Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a potential alternative energy source that needs to be funded and explored much more than it presently is.

There are three kinds; closed, open and hybrid cycle of OTEC.

“Closed Cycle” uses a low-boiling point liquid such as, for example, propane to act as an intermediate fluid. The OTEC plant pumps the warm sea water into the reaction chamber and boils the intermediate fluid. This results in the intermediate fluid’s vapor pushing the turbine of the engine, which thus generates electricity. The vapor is then cooled down by putting in cold sea water.

“Open Cycle”. The sea water itself is the driver of the turbine engine in this OTEC format. Warm sea water found on the surface of the ocean is turned into a low-pressure vapor under the constraint of a vacuum. The low-pressure vapor is released in a focused area and it has the power to drive the turbine. To cool down the vapor and create desalinated water for human consumption, the deeper ocean’s cold waters are added to the vapor after it has generated sufficient electricity.

“Hybrid Cycle” There are actually two sub-theories to the theory of Hybrid Cycling. The first involves using a closed cycling to generate electricity. This electricity is in turn used to create the vacuum environment needed for open cycling. The second component is the integration of two open cyclings such that twice the amount of desalinated, potable water is created that with just one open cycle.

Developing Nuclear Power as Alternative Energy

Nuclear power plants are very “clean-burning” and their efficiency is rather staggering. Nuclear power is generated at 80% efficiency, meaning that the energy produced by the fission reactions is almost equal to the energy put into producing the fission reactions in the first place. There is not a lot of waste material generated by nuclear fission—although, due to the fact that there is no such thing as creating energy without also creating some measure of waste, there is some. The concerns of people such as environmentalists with regards to using nuclear power as an alternative energy source center around this waste, which is radioactive gases which have to be contained.

Solar Energy Collecting as an Alternative Energy Source

Solar powered electricity generation is certainly good for the environment, as this alternative form of producing energy gives off absolutely zero emissions into the atmosphere and is merely utilizing one of the most naturally occurring of all things as its driver. Solar collection cells are becoming slowly but surely ever more practical for placing upon the rooftops of people’s homes, and they are not a difficult system to use for heating one’s home, creating hot water, or producing electricity. In the case of using the photovoltaic cells for hot water generation, the system works by having the water encased in the cells, where it is heated and then sent through your pipes.

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Alternate energy mutual funds invest in companies that are developing ways to produce energy without harming the environment. You can join the huge movement of people who are interested in making money from alternative energy.

The world comes closer and closer to an energy crisis as the non-renewable sources of energy such as coal and oil, which are are major sources of power, become more depleted. This is the reason so many companies are scrambling to develop alternative sources of energy. They need money to do this, and alternative energy mutual funds can supply the money.

A mutual fund is an investment company that looks for small companies that have growth potential and then it invests in them. Remember the Microsoft story: a small company that was started in a garage.

Alternative energy mutual funds specialize in investing in companies that develop alternative energy. Some do this solely because they believe it is better for the earth. But others see alternative energy as the only option for power for the future.

Alternative energy is culled from the natural resources of the earth, such as wind, sun and air. Unlike the non-renewable sources of energy, these sources will continue into the future. People who invest in alternative energy mutual funds may not have to worry about their future! But there are risks to be considered with alternative energy mutual funds.

But all businesses have risk.

There are some viable alternative energy technologies that are not yet cost effective. The alternative energy mutual funds need to be selective about which firms they invest in. They have to make sure the company meets the environmental standards they may have, as well as the ability to use new technogies.

Change is inevitable, and everything in the world changes constantly, including people, their governments and their policies. These changes affect the companies that alternate energy mutual funds invest in.

How a company develops and grows will be determined by factors such as opportunities available and risks encountered. It is possible to make or lose a lot of money. But this, like everything in life is a gamble.

Alternative energy mutual funds have been primarily investing in other countries so that they can keep their investments diversified and take advantage of growth opportunities. But there are foreign exchange risks in this.

Alternative energy mutual funds are run by human beings, who are always prone to mistakes. One of those mistakes is to think they are investing in a company that has an alternate source of energy when all they are doing is adding additives to change the chemical makeup of the energy source. This is not a joke. Since the regulation of these companies is not strong, scams like this can happen.

There are many more riks that may have to be faced when considering investing in alternative energy mutual funds. But sometimes the end, helping the earth, is worth the risk.

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Ireland actually has the potential to become an energy exporter, rather than a nation so heavily dependent on energy importation. This energy potential resides in Ireland’s substantial wind, ocean wave, and biomass-producing alternative energy potentials. Ireland could become a supplier of ocean wave-produced electricity and biomass-fueled energy to continental Europe and, as they say, “make a killing”. At the present time, Ireland is most closely focused on reaching the point where it can produce 15% of the nation’s electricity through wind farms, which the government has set as a national objective to be reached by 2010. But universities, research institutes, and government personnel in Ireland have been saying that the development of ocean wave energy technology would be a true driving force for the nation’s economy and one which would greatly help to make Ireland energy independent. A test site for developing wave ocean energy has been established in Ireland, less than two miles off the coast of An Spideal in County Galway Bay. This experimental ocean wave harnessing site is known as “Wavebob”. The most energetic waves in the world are located off the West coast of Ireland, says Ireland’s Marine Institute CEO Dr. Peter Heffernan. The technology to harness the power of the ocean is only just emerging and Ireland has the chance to become a market leader in this sector. David Taylor, CEO of the Sustainable Energy Initiative,or SEI, tells us that SEI is committed to innovation in the renewable energy sector. Wave energy is a promising new renewable energy resource which could one day make a significant contribution to Ireland’s electricity generation mix thereby further reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.

Padraig Walshe, the president of the Irish Farmers Association, tells us that with the closure of the sugar beet industry, an increasing amount of Irish land resources will become available for alternative uses, including bioenergy production. Today, renewable energy sources meet only 2% of Ireland’s total energy consumption. From a farming perspective, growing energy crops will only have a viable future if they provide an economic return on investment and labour, and if the prospect of this return is secure into the future. Currently the return from energy crops is marginal and is hampering the development of the industry. Biomass energies need to be further researched by Ireland.

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