Energy

Europe can score with geothermal energy, says geologist Jon Limberger. Recently he got awarded a PhD in Utrecht (the Netherlands) for a study on this subject. Good news. Alternative energy, can we exchange gas for geothermal energy? The wind, you feel when you have to struggle against it on the bike. The sun glows on the skin in the summer. Logically, therefore, windmills and solar panels appear all over the world. The forces of nature report themselves, as an inexhaustible clean source of energy. They replace dirty coal, oil and natural gas. "What fascinates me," says geologist Jon Limberger (31), "is that there is still another great renewable energy source." It's under our feet, miles in the bottom. Heat, stored in water reservoirs. Even if companies would only pump a fraction of it up, the PhD student discovered that this would provide enough energy for the entire world. In this the soil does not differ much from wind and sunshine. Geothermal alternative energy is still in its infancy "The pinch is in the actual winning of the energy," says Limberger. How this can be done with geothermal heat, also known as geothermal energy, he describes in the study with which he is currently awarded a PhD at the University of Utrecht (the Netherlands). The deeper the heat is hidden, the higher the costs. The best opportunities are there in countries with active, preferably volcanic soil. The Geysirs of the Haukadalur Geothermal Area (Geysir Strokkur) - Island/ Iceland {youtube} Iceland therefore counts as the Mecca of geothermal energy. Nearly all households are already warming themselves with soil energy, says Limberger, who made a study trip with knowledge institute TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research). The Italian volcano region of Tuscany also belongs to the top scouts with geothermics. "Turkey is the rising star with geothermal energy," says Limberger. Just like the border area between France and Germany, because there are fault lines that are favorable for soil energy. Geothermal area Toscana (Italy) The PhD research of Limberger contains nice prospects for the Netherlands. Based on his calculations, the geologist estimates that the Netherlands is ideally suited for geothermal energy. "We are in a favorable delta." There seems to be heat in the soil, about 100 degrees Celsius at three kilometers depth. Also important: the Netherlands is densely populated. The costs of transporting geothermal energy to homes, horticultural greenhouses and offices are therefore relatively low. Geothermal area Pamukkale (Turkey) There are already heat networks in various places in the Netherlands. They are still getting heat from polluting factories. Geothermal energy can replace this. The Netherlands also benefits from all previous drilling for natural gas. "There is extraordinary knowledge of the subsurface," says Limberger. Other European countries have less soil information, or only strict secrecy. Dutch companies can easily request it. The first geothermal heat projects are already in the Netherlands. Furthermore, 48 companies now have permission to search for heat. They have an official search license for that. It always remains to be seen whether there really is a source of heat where you expect. The earthquake-ridden Groningen wants geothermal energy instead of natural gas The government also provides a guarantee for mis-drilling. "A good thing," says Limberger. According to him, teething problems occur with every new technique. A bankruptcy, as happened with the pioneering compagny ‘Aardwarmte’ Den Haag, is, according to Limberger, no reason to lose faith in geothermal energy. The costs must be reduced. That will happen, predicts the PhD student, through experience and better technology. Geothermal energy is still expensive in Europe, but in 2030 and 2050 it looks bright. It was scaring, but not baffling that oil and gas were coming up at the very first drillings. Technically speaking, a heat drilling appears to be a gas drilling. The earthquake-ridden Groningen wants geothermal energy instead of natural gas. Solar panels  and  wind turbines PhD student Limberger thinks that geothermal energy can be a wonderful addition to clean energy from solar panels and wind turbines. The sun only shines during the day, especially in the summer. The wind does not always blow. "That is the nice thing about geothermal heat: you can use it 24 hours a day." Bottom water where the heat has been extracted goes back into the soil, where it can warm up again. Geothermal power plant graphic Those who drill deeper than four kilometers officially do 'ultra-deep geothermal energy'. That is more expensive than a normal bore, which also costs a few million euros. The yield is higher. The rule of thumb for Dutch soil is: with every kilometer the temperature rises by 30 degrees Celsius. Ultradiep is the heat source about 130 to 250 degrees Celsius. That is so hot that you can do more with it than just heat heat a greenhouse or house . "You can also make electricity from ultra-deep heat," says Limberger. The heat can make a generator run, which produces power. It is therefore conceivable that clean electricity from the socket will not only come from the wind or the sun in the future, but deep from the bottom. Technically it is possible, says the geologist. And maybe it does not take a long time. It seems to Limberger something, to use such a current at home. Now it becomes even more technical, but perhaps even more interesting. What is also possible is to convert the energy the other way around. So: from electricity from the energy grid to heat. Then you can convert wind and solar energy into heat. "So you can keep it in the groundwater and pump it up if necessary," says Limberger. There is still a lot of energy loss. There are more technical hooks and eyes that might be solved. The energy sector would jump a hole in the air. Green electricity is still difficult to store. In the summer, the Netherlands produces the most solar power, while the demand for energy in the winter is high. Companies build large batteries to store energy. But, says the PhD student, perhaps the very best, natural buffer vessel for energy is now under our feet. By: Frank Strave https://www.whatsorb.com/category/energy

Biofuel is currently one of the solutions for saving CO2 emissions. But did you know that we can extract fuel from algae now? Algae biofuel is new on the market, and there are already a lot of investors directing millions of dollars into dozens of startups. One of those companies, supported by genomics pioneer Craig Venter, says it is on schedule to produce 10,000 barrels of biofuel a day by 2025.  The biofuel generations Algae-based biofuel is considered to be a third-generation biofuel. What are the biofuels in the first and second generation? First-generation biofuels are based on sugars, starch, vegetable oil or animal fats. These biofuels are usually food crops used as fuel, for example, corn, soy, sugar cane, oil palm. The second-generation biofuels are not related to food, but plants. They are produced as energy crops, for example, willows, straws, wood chips, and residual waste. And now the third-generation makes an appearance: biofuel extracted from algae. The benefits of algae biofuel Like mentioned above, algae biofuel is known as the third-generation biofuel, it can grow in salty water, unlike feedstocks like soy, corn and cane. Algae grows in water, and therefore, they do not need extra water like other plants do. So, algae do not compete with feedstocks or other use of plants for the need for water and arable land. Algae is not something we eat all the time, it does not fit in our daily diet, so the use of algae as a biofuel does not directly lead to food shortage. Another advantage of algae is that it grows throughout the year and not only in a specific season such as wheat and corn. Why the target of 10,000 barrels of biofuel a day by 2025? Synthetic Genome Inc. (SGI) is a biotech firm formed by, among others, Craig Venter. The company's target for 2025 is based on a breakthrough in Research and Development (R&D), where genetically modified algae is changed to encourage single-cell organisms to continue to produce fat without stopping their growth. SGI did an investigation into the genome and metabolism of the marine algae Nannochloropsis gaditana and published it in the journal from Natura Biotechnology. The researchers revealed a group of genes responsible for regulating oil production. By fine-tuning one of these genes with the powerful CRISPR editing tool, the team eventually doubled the amount of oil that the algae produced without significantly interfering with their growth. This breakthrough provided a glimpse of a scalable algae biofuel. What will the future bring us? The company is looking for outdoor ponds to grow the algae. So wherever salty water is available, and the water is consistently warm, algae can evolve. The developers are also looking at algae vats as a possible solution to CO2 emissions. The problem of increasing oil production has been solved, and making petrochemical products, ranging from fertilizers to plastics, should be relatively simple by then. One of the other founders of SGI, Juan Enriquez, sees a great future for algae, “you can make vaccines out of this substance, you can make medicines out of the substance, and you can make food out of this substance”. Biocrude oil to power vehicles, ships and even jets Engineers at the University of Utah have developed a way to change algae to biocrude. They created a new kind of 'jet mixer' which can turn algae into biomass, that extracts the fats with way less energy than the former extraction method. This way will also be less expensive than other alternatives. The research team is optimistic that their discovery of biomass itself will become a feasible, cost-effective alternative fuel . Biofuel experts and other (scientific) experts have sought a more economical way to turn algae into biocrude oil to power ships, vehicles and even jets. And now there might be a solution with the development of the "jet mixer". What changed? In a pond, lake or river, there are so-called lipids. These lipids are fatty acid molecules which contain oil. The oil can be extracted to use for power Diesel engines. The extraction of the lipids is called biocrude. That is why microalgae is an exciting form of biomass because it can be used as a sustainable fuel source. So far there has been one big problem: the use of algae for biomass, because it took a lot of energy to pull the lipids, the fat, from the algae. With the development of the 'jet mixer', things could change rapidly. It requires a lot of energy to extract the water from the plants at the start of the process, which was not practical, efficient or economical at all to turn algae into biofuel. A lot of people have researched new methods, but now there is a real chance to extract biofuel from algae with this new mixing extractor. The 'jet mixer' shoots streams of solvent at algae streams, so there will be some turbulence and the lipids "jump" into the flow of solvent. The solvent is letting go and can be recycled and can be used again in the process.   Is there more? Well, there could be more. This new technology could be used for other microorganisms as well, such as fungi, bacteria or any other microbial-derived oil. Soon, we could be using these third-generation biofuels to provide for our needs. By growing algae in such a large quantity (in ponds, raceways, bioreactors), it could have a positive effect at the atmosphere as well, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide (Co2) in the air . Is this the revolution we are all waiting for?  https://www.whatsorb.com/solution/energy/general  

This article about how to produce your own electricity is in 2 languages i.e. in English and Urdu, so below is the address link to it میں نے سیاست ڈاٹ پی کے نام کی ویب سائیٹ پر اردو میں ایک معلوماتی مضمون لکھا ہے اسے پڑھ کر اپنی رائے دیجیئے اور آپ کی آسانی کے لئے میں اس مضمون کا ایڈریس لنک بھی دے رہا ہوں ----> https://www.siasat.pk/forums/threads/dam-is-a-good-solution-but-for-long-term-i-have-a-short-term-that-should-run-in-parallel-so-investors-are-invited-from-over-the-world.649395/?fbclid=IwAR02nlbfDfOwLTEVyUf383BrXidPMSaXoUMnPfhIbGS82NFq_5sFwurNd4o

Very few topics are garnering as much attention in the context of initiatives to combat global warming as clean energy. And the signs are definitely promising. Renewable energy initiatives are popping up left and right, using pretty much all of the ‘clean’ elements that our earth has to offer - from wind, water and sun to the breeze generated by the London Underground. Some Scandinavian countries are ambitiously agreeing on targets to have all of their country’s energy use be derived from renewable sources, while corporations and institutions left and right are pledging to reduce their fossil fuel production and/or use drastically, in favour of more sustainable alternatives. Climate neutral countries Although those who take the time to read the ‘finer print’ on those pledges will be quick to find out that this is far from straightforward. In fact, Sweden - the first nation to become fossil-fuel free, if all goes well - has given itself a somewhat lengthy timeline: the goal is to be climate neutral by 2045, and fossil-fuel free by the time 2050 rolls around. Let’s digest that for a second. That is still more than 3 decades away - decades that are, if we are to believe the scientists, decisive for the future of mankind and, by extension, our planet. And this is one of the world’s most progressive, innovative countries talking, who already rely heavily on renewable energy sources.   If they, who already generate more than half of their energy needs from renewable sources today, need thirty-something years to ‘turn the tide’, so to speak… Well, one can only guess how much time other nations, still heavily dependant upon their coal and other ‘dirty’ energy sources, will need to do the same. Multi-faceted problem Admittedly, the problem at hand is complicated. This is not something that is ‘easily solved’, nor is there a ‘quick fix’. Actually, we’ve gotten to this stage because of two undeniable trends.   First, the global demand for energy continues to grow - albeit at a slightly lower rate than before, for reasons I’ll get into later. Fact remains that the world’s population is still growing and welfare is on the rise, meaning that more people will be connected to power than ever before. This growing demand puts an enormous strain on producers to deliver more energy, preferably at a lower cost. At a first glance, it sounds like good news that the growth in demand is slowing somewhat. The slowing population growth and economic growth are a large part of this trend - combined with more digitisation and a greater energy efficiency. People tend to be more conscious about the use of energy, while digitisation can replace certain travel or production needs.   Rise of renewable sources So far, so good - while we still require more energy year after year, the slower growth is allowing production to catch up with it in the next decades. Secondly, there’s a significant difference in the growth rate between demand for electricity and demand for transport - which has historically been the largest energy user. Instead, the need for electricity will be making up a quarter of the total energy demand of the world by 2050, compared to 18 percent today. This means that new renewable sources will have to be used more, mainly wind and solar - alongside the wide range of renewable fuel options like hydrogen used for transport purposes. The share of wind and solar power is, in fact, expected to grow up to five times faster than any other source of power. Non-hydro renewables will, by 2050, make up more than a third of the global power generated. Once again, a positive trend, pointing at a growing reliance on renewable sources instead of fossil fuels. 2050 on the horizon There is a painful little side note, though. ‘2050’ keeps on popping up, as a far-away target that most of us will be happy to work towards; yet that is far away enough to be brushed off when deemed inconvenient. Because the main issue seems obvious: the world needs more energy. And for the time being, demand still far exceeds sustainable supply, meaning that something - in this case fossil fuels - is required to bridge the gap.   This leads to another undeniable conclusion, being that fossil fuels are likely to dominate the global energy market for decades to come - at least until we get to 2050. Producers and corporations are quick to reason it away, by stating that massive investments have already been made. And because of the reliability of and heavy dependance upon this energy source, the market is hesitant to abruptly move away to much newer sources. Time is running out Yet the world needs more than ‘we will get rid of fossil fuels around 2050’. The cold hard truth is that the emission of energy-related greenhouse gasses will continue to rise over the next decades, up to a growth of some 14 percent by 2040. This is definitely not helping us in limiting the warming of our planet to two degrees; the critical threshold as set by experts.   And yes, eventually those emissions will level off and drop - projections say this will be around 2035. Not only will this serve as the turning point of renewable energy overtaking fossil fuels, it also marks the start of an era of greater energy efficiency.   The road ahead seems obvious. We will, eventually, be able to get rid of fossil fuels for our energy needs altogether. The figurative finger, however, must be kept on the pulse at all times: the growing world population and corresponding growing demand for energy will have to be managed carefully; and balanced with technological development and a relentless focus on renewable energy to keep our focus clear: minimising the effects of global warming . We will have to keep on walking the talk, so to speak, if we are to cut out fossil fuels for good and discourage any new investments in this polluting industry. Sweden goes first, but other countries should be quick to jump the bandwagon and make similar pledges sooner rather than later. https://www.whatsorb.com/category/energy

Can geothermal power get as mainstream and accessible as solar and wind energy? According to the Swedish company Climeon, with their newest technology, it can – and for an even better price than the above. Geothermal power is a great solution to our energy problem: it’s flexible, it provides energy whenever we need it and it’s not that bad for our environment. It's green, adaptable and cheaper than wind and solar. Sounds perfect, right? Current technology, however, limits its applications. In this article, you can read how Climeon claims to overcome these problems with their technology. Geothermal power can be the solution to our energy problem Geothermal heat is a sustainable alternative to natural gas. When using geothermal heat, no greenhouse gasses are released, making this an excellent renewable energy source. Geothermal energy is nothing new. Did you know that geothermal heat has been used on our planet for more than 100,000 thousand years? There are plenty of examples, such as the ancient Roman baths. In 2013, there was a utility-scale geothermal capacity of more than 11,700 MW on a global level. A record, because it was bringing forth more than 68 billion KWh. That is enough for the household electricity of more than six million households. The World Energy Council forecasts in a research paper that “geothermal energy can supply more than 8% of our earth's power supply, a factor that is likely to propel the revenue-generating potential of Geothermal Energy Market over the years to come.” Maybe you also like: Solar Collector Produces Bio Fuels And Saves The Planet: MIT                                                                          Why aren’t we all using geothermal power , then? Geothermal power sounds more than great, but as said, with current technology we can’t use this geo energy to full power. The warmth of the earth lays in the ground. In some places, such as Iceland, the heat is just below the surface of the ground. This country can therefore use an enormous amount of geothermal heat to generate electricity. In other countries, like France or the Netherlands, geothermal energy lays much deeper, which means that the geothermal energy will cool down too much to generate electricity. Geothermal power plants are depending on very hot water. Unfortunately, only the places in this world like Iceland or Indonesia (with her volcanic activity) can use geothermal energy right now. Not very accessible, right? The smart use of low-temperature heat So, one of the problems of geothermal energy is the needed amount of very hot water, which often only can be used in places where the geothermal heat lies just beneath the surface. The Swedish company has a solution to this problem: its technology can make use of low-temperature heat, which – according to Akshat Rathi, “opens up economically viable geothermal power to much more of the world.” Half of all the energy in the world will be wasted as so/called low temperature heat. Climeon, founded by and CEO Thomas Öström (who was recently named Swedish Person of the Year in the category Innovation), makes smart use of the low temperature heat from geothermal heat sources. The Power Unit of Climeon pumps with low pressure, so less energy is needed to convert the heat into clean electricity. The unites themselves can convert the heat of the earth into energy. The more energy a customer needs, the more unites can be placed. Customized energy from geothermal energy can therefore be supplied! Also, Climeon’s units can use heat from other sources, too. What do you think of the water used for cooling hot steel in steel mills - which is otherwise thrown away as waste water? Climeon´s technology can turn this waste into renewed energy. Cheaper than energy from sun and wind Another big advantage of Climeon's smart technology is the price: it can be cheaper than wind and solar energy! The precise price of the electricity generated by Climeon does differ. It depends on various factors, such as the type of project and the access to heat. In some cases, Climeon’s electricity-generating units have provided electricity for €40 ($45) per MWh, says Joachim Karthäuser, the company’s chief technology officer, to Quartz. That is cheaper or just as cheap as the lowest price for wind or solar energy, at least in continental Europe. Climeon's smart technology can be offered at such low prices, because The Climeon Heat Power units are designed to store as little energy as possible as little as possible. A unit is approximately 280 cubic ft and can store up to 150 kW. With 150 kW, more than 150 families in Europe can turn on the lights, watch television and do other activities for which they need power. Cha ching! 12.5 million dollar in funding Right now, Climeon operates in five countries. The Swedish company is worth almost four hundred million euros (or 450 million dollars) since the founding in 2011. But the company will probably expand in no time – they will be funded for 12,5 million dollars by the Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a fund backed by Bill Gates. The mothership of Climeon, Baseload Capital, will get this funding: they mainly focus on owning and operating the steel plant from which the company Climeon operates. That’s because many steel plants want the innovate technology that Climeon invented, but don’t want to own a power plant. They get the cash injection because Breakthrough Energy Ventures believes that the company is capable to cut more than five hundred million tons of greenhouse gasses - annually. That’s very impressive! Where are the opportunities for geothermal heat? With the “extensive global attempts to eliminate hazardous fuel emissions, geothermal energy market is on its way to establish itself as one of the most dynamically evolving energy markets of recent times”, according to the report Geothermal Energy Market trends research and projections for 2017 - 2024 by Global Market Insights . Climeon is now one of the biggest players in town: and for sure, one to watch. Climeon seems to have significant potential in improving the chances of success in the global race to zero emissions! https://www.whatsorb.com/solution/energy/solar