What is nuclear energy and how it is obtained


etec-nm.com keyword stats



Most current MSN search phrases:

united energy
nuclear  
Most current Yahoo search phrases:

what is your reactions about the bataan what is yerba buena herbal meredicine
advantages of using ampalaya advantages of bataan nuclear power plant
disadvantages of bataan nuclear power nuclear power-disadvantages
uses of ulasimang bato herbal plant DISADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
articles about the bataan nuclear power  

Renewable Electric Power Takes Off

Renewable electric power is beginning toSolar PV is hot, too. It works by converting
soar. The current surge of activity, whichsunlight directly into electricity using
has been accelerating over the last fewsemiconducting materials such as polysilicon.
years, is driven by several factors: highGlobal solar PV installations have grown by
fuel prices; ongoing improvements inan average annual rate of 35 percent over the
renewable power technologies; and increasinglast five years. Germany, Japan and the U.S.
political support, which grows out of concernare the leaders in solar PV use, combining to
about  energy  security  and  climate change.account for 85 percent of the global
installed base of more than 6 GW. PV
Although renewable power is still generallyinstallations in the U.S. grew by over 20
more expensive than electricity generatedpercent last year due to the expansion of
from fossil fuels, the cost of renewables hasfederal  and  state  support.
declined significantly. Moreover, energy
investment decisions are increasingly madeSolar PV is also on the rise in Asia,
not solely on an economic basis, but withparticularly in China, which is positioned to
environmental and sociopoliticalemerge as one of the world's largest solar PV
considerations  factored  in  as  well.manufacturers and consumers over the next
several  years.
It's taken a long time to get here. Three
decades and $30 billion of research funded byThe surge in wind and solar PV over the last
the United States and other industrialseveral years is creating its own obstacles.
countries have gone into renewables, alongThe wind industry is currently struggling
with billions more from the private sector.with turbine component shortages. These
The effort has been marked byshortages have driven up the installed cost
booms-and-busts, ups-and-downs in researchof wind turbines from as low as $1,100 per
funding, disappointment and long dry periods.kilowatt a few years ago to $1,500 or higher
But after languishing for many years on thetoday-if  you  can  find  them.
fringe, renewable power is now headed into
the  mainstream.Polysilicon demand from PV manufacturers is
now greater than demand from the
Renewable power technologies generatesemiconductor business, and there is simply
electricity using natural regeneratingnot enough silicon production capacity today
resources such as sunlight, wind and waves.to  meet  these  twin  sources  of  demand.
Traditional renewable power technologies
include hydro, geothermal and biomass.This has created a shortage and driven up
Familiar to most people, hydro power involvesprices. Polysilicon prices exceeded $100 per
the use of dams and running water to drivekilogram in 2006, up from $35 per kilogram a
electric  turbines.few years ago. These shortages are expected
to persist until 2008, when new wind turbine
Geothermal systems capture steam and hotcomponent and silicon manufacturing capacity
water in geologic reservoirs to generatecomes on line. In the meantime, technologists
electricity. Biomass plants burn forestare seeking to find ingenious ways to
products and agricultural residues to produceinnovate  around  these  shortages.
steam to accomplish the same. These
traditional renewable power technologiesThe rapid growth in renewable power has been
account for more than 90 percent of globalaccompanied by an associated increase in
renewable power capacity and are growing at ainvestment. According to New Energy Finance,
modest  pace.investment in clean energy reached $70
billion in 2006, up from $50 billion in 2005.
The menu is being widened with more exoticVenture capitalists are now focusing on this
technologies. Concentrated solar power plantssector as well. According to the Cleantech
use mirrors to focus sunlight and boil aVenture Network, the North American venture
fluid to produce steam to drive a turbine.capital community invested $758 million in
Enhanced geothermal systems producewind and solar startups in 2006, a threefold
electricity with steam made from water thatincrease  from  2005.
is injected into the earth and heated by
contact with hot rocks. Biomass gasificationPolicy uncertainty and fossil fuel prices are
plants turn biomass into a gas that can beamong the biggest threats to renewable power
used in a combined-cycle generator. Thesein the short and medium terms. Renewable
technologies have great potential, but arepower options have yet to achieve cost parity
still  developmental.with fossil fuel sources, although some wind
projects are competitive today in favorable
Wind turbines and solar photovoltaic (PV)sites with abundant wind resources and tax
cells occupy the middle ground between theincentives.
traditional renewable power sources of today
and the promising technologies of tomorrow.Solar PV still has a way to go, with current
Although both wind and solar PV have beencosts of PV-generated power approximately
commercially available for decades, thesefive times those of electricity from a
technologies have matured over the lastnatural gas plant. As a result, wind and
thirty years due to ongoing research andsolar must rely upon robust and stable
accumulated know-how. They are nowgovernment supports to fuel industry growth.
experiencing  rapid  market  growth.But renewable power policies can be just as
intermittent  as the wind and sun themselves.
The big winner so far is wind. Global wind
power capacity has tripled since 2000 andAlthough recent events have spurred strong
reached nearly 75 gigawatts (GW) by the endsupport for incentives and renewable power
of 2006. This is still small-less than twotargets, declining fossil fuel prices could
percent of total world capacity-but it ismake such policies less tenable. Especially
enough to meet the annual electric needs ofimportant is what happens to natural gas
nearly  20  million  U.S.  households.prices and whether and when a price is put on
carbon emissions from fossil fuel-fired power
Germany, the United States, Spain, India andplants.
Denmark have the largest installed wind base,
but in 2006, North America saw the fastestWhen considering the future prospects for
growth. In the U.S., nearly 3 GW of new windrenewables, perspective is important. Despite
turbines were installed last year, withtheir recent rapid growth, wind and solar
overall wind capacity breaking 10 GW alongtogether account for just two percent of
the way. U.S. wind growth was fueled by aglobal power generation capacity. Even with a
federal tax credits and state renewablecontinuation of the strong growth seen in
portfolio standard programs, which requirerecent years, wind and solar are likely to
utilities to purchase a certain percentage ofaccount for less than five percent of global
their  power  from  renewable  sources.capacity  a  decade  from  now.
At the same time, continuing technologicalMoreover, there are questions as to how
advances are being made in the design andrenewables will interface with existing
operations  of  windmills.technologies  and  infrastructure.
Asia is emerging as a center of growth forBut by the middle of the next decade, as wind
both wind energy use and wind turbineand solar PV continue to grow-and as
manufacturing capacity. Over 3 GW of newconcentrated solar power, advanced biomass
capacity was installed in Asia in 2006, theand geothermal technologies become
bulk in China and India. This came as aincreasingly competitive-renewables can begin
result of policies supporting renewables,to make a more significant impact in global
such as China's new Renewable Energy Law,power markets. Indeed, it is likely that
which requires 5 percent of China's electricrenewable power will continue to grow at a
capacity to be renewables-based by 2010.rapid rate, given the prospect for continued
India is the world's fourth-largest windtechnology improvements and the likelihood
power market, thanks to sustained governmentthat climate change and energy security will
support  for  the  sector.remain important concerns.



1 A B 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80