What will be greatest source of energy in the next few hundred years? Solar energy? Hydrogen fuel cells?

Answer 1

If you mean greatest source as in overall production then solar shall be your answer hands down. If you mean, greatest in the sense of coming from one place as a power plant, then one should answer fusion. And we should not discount used vegetable oil diesel vehicles. The smell of cooking french fries on the highway is one generations to come shall savior..he..he.

Answer 2

There is a problem with hydrogen fuel cells. It takes energy to separate the hydrogen from its compounds--more energy than you get out of the fuel cell. Like ethanol, it is a smoke and mirrors game by the politicians to make people think progress is being make when in fact it is not.

Solar energy has the most potential. The technology currently exists. It is just a matter of lessening the cost.

Answer 3

No, the problem with hydrogen in cars, is the catalyzing process isn't quite efficient enough for consumer use yet. The hydrogen can be stored in liquid hydrogen form quite nicely and fit well into the body of a car, however the 'engine' tends to do much more efficiently when the reaction can be maintained at a certain temperature. The problem now, as far as I know, is that the materials we are using now break down around the optimum temperature. Its worth looking into... But I hope solar, nuclear, cold fusion (still may be just a wet dream for scientists), and hydrogen prove to be viable alternatives for what we are using now. Oil is polluting our world and our economy/politics far to fast to be allowed to stay in the limelight like it has.

Answer 4

One of the realities of the world's energy situation that people are finally starting to realize is that it will take a combination of energy sources to provide a clean secure supply. 100 years from now, I would expect wind and solar to dominate, but with a healthy mix of other sources such as biomass (especially for transportation), hydro, nuclear, and even the occasional "clean coal" plant. Additionally, energy production will be more distributed with residential boilers and furnaces making electricity as a by-product of heating our homes.

The appropriate mix will be determined regionally based on resources available, more wind in the North, more solar in the South, hydro near rivers and tidal energy near the coast, etc.

Additionally, these technologies are likely to look very different than they do today since dramatic changes will have been incorporated to lower their costs.

Answer 5

it would be nice if we could make wave power work. Tons of energy is stored in the movement of waves on our coasts.

I would like to see wind and solar take off. These are both completely renewable resources. It has been estimated that wind farms in west Texas and South Dakota could sullpy a sizeable chunk of the Midwest's energy needs.

Solar arrays in the Southwest could easily replace some fossil fuel plants.

Answer 6

Hydrogen Fuel Cells...they are already in the process of producing a car that can hold hydrogen. The only problem is that they need to find a way to compress the hydrogen enough to be able to fit enough into a car.

Answer 7

It will both hydrogen fuel cells and solar power in the years to come.

Answer 8

Whatever it is, I am sure the oil companies will corner the market with it. I think that energy should be free to all. You could have a gas station in your local community that everyone could use for free because you pay taxes. We shouldn't have to pay some greedy oil company for energy. We as a whole should stand up and create our own local community refineries for E85 and bio-diesl. Plant corn on every open piece of land that you see and it would be virtually pennies a gallon. The way oil companies are talking, "it will take decades to make it happen." Yeah, decades of us paying way to much at the pump while they keep us prisoner to one form of energy. Change can only happen if we step up and demand change. If we are lazy, nothing will change except paying more everyday at the pump.

Answer 9

it could be hydrogen fusion energy ,ie creating energy the same way it gets in the sun ,the energy is governed by the einestens equation E=MC2 where c is 300000000 ,imagin its square .this energy would be many times greater than fission energy .
if man will be able to creat antimater in a large amt and using less energy we wont need any thing else .this anti matter when combined with matter will result in the purest form of energy with out smoke or burnt matters.
but before they can be used may be we will all be dead ,coz there will obviously be used to make deadly dombs

Answer 10

Both solar energy and hydrogen fuel cells.
In ITER they will try to realise the use of fusion energy.