Starters
After reading on the clean energy some time ago, I felt the urge do understand the topic deeper. With the idea of an “Energetic Over-abundance,” I believe that one of the core needs of the humanity at this point is to product enough energy to feel abundant with it, which would allow us to use this resource more freely on research and other needs. Also, if it becomes a cheap commodity, it’d have several geopolitical implication which definitely would make our lives easier.
Out of that, I decided to start a series of articles on Clean Energy, describing three of the most common types of energies used as “breakthrough” sources today: wind, solar and nuclear. There’s also hydrogen, but it’s a bit more complicated and I might touch on that later
Energy = Vibe
Clean energy is a term used to describe forms of energy that are environmentally friendly and do not release harmful emissions into the atmosphere. The three main types of clean energy are nuclear, solar, and wind power. All three of these forms of energy have been used for centuries, but only in the past few decades have they been developed as sources of electricity.
History
The concept of clean energy dates back to the early 1800s when coal was first used as a source of electricity. In 1882, Thomas Edison opened the world’s first coal-fired electric power plant in New York City. Coal quickly became the most popular form of electricity generation because it was cheap and easy to use. However, it was also dirty and emitted large amounts of pollution into the air. This led to air quality and public health concerns, especially in urban areas where coal-fired power plants were common. As awareness about environmental issues grew in the mid-20th century, scientists began looking for ways to generate electricity without polluting the environment. This led to advances in nuclear and renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind power. In recent years, there has been an increase in investment in clean energy companies as more countries set targets for reducing emissions. The top five largest clean energy companies by market value are Vestas, First Solar, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, NextEra Energy, and Brookfield Renewable Partners.
Nuclear
Nuclear energy has been a controversial topic since its inception in the 20th century. Some believe that it holds the key to a clean and sustainable future, while others believe that it is too dangerous to be used on a large scale. There is no denying that nuclear energy has come a long way since its early days, and it continues to play an important role in our world today.
The history of nuclear energy begins with the discovery of radioactivity by Henri Becquerel in 1896. This led to further research into the potential uses of this new form of energy, and in 1905, Albert Einstein published his famous paper on the theory of relativity. This laid the groundwork for the development of nuclear weapons during World War II. In 1942, Enrico Fermi conducted the first successful nuclear chain reaction, which paved the way for the construction of the first atomic bomb. The United States dropped this bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, effectively ending World War II.
After the war, many countries began developing their own nuclear weapons programs. This led to a period of international tension known as the Cold War. In 1954, America successfully tested its first hydrogen bomb. These tests continued until 1963 when they were banned by the treaty. During this same time period, civilian nuclear power plants began springing up around the world. The first commercial plant was built in England in 1956.
By 1970, there were over 400 reactors operating in more than 30 countries worldwide. However, this growth came to a halt after the accident at Chornobyl in 1986, which released large amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere and caused widespread public fears about nuclear safety. In recent years there has been a renewed interest in nuclear energy as a possible solution to climate change and other environmental problems. Several new reactors have been built in Asia and Europe, and work is underway on several more projects around the globe.
Solar
Solar energy has been used since the 20th century to power everything from small electronic devices to entire buildings. Solar panels were first developed in the late 1800s, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that they began to be used commercially. The first large-scale solar power plant was built in California in the 1980s, and today there are solar farms all over the world. In recent years, solar energy has become increasingly popular as a way to generate electricity for homes and businesses.
The science behind solar energy is relatively simple. Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight into electricity. The electricity generated by a single cell is very small, so many cells are linked together to form a panel. The more cells there are in a panel, the more electricity it can generate.
There are two main types of solar panels: monocrystalline and polycrystalline. Monocrystalline panels are made up of silicon crystals that have been grown under carefully controlled conditions. This results in a higher quality silicon that is more efficient at converting sunlight into electricity than polycrystalline silicon. Polycrystalline panels are made from lower quality silicon that has been melted and cast into shape. They are less expensive to manufacture than monocrystalline panels, but they are also less efficient at converting sunlight into electricity.
The efficiency of a solar panel is measured in terms of its “conversion rate” – how much of the sun’s energy it can convert into electricity. Today’s best commercial solar panels have conversion rates around 20%. This means that for every 100 watts of sunlight that hits the panel, 20 watts of electrical energy will be produced.
Solar panels can be used to power anything that runs on electricity, including homes, businesses, and even vehicles. Solar-powered homes typically have rooftop photovoltaic arrays connected to the home’s electrical system. These systems can provide all or most of the home’s electrical needs during daylight hours, and may even produce enough surplus power to sell back to the grid (if net metering is available). Solar-powered businesses often use larger photovoltaic arrays to offset their electric bills, or even completely eliminate their dependence on grid power (if paired with an on-site battery storage system). And finally, there are an increasing number of cars and trucks on the road with solar-powered batteries charging their electric motors – although this technology is still in its infancy compared to other forms of transportation like gasoline-powered cars or trains powered by diesel fuel.
Wind
The history of wind energy is long and complex, dating back to the early 20th century. The first use of wind power for electricity generation was in Denmark in 1890. In the United States, the first large-scale wind farm was built in 1981. Since then, there have been many scientific breakthroughs and advances in technology that have made wind energy one of the most promising renewable energy sources available today.
Wind energy has been used for centuries for a variety of purposes, including powering sailing ships and grinding grain. The first recorded use of wind power for electricity generation was in Denmark in 1890. In the United States, the first large-scale use of wind power was at a California ranch owned by George Westinghouse in 1903. However, it wasn't until the 1970s that interest in wind power began to grow again due to concerns about oil shortages and environmental pollution.
In 1981, the world's first large-scale commercial wind farm was built in Hawaii. Since then, there has been rapid growth in both the installed capacity and production of wind energy around the world. Today, there are more than 1 million wind turbines operating in over 100 countries, with a total installed capacity of almost 600 gigawatts (GW). This is enough to meet 4% of global electricity demand.
There have been many scientific breakthroughs that have contributed to the growth of wind energy over the past few decades. These include advances in materials science that have led to lighter and stronger turbine blades; better understanding of how to site turbines optimally; and development of larger turbines with taller towers that can capture more energy from faster moving winds at higher altitudes.
The biggest companies involvedinwindenergy today are Vestas (Denmark), GE (United States), Siemens Gamesa (Spain), Goldwind (China), EDP Renewables (Portugal), Enel Green Power (Italy), Iberdrola Renovables (Spain), NextEra Energy Resources (United States), Pattern Energy Group(Canada) and Ørsted (Denmark). These companies are responsible for supplying turbines to almost all of сommercial рrojects around the world as well as carrying out research and development into new technologies that will help drive down costs and improve performance further.
Problems
With three of the pillars of clean energy, there still are problems in the field that block sustainable energy from becoming the powerhouse on the market. In spite of the technological advances in clean energy production techniques, oil continues to be the major source of energy worldwide. The leading obstacles in the implementation of clean energy production techniques and substitution of oil are: lack of awareness, high initial investment, lack of political will and vested interests.
Lack of awareness is a major obstacle in the implementation of clean energy production techniques. People are not aware of the benefits of clean energy and its potential to replace fossil fuels. They need to be educated about the advantages of clean energy and how it can help mitigate climate change.
High initial investment is another obstacle in the adoption of clean energy technologies. These technologies require significant upfront investment, which deters many countries from investing in them. In addition, many developing countries do not have the financial resources to invest in these technologies.
Lack of political will is another hindrance to the widespread adoption of clean energy technologies. Many politicians are unwilling to make the necessary changes to promote cleaner forms of energy due to their close ties with the fossil fuel industry. They also fear that making such changes would alienate voters who still rely on coal and oil for their energy needs.
Vested interests are another major obstacle to overcome if we want to see a shift towards cleaner forms of energy production. The fossil fuel industry has a lot money and power, which they use to influence policymaking at all levels—from local communities all the way up to national governments. They also fund research that casts doubt on climate change science or promotes false solutions like fracking instead real action on climate change mitigation
Afterword
Clean energy is an obvious step in the correct direction, and I believe that there’s quite a high chance that the world will be moving forward faster and faster in that direction as the time goes. Next week I’d start deconstructing techniques that different alternative sources of energy are using. Until then, it was a pleasure,
Always yours,
Sean.