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10 Biggest Energy Myths
INFORMATIVE 
Tags: climate change global warming energy renweable sol
Energy drives our world. For two century’s we have relied on burning fossil fuels to create our electricity. But with resources of oil and gas diminishing, and the negative effects on climate change, renewable energy is battling to replace our power needs. But they have faced many hurdles in becoming a realistic substitute to fossil fuels, a lot of which are unjustified. Here is the 10 biggest myths about Renewable energy
| | The Solution Must be High Tech? |
| | Advanced economies seem obsessed with finding hi-tech solutions to reducing green house gas emissions. Many are too expensive and are riddled with problems. But it may be cheaper and more effective to look for simpler solutions, such as extracting carbon dioxide from the air. |
| | Bigger Is Better? |
| | The idea that power stations must be big are incorrect. New types of tiny heat and power plants are able to turn about half the energy in fuel into electricity, matching the efficiency of huge generators. These are now small enough to be easily installed in ordinary homes. Not only will they generate electricity but the surplus heat can be used to heat the house, meaning that all the energy in gas is productively used. |
| | Climate Change Means we need more Organic Agriculture |
| | Most studies show that yields under organic cultivation are little more than half what can be achieved elsewhere. Unless this figure can be hugely improved, the implication is clear; the world cannot feed its people and produce huge amounts of cellulose for fuels if large acreages are converted to organic cultivation. |
| | Carbon Free Homes are the best way of Dealing with Emissions from Buildings |
| | Buildings are responsible for around 50% of the worlds emissions, with domestic house the biggest culprit. But making a building completely carbon free is extremely expensive, and only focusing on new homes, has no effect on the other 99% of homes. In Germany a mixture of subsidies, cheap loans and exhortation is succeeding in getting hundreds of thousands of older properties eco-renovated each year to very impressive standards and at reasonable cost. |
| | Solar Power is not Worth the Money |
| | Today’s chunky and and expensive solar panels capture only 10% of the suns energy. However the next generation of panels are much thinner, capture far more energy and cost a fraction of what they do today. One company claims they will be as cost efficient in sunny countries as large power stations by 2012 |
| | Wind Power is Unreliable |
| | In 2008, wind provided almost 40% of Spain’s power during some periods. Parts of northern Germany generate more electricity from wind than they actually need. Northern Scotland could easily generate 10 or even 15 per cent of the UK’s needs for electricity at a cost that would comfortably match today’s fossil fuel prices. |
| | The Seas are a Dead End |
| | Harnessing power from the sea has faced many issues, the main problem being designing something that can survive the harsh conditions, and has resulted in many disappointments. In 2008, however, Britain has seen the installation of the first tidal turbine to be successfully connected to the UK electricity grid in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, and the first group of large-scale wave power generators have been installed 5 km off the coast of Portugal. |
| | Nuclear (fission) Power is Cheaper than other Low-Carbon Sources of Electricity |
| | The new nuclear power station on the island of Olkiluoto in western Finland is a clear example of the high and unpredictable cost of nuclear plants. Electricity production was supposed to start in 2008, but the latest news is that the power station will not start generating until 2012. The impact on the cost of the project has been dramatic. When the contracts were signed, the plant was supposed to cost €3bn. The final cost is likely to be more than twice this figure. A second new plant in Normandy appears to be experiencing similar problems. In the US, power companies are backing away from nuclear because of fears over uncontrollable costs. Nuclear Fusion may be the answer, when they crack it. |
| | Electric Cars are Slow |
| | Electric cars currently in development are very close to matching the performance of conventional vehicles. Tesla are leading the way with a electric roadster that is capable of 0-60 in 3 seconds. |
| | Biofuels are Destructive to the Environment |
| | Making some of our motor fuel from food has been an almost unmitigated disaster. It has cause hunger and an increased rate of deforestation, as farmer seek extra land to grow their crops. However within a few years we will be able to turn agricultural wastes into liquid fuels by splitting cellulose, the most abundant molecule in plants and trees, into simple hydrocarbons. |
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