PV Gap

Violet Said:

Whaich is contry is better for career in fuel cell and other renewable energy technologies, US or Australia?

We Answered:

i would love to live in Australia but the US is SO much larger and richer. I would think the US would be safer as far as job security, choice and advancement goes.

Franklin Said:

Survey: What is your personal oppinion of the most promising renewable energy source?

We Answered:

you cannot scale up hydro or geothermal.
there is a limit.
wind and solar are better, although solar is only good a few hours a day.
not sure what you mean by hydrogen, but since there isn't any free hydrogen to burn, that's obviously not going to work.

i think that Lawrence Livermore NIF is coming close to demonstrating a viable fusion reactor.
if you live anywhere near, i think they conduct weekly tours.
but they have to do a background check.
.

Dale Said:

What types of renewable and alternative energy technologies will?

We Answered:

Wind power is getting quite a bit of attention in the USA. Oddly enough, there are many people who are against that as well.

Waste to Energy is also being looked at more and more. The US lags way behind Japan and Europe, who make much better use of trash than we do.

Nora Said:

how would the use of renewable energy technology impact on carbon dioxide emissions?

We Answered:

A renewable energy technology (e.g. Solar, Wind, Geothermal etc.), in contrast to the non-renewable energy technology (e.g fossil fuels - coal, oil and natural gas) will appreciably reduce the amount of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere.

Taking the example of the coal power plant you have mentioned in your question, for example. Four (4) main processes are involved in the use of coal to power plants. These are:

1. exploration (to find new coal beds)
2. mining (to dig out the coal, after it's been found)
3. processing and transportation
4. using the coal the coal to power the plants.

All of these activities require the burning of fossil fuels (mostly crude oil or petroleum) which release tremendous amount of CO2 to the atmosphere.

On the other hand, the CO2 releases from renewable energy source, e.g. Solar, is extremely small in comparison to that of coal powered systems. For Solar, there could be some CO2 release during the manufacture of the solar panels, but during use of the panels to generate power, CO2 emissions will be very small.

Read more on the renewable energy technologies on the websites below:

http://www.environbusiness.com/AEEE/eeae…
http://www.environbusiness.com/AEEE/pvcs…

Patsy Said:

Would a global patent treaty for renewable energy technologies speed development.?

We Answered:

Why not? We would have to convince and include the worst polluter countries, but it would benefit everyone, everywhere. Has anybody ever tried to get this approved? The answer to renewable energy is out there and someone must be able to find it.

Greg Said:

What types of renewable and alternative energy technologies will promote economic growth?

We Answered:

With such a sharp run-up in the price of both crude oil and
natural gas, as well as in the prices of the stock of companies
involved in oil and gas production and servicing, do the
potential opportunities in the energy sector instead lie with
companies that are investing in alternative energy sources?