Renewable Energy Economy

The solar-hydrogen economy of the future is expected to consist of both highly distributed and highly centralized components. The distributed 

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Conversion is also slowed by lack of public education. It is widely believed, for example, that our lifestyle would have to change, comfort would have to be sacrificed, and mobility reduced, if we converted to a renewable energy economy. This is not true. The solar-hydrogen economy of the future will not differ from the present one. Our lifestyle will be supported by the same quantity of energy it will differ only in the source of that energy. 

In Texas, 3% of the electricity is already being generated by wind turbines and a fivefold increase is projected by 2012. The highest wind potentials are in Texas, Montana, and the Dakotas. These states are sparsely populated and do not have good electricity transmission. Therefore, an important aspect of converting to a renewable energy economy is to develop a nationwide electric grid. 

In renewable energy processes, no fossil fuels are burned. The only combustion that takes place is that of H2 that bums into distilled water. However, for a number of decades, we will not have a completely renewable energy economy but a combination one. Therefore, it is necessary to also discuss the monitoring of fossil fuel combustion processes. 

In the renewable energy economy, hydrogen will have an important role, and in the processing of LH2, the measurement and control of cryogenic temperatures is one of the most important tasks. 

In Table 5.2 I have compared the features of traditional fossil and nuclear power plants with those of this solar-hydrogen power plant of the future. This comparison shows that BAU (business as usual) technology is inferior even in the short run. This data shows that there is no clean fossil or safe nuclear power and that mankind must fully convert to a renewable energy economy, in the shortest possible time, but definitely not later than the end of this century. 

In addition, inaction in converting to a renewable energy economy also means that our economic resources will be wasted on useless projects. For... 

The fourth chapter of this book provides the detailed design of what I hope will be the world s first full-sized solar-hydrogen demonstration power plant. In this chapter and elsewhere in this volume, I provide estimates of the present efficiencies and costs. However, the main goal of this book is to move the whole topic of the renewable energy economy from estimates to proven facts. Once this demonstration plant is built, we will have these facts. 

The concluding fifth chapter compares the energy options available to mankind. It provides quantitative data on the present trends of C02 emissions, energy consumption and population growth and on the consequences of continued reliance on exhaustible (fossil and nuclear) energy sources. I also explain why dependence on thermal nuclear energy is likely to lead to dependence on plutonium-fueled breeder reactors. The chapter calculates the costs and time needed to convert to a totally renewable energy economy and also discusses the consequences of inaction. 

A hydrogen economy will not be a renewable energy economy. For the next 20-50 years hydrogen will overwhelmingly be derived from fossil fuels or with nuclear energy. 

Fokaides, P.A., Polycarpou, P., 2013. Exploitation of olive solid waste for energy purposes. In PoulUkkas, A. (Ed.), Renewable Energy, Economies, Emerging Technologies and Global Practices. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., New York, pp. 163—178. 

Seeks to stimulate interest and help establish the renewable hydrogen energy economy by the year 2010. 

For economies like the European economy, this is an excellent opportunity to have available and autonomous, as well as renewable energy source. The European Union strongly encourages this initiative, which allows the use of... 

The opportunities to harness solar, wind, wave, falling water and biomass-waste resources are projected to exceed any wealth created by the exploitation of oil. Progressing past the Oil Age means an important economy of wealth expansion from energy-intensive goods and services with renewable energy. 

Iceland could become the world s first hydrogen economy. This island nation in the North Atlantic has many active volcanoes, hot springs, and geysers and is suited to a hydrogen economy because it has excess renewable energy. 

The increasing cost of fossil fuels and the concerns related to their environmental impact and greenhouse gas effect, as well as the need of securing energy supplies, are accelerating the transition to a bio-based economy. Various R D tools need to be provided to realize this transition. The replacement of fossil fuel by bio-mass has been addressed in recent years worldwide. The EU, for example, has defined a target to double the share of renewable energy from 6% in 1997 to 12% by 2010 (COM 1997 599). 

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