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As the demand for energy clashes with the diminishing supply of fossil fuels, we are being forced to come up with alternative sources of sustainable energy. However, through our ingenuity and dedication we have managed to make some real breakthroughs and whether you hail from Maine or Texas Just Energy is all you’ll find with these alternative sources for sustainable energy:

Hydroelectricity
Whether it’s through a dam, pumped-storage or run-of-the-river, hydropower has been used since ancient times for simpler tasks like grinding flower. Nowadays, turbines are employed to generate the electricity to power homes across the country.

Solar Energy
From the International Space Station to our own homes, humanity has been using the power of the sun to warm their homes and their water for years. In recent years solar power has even been used as a cheap and effective way to disinfect water.

Wind Energy
Rows of these massive, white windmills already line our coastlines in certain states, delivering power as the wind turns the blades.

With the economy being what it is today and the gas being so high, you may have given some thought to making your own fuel. If you chose to make it, what would you need in order to do that?

There are different types of fuel that can be made. There is a machine that is now being produced that will turn raw sugar, yeast and water into 100 ethanol after just a few days of fermenting. You would need to mix this with a little bit of gasoline though since 100 ethanol is illegal to use.

You could also think back to the days of making moonshine. This high-proofed alcohol, between 160 and 180 proof works well as fuel for a vehicle. You can actually get about the same gas mileage with this as you would using regular gasoline. You would use a still in this process in order to allow the blend to ferment.

There is also ethanol that can be made from dry corn or barley. In order to use corn, you need to use a grain mill to crush it down.

In all of these types, you need to allow the blend to ferment in order to get usable fuel. Gas prices may be high, but there are alternatives.

The facts are not in dispute. The world needs an alternative fuel source. It is unrealistic to think that industrialized countries will halt manufacturing though. Therefore, the alternative is developing cheaper ways to produce other fuels.

Energy can be produced from practically any organic matter. Composting produces heat and fermentation produces alcohol. Experts tell us that the production has to outweigh the consumption for anything to be a viable replacement. Corn and switch grass can be converted to ethanol, which can virtually be used in any combustible engine.

Essentially, at this point, this is trading one problem for another. Energy is required to grow, harvest and convert organic matter into ethanol. In other words, corn and grass cannot contribute to its own conversion process. Ethanol by some estimates requires more energy to produce than it is cable of delivering. The process takes energy in the form of electricity and petroleum based fuels.

Additional problems plague growing a fuel source. Land is a fixed quantity, and it cannot be produced. Everyday more land is being converted into asphalt and concrete parking lots. Many countries are a victim of their own success. Success has created less land, and a higher demand for more land, to grow fuel crops.

Bio fuels can be produced from used cooking oil and other various materials. The current quantity of used cooking oil is nowhere near enough to be called an alternative. Additionally the process is complicated and costly.

It would not be hard to fathom an alternative fuel source. The problem is when one is decided upon; it immediately would be in short supply with a high demand. The increase in production would cause more energy to be spent trying to meet demand.

Therefore, for any fuel to be called a viable alternative it must be produced in enough quantities that would allow it to be used in its own conversion process. The fuel must be affordable, and usable. Having to rebuild manufacturing and vehicles around a fuel source would be an economic disaster. The source must be developed around the energy consumers.

The image of homemade electricity as a difficult, expensive, and uneffective option has been corrected by the rising availability of alternate-energy sources, now recognized as valuable investments for almost any individual. Most people, however, do not realize that homemade solar and wind power not only lowers the electric bill, but can actually make money for the owner. Excess homemade power can be returned to the grid using a grid tie inverter. This device converts the electricity from DC to AC and synchronizes the cycles between the home and the grid, allowing power to flow from one to the other. Read the rest of this entry »

The go-green movement has helped to change the way we think of energy in recent times, and has inspired a movement towards renewable fuel sources in an effort to help our warming planet. The top states in the US for the development of these energy sources are leading in this mission, and hopefully more regions will soon follow.

Texas as well as Iowa, California, Minnesota and Washington have been leaders in the area of wind generated energy. Solar power has gotten Read the rest of this entry »

Sustainable energy development in the 21st century is of utmost importance to society and our way of life. Currently, the world’s economy is fueled by petroleum products and other fossil fuels. Gasoline and diesel power our vehicles; coal burning plants heat our homes; natural gas heats our food. This has been ideal during the 20th century, but 21st century challenges necessitate new innovations.

The first major challenge is to find a suitable replacement to power our vehicles. Read the rest of this entry »