Contenders for Energy Dominance

CONTENDERSEENERGY DOMINANCE Our energy landscape is constantly changing, with newer resources competing with the older, more established ones. So which is the strongest resource of our times? We pitted different sources against one another to see how they compare in the race for energy dominance. DIL Traditionally abundant, its once-vast resources are now declining. Some estimate that oil only has a remaining lifespan of 50 years. It is still however considered the most efficient fuel for cars, and costs and investment are lower than for some renewables. Detractors say it is environmentally unfriendly. SUSTAINABILITY ELECTRICAL EFFICIENCY MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY THERMAL EFFICIENCY GREEN FACTOR CST & INVESTMENT SPECIALABILITY MOST EFFICIENT CAR FUEL NUCLEAR High in the availability stakes, nuclear is also said by some to be more cost effective than alternatives, as well as more reliable because nuclear plants can run at any time. Sustainability is also a bonus. Detractors tend to focus on nuclear's poor environmental record. SUSTAINABILITY ELECTRICAL EFFICIENCY MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY THERMAL EFFICIENCY GREEN FACTOR CST & INVESTMENT SPECIAL ABILITY HIGHLY RELIABLE SOLAR Highly abundant, solar is touted as clean and renewable, as well as sustainable – so long as we have the sun, we will have solar power. It is also flexible and environmentally-friendly. Problems do exist though – solar power is intermittent, expensive and does cause some greenhouse gas emissions. SUSTAINABILITY ELECTRICAL EFFICIENCY MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY THERMAL EFFICIENCY GREEN FACTOR COST & INVESTMENT SPECIALABILITY VERY SUSTAINABLE WIND Available worldwide and year-round, wind is considered to be clean, sustainable and pretty cheap. Supporters also cite its thermal efficiency. The major factor that makes wind less competitive is that the wind blows intermittently, making this source a little unreliable. SUSTAINABILITY ELECTRICAL EFFICIENCY MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY THERMAL EFFICIENCY GREEN FACTOR COST & INVESTMENT SPECIAL ABILITY DECREASING COSTS COAL An abundant resource, it is believed that the world's coal reserves will last longer than oil. It also has some of the lowest estimates for costs and investment required. Power stations nonetheless generate significant heat losses and have one of the worst environmental records. SUSTAINABILITY ELECTRICAL EFFICIENCY MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY THERMAL EFFICIENCY GREEN FACTOR COST & INVESTMENT SPECIAL ABILITY ABUNDANT BIODIESEL Produced from organic matter that is available wherever there are crops, biodiesel is fairly abundant, as well as clean and cheap. But practical issues do exist – large production of biofuels would require vast areas of land. Also some vehicles are not compatible with biofuels. SUSTAINABILITY ELECTRICAL EFFICIENCY MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY THERMAL EFFICIENCY GREEN FACTOR CST & INVESTMENT SPECIALABILITY BIODEGRADABLE Based on data and information from the following sources: Sustainability – Wiki Answers, Triple Pundit, Energy Electrical efficiency - UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, CarsDirect, Wiki Answers, Triple Pundit, Energy Informative Mechanical efficiency - UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, Wiki Answers, Triple Pundit, Energy Informative, Energy for Mankind Thermal efficiency - BBC, Discovery Channel, Wiki Answers, Triple Pundit, Energy Informative, Energy for Mankind Green factor - International Energy Agency, Buzzle, Wiki Answers, Triple Pundit, Energy Informative Costs & investment - US Department of Energy, International Energy Agency, Nuclear Energy Institute, Wiki Answers, Triple Pundit, Energy Informative