SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

Green Energy’s liberal definitions must contain some elements of sustainable energy, which in turn must contain elements of energy efficiency and renewable energy.  However, Green Energy’s more stringent definitions balk at the provisions of sustainable energy fuels, that produce some pollution into the environment.  This fuel production and its eventual transformation into electrical energy, cannot produce any significant pollution of the environment during the heaviest times of generation-for long generation periods, and still be called Green Energy.

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY:

Sustainable energy includes all renewable energy sources:

• Hydroelectric

• Solar

• Wind

• Wave

• Geothermal

• Bioenergy

• Biomass Conversion

• Tidal Power

• Magnetic Generation

Sustainable energy can meet the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their energy needs.

Sustainable energy also includes all aspects of energy efficiency (any technology which seeks to conserve energy).  Some of these conservation technologies are (see Reference A):

• Electric Vehicles

• Hybrid Autos (with battery power)

• Passive Solar

• Green Building

• Organic Rankine – Cycle

• Geothermal Heat Pumps

• Co-generation

• Micro-generation

• Energy

• Efficiency

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Renewable energy is usually discussed by technologies generations.

First Generation:

• Hydropower

• Biomass Combustion

• Geothermal Power and Heat

Second Generation:

• Solar Heating and Cooling

• Wind Power

• Bioenergy

• Solar Photovoltaics

Third Generation:

• Advanced Biomass Gasification – Hot Rock Geothermal

• Biorefinery Technologies              -  Ocean Energy

• Solar Thermal Power -  Nanotechnology

We have been utilizing First Generation technologies for well over 100 years.  It is more than the basis for the Industrial Revolution…it powered it.  Can you imagine our lives without these power sources?  Isn’t it worth any “so-called” pollution problems?  Must we strive to create cleaner more efficient energy technologies?  You bet.  But, let’s not just stop searching for fuel and start searching to improve the energies of today, while we develop these Second and Third Generation technologies, and bring them online (see Reference A).