Is there a way to make all the energy a household needs from altenative energy sources?

Question

Is there a way to make all the energy a household needs from altenative energy sources?

Answer 1

Sure -- if you have unlimited money.  Most people have to live with the economic reality that alternative energy is simply too expensive to make sense.

Answer 2

Energy is the ability to do work. While energy surrounds us in all aspects of life, the ability to harness it and use it for constructive ends as enconomically as possible is the challenge before mankind. Alternative energy refers to energy sources which are not based on the burning of fossil fuels or the splitting of atoms. The renewed interest in this field of study comes from the undesirable effects of pollution (as witnessed today) both from burning fossil fuels and from nuclear waste byproducts. Fortunately there are many means of harnessing energy which have less damaging impacts on our environment. Here are some possible alternatives:

              

Tidal Power

Even the power of the tides can be harnessed to produce electricity.



Similar to the more conventional hydroelectric dams, the tidal process utilizes the natural motion of the tides to fill reservoirs, which are then slowly discharged through electricity-producing turbines. The former USSR produced 300 MW in its Lumkara plant using this method.

Solar energy is one the most resourceful sources of energy for the future. One of the reasons for this is that the total energy we recieve each year from the sun is around 35,000 times the total energy used by man. However, about 1/3 of this energy is either absorbed by the outer atmosphere or reflected back into space (a proccess called albedo)1.

Solar energy is presently being used on a smaller scale in furnaces for homes and to heat up swimming pools. On a larger scale use, solar energy could be used to run cars, power plants, and space ships

Wind Power



Wind power is another alternative energy source that could be used without producing by-products that are harmful to nature. Like solar power, harnessing the wind is highly dependent upon weather and location. The average wind velocity of Earth is around 9 m/sec. And the power that could be produced when a wind mill is facing the wind of 10 mi/hr. is around 50 watts.1



How a Basic Windmill Work

The fins of a windmill rotate in a vertical plane which is kept perpendicular to the wind by means of a tail fin. As wind flow crosses the blades of the windmill, it is forced to rotate and can be used to generate electricity. Another type of wind power generator is the two hollow half-drum-type wind collectors.

Geothermal Energy

as an

Alternative Source for Energy



What is GEOTHERMAL ENERGY ???

Geothermal energy is an alternative energy source, although it is not resourceful enough to replace more than a minor amount of the future's energy needs. Geothermal energy is obtained from the internal heat of the planet and can be used to generate steam to run a steam turbine. This in turn generates electricity, which is a very useful form of energy.



The radius of the Earth is about 4000 miles, with an internal core temperature of about 4000 degrees celsius at the center. The mantle surrounds the outercore and is only about 45 miles below the surface, depending on location. The temperature at the mantle-surface crust boundary is about 375 degrees, celsius. (This is too deep to get to...as of today)



So...what???

So, how does this help us? It turns out that if we drill down only three miles we can reach temperatures of 100 degrees, celsius, which is enough to boil water to run a steam-powered electric powerplant. Drilling three miles through the earth is possible, but not easy, so luckily there are easier routes to access this power source, known as geothermal hotspots.



What's a Hotspot?

Geothermal hotspots are volcanic features which are found all around the world. Basically a hotspot is an area of reduced thickness in the mantle which transmits excess internal heat from the interior of the earth to the outer crust. These hotspots are well known for their unique effects on the surface, such as the volcanic islands of Hawaii, the mineral deposits and gyesers in Yellowstone National Park, or the hotsprings in Iceland. These geothermal hotspots can easily be used to generate electricity.



How do Geothermal-Energy Systems Work?

Some systems pump hot-water into permeable sedimentary hospots found underground and then use the steam to generate electricity. Then the used steam is condensed and sent back down to the permeable sedimentary stream. Another system utilizes volcanic magma which is still partly molten at around 650 degrees, celsius, to boil water which would generate electricity. Also there is a system which uses hot dry rock, which is just hardened magma, but still is extremely hot. To recover this heat from these rocks, a system is used which circulates water through the rock and transfers the heat up to a steam generator. The first system listed here is not as useful as other methods because of the acidic nature of the fluids found under the ground. These acidities require a lot of maintenance and upkeep on the equipment, and this cost reduces the economic effectiveness of the system. Therefore, geothermal energy systems are more inefficient than other alternative energy sources because of the costs required in upkeep and the shortage of potential sites.

Hydroelectricity



Hydroelectricity comes from the damming of rivers and utilizing the potential energy stored in the water. As the water stored behind a dam is released at high pressure, its kinetic energy is transferred onto turbine blades and used to generate electricity. This system has enormous costs up front, but has relatively low maintenance costs and provides power quite cheaply. In the United States approximately 180,000 MW of hydroelectric power potential is available, and about a third of that is currently being harnessed.

Answer 3

Yes - but you have to make some sacrifices. You can definitely power a whole house with solar, wind or a combination of the two, especially if you change the way you live. Use LED or at least compact fluorescent lights. Limit your use of things like hair dryers, toasters, clothes dryers, etc.... anything that uses electricity to heat something up.

We are going to use solar and wind for our new house we are planning. We will still have computers, a washer, fridge and freezer, etc., and will heat with wood and radiant infloor heating.

I guess the answer to your question is Yes, you can power a house this way... but not if you want all the things that a typical North American house has.

And by the way, elul89 - we live in Canada. Just because we have cold winters doesn't mean we get no sun!

Good luck!

Answer 4

The answer about it being too expensive is completely uninformed.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-so...

follow this link to Scientific American to learn how we can achieve a nearly 100% solar electric grid by 2100 and 65% by 2050

This plan calls for public spending which is less money than we are already giving to oil companies in tax credits and subsidies.

That point alone ought to be enough to convince anyone.  Exxon just reported $40 billon profits for 2007.  Do you think they need tax payer subsidies?  The money would be much better spent promoting types of energy that have a future.

from the website of Ausra a company that makes solar power plants.

"Solar thermal power plants such as Ausra's generate electricity by driving steam turbines with sunshine. Ausra's solar concentrators boil water with focused sunlight, and produce electricity at prices directly competitive with gas- and coal-fired electric power."  

"Solar is one the most land-efficient sources of clean power we have, using a fraction of the area needed by hydro or wind projects of comparable output. All of America's needs for electric power – the entire US grid, night and day – can be generated with Ausra's current technology using a square parcel of land 92 miles on a side. For comparison, this is less than 1% of America's deserts, less land than currently in use in the U.S. for coal mines"

There are about 7 other companies in U.S. doing same thing as Ausra.  Some others are using concentrating photovoltaics with similar results

Using these solar plants 1% of the Sahara would power the whole world.  Less than 3% of Morrocco could power all of Europe.

Wind energy is very cheap

Solar panels are getting more and more efficient and are being produced cheaper.  They will be competitively priced with fossil fuels in just a few years.

There are ways around the high upfront cost of installing solar panels on roofs etc.

For example:   The city of Berkely, CA just passed a bill that OKs public funding for any homeowner who wants to install solar panels.  Berkeley will sell bonds to finance it.  Homeowners will pay off the cost each year when they pay property taxes.  If they sell the house before it's paid off, next owner takes over payments.  Why couldn't we do this all over the country?

Similar financing schemes are being used by big businesses. Stock brokerages and other finance companies are paying the upfront cost and selling the power to the end user.

These are win win scenarios.

What does oil really cost?   add all these costs to the price of a barrel of oil.

maybe 2 $trillion dollars spent in Iraq.  4000 dead U.S. soldiers, maybe 200,000 dead Iraqis, continued wars in the mideast.  Pollution that is poisoning us and our environment at huge cost, including health care.  Loss of America's prestige in the world as a result of unilaterally invading Iraq, based on cowboy diplomacy.  dependence on foreign oil.

Fuel cells that use the same natural gas as gas fired power plants are commercially available right now.  They generate power cheaper and cleaner and even give off heat that can be captured to make more electricity.  They can also use the methane produced by agricultural waste, water treatment plants and landfills. - Thus getting rid of a greenhouse gas, methane, and making electricity at the same time.

Solar water heating and solar passive homes and businesses would greatly reduce energy consumption.  And they are low tech.

Answer 5

It doesn't take a ton of money.  You just have to be smart about it.  If you think that all things can be done in the usual way, that is out of the question.  Renewable Energy homes use less power to being with.  You have to do an energy audit to start.  How much does your home use.  This can be used as a reference point.  Buy a meter to check electric loads and get rid of the phantom loads.  Here is a link for a low cost one.  200 - 300 Kw per month is the goal.

Answer 6

Yes, but you have to have a lot of money, and, if you are going to invest in alternative energy sources, I reccomend Wind energy it's cheap

and solar panels are getting more and more efficient and are being produced cheaper.

Oil is a good idea too, because it is getting to be limited and countries will pay almost anything to get some.

at the same time,

Solar water heating and solar passive homes and businesses would greatly reduce energy consumption. And they are low tech.

Answer 7

solar panels all on your roof should deffintly do it, if you live down south texas cali etc. but if you live in a place like canada i beilive your pretty **** out of luck for the other 10 months with no sunshine...

Answer 8

With enough money, most things are possible.