . .
Alternative energy is defined differently by different people. Obviously, the definition you get depends on the context and who is doing the defining. In this book, I define alternative energy as any energy source that is an alternative to the fossil fuels that rule the world today. In Chapter 1, I describe how fossil fuels have evolved to the point where they are the overwhelmingly dominant energy source. In Chapter 2, I explain what the term “energy” actually means — info you need to know to understand how the different alternatives compare to the current system that relies on fossil fuels. In Chapter 3, I get into some hard facts of energy consumption, important background information for understanding how energy moves through a system and what happens to energy once it’s “used.”
Chapter 1
What a Mess!
In This Chapter
Understanding the current energy situation
Identifying problems in the current system
Looking at alternatives
For the most part, producing energy and consuming energy is a very dirty business. Although you all may have a sense of this, the extent of the problem seems to be a political question open to debate. What should be done about energy consumption? Use less? Use different resources? How can new energy sources be best invested in? And perhaps of most importance, what types of new energy sources should be invested in? And what about global warming? Can anything really be done about it? What will new energy sources and the combating of global warming cost both the society as well as individuals?
A lot of solutions are being tossed around, but it’s nearly impossible to separate the wheat from the chaff. And to make matters worse, political fringes screech from the sidelines in preachy tones that tend to turn people off to the point where they just plain don’t want to listen any more. This is a system guaranteed to create gridlock and partisanship, and that’s been the norm for so long that everyone is just plain used to it.
Leaving the important questions up to the politicians hasn’t worked too well, and so it’s incumbent on everybody to understand the issues so that informed decisions can be made when voting for candidates with varying views concerning both the problem and the solutions. Informed decisions also help you to decide, on a micro basis, what’s best for your homes and your families. This chapter gives an overview of energy use — as well as the system’s problems — from the past and present as well as what can be done in the future.
Understanding Where Society Is and How It Got Here
The fact is, energy is a critical component of your lives and your economy as a whole. You use energy in virtually every endeavor you engage in, whether you’re aware of it or not. Life expectancy in the U.S. has increased 66 percent over the last century (from 47 years in 1900 to 78 years today). Americans are living longer, healthier lives, and for the most part Americans are more secure and knowledgeable about their world. Life is just plain better than it used to be, and this has been made possible by advances in medicine and technology — advances that all took a great deal of energy.
To make any kind of claim that energy consumption has been anything but advantageous to humanity completely misses the point. The problem is not with energy, it’s with the way energy is used and which types are used.
It’s only becoming evident now that energy use is a zero-sum game: You pay every bit as much as you gain, but the terms under which you pay are still not clear. Of course, you pay for each gallon of gas you use, but we’re also learning that we are paying in environmental costs and health costs. The most fundamental concept that this book can teach is this: The U.S. (and by extension, the world) does not have an energy crisis. Rather, it has an environmental energy policycrisis. The U.S. has as much energy as it wants to use. The question is how to use it and what kinds of limitations should be set in terms of how the environment is affected through that energy use. To answer that question, you need to get a handle on energy use in the past, present, and future.
Historical trends of energy use
Humans have evolved in step with the sophistication of their energy consumption. Human populations, quality of life, and life expectancy have increased as energy sources have become more sophisticated.
Think about it: Early man couldn’t even light a fire. Many froze in the winter, with only wooly mammoth skins to keep them warm, and the quality of life was not much different than that of animals. Once fire was discovered and humans were able to create flames at will, humanity began a gradual but consistent climb from savagery to what it is today. Upon the advent of fire, humans could warm themselves and cook their food. This began the consistent push toward bigger and better cultural and material gains, and it lead to healthier, happier lives.
Throughout time, the human population remained steady for the first 1,500 years and then began a steep, consistent climb. The increase is due largely to the availability of versatile, convenient energy. As controlled, or useable, energy became more prevalent, the population expansion accelerated.
Table 1-1 shows how population and energy consumption per capita have increased through the ages. Continue this trend out a hundred years, and it suggests that the only thing humans will be doing a century from now is consuming energy, 24/7. Regardless whether you’re willing to take that leap intellectually, the fact is, humans use more and more energy every year. This growth can’t be supported, unless society comes up with alternative sources and consumption habits; otherwise, fossil fuel reserves will be depleted by the year 2050.
Table 1-1 Population and Energy Consumption over Time
Date
Population (in billions)
Consumption in kWh/day
5,000 bc
0.1
9.4
0 ad
0.3
10.1
1850
1.3
12.0
1980
4.4
51.0
2000
6.0
230
2050
9
1,000?
You can see how greater populations results in higher energy consumption. You can also get a feel for how daunting and necessary it is to find a workable solution for energy consumption.
Energy use today
Today, Americans consume around 100 Quads (quadrillion Btus, or British thermal units; head to Chapter 3 for information about energy measurements) of energy per year. (This number includes only sources of thermal energy, such as gasoline, natural gas, coal, and so on, and not the vast carbohydrate network that supplies our food chain.) So is that a lot? Here’s 100 Quads worth of energy in units that resonate: Fifteen large horses labor, day and night, 24/7, for each U.S. citizen.
The breakdown of U.S. energy consumption is roughly 40 percent electric, 30 percent transport, and 30 percent for heating. While we burn most of this energy, only about 30 percent goes to direct heating. The rest is used to turn shafts to make electricity, and to turn shafts to move our cars. Eventually, all of this energy makes it back into the environment in the form of heat. In fact, there is far more heat pollution from energy consumption than any of the chemical types of pollution emitted, but Mother Nature can absorb all of this heat without the problems that chemicals create.
Figure 1-1 shows how primary energy sources are used in the American economy. As you can see, coal, oil, gas, and shale (the fossil fuels represented in Figure 1-1) are the most commonly used energy sources today and the root of many of our current problems. Mineral fuels like uranium are used for nuclear fission and fusion.
Figure 1-1: Primary fuel uses in the American economy.
For more information on the current state of affairs of our energy use, head to Part II.
Looking ahead to more energy use and waste
As the human population grows, the total consumption of energy grows even faster. Bottom line? We humans seek comfort and consistency in our lives. Energy provides this, and so humans seek energy. The reason so much more energy is being consumed per capita is that ordered energy (go to Chapter 2 for an explanation of this concept) takes a lot of raw energy to create. Raw forms of energy, like firewood, give way to more sophisticated forms, like electricity. That’s evolution, in a nutshell.
Humanity strives for consistency. Consistency is order, and that’s what energy gives us. If we want more consistency, it will take more energy. And more and more all the time. Human history suggests that our energy consumption is only going to increase, and when impediments to this growth occur, problems follow.
The following sections delve into some of those problems.
The cost of energy producing processes versus raw energy
As more sophisticated energy-consuming processes are developed, the cost of those processes has less and less to do with the cost of the raw energy required and more and more to do with the equipment that creates the finished energy product. You have to consider the total effect of the energy-consuming process. The order achieved from an energy-consuming process is important, not the actual raw energy that is being consumed.
Invested energy is the energy that’s used to manufacture a product (in the literature, you may see this referred to as embodiedenergy, or grey energy, but it all means essentially the same thing). Most people don’t consider invested energy when they’re analyzing energy-consuming processes; they only consider the raw fuels that are used by the machines that use energy. But a complete energy picture requires consideration of invested energy.
Decreasing costs, increasing demand
When more efficient machines are devised, the cost of operating those machines decreases, and demand goes up. This is simple economics referred to as cost elasticity: The cheaper a commodity becomes, the more it is consumed. For example, more fuel-efficient cars result not in less consumption, but more consumption, because people can afford to drive their cars more.
The inevitability of waste
Waste is a necessary part of every single energy process. It’s a simple fact of physics. Therefore, the pursuit of eliminating waste is fruitless, and misses the point. In fact, the more ordered energy becomes, the more waste that is inherent in the process of creating that order. Chapter 3 has more on this topic.
Putting Society Over a (Oil) Barrel: Problems in the Current System
Over the last century, humankind experienced an unprecedented expansion of industrialization. Here’s a perspective: Only 100 years have passed since autos have even existed, and electrical power didn’t exist in a majority of the country until 50 years ago. Now consider:
Industrialization is a global phenomenon so energy resources are being consumed at an unprecedented rate the world over.
Japan is the world’s second largest economy, and China is growing into a tremendous world power, consuming resources faster than any country the world has ever seen.
U.S. consumption of petroleum has risen steadily since 1950, and promises to continue unabated.
In 2000, the U.S. consumed 20 million barrels of crude oil per day. That’s a lot of crude.
U.S. net fossil fuel imports fell during the ’70s as a result of the OPEC oil embargo, but have risen sharply since the mid 1980’s. In 2005, over half of the crude oil consumed in the U.S. was imported, and it’s projected that this number will increase to over 65 percent within 20 years.
Overreliance on fossil fuels
All of the growth and expansion has been shouldered by fossil fuel energy sources, which creates all sorts of havoc: Politically it makes us beholden to foreign nations. Economically it creates uncertainty in markets, and wild price fluctuations result. Economies need consistency in order to thrive, and there is no telling how much the fossil fuel price fluctuations have cost the U.S. economy in terms of lost growth potential.
Declining supplies
While consumption has skyrocketed, U.S. domestic supplies of crude oil have declined in the last half of the century, and after checking out the following facts, you can see that at some point U.S. domestic supply will simply run dry:
At present, U.S. production of crude is only 1.9 million barrels a day. Current estimates put U.S. domestic reserves of crude petroleum at 21.3 billion barrels. But current production rates are around 8 percent of the reserves per year. This means the U.S. will run completely out of domestic crude in about 12 years
Current estimates of U.S. natural gas reserves are 192.5 trillion cubic feet. But production from these reserves is growing at a rate four times that of new discoveries so the situation is only growing worse. At present, production represents around 4 percent of proven reserves per year, which suggests that the U.S. will run out of domestic supplies in 25 years.
Even if ANWR is opened up to drilling; even if offshore drilling platforms are allowed to proliferate around the coastlines; even if new domestic reserve discoveries exceed the wildest expectations; and even if future generations of extraction and processing equipment exceed expectations, the U.S. will run completely out of domestic supplies for its most basic forms of raw energy.
The U.S. has two options in the face of declining reserves:
Seize foreign reserves, by war if necessary. Although this may sound outlandish, when the U.S. economy starts to grind to a halt, things will get truly serious.
Develop alternative energy sources.
Getting better at finding and using fossil fuels
The supply of energy is not determined by how much is available, or what’s out there, but by humankind’s ingenuity in getting to it, and using it. Semiconductors and computers have made oil-drilling machines infinitely more intelligent and effective than they were 100 years ago. And semiconductors and computers now account for nearly 15 percent of all the electrical consumption in the U.S. Energy begets energy. In short, we have grown much more efficient at extracting raw energy.
A word or two about global warming
I don’t take a definitive position on global warming one way or another in this book. My opinion is that it’s not really relevant in encouraging people to conserve and practice efficiency. The fact is, the world uses too many resources, and in the process ends up altering the planet in material ways that will affect future generations in one manner or another. Global warming is just one way that humans might be affecting the planet, and in my view the overwhelming attention placed on this one aspect of our environmental defamation does a disservice to the other aspects, and the overall balance and harmony that mankind should be striving for. What if it turns out that there is no global warming? Should society then go right back to the old days of unlimited exploitation of resources? Of course not.
I also find it frustrating that most people seem to believe wholeheartedly that global warming either does or does not exist. There seems to be no middle ground. The fact is, the data, while compelling, is still inconclusive, and both sides have valid arguments. The earth has always warmed and cooled. There have been over 600 warming and cooling cycles, and none of these have been attributable to manmade pollutants. It is theorized by some that the dinosaurs’ demise was brought on by a meteor that hit the planet earth, causing tremendous densities of airborne particulates that changed the environmental ambient in catastrophic ways. Warm-blooded creatures thrived in the new world order, and this brought on mankind’s ascendance. So within this theory, humankind is a product of a natural global warming event. It would be ironic if mankind ends up ensuring its own demise by a manmade global warming event.
Here’s an interesting question for those who believe that mankind should strive to neutralize its effects on the planet. Suppose NASA determined that a large meteor was going to strike the earth. And further, it would be possible to launch a rocket with a massive nuclear bomb that could destroy the meteor. Should we do it, or should we simply let nature take its course?
In conjunction with this trend, technology has provided the means to refine energy to the point where it can be controlled for even the most precise uses, like resurfacing the human eye so to see without eyeglasses, or creating microprocessors so precise and controlled that even microscopic variations in the semiconductor substrates are smoothed over, resulting in ever faster and better computers, that in turn, make it possible to harvest even more energy, and with more efficiency.
Imagine if all of this ingenuity and inventive spirit were channeled into the pursuit of alternative-energy sources. Most of the advances in technology come from the U.S., and if the country were to focus on developing alternative-energy sources, a huge boost to the economy would result. The U.S. could lead the world in exporting alternative-energy know-how, and the equipment to achieve the desired end results.
Rising to the Challenge: Balancing Fossil Fuel Use with Appropriate Alternatives
You solve energy problems by expending even more energy, not less. You need to devise alternatives that offset fossil fuel addictions, and invention and development take a lot of energy. Infrastructure takes energy. All human advancement requires energy in increasing amounts. Because the only consensus seems to be that fossil fuels are not the answer, you have to wonder what form this energy will take in the future. The following sections provide an overview of the alternatives as well as factors to consider when choosing alternative sources of energy.
This book is all about alternatives to the status quo. Alternatives are not the end all; they will never displace fossil fuels. The solution lies in a combination of doing better with fossil fuel use and developing alternatives when that’s appropriate. In Parts III and IV, I describe the alternative technologies in detail, explaining when these technologies are useful and when they’re not. Alternatives will require sacrifices not only in terms of monetary costs but also in terms of changing lifestyles.
Looking at the local impact
In addition to the pollution mitigations and political desirability of alternative energy sources, there are attractive local impacts:
Local jobs
Sustainable economy
More money stays local, instead of moving to the Mideast
Less air pollution, lower health burdens
Diversification of the energy-supply options
Security to the U.S. economy — the economy is more controllable if it doesn’t rely on foreign countries for energy supplies.
Increasing supply of energy options reduces costs by increasing competition, making inexpensive energy more widely available
Economically, none of the alternatives can compete price-wise with fossil fuels, but that all depends on one’s accounting system, for fossil fuels are subsidized in many ways by the governments of the world.
Adding up the alternatives
As stated earlier, energy is not running out, nor will it ever run out. The problem is not that less energy resources are available, but that the political and environmental consequences of the current energy consumption, well, stink. Hence, the drive for alternatives. The following sections introduce the alternative energy candidates. You can find out more about these options in Parts III and IV.
Solar power
Solar power, discussed in detail in Chapter 9, uses sunshine to create both heat and electricity, as well as passive heating and cooling effects in buildings. Although there are other ways to take advantage of solar power (think photosynthesis, for example), the one I focus on in this book is the direct conversion of radiation. This includes photovoltaic panels and solar liquid heating schemes. Large scale solar farms can provide entire communities with enough electrical and heating power to make the communities self-sufficient.
Nuclear power
Nuclear power harnesses the tremendous energies from both the splitting and fusing of atoms. In some books, nuclear is not considered an alternative energy source, but my interpretation is that alternatives are those that do not emit the fossil fuel pollutants that are causing so much environmental harm. So I include nuclear energy in the alternative energy pantheon. Find out more about nuclear power in Chapter 8.
Solar’s role in other energy sources
Solar power is a key component in other energy sources:
Photosynthesis (a plant’s ability to convert sunlight into useable energy): Plants grow and may be combusted as biomass (like ethanol, or wood). Animals eat plants, humans eat animals and plants. There is also energy available from fermentation and anaerobic decay of biomass.
Oceanic. Waves may be harnessed for energy production. Currents are capable of driving hydro turbines. The thermal differences between different regions may be tapped with heat exchange mechanisms.
Hydropower. Solar radiation evaporates water, which becomes rain, which becomes rivers and streams that can be dammed up and outfitted with turbines and generators. See the section “Wind and hydropower” and Chapter 10 for more on this energy source.
Wind and hydropower
Wind power derives from windmills placed in locations with a lot of wind. Luckily for the U.S., there are plenty of suitable sites.
Hydropower comes from dams which provide high pressure water flows that spin turbines, thereby creating electricity. It can be exploited on both a macro level (huge dams can be built to create statewide electrical power on America’s biggest rivers) and on the micro level (people can put hydropower generators in backyard rivers and streams). For more info on both of these energy sources, head to Chapters 10 and 11.
Geothermal
Geothermal power, the topic of Chapter 12, takes heat from the earth and redistributes it into a building, or uses the heat to generate electrical power. It’s available in tremendous quantities, but it’s difficult to extract and takes a lot of capital equipment. On a more general level, heat pumps (the kind in many homes) are a source of geothermal energy, so geothermal energy can be practical and effective on a micro level.
Biomass and wood
Biomass is sawgrass, mulch, corn, and so on. These materials are either burned in their raw form, or processed into liquid fuels or solid fuels. Wood, the most common biomass, is used to heat homes throughout the country. (Note: Some books distinguish wood from biomass, but I don’t make that fine a distinction.) Chapters 13 and 14 explore these topics in more detail.
Hydrogen fuel cells
Hydrogen fuel cells, in a nutshell, produce electrical power from nothing more than hydrogen, which is completely free of carbon. The exhaust is water, and what can be more natural than that?
Hydrogen fuel cells combine oxygen and hydrogen to produce water and electrical energy. Sounds simple, and there’s an amazing potential to solve a lot of the world’s environmental problems, should fuel cells pan out like some people think they will. The technologies are years off, however. And there are some major difficulties that may never be overcome. But the promise remains bright, and a lot of development money is now being invested in fuel cells. Go to Chapter 15 for more information.
Electric vehicles
Electric vehicles use only electricity to power the drive train. The electricity comes from batteries, which are heavy and cumbersome, but battery technologies are getting better and all-electric vehicles are now becoming economically competitive with conventional, internal-combustion vehicles. It should be mentioned that electric vehicles need to get their electrical power from somewhere, and that “somewhere” is likely the power grid, which itself consumes a lot of coal, and emits a lot of pollution. Chapter 18 has more info.
Hybrid vehicles
Hybrid vehicles are a combination of electric and internal-combustion powertrains. When power requirements are low, the vehicle operates in electrical mode. When more power is needed, or when the electrical batteries are near depletion, an internal-combustion engine provides power. Hybrids, discussed in Chapter 19, offer much higher MPG ratings than conventional transportation.
Biofuels
Biofuels, discussed in Chapter 17, are made of biomass products such as corn. Corn ethanol is now being added to most gasoline supplies in the United States. Despite the high energy consumption in the refining process, biofuels allow the U.S. to import less foreign oil, and so the political effects are desirable. Biofuels may either be used in their pure form or mixed with fossil fuels.
Evaluating the alternatives
There is no such thing as a free lunch. Every energy source has pros and cons, and trying to decide how best to provide the power an economy needs is a complex problem. Many believe that the current energy predicament will be solved by weaning society away from petroleum consumption, but even as people develop new alternative sources, the problems don’t go away; they simply change in nature.
In evaluating alternative energy sources, here are some important factors to consider.
Combustion versus noncombustion
The majority of our energy sources produce power through combustion processes (burning) that require a burn chamber, oxygen, and exhaustion capacities. From time immemorial, humans have burned wood for fires, and the process was simple: Pile some wood, light it on fire, hang around nearby. Modern combustion processes are engineered to be more efficient (modern wood-burning stoves are around 100 times more efficient than open fires, for example), but the combustion processes, regardless of how efficient they are, are notorious pollution sources.
Noncombustion processes, such as solar power and nuclear, don’t exhaust pollutants the same way that combustion processes do, but they entail their own problems. For instance, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels require a lot of energy to manufacture, and most of this energy comes from electrical power which mostly comes from coal combustion. So while solar is pollution free in its on-site implementation, it entails a lot of pollution in its manufacture. Other noncombustion energy sources such as wind and hydropower also require a great deal of energy to manufacture the capital equipment needed to make things work.
Raw material issues
Every energy production plant, whether solar or a woodstove, needs raw materials. In the case of solar, the raw materials are free. In the case of a nuclear power plant, the raw materials are uranium rods, which must be meticulously refined and manufactured. In fact, the total cost of an energy process has less and less to do with the raw fuels. Capital equipment is expensive, and is usually the most influential component in a cost/analysis equation.
The degree of refinement of the energy
Woodstoves provide heat, and in a rather coarse fashion. Solar PV provides high-grade electrical energy. Wind power also provides high-grade electrical energy. In the case of the woodstove, the heat is the desired end product, and heat is very coarse yet effective. Electrical energy is very refined and convenient. Every energy-consuming process requires a certain degree of refinement of the energy, and the refinement itself takes energy. If it’s possible to adopt policies that promote less refined energy, everyone is better off.
The level of current technology
It takes time for new technologies to reach the market, and it takes even more time for wide-ranging acceptance and use of a new technology. People don’t simply discard their current systems because a radical new technology is developed. They wait until their current equipment breaks down, or is no longer economical to use before they invest in new systems.
Pollution and environmental impacts
Every energy-producing and -consuming process leaves a residue of some kind on our planet. Alternative-energy schemes are not all pollution mitigation marvels. Wood stoves, for instance, can be one of the most polluting energy sources if the wood is burned inefficiently. And different types of pollution cause different types of problems.
Economics
