A Light in the Desert
Summary: On the border of California and Nevada lies a desolate desert, perfect for solar panels and wind turbines. They are turning this area into one of the largest renewable energy facilities. BrightSource is building a solar electric generating system that is expected to be as big as four Central Parks and generate 392 megawatts of power. This will cost about $2.2 billion. In spring and summer, this area gets so hot, and as the Pacific air flows in at about 20 miles per hour, the wind turbines pick it up and turn it into energy. Each of these turbines can produce enough energy to power roughly 1,000 homes. Not only is there solar and wind power being extracted in this desert, there is also an open-pit operation that extracts rare earth minerals needed for the magnets in electric cars and wind turbines. This place is the only supplier of rare-earth minerals in the western hemisphere. All in all, jobs are opening up and energy is being healthily distributed throughout the nation.
Reflection: This is great how so many types of renewable energy are being created in an area where nothing otherwise happens. Also, it is wonderful to actually know how much energy is being produced here, because it gives me a sign of how much is actually happening here. It is a brilliant idea, and I don’t see why all the deserts are doing this!
Questions:
1. Are there any other ways to get renewable energy?
2. Why is getting renewable energy from a desert so much different than doing it in a city like Philadelphia?
3. How does getting renewable energy like this different from getting non-renewable energy?
Hi, I meant to add to author and stuff. I'm doing this on a different computer and everything is messed up.
ReplyDeleteBy Kristem Zalla, November-December 2011,Student Resources in Context
Reflection
ReplyDeleteI remember long car rides with my parents and always being fasinated by the amount of huge wind turbines we saw as we drove by. Learning about renewable sources such as wind energy is very important for our generation because I believe in the future, we will be using more of it. It is pretty expensive to put up, but once the turbines are built, wind is free so everything adds up to being pretty inexpensive. I think if they have the space to build these turbines it is a great idea to save energy.
Question one
I know you mentioned this a little bit in your summary, but solar energy is also a great source. I see more and more people switching to solar energy every year. The sun is always going to be here as long as we live, so we should make use of it. Even if you use other sources of energy at night when the sun is not out, you are still saving tons of energy during the day. I think both solar and wind energy are brilliant ideas and should be used often.
Opinion/Reflection
ReplyDeleteThis is such an awesome idea. Places like these are rarely used by the public for housing or to build towns in, so it makes perfect sense to use it for a source of renewable energy. Wind energy is also a really great source of energy because, no matter what, it always exists. If there's a draught, water powered energy sources suffer. Solar energy cannot be sustained at night. Air is constantly moving, even in small amounts, and is a great way to power the surrounding areas.
"Are there any other ways to get renewable energy?"
Of course! As I previously mentioned, solar power and water power are also great sources of energy. Some people have even started using our landfills and waste deposit areas as a source of energy as well.
Opinion/Reflection:
ReplyDeleteIf there is spare land then we should deffinatly put it to use, and what better way then making energy? Every section in our class makes me want to become more "green". Saving energy is a great way to help the environment but I feel like people are less likely to do it, then say save water. For example, after being told over and over, I always turn my sink off while I am brushing my teeth and only turn it on when i need to rinse. However, I constantly find myself and my family leaving rooms in our house and always leaving lights on. Most of us do not think to turn a light or television off when we leave a room, but if we did it, we could really save a lot of energy. But, like I said many people do not turn their electricity off. So, if you want to keep your lights on and help, then why not use renewable energy like the wind. I think its a great idea!!!
Other Questions:
1. What are some negatives to wind turbine farms? Do you think the good out wights the bad?
2. What do you think would ever happen if we were to run out of our non-renewable sources or fossil fuels?
3. Can renewable energy be harmful or dangerous? How?
4. Where are some places that use a lot of renewable energy? Is it working well for them?
Opinion/Reflection
ReplyDeleteIt is truly amazing how people have created these new ways of harvesting energy! It's unbelievable that we don't have more of these wind turbines that I know of. There are only a limited amount of these wind turbines, and the only time i've seen them is in the country where not too many people live. The only downside is that these wind turbines need windy places, and Hatboro-Horsham isn't normally a windy place. Also those turbines seem pretty expensive, 2.2 billion is a lot of money! This means if they're put in a place with not much wind, they're a waste of money. I definitely believe this is a great alternative energy, but only in certain (windy) places.
" How does getting renewable energy like this different from getting non-renewable energy?"
Renewable energy is much better for the environment compared to non-renewable energy. Once you use a non-renewable energy (such as coal and plutonium) you've used it for good. Which is not good, because we only have a limited amount of these things. Compare this to energies such as Solar, Wind or Wave power, you've wasted a lot of energy that cannot be replaced (for thousands of years). But using natural things such as the sun and wind and collecting those to make energy is more practical and cleaner. :)