Renewable: Looking Toward Inexhaustible Energy
Sector of renewable energy is close to that in order to bypass the critical point. Existing as a commercial and competitive in many locations, renewable will further promote U.S. national interests by helping end our regular use of oil and begin to address the issue of global warming. The industry is ready to begin implementation of Phase II, namely to apply the results of the market held by America for 30 years of research and development, as well as various demonstrations of renewable energy technologies, investment in which totaled $ 15 billion.
Market Drivers
There are three major driving forces, forcing the market to use renewable energy. The first of these is the national energy security. Current projections indicate that U.S. oil consumption is increasing, and overtaking sluggish growth curves of oil production within the country that more increases U.S. dependence on foreign oil markets. And that could lead to the fact that the U.S. economy will be vulnerable to disruptions in oil imports.
In addition, the rapid growth of developing countries such as China and India , are an increasing strain on world oil markets, which is a problem which, in all probability, will eventually deteriorate. The effects are already visible today: In the middle of June 2006 the price of oil exceeded 70 dollars per barrel, while only a few years ago it was 30 dollars. Renewable energy can help the United States that they have become more reliant on domestic sources of energy that will reduce our need for oil or reduce the growth of our consumption of fuel.
The second main driving force behind the transition to renewable energy is an expression of concern about climate change. Renewable energy helps to ensure our energy needs, reducing at the same time, our emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. According to press reports, more than 2000 scientists came to the conclusion that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide) and methane are more and more accumulates in a thin atmospheric layer of the Earth, and that this increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere leads to increasing temperatures around the globe. Many of these scientists believe that this increase of temperatures portends negative and potentially catastrophic consequences, and that it was time to take appropriate measures to address this problem. According to these scientists could begin to take concrete measures that are feasible. The use of carbon-free renewable energy is one of such measures.
The third driving force is the market cost of renewable energy, which decreases over the decades, and which, according to current projections, with respect to certain renewable energy sources will continue to decline, as shown in the figure indicated above. The decreasing costs of renewable energy sources can be explained by the presence of improvements in the technology of these renewable. As the industry matures, costs will continue to decline.
The transition to the use of energy from renewable sources
Unequal distribution of renewable energy resources in the United States makes it difficult to have a single large-scale national policy in this area. Solar energy is mostly used in the south-west of the country, wind energy is most widely used in the Great Plains , on mountain ridges and at a distance from the shore, and geothermal energy used in the West. Biomass is available across the country, but has different forms depending on the region. Different types of bio-fuels produced in farm states, but they are consumed in large cities, where there are restrictions, which aim at maintaining high air quality.
On the territory of America , there are many local markets for renewable energy, and for each of them have unique resources, economics, culture and politics. Several states are leading in the renewable energy sector. Almost half of them use a system of standards for renewable energy that is trying to solve certain problems, which are put before the production of renewable energy. The application of these standards at the state level requires utilities / companies for a particular amount of energy derived from renewable sources by the target date, immediately, thus creating new demand for this type of energy.
In other countries, the European Union has taken measures aimed at promoting renewable energy sources, and is one of the initiators of the innovation policy. Germany , Spain and several other countries have put in practice the new tariffs for electricity supply - the price per unit of electricity that utilities must pay for electricity from renewable sources, obtained from private producers. At the same time in Finland , Greece and the United Kingdom have grants, tax incentives and requirements for people who intended to induce them to produce or use environmentally friendly sources of energy.
Made and are making serious efforts to develop renewable energy in developing countries. This applies financing provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development and many donor agencies. Appropriate financial support is provided by the World Bank, European and other regional development banks and the private sector. India was one of the first countries which decided to make extensive use of renewable energy sources, and is now actively uses wind energy, solar energy, and hydropower and biomass energy. Brazil was one of the first was the use of ethanol based on sugar-processing plants. In South India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh emerged markets for solar photovoltaic applications in order to care homes, non-electric system. China has created an industry for heating water using solar energy, which annually brings in $ 3 billion dollars.
Wind power
In the United States, wind power ranks first in the large-scale production of electricity from renewable sources. According to the American Wind Energy Association, in early 2006, the total installed capacity of wind power in the United States amounted to 9149 MW. Much of this energy - 2420 MW - was obtained in 2005, and according to preliminary estimates, in 2006, will get another 3000 megawatts. With recent technological advances, the price competitiveness of wind energy compared to the price of natural gas has increased, allowing the growth of its production. In addition, the U.S. federal government offers companies a tax credit for producing wind energy at a rate of approximately 1.9 cents per watt-hour. This was and remains a significant incentive to attract investors who are guided to a tax credit, such as utility companies, to purchase wind power.
The first market for wind energy has developed in Denmark in the nineties of the last century. Then Denmark 's example was followed by Germany . At present, permanent and active markets have been formed in Spain , Italy , France , UK and India . However, wind energy is available almost everywhere.
Solar
Solar photovoltaic, which is a global industry with annual production volume of 12 billion U.S. dollars, is leading in the distribution of electricity produced from renewable sources. In other words, consumers who themselves produce heat or electricity for their own needs, send what they have surplus electricity utilities. Recently, this industry is growing rapidly especially in Japan , Germany and Spain .
In 2005, the Energy Policy Act the U.S. was a 30-percent federal tax credit for systems that use solar energy to be purchased in the United States and used in residential and enterprise. This is in addition to substantial subsidies in states such as California and New Jersey .
In developing countries, the introduction of solar photovoltaic energy is faced with certain difficulties, since it requires the appropriate local infrastructure companies in order to be able to sell, install and maintain the necessary equipment, as well as the need for funding, which is often missing. However, that energy markets are growing in India , Sri Lanka , Bangladesh , Morocco , Kenya , South Africa and in other countries...
National and global benefits
Renewable energy sources represent a broad category of natural sources, which have energy naturally. Despite the fact that renewable are not a magic wand that allows to solve all the problems of power, the more we use these sources, the richer we become as a result of reducing oil imports, reducing pollution and greenhouse gases, and the greater the increase in the number of jobs.
Renewable energy has great potential. They contribute to meeting the needs of America to ensure appropriate demand, creating a cleaner environment, good jobs and opportunities for investment. Rural America , receive the greatest benefit from the creation and development of renewable energy.
This development also gives the rural population around the world to have access to modern forms of energy. Wind, solar and geothermal power, small hydropower, and biomass energy can provide electricity for rural utilities and villages. Solar photovoltaic and solar water heating can provide modern energy sources in the homes of ordinary villagers.
The prospect of renewable energy in the United States and around the world is well regarded and is gaining momentum. This represents a challenge for developers of public policy. They have to rely in the planning and design of computer models that rapidly become obsolete, because oil prices are rising rapidly and the demand for renewable energy is growing even faster. For example, despite the fact that, according to official forecasts the U.S. Energy Information Agency provided that by 2030 renewable energy will account for about 10 percent of U.S. electricity and various industry groups are more optimistic. Coalition "Energy Future" provides that by 2025 renewable energy will amount to 25 percent of U.S. electricity, and the American Council on Renewable Energy believes that this potential will be equal to 20 percent, 30 percent and 40 percent respectively in 2020, 2030 and 2040.
For this to happen, the contract energy prices should stay high, the production costs of renewable energy sources should continue to decline, and public policy must be stable and predictable in order to encourage lenders and investors to continue financing of renewable energy systems. International cooperation is necessary for the transfer of new technologies to developing countries.