Earth, water, wind, and sun: our energy alternatives

Book · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:7257250

Halacy, Jr, D S

The author does not see any of the alternative energy sources as magic substitutes for fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas. Instead, these alternatives--geothermal power, water power, wind and solar energy-- together can help provide an energy solution. For each alternative, a history of its development and use is presented; its actual power contribution as well as its potential, both in wattage and as a percentage of projected U.S. and world needs are given; the strong points and drawbacks of the energy source are listed; and its accessibility, feasibility, and ecological impact are summarized. Energy from the Earth is essentially geothermal and takes one of four forms: dry steam, wet steam, hot rocks, and geopressured deposits. The source can produce power via turbines or the heat can be used directly. Iceland projects that by 1980, 65 percent of its homes will have hot water from geothermal production at 60 percent of the fossil-fuel cost. Energy from the sea and other water can be harnessed by means of hydropower, tidal power, and sea thermal energy. Biofuels include wood and other burnable biomass, methane and other gases, waste organic material, and some liquid fuels. Wind power is again being investigated; new kinds of windmills are being developed. Solar energy may become a major source of fuel as fossil fuels diminish. Halacy discusses and explains the three basic kinds of solar energy: thermal, photovoltaic, and photochemical.

• OSTI ID: 7257250
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

090100 -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- (-1989)
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
13 HYDRO ENERGY
130100 -- Hydro Energy-- Resources & Availability
14 SOLAR ENERGY
140100 -- Solar Energy-- Resources & Availability
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150000 -- Geothermal Energy
16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER
160000 -- Tidal & Wave Power
17 WIND ENERGY
170100 -- Wind Energy-- Resources & Availability (Climatology)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290400 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources
299000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Unconventional Sources & Power Generation
ALKANES
AVAILABILITY
CONVERSION
COST
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ECOLOGY
ELECTRIC POWER
ENERGY
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOPRESSURED SYSTEMS
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
GLOBAL ASPECTS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROELECTRIC POWER
METHANE
NORTH AMERICA
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PEAT
POWER
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SOLAR ENERGY
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
TIDAL POWER
USA
WATER RESOURCES
WIND POWER
WOOD