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Green Power Plants on the Horizon
If you heard the phrase “power plant” 10 years ago, you probably just pictured your local power plant which was more than likely a thermal power plant. This type of plant uses a heat engine that runs on combustible fuel and then transforms the thermal energy from that combustion into rotational energy. These power plants are further classified by the type of prime mover that is installed and by the type of fuel that is used. Most original power plants ran on fossil fuels. This has not only led to a depletion in our fossil fuels, but has also led to major pollution issues. Nuclear power plants then came along. While they are considered to be a sustainable energy source that decreases our dependence on foreign oil and reduces carbon emissions, critics are quick to point out that nuclear energy can be potentially dangerous, with the risk of contamination always a factor, and that it is a declining energy source. This decline in nuclear and fossil fuel popularity has been made even worse by the emergence of our world’s green movement, in which we have all taken a hard look into the effect that our factories, businesses and homes are having on the environment. People have begun to realize that we have taken our resources and our earth for granted, and that it cannot continue down the same path without dire consequences. As a result, more and more people are looking toward greener renewable energy sources to fuel our power plants.
One of those resources is geothermal energy. Power plants can utilize the steam that is produced by rocks heated by the earth’s energy, and convert that steam into energy. Geothermal power is available nearly 24 hours a day, and the process to convert it into usable energy produces no greenhouse gas emissions, which are thought to be pushing us into a state of global warming. Another great source of green energy is from sunlight. Solar power plants utilize huge panels of photovoltaic solar cells that absorb the sun’s energy and convert it directly into electricity. The only downside to this form of renewable energy is that there will be much less energy produced when there is a heavy amount of cloud cover or at night. It should be mentioned that solar energy panels contain cadmium, which is a toxic substance that has the possibility of threatening the food chain. It should also be noted that the amounts used in the thin-film modules have only small amounts, and that if solar based electricity were used to produce photovoltaic solar panels instead of electricity harnessed from burning coal, these specific cadmium emissions could be completely eliminated. Regardless of the cadmium issue, solar energy still remains one of the top renewable energy sources.
While there are still many power plants out there that continue to deplete our natural resources and pollute our environments, there are more and greener power plants that are being designed and opened each year. At this continued rate, the goal is to eliminated harmful power plants altogether.