A step towards the ‘pure’ energy
The expanding of renewable energy resourses’ development is rather slow. However, by means of these resources the global warming question and other enviromental problems can be solved .
According to the research data collected by Mark Z. Jacobson (Stanford University) and Mark Delucch (University of California, Davis, USA), in ten years’ time humankind will be able to use only the renewable energy resourses. With existing technologies obtainable, there would be no questions on stopping the exploitation of fossil fuels. The scientists have evaluated the prospects of environmentally friendly energy, by taking into account charges, technologies, certain requirements towards the raw material and various supplies. They have also worked out of the plan on the planet’s energy infrastructure transformation.
„During the research we have found out that there are no technological or economic barriers for employing only the renewable energy resources,“ said Mark Z. Jacobson, professor of the environmental engineering. „This is only a matter of social and political wish.“
According to the scientists’ predictions, the world energy will be principally concentrated on electric power generation by means of solar and wind powers. These two renewable energy resources are able to provide up to 90% of electricity essential for humankind. Geothermal sources and hydropower stations add other 4% (70% of the hydropower stations required are already functioning), tidal and wave powers –2% left.
The motor vehicles, ships and trains will be powered by batteries or hydrogen fuel cells, but aircraft engine will run on liquid hydrogen. Electric and solar collectors, which in future may replace coal and gas, will be used for house heating system maintenance. Whole industry is to be run by means of electricity and hydrogen. Taking into account the fact that hydrogen is produced within the process of electrolysis, the global economy soon will be using only the light, wind and water.
The scientists have also characterized the main points of planet’s energy transformation, which are based on the idea that all the new energy-generating equipment will be functioning by the wind, water and solar powers. In addition, all the existing power stations will be employing these energy resources by the year of 2050.
One of the advantages of this plan is a 30% reduction in the world demand for energy, which is associated with the fuel conversion into electricity in propellant tanks. This method has larger efficiency than the burn in turbines and combustion engines. If humankind refuses to use fuel consumption, it will save millions of lives taken away by the environmental pollution.
The cumulative approach to this topic enables us to manage with the main drawback of wind and solar powers — inconstancy. This disadvantage will be balanced out by hydropower stations and tidal generators. The shortage of rare-earth materials can be compensated with its reprocessing and new technologies’ appliance.
According to the data collected, the scientists have presumed that 0, 4% of land (basically, for solar panels), and 0, 6% — for the distance between electric power plants (dominantly, for interspaces between wind engines) is required in order to satisfy a 100% world demand for electricity. These huge numbers are reasonable, when it comes to the whole planet’s energy. Furthermore, the solar panels can be located in deserts, and wind engines – in sea, so they do not disturb the process of farmland’s cultivation. The area required for wind engine’s base may be less then Manhattan, but generate the electricity for the half of the world.
The scientists have concluded that nowadays there are all the necessary technologies available for using only a ‘pure’ energy. However, the procedure of saving the planet and people from poisonous emission of fossil fuels is being slowed. At the present moment, only 1% of wind engines and even less solar panels from the number required for global ‘pure’ energy are build.
