Much has been discussed and written about the vast potential in store for renewable energy sources like wind, wave and solar energy. The idea would be to replace fossil fuel dependence with these natural and sustainable resources for our future energy needs. These energy options are also critical if we intend to rescue the plant from global warming and changing climates, all would be an improvement over current carbon emitting power generation.
Many are waiting with eager anticipation to see what changes are in store now that Obama is installed as President and is finding his footing. With energy requirements winding up within the federal budget and Stimulus plan, funding is available but will it be enough? Just now, the renewable energy sector is still a long way away from replacing any conventional forms of power and the entire world is at a critical junction.
The largest roadblock regarding these power options is storage. Sure costs are high as well but there is some relief in that area. Electricity once it is generated cannot be stored; it must be converted into another form of energy. The new renewables are inconsistent since the sun is not always bright and brilliant, winds are not blowing all day and night and this is a problem. Fluctuations caused by these irregularities mean trouble for the grid and power presentation. This form of alternative energy is abundant but we need to find a way to store it effectively. Fossil fuel and coal has the storing capability, both can be reserved innately prior to burning for electricity.
As usual, there are some ways to deal with this problem but they are vastly expensive options. Large batteries and fuel cells are possible and even heat storage. We are all used to batteries and understand larger batteries mean more power but bigger is also more costly. In actual fact, batteries have not evolved much over the years in large part because fossil fuel has been a lot less money to exploit. The main reason electric cars have simmered on the back burner for so long is because battery technology is so dated. The costs are high, they take time to charge and they deliver lower mileage numbers. They are also heavy and bulky. Electric cars just cannot compete against a combustion motor and the tank can be topped up rapidly.
Research needs to be improved in this area and investment increased. There are some measures to be considered now for storage that make some sense, specifically for solar power. Heat storage by heating a pipe full of water that generates steam that is simpler to store prior to conversion into electricity. Battery technology is also improving but still remains elusive.
Obama’s plan deserves support and offers potential to a variety of energy storage options. The president clearly saw a need for research and development of battery tech since he specifically called for it in his planned spending. When spending is directed toward particular projects, history tells us these projects are rapidly developed. We have seen it with computer peripheral technology and storage of data. Hard drives were a problem and retrieval speed low but manufacturers quietly and quickly resolved that issue and today we have relatively inexpensive data storage and increased speeds.
Energy storage has shown itself to be an unproductive delay on the road to renewable energy progress and the hope is it will receive as much attention as required to quickly solve the issue. Seeing the same exponential development with cost effective models for solar, wind and wave power would be a relief to many in the renewable energy sector. Just imagine not having a need for imported oil and fossil fuels any longer?
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.