Green Renewable and Alternative Energy Sources

I am assuming that green companies will explode over the coming years. However, with the numerous proposals for alternative energy such as wind, solar, hydro, etc., which proposal is the most promising? Furthermore, which companies should I look into?

i really think wind is gonna take off.. solar has a lot of issues
i’m not sure of any wind companies
but what i really do like is natural gas, the US has an estimated 500 Tcf in the ground…. that’s pretty crazy and it’s fairly clean
i heard rumors that Richard Branson is experimenting with using natural gas as a fuel for his virgin planes….

YES! Nuclear is the most "Green" energy choice for most locations. Here are some Pos and Cons:
PROS
!. Fission is the most energy for the least fuel with current technology.
2. Less fuel means less waste, and the waste is all accounted for, not released into the atmosphere to become someone else’s problem.
3. Uranium is readily available, very common in the earth’s crust (about the same as tin)
4. Economical – operating cost about the same as coal, fuel cost is a much smaller percentage of the total, therefore less susceptible to price fluctuations.
5. Reliable – Nuclear power plants have very high capacity factors.
6. No combustion, no Co, CO2 or SO2 released.
7. Creates jobs.
8. Reduce dependence on foreign oil/ fuel. Uranium available domestically and in oceans.
9. High temperature reactors could produce Hydrogen as well as electricity.
10. Fantastic safety record.

CONS
1. Irrational fear of all things nuclear.
2. High cost to build and license, large initial investment for long term pay back.
3. Publicly accepted high level storage facility not domestically available.
4. Reprocessing facility not domestically available.
4. High cost of personnel.
5. Security concerns,
Nuclear power, I believe is the best, safest, most reliable, current technology to provide energy. The plants operating now are safe and the new designs are even safer.
Building 100’s of new nuclear power plants would improve the economy, reduce or eliminate dependence on foreign oil, create jobs, reduce pollution, and provide for future technological advancement.
I have been working with nuclear power for about 30 years, I would be glad to have a Nuclear power plant or high level waste disposal facility in my backyard. My family and I live in a home within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant. (where I work) I have a great understanding of the risks involved and am completely comfortable with a plant "in my backyard".
Using Chernobyl as a reason not to build is like saying because of the Hindenburg I will never fly in a commercial airliner.
Nuclear power has the smallest environmental impact of any current energy production method per unit of energy produced. One fuel pellet about the size of a pencil eraser produces the same energy as about 1 ton of coal, and if reprocessed 2/3 of what’s left can be reclaimed. Nuclear power is our best option for reliable, environmentally friendly, base-load electrical power.
Hydro: Only viable in specific locations, dams change the local environment significantly and are dangerous.
Wind: Only a specific range of wind speed is currently efficient for producing power, takes huge amounts of land space, unreliable for base load power – needs a backup anyway.
Solar: Only viable when the sun is out, toxic chemicals in photo-cells and batteries. Takes huge amount of space per Mw.

No since the majority of the country still burns stuff for there energy needs they are very polluted and suffer greatly during the summer seasons.

Any gains they have for not using oil is trumped by the small particle released while burning wood, coal and other stuff.

I have always been interested in Green energy, especially on a scale for all homes. I am asking if anyone knowns where I could find a lot of info about how to completly run a small farm on green energy. (Wind Turbine, Solar, etc.)?

My husband and I live on a small permaculture farm. We will be building a straw bale house, completely off grid.

Basically, there is no "one" source. You need to start collecting books, and researching web sites, and gathering information that fits your farm/location.

By the way, it’s quiet difficult to power any home, farm, or business off of just one alternative engery source. However having a combination works very, very well, since one of them is almost always working.

For the heat in our home we will use a Central Boiler (brand name). This is a radient heat floor system, and ours will be fueled with wood. You can also use other things, like propane, coal, corn, wood pallets, ect. Very versital system.

For our actual power we plan to use mostly wind, some solar, and hydro if we can do so legally.

My husband is a commercial wind turbine technition, and very mechanically gifted. It’s not easy to do alternative energy if you are not mechanically inclined.

Do you already own the farm? What is the wind in your area like? How big is your farm? Will your neighbors complain about you erecting homeowner wind turbines?

Hit your public library. Google things like "earthship" homes, and research the ways in which those homes are being powered.

If you are building your home from the ground up, you have the opprotunity to include a lot of green energy at the front end. It’s expensive to install. However if you plan to live in that home for a very time, it does pay for itself.

We view installing alternative energy as an investment in our retirement. The cost of power is going to do nothing but go up. If you don’t have a power bill when you retire, that is one less bill to have to worry about.

Go to used bookstores also and look for used books on some of these alternative power ideas. Some of their information will be out of date. Frankly some of that does not matter. If you get a 1970’s book on solar, the basic ideas of how to orient your home, and were to set up solar cells is still sound. It is only the solar cells themselves that have changed. It will also cover some of the basic principals between grid tied, off grid, passive, and active solar. Each of those four phrases mean something different. You might as well learn them from a 1970’s book you can get for $2, vs. a brand new book you are spending $35 on.

Know this also, solar panels, and I suspect all the new roof mounted homeowner wind turbines, are notorious for causing roofs to leak. Mount such things on garages, and barns, or have them mounted so they stand alone. If you get a leak in your barn roof, YOU can probably patch it and repair it yourself. Get one in the roof of your house, and it may well require a roofer to be fixed properly, so you don’t risk rott, water damage, and toxic black mold in your home.

If you have specific questions, post them, and I’ll try to answer them. For the large body of information though, it’s simply going to take your time, and research, of specifics on your location, farm, and weather patterns. Start Googling, and saving sites to favorites as you come accross good ones. Learn the "buzz words" to make your searches more effective.

Hit your local library. Also check out classes at your local colleges. More and more of them are offering classes you may well be interested in.

~Garnet
Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Air pollution control
Air pollution dispersion modeling
Composting
Ecoforestry
Energy conservation
Environmental design
Flue gas treatment
Green building
Natural building
Recycling
Remediation
Sewage treatment
Solid waste management
Solid waste treatment
Sustainable architecture
Sustainable development
Waste water treatment
Water purification
Waste management