This is a great article to start with (see sources below). The main types and some of their pros and cons are:
* Biofuels - Not well developed yet. limited capacity (about 40% of current oil consumption in the US) clean burning, zero net CO2 production, good for transportation applications, will work with existing liquid fuel infrastructure, may displace food production and wildlife, continuous output.
* Biomass - Not well developed yet, simple, good for electric power production, limited capacity, may displace food production and wildlife, continuous output.
* Hydro power - Well developed and widely used, a major contributor to electrical power, suited to electrical production only, inexpensive, not much more potential, causes harm to fish and river ecosystems, continuous output.
* Geothermal power, well developed but little used. limited availability, very high generation potential perhaps as much as 100% of US electrical production, only suited to electrical production and very limited space heating, inexpensive, continuous output.
* Solar power, largest potential source of power, widely distributed, very scalable both large and small are economic, expensive, growing very rapidly, very low environmental impact, reliable and long lasting, well suited to distributed power generation, very well suited to both space heating (passive solar heating) and electrical generation (photovoltaic), an intermittent source.
* Tidal power, well understood, very limited availability, limited generation potential, inexpensive, negative environmental impact on local marine life, electrical generation only, semi-continuous output.
* Wave power, under development, limited availability, potentially a large source of electrical power. intermittent.
* Wind power, One of the lower cost renewable sources, moderately widely available, intermittent source, suitable for electrical generation, minor impact on birds, very high generation potential - entire US electrical requirement.
2007-05-02 08:12:10
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answer #1
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answered by Engineer 6
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This is for businesses wanting to save money with green energy:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17689195/
I've done a lot of research into green energy, and there isn't an article with a side-by-side comparison of every form of green energy, so you'll have to be more specific on which form of green energy you're looking for.
If you want one single place to cover all of them, you would be better served by reading a book.
If you want to look at articles, though, look at specific kinds of green energy. To narrow it down, from all of the articles and books I've read, solar power is looking like the best investment. However, there's still more research that needs to be done so that it can produce more electricity. Look at solar power rooftop installations especially. Ethanol is doing pretty good lately, too, but the debate is on what to use - cellulosic (corn) or sugar ethanol. Hydrogen fuel cells, geothermal energy, and wind power are other types you can look up too.
2007-05-02 07:08:34
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answer #2
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answered by Melody Flinchbaugh 2
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eco-friendly capacity isn't incorrect. the problem is that you've some human beings and politicians who imagine they can regulate and stress eco-friendly capacity to be the only frame of mind to capacity beforehand the technologies is on the marketplace. it is going to be a slow transition. you presently see many windmill farms for electrical energy. those are solid in case you stay the position the wind blows. yet in case you do not, you nonetheless favor yet another approach. some say image voltaic panels only because the windmills hit birds. it really is positive until eventually you've dissimilar cloudy days. some say all electric powered vehicles immediately. that would not artwork if you've to have a %. up for artwork. electric powered vehicle engines are literally not solid adequate to carry heavy lots. eco-friendly is solid so long because it really is performed at a %. it really is real looking.
2016-12-05 05:48:24
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answer #3
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answered by headlee 4
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