Page 45 - The Celestia Project

to Unesco’s World Water Assessment, the planet’s total potential

Crunching Space. hydroelectric potential is only about three times higher than 43
Scientists recently applied what’s already being harnessed.
“nanoholes” to solar panels,
allowing them to capture Loser: Biofuel
more sunlight in less space.
The use of crops, such as corn and soy, to create fuel for cars
should automatically raise some red ags. Put simply, creating

Loser: Nuclear Power biofuels is a short-term replacement for increasingly costly fossil

Barring the remote possibility fuels, but it’s social and environmental costs are unsustainable and

that the controlled fusion can unacceptable. Using leftover fryolater fuel from fast food joints is

be harnessed in coming years, one thing—growing corn to make fuel to run cars is “biofoolish,”

it’s likely that the ssion-based as Hallett puts it.

nuclear power industry will Loser: Wind Power

continue to decline into gradual Although they’re likely to

obsolescence. Already marked for decommissioning in Germany, remain part of the transitional

and under siege in Japan, nuclear’s greatest weaknesses may not energy portfolio for at least 20

be (as its advocates protest) the lack of public understanding of years, we foresee a gradual decline

the technology, but its scale. Towns don’t build nuclear plants. As in utility-sized wind turbines.

David Indiviglio wrote recently in The Atlantic, “One of the big Again, the problem is scale.

problems with nuclear power is the enormous upfront cost. These They won’t be able to compete with the fast-moving innovation

reactors are extremely expensive to build. While the returns may of solar PV, because of their need for regular maintenance and

be very great, they’re also very slow. It can sometimes take decades the unpredictability of winds. These are limitations that can’t

to recoup initial costs. Since many investors have a short attention be innovated away. Small-scale wind has seen a decline in sales

span, they don’t like to wait that long for their investment to pay recently, so the writing may be on the wall for them, as well. One

o .” Add to that cost the ongoing need for monitoring, inspection possible way forward could come in the form of nearly frictionless

and even military protection, and it seems that the “nuclear nanny vertical turbines that can be operated without vibration and noise.

state,” is an idea that may not stand the test of time. These could open up the market to new regions and end users.

Winner: Hydroelectric Power Winner: Central Power Towers www.greenbuildermedia.com 08.2014

Tried and true, small- and medium-scale hydroelectric plants Also known as “heliotopic” power plants, these systems are

continue to operate in much of the U.S. Hydropower currently relatively new to the power generation scene. An array of solar

accounts for as much as 90 percent of the world’s renewable panels heats up the central towers, which are lled with liquid

energy, although that dominance is on the decline, as other salt. The heated salt then ows to power some steam generators.

sources come online. Newer hydro designs solve some of the Several proposed plants were put on hold recently, as solar PV

problems with sh migration and species diversity, so it’s likely prices dropped, but in urban areas, especially, the technology may

they will remain a viable core energy supply throughout the survive solar’s success. New plants can operate at about 30 percent

transition to new solar products. The prospects for future hydro, e ciency. Keep in mind that this is still solar power, and that is
however, are rather limited, compared with solar PV. According continued on page 44
FFAUNELTASIESAiming Low.

The International
Energy Agency likes to
take things slow—so
slow that they
apparently have been
completely left behind

����bythe21stcentury.In
FOSSIL Nuclear 6.4% Hydro 2.3% Nuclear 4.6% Hydro 2.3%

Other Oil Other Oil
11.2% 35.3% 11.2% 35%

Gas Coal Coal Gas
22.2% 22.7% 21.8% 25%

2004, they published

this prediction about 2010 2030
energy sources for
2010 and 2030.