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How to Make Hydrogen a Clean Energy Source When water is passed into the anode, the water molecule splits into one oxygen and 2 hydrogen atoms which are captured as hydrogen gas. Electricity is passed through the electrolyzer which has an anode and a cathode. The process of electrolysis is used to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. This process called methane reforming causes the methane molecule to split into one carbon monoxide and 3 hydrogen gas molecules which are then filtered out to produce pure hydrogen gas. Methane from natural gas is captured and exposed to high-pressure steam. Most of the US supply of hydrogen gas is harvested from natural gas pipelines. How is Hydrogen Gas Made from Natural Gas? However, hydrogen gas is one potential fuel. There are quite a few technological advances being made to help capture clean-burning fuel from waste streams like biomass. Hydrogen is a component of many molecules and when it can be split away and harvested efficiently it is a clean-burning fuel. The main inhibiting factor is the cost to produce hydrogen fuel cells. This has always been a tantalizing source of clean-burning fuel. Once produced, hydrogen gas cells emit only water vapor and warm air when in use. Hydrogen is a completely clean burning fuel. One alternative to fossil fuels is hydrogen gas. Hydrogen gas burns with zero emissions making it the cleanest combustible fuel in the world. So what are some alternatives to fossil fuels? 1. Renewable energy purchasers should be aware of the source of biomass, for example. Solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power, tidal, and wave energy are all renewable and clean sources of energy.īiomass and biofuels can be good sources of alternative energy, but only if they’re produced responsibly. The best alternatives to fossil fuels are those that are also renewable. What Are the Best Types of Alternative Energy? To achieve long-term success with energy independence we should focus on incorporating alternative sources of energy into our national energy portfolio.
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The water cycle tends to ensure that water sources renew, though inland droughts can diminish our green energy output at hydroelectric dams.Ĭombining alternative energy technologies such as solar panels and hydroelectric dams can help to offset the energy lost by diminishing water flows. Water is our second best source of renewable power. The sun is the world’s largest renewable energy source. Organic materials, especially annual crop waste, can be a cost-effective source of biomass to help meet our energy needs.īurning these materials creates greenhouse gases so they aren’t a source of completely clean power, but they create less environmental damage and help reduce dependence on crude oil. All we have to do is harness it and convert it to electricity. On the other hand, solar energy is renewable because solar radiation comes to earth every day without fail.
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This can be different from alternative energy sources.įor example, natural gas is an alternative to coal, but it doesn’t renew itself once it has burned. Renewable energy can power our favorite things without using diminishing resources.Ī renewable energy source is anything that can be replenished after it has been used for energy. Solar Power What is a Renewable Energy Source?.11 Alternatives to Fossil Fuels That Are Currently Available Here we examine 11 of the most prominent alternative fuel sources and look at the benefits they offer and the potential for increased uptake in the coming years. Lower emissions, lower fuel prices, and the reduction of pollution are all advantages that the use of alternative fuels can often provide. While the viability of each can be argued, they all contribute something positive when compared to fossil fuels. This has led to the rise of a number of alternatives to fossil fuels. Today, there is a general shift towards environmental awareness and the sources of our energy are coming under closer scrutiny. The issue has become a hot-button topic over the course of the last few decades. It was a Swedish scientist named Svante Arrhenius who was the first to state that the use of fossil fuels could contribute to global warming, way back in 1896. The links between burning fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in terms of climate change, were considered earlier than you may think.
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