domingo, 26 de septiembre de 2010

How clean are the "clean energy"?

The farm of wind energy production in the world's largest, Thanet, will inaugurate just a little over seven miles of the coast of Kent, UK.It covers an area of approximately 35 square kilometers, has 100 turbines and 300 megawatts (MW) capacity to generate energy to supply 200,000 homes with clean electricity when the wind blows its way and the engines run at full capacity.But, experts say, all kinds of energy, including renewable, cost to the environment. That is, to a lesser or greater extent, all polluters and the clean energy.
That cost can be divided into two parts that vary with each type of technology, be it wind, solar or marine. On one side are the carbon emissions that produce the material and components to build their facilities. On the other hand is their impact on the environment and ecosystems where they are located and the clean energy..
"At the moment there is no technology that does not pollute anything, in all cases you need material that produces carbon emissions, so there will always be an environmental cost," he told BBC News Jeff Hardy, director of knowledge transfer Energy Research Centre in the United Kingdom (UK Energy Research Centre, UKERC).A recent study by the University of La Rioja, Spain, analyzed the impact of a turbine type, the 2 MW Gamesa G8X, one of the most widely used in many existing wind farms in Spain on the mainland.
He discovered that the time it takes to amortize the environmental cost occurs exactly to 153 days, ie, a few months after beginning a life that usually extends for 20 years.

The true of  the clean energy

"We looked at basically all stages of life cycle, from which material is removed from the tower is built, installed, throughout its operation and until the past 20 years are going to dismantle that tower and recycle the steel and other non-recyclable materials, "he told BBC Eduardo Martinez House, author of the study of La Rioja and responsible for Research and Development in the Wind Group Riojanas.
Actually at the end of its life, a wind turbine of this type should produce 47.14 times the energy needed to manufacture it and the clean energy...
Not bad when compared with solar panels which produce about 16 times the energy required to mount in very sunny places such as Seville, southern Spain, or 12 times if they are located on the rooftops of Edinburgh used to gray, in Scotland, according to figures from a report by the International Energy Agency and the European Photovoltaic Technology Platformand the clean energy...
In the case of wind turbines that marine parks are in the environmental cost would be higher, as are larger those of Thanet -115 meters-and this leads to greater difficulty of transportation and installation. At sea, also uses a firmer foundation and materials are covered with more chemicals to prevent corrosion of the sea.

But even with all marine energy would be more profitable from the environmental point of view than solar. This appears as a less clean renewable energy "probably because the materials used and the clean energy.., are used very expensive and rare metals such as tellurium or other exotic materials and have to look far to find the mines. Also many more chemicals are used and more environmental risk, "said Hardy.

Minor impact

But in any case we must put things in perspective. The turbines also have their environmental impact, but it can be 89% or 99% lower, depending on the case, the derivative to produce the same energy through conventional power generation plants and the clean energy..."Its impact is much less than any other technology can have both renewable and conventional power plants generating electricity. This is because lifetime of wind turbines do not consume any fuel and therefore reduce emissions enough," says Martinez House.
"Once the unit is in operation only if the environmental costs would replace some of the blades," he adds.

Ecosystem and the clean energy

What does it depend? Well, as always usual in such cases there is no single answer. Each offshore wind farm will have an effect in terms of their characteristics and situation and the clean energy...That's why every company is obliged by law to conduct an environmental impact assessment will have their facilities.However, although there are case studies and the first wind farms installed in countries such as Germany, Denmark and the UK have more than ten years ago, the scientific research conducted to date have focused on knowing the true impact on ecosystems if the change or transformation, for better or for worse, and the socioeconomic impact for the region in which they are situated and the clean energy..."The offshore wind industry is making progress in understanding the impact of developments in marine biodiversity. Yet there is an increasingly urgent need to better understand the socio-economic costs and benefits to other users of the sea, like fishermen, who may result from the development of farms producing energy, something that we are working, "he told BBC Anne Linley, the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK and the clean energy...

FIGURES

* In the UK power plants are largely responsible for carbon emissions and produce 170 million tons of CO2 each year.
* A single modern wind turbine could save about 4,000 tonnes of CO2 according to figures from the British Wind Energy Association.
* It is estimated that the average size wind farm will have paid the toll of environmental cost between 3 and 5 months after its entry into operation.
* There are 250 wind farms in the UK.
* 13 of them are marine parks
* A total of 2009 wind turbines operating with 1341 megawatts of installed capacity.

DISADVANTAGES OF RENEWABLE

* The intermittent nature is the biggest problem is not always wind, solar or wave form.
* By the time you can not store the energy produced at peak times of wind or large hydro-power or solar energy.
* Type conversion issues of electricity to the power supply.
* High price because that is under development and not yet mass marketed.
* Some say that the facilities are aesthetically beautiful

miércoles, 22 de septiembre de 2010

The aircraft 'Solar Impulse' lands at airport

The aircraft 'Solar Impulse', powered only by solar energy, has taken a step closer to his goal of going around the globe in 2013, arriving in Geneva today from the airfield of Payerne Switzerland, in its first landing at an international airport .So far, the unit had operated only in airports with no commercial traffic, especially in that of Payerne, near Geneva, where they happened most of their deeds, and where it took off this morning at 08.04 local time (04.06 gmt) in the Aircraft 'Solar Impulse'..
A total of 4 hours and 20 minutes took the plane to cover the journey of about 100 kilometers from both airports. At 1224 local time (10.24 gmt) in the Aircraft 'Solar Impulse'., the unit landed at Geneva airport runway in the middle of a huge expectation.
Fascination caused by the particular shape of the ship, with 63.4 meters between the ends of the wings, the same scale as that of a transatlantic Airbus, but weighing close to 1,600 kilos, just over half carin the Aircraft 'Solar Impulse'..

 Aircraft 'Solar Impulse' lands at airport

To take off from Payerne, the plane had enough speed to reach a bicycle, 35 to 40 kilometers per hour in the Aircraft 'Solar Impulse'., with the 'Solar Impulse' land left to prepare to deal with another stage in his journey to his goal of turning the planet.His first big success dates back to April 7, when he completed his first long-duration flight, specifically for an hour and a half, and only three months later able to fly for 26 hours straight in the Aircraft 'Solar Impulse'.
The next target of 12,000 solar cells that make up the plane will again Payerne, in a flight that will depart within hours.Tomorrow, Wednesday, the 'Solar Impulse' made another flight to a second international airport, the Zurich, which takes you across this country almost from end to end in just over a day in the Aircraft 'Solar Impulse'..

miércoles, 15 de septiembre de 2010

Obama says "no" to the solar panels on the White House

The expedition started from Unity, Maine, where he lay for some time the solar panels installed in the White House Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan that he decided to remove, in an act of defiance against renewable energy. On board a van powered by biodiesel, a group of ecologists led by Bill McKibben, author of "The End of Nature" and the recent "Eaarth" - attempted to carry thermal plates back to Washington to challenge President Obama to re-install them for their symbolic value
Solar Panel in the Withe House.
      But Obama has declined the offer-perhaps to avoid comparison with Carter, and environmentalists have had to turn back to the old thermal plates on their backs.  Even the offer of the California company Sungevity, which has offered to do a fresh install in the White House with the latest technology has served to discourage presidential aides, who have remembered though Obama's commitment to "encourage" renewables and the Solar Panel in the Withe House. with 80,000 million dollars.  

Solar Panel in the Withe House

  "I do not want to accept the panel was Carter who brought us and have said they will continue deliberating to decide if they are installed in the White House one day," said Bill McKibben after the frustrating event. "We have told them it would be nice if you decide soon, given the pace at which climate is deteriorating Solar Panel in the Withe House.."
      Bill McKibben recalled how Carter was ahead of the times and decided to install thermal plates in 1979 to provide hot water at the presidential mansion. His promise and hope was to hold off on the roof of the White House until 2000, but Ronald Reagan decided to disassemble just two years later.

Solar Panel in EEUU

McKibben is aware that the climate movement in the United States "will inevitably have to travel back to leap forward." For the second consecutive year, the most emblematic activist has called the United States October 10 vindicating hundreds of events around the globe and under the auspices of 350.org, the campaign for a global reduction of CO2 parts per million in the atmosphere Solar Panel in the Withe House..
"The fossil fuel industry has planted resistance to change and has been boycotting the law of the climate," McKibben complaint. "Clearly we will not see federal action over the next two years, so that the solution is back in our hands. We will use that time to build the movement that this country and the world need ... We will continue asking the White House is converted to solar power. President Obama should lead by example Solar Panel in the Withe House.. "

jueves, 9 de septiembre de 2010

The European Union prohibits large primates experiments

The European Parliament (EP) has finally adopted the new EU legislation on animal experimentation, which will limit the number of experiments and they prohibit the use in large primates such as gorillas, orangutans and chimpanzees.
The plenary of the Parliament gave its approval to the agreement negotiated between their representatives and the national governments to implement new standards even though some groups, such as the Greens believe that it is not ambitious enough and the UE prohibits primates in experiment.
The new legislation will oblige national authorities to give preference to alternative methods to animal testing wherever possible and ensure that the number of animals used in testing to a minimum. Also may allow the tests involving a "least pain, suffering and anguish" for animals.

UE prohibits large primates experiments

The text approved on Wednesday September 8, bans completely the use of great apes in experiments, but eventually allow the use of other primates such as macaques, that the original proposal also sought to abolish.
According to MEPs, the ban would hurt the investigation of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Experiments with primates such, in any case, it will be possible under scientific proof that the evidence can not be made with other species. also the UE prohibits primates in experiment.To ensure compliance with the directive obliges national authorities to ensure that inspections are held each year at least one third of the laboratories which use animals.
Prohibits large primates in experiments

At least some of them must also be done by surprise also UE prohibits primates in experiment..The new directive, which stipulates a period of two years for full implementation in all Member States, includes a safeguard clause allowing governments to cancel some of its provisions in case of emergency and where there are scientifically justifiable reasons.
To qualify for this exception, the countries will have to report to Brussels to get permission from other Member Statesand the UE prohibits primates in experiment..

martes, 7 de septiembre de 2010

Solar plane would make its first flight around the world in 2013

The first flight around the world in a solar plane could be produced in 2013, said Monday the project initiator and president of Solar Impulse, Bertrand Piccard, who has been flying with this type of aircraft a day and night and now builds full a new device lighter.Piccard made the announcement during the presentation of the V World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC), held from Monday until Wednesday at the premises of the Fair in this city in eastern Spain.
"The plane works is completed and able to fly day and night thanks to batteries that power four electric motors that are recharged by the sun and the Solar Plane. It is possible that in a couple of years we can cross the Atlantic Ocean and that 2013 we are able to turn around the world, "he said.

Solar Plane around the World


The first solar airplane that has managed Piccard flying day and night has a wingspan of 64 meters, similar to that of an Airbus 340, a weight similar to a car, some 1,600 kilos, and is capable of flying at 9,000 meters altitude."We are now building a second aircraft, with which we intend to circumnavigate the world, with a larger cabin and lighter" he addedin the Solar Plane.But despite the lateness of the project, the Swiss psychiatrist responsible for the project Solar Impulse acknowledges that "it's crazy to think that at present this technology can be applied in commercial aviation.
However, compared Piccard first solar flight of Charles Lindbergh's feat in 1927 (first transatlantic flight.)
"Today the solar flight is performed by a single pilot in an aircraft loaded with batteries in the Solar Plane, as that was made by one person on a plane completely filled with gas," he said.
"We must keep the door open to evolution. Fortunately understands that civil aviation is a great waste of current flights, where fuel is needed to cool the whiskey for passengers, is unsustainable from an energy standpoint," he said about the Solar Plane.

Solar Airplane

Therefore advocated Piccard union "of those who believe in this" to "raise a revolution in the minds of people and they understand how renewable energies."
"Maybe solar power and hydrogen can be produced in the future we can get passengers on board," said Piccard, who applauded the decision of the IATA (International Air Transport Association) to work on your project.
When this project started in 2003, "we think we could complete in 2009. However, we need two years to find partners and form the team, and started designing the aircraft to 2006. I think if the Solar Plane finally completed around the world in 2013 the term will have been acceptable, "said the researcher.