Land Uses for Alternative Energy Options

By Teresa Opdycke

The potential of providing basic human needs through clean, renewable energy sources opens up new possibilities of ways to use available land. Alternatives to the current acceptable use of fossil fuels are building a following. Environmentalists as well as consumers seek cost effective energy sources that lessen the damage to the Earth. Geothermal, wind power, solar power, along with ethanol and burnable oils are all potential uses for land.

Geothermal
Geothermal energy is found within the earth's core. With an estimated 42 million megawatts of power, the earth's interior has the ability to provide much needed clean and renewable energy to the world. In a nutshell, wells are drilled into geothermal reservoirs, which are simply natural hot water or steam. The liquid is brought up from the interior of the Earth and converted into electricity. Companies are selling Geothermal Heat Pumps (GHP) that tap into the heat at the center of the Earth and use it for heating, cooling, and cooking in homes as well as for industrial uses. Geothermal, as one of the most efficient means of energy, will garner more following as part of the march toward cleaner, renewable energy sources.

Wind Power
A sight that is becoming more prevalent throughout the U.S. and the world are the tall turbines that capture the power of the wind with elegant paddles that whir round and round. Wind power is an ancient form of using nature to work for man. The uneven heating of the Earth creates winds. Humans figured out thousands of years ago that life could be made easier by harnessing the wind's energy. Sailing across seas, windmills grinding grain, sawing, or pumping water made life easier.

The largest U.S. wind farm is in Altamont Pass, Calif., and beneath the turbines graze farm animals, which is the original use for the land where they now stand. The turbines at Altamont Pass have more than 20 industries installing more than 7,300 wind turbines. These gentle wind giants have produced more than 6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. The location of turbines is the most important aspect when creating wind energy. They must be in an open area without tall buildings, hills, or mountains to obstruct the wind. The time of year plays a role into energy production, also. Nearly pollution free, wind power is priced competitively with little or no social cost to the world.

Farming for Ethanol
Ethanol, widely publicized lately, is nothing more than using plant sources to create a chemical compound that has the ability to fuel vehicles. Corn, sugar cane, sorghum, barley, hemp, sugar beet, switch grass, sweet potatoes, and sunflowers all have the potential to be used in the production of ethanol. Because of higher crop yields, switch grass and sugar cane are the most desirable crops to grow with the intention of fuel conversion. Besides being a cleaner source of energy, ethanol is renewable, making it an attractive alternative to fossil fuels.

Burnable Oils
Burnable oils, also known as biodiesel, are clean burning, biodegradable, non-toxic and have gained much attention. Usually made from vegetable or animal fats, soybeans have been the crop of choice. Research is ongoing to find a higher yielding crop that could eliminate the need for fossil fuels.

Solar Power
Solar power is converting the heat and light that the sun puts out into energy. Two forms of solar power, direct and indirect, are there for the taking. Direct solar energy is just that - it is the warmth of the sun put to use. An example is a light mill that is heated when hit by the sun. The heat in turn causes the vanes to go around. Photosynthesis is a form of indirect solar energy. Sunlight hits a plant, and through photosynthesis, the plant transforms solar energy to chemical energy.

Most people are familiar with solar panels. Solar panels simply take in the sun's light and heat water for a supply of hot water for home use, or provide electricity through photovoltaic panels. Solar energy is used in three main ways:

• Solar cells take the energy directly from the sun and change the light into electricity. Calculators are good example of solar energy at work.
• Solar water heating is achieved by glass panels on a roof. By going this route, electricity charges are lessened.
• The third way is with solar furnaces. A solar furnace in France reaches temperatures up to 33,000 degrees Celsius. It does with a large number of mirrors all directing the heat from the sun into a small space.

The idea of solar generated energy is not a new one, but as the world searches for more economical and renewable energy sources, solar power is being researched more and more.

As alternative energy sources are researched, developed and brought to the consumer, more land will be used to attain a world that no longer exists through the use of fossil fuels. Learning to harness natural energy creates a new horizon of land possibilities.

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