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.

The world has been noticing alternative energy companies over the last few years. Why, you may ask.The answer is “for many reasons.”

Reason #1: Petroleum products as an energy source create pollution.

Reason #2: Alternative energy companies strive to create pollution free energy.

Reason #3: People fear the danger and instability of nuclear power.

Reason #4: Alternative energy companies strive to use the forces of nature to create energy.

Reason #5: Fossil fuels are a non-renewable source of energy.

Reason #6: Since alternative energy companies use nature to create energy, it is an endlessly renewable source.

Reason #7: The profits from conventional power is cyclicle; they may surge when supplies are short and fall when supplies are great.

Reason #8: Alternative energy companies continue to grow as new technologies are discovered.

There are strong feelings among the public that alternative energy companies will dominate the future of energy creation. Right now, it appears that the oil companies are reaping all the profits.

But the world sees that technological growth is the key to the future. Companies such as Microsoft have set the standard that advances only come through change.

Outdated, inefficient methods must be discarded and new technologies introduced. This is how technology will affect the future. And alternative energy companies will control that technology.

The public is willing to pay for cutting edge discoveries. As the costs of traditional energy continues to sky-rocket, alternative energy companies will be the ones to benefit as they supply alternate technologies to fossil fuel.

Alternative energy companies offer a chance for the world to not only survive, but to grow. For, if things remain the same, we will not be able to continue growing, or, we can grow but burn up all our energy. As we grow using fossil fuels, we are poisoning the earth.

Alternative energy companies can offer a solution that does not require a choice between survival and growth. As we look more and more to nature, we can find better methods to create energy.

Alternative energy companies will use the mechanism of capitalism to create energy through alternate sources.

If each person used nature to create energy, it would take years for the concept to grow. But alternative energy companies rally resources of many to make it happen faster. They are uniting these resources into one whole. They are not only interested in discovering alternative fuel sources, but also in promoting their use. The discovery of these alternates is meaningless if they are not used.

Alternative energy companies inform people of the benefits of alternative energy and try to convince them to use it. If they are able to make a profit in the meantime, all the better. Correct?

Alternative energy companies are striving to have the world recognize that continued use of traditional energy is wrong. They will do this by showing us the “alternate”. They supply the solution to the “don’t grow or grow and burnout” dilemma.

As in a storm, if you move away from the center, conditions worsen; the closer you stay focused in the center, the safer you will be.

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resourcessuch as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heatwhich are renewable (naturally replenished). In 2006, about 18% of global final energy consumption came from renewables, with 13% coming from traditional biomass, such as wood-burning. Hydroelectricity was the next largest renewable source, providing 3% of global energy consumption and 15% of global electricity generation.

Wind power is growing at the rate of 30 percent annually, with a worldwide installed capacity of 121,000 megawatts (MW) in 2008, and is widely used in European countries and the United States. The annual manufacturing output of the photovoltaics industry reached 6,900 MW in 2008, and photovoltaic (PV) power stations are popular in Germany and Spain. Solar thermal power stations operate in the USA and Spain, and the largest of these is the 354 MW SEGS power plant in the Mojave Desert. The world’s largest geothermal power installation is The Geysers in California, with a rated capacity of 750 MW. Brazil has one of the largest renewable energy programs in the world, involving production of ethanol fuel from sugar cane, and ethanol now provides 18 percent of the country’s automotive fuel. Ethanol fuel is also widely available in the USA.

While most renewable energy projects and production is large-scale, renewable technologies are also suited to small off-grid applications, sometimes in rural and remote areas, where energy is often crucial in human development. Kenya has the world’s highest household solar ownership rate with roughly 30,000 small (20100 watt) solar power systems sold per year.

Some renewable-energy technologies are criticized for being intermittent or unsightly, yet the renewable-energy market continues to grow. Climate-change concerns, coupled with high oil prices, peak oil, and increasing government support, are driving increasing renewable-energy legislation, incentives and commercialization. New government spending, regulation and policies should help the industry weather the 2009 economic crisis better than many other sectors.

Main forms/sources of renewable energy

The majority of renewable energy technologies are powered by the sun. The Earth-Atmosphere system is in equilibrium such that heat radiation into space is equal to incoming solar radiation, the resulting level of energy within the Earth-Atmosphere system can roughly be described as the Earth’s “climate.” The hydrosphere (water) absorbs a major fraction of the incoming radiation. Most radiation is absorbed at low latitudes around the equator, but this energy is dissipated around the globe in the form of winds and ocean currents. Wave motion may play a role in the process of transferring mechanical energy between the atmosphere and the ocean through wind stress. Solar energy is also responsible for the distribution of precipitation which is tapped by hydroelectric projects, and for the growth of plants used to create biofuels.

Renewable energy flows involve natural phenomena such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, as the International Energy Agency explains:

Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources.

Each of these sources has unique characteristics which influence how and where they are used.

Wind power

Vestas V80 wind turbines

Airflows can be used to run wind turbines. Modern wind turbines range from around 600 kW to 5 MW of rated power, although turbines with rated output of 1.53 MW have become the most common for commercial use; the power output of a turbine is a function of the cube of the wind speed, so as wind speed increases, power output increases dramatically. Areas where winds are stronger and more constant, such as offshore and high altitude sites, are preferred locations for wind farms. Typical capacity factors are 20-40%, with values at the upper end of the range in particularly favourable sites.

Globally, the long-term technical potential of wind energy is believed to be five times total current global energy production, or 40 times current electricity demand. This could require large amounts of land to be used for wind turbines, particularly in areas of higher wind resources. Offshore resources experience mean wind speeds of ~90% greater than that of land, so offshore resources could contribute substantially more energy. This number could also increase with higher altitude ground-based or airborne wind turbines.

Wind power is renewable and produces no greenhouse gases during operation, such as carbon dioxide and methane.

Water power

Energy in water (in the form of kinetic energy, temperature differences or salinity gradients) can be harnessed and used. Since water is about 800 times denser than air, even a slow flowing stream of water, or moderate sea swell, can yield considerable amounts of energy.

One of 3 Pelamis P-750 Ocean Wave Power machines in the harbor of Peniche, Portugal

There are many forms of water energy:

Hydroelectric energy is a term usually reserved for large-scale hydroelectric dams. Examples are the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State and the Akosombo Dam in Ghana. Micro hydro systems are hydroelectric power installations that typically produce up to 100 kW of power. They are often used in water rich areas as a Remote Area Power Supply (RAPS). There are many of these installations around the world, including several delivering around 50 kW in the Solomon Islands. Damless hydro systems derive kinetic energy from rivers and oceans without using a dam. Ocean energy describes all the technologies to harness energy from the ocean and the sea: Marine current power. Similar to tidal stream power, uses the kinetic energy of marine currents Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) uses the temperature difference between the warmer surface of the ocean and the colder lower recesses. To this end, it employs a cyclic heat engine. OTEC has not been field-tested on a large scale. Tidal power captures energy from the tides. Wave power uses the energy in waves. Wave power machines usually take the form of floating or neutrally buoyant structures which move relative to one another or to a fixed point. Osmotic power or salinity gradient power, is the energy retrieved from the difference in the salt concentration between seawater and river water. Reverse electrodialysis (PRO) is in the research and testing phase. Vortex power is generated by placing obstacles in rivers in order to cause the formation of vortices which can then be tapped for energy. Solar energy

Monocrystalline solar cell

In this context, “solar energy” refers to energy that is collected from sunlight. Solar energy can be applied in many ways, including to:

Generate electricity using photovoltaic solar cells. Generate electricity using concentrating solar power. Generate electricity by heating trapped air which rotates turbines in a Solar updraft tower. Generate hydrogen using photoelectrochemical cells. Heat water or air for domestic hot water and space heating needs using solar-thermal panels. Heat buildings, directly, through passive solar building design. Heat foodstuffs, through solar ovens. Solar air conditioning Biofuel

Plants use photosynthesis to grow and produce biomass. Also known as biomatter, biomass can be used directly as fuel or to produce biofuels. Agriculturally produced biomass fuels, such as biodiesel, ethanol and bagasse (often a by-product of sugar cane cultivation) can be burned in internal combustion engines or boilers. Typically biofuel is burned to release its stored chemical energy. Research into more efficient methods of converting biofuels and other fuels into electricity utilizing fuel cells is an area of very active work.

Liquid biofuel Information on pump, California.

Liquid biofuel is usually either a bioalcohol such as ethanol fuel or an oil such as biodiesel or straight vegetable oil. Biodiesel can be used in modern diesel vehicles with little or no modification to the engine. It can be made from waste and virgin vegetable and animal oils and fats (lipids). Virgin vegetable oils can be used in modified diesel engines. In fact the diesel engine was originally designed to run on vegetable oil rather than fossil fuel. A major benefit of biodiesel use is the reduction in net CO2 emissions, since all the carbon emitted was recently captured during the growing phase of the biomass. The use of biodiesel also reduces emission of carbon monoxide and other pollutants by 20 to 40%.

In some areas corn, cornstalks, sugarbeets, sugar cane, and switchgrasses are grown specifically to produce ethanol (also known as grain alcohol) a liquid which can be used in internal combustion engines and fuel cells. Ethanol is being phased into the current energy infrastructure. E85 is a fuel composed of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline that is sold to consumers. Biobutanol is being developed as an alternative to bioethanol.

Another source of biofuel is sweet sorghum. It produces both food and fuel from the same crop. Some studies have shown that the crop is net energy positive ie. it produces more energy than is consumed in its production and utilization.

Solid biomass Sugar cane residue can be used as a biofuel

Solid biomass is most commonly used directly as a combustible fuel, producing 10-20 MJ/kg of heat. Its forms and sources include wood fuel, the biogenic portion of municipal solid waste, or the unused portion of field crops. Field crops may or may not be grown intentionally as an energy crop, and the remaining plant byproduct used as a fuel. Most types of biomass contain energy. Even cow manure still contains two-thirds of the original energy consumed by the cow. Energy harvesting via a bioreactor is a cost-effective solution to the waste disposal issues faced by the dairy farmer, and can produce enough biogas to run a farm.

With current technology, it is not ideally suited for use as a transportation fuel. Most transportation vehicles require power sources with high power density, such as that provided by internal combustion engines. These engines generally require clean burning fuels, which are generally in liquid form, and to a lesser extent, compressed gaseous phase. Liquids are more portable because they can have a high energy density, and they can be pumped, which makes handling easier.

Non-transportation applications can usually tolerate the low power-density of external combustion engines, that can run directly on less-expensive solid biomass fuel, for combined heat and power. One type of biomass is wood, which has been used for millennia. Two billion people currently cook every day, and heat their homes in the winter by burning biomass, which is a major contributor to man-made climate change global warming. The black soot that is being carried from Asia to polar ice caps is causing them to melt faster in the summer. In the 19th century, wood-fired steam engines were common, contributing significantly to industrial revolution unhealthy air pollution. Coal is a form of biomass that has been compressed over millennia to produce a non-renewable, highly-polluting fossil fuel.

Wood and its byproducts can now be converted through processes such as gasification into biofuels such as woodgas, biogas, methanol or ethanol fuel; although further development may be required to make these methods affordable and practical. Sugar cane residue, wheat chaff, corn cobs and other plant matter can be, and are, burned quite successfully. The net carbon dioxide emissions that are added to the atmosphere by this process are only from the fossil fuel that was consumed to plant, fertilize, harvest and transport the biomass.

Processes to harvest biomass from short-rotation trees like poplars and willows and perennial grasses such as switchgrass, phalaris, and miscanthus, require less frequent cultivation and less nitrogen than do typical annual crops. Pelletizing miscanthus and burning it to generate electricity is being studied and may be economically viable.

Biogas

Biogas can easily be produced from current waste streams, such as paper production, sugar production, sewage, animal waste and so forth. These various waste streams have to be slurried together and allowed to naturally ferment, producing methane gas. This can be done by converting current sewage plants into biogas plants. When a biogas plant has extracted all the methane it can, the remains are sometimes more suitable as fertilizer than the original biomass.

Alternatively biogas can be produced via advanced waste processing systems such as mechanical biological treatment. These systems recover the recyclable elements of household waste and process the biodegradable fraction in anaerobic digesters.

Renewable natural gas is a biogas which has been upgraded to a quality similar to natural gas. By upgrading the quality to that of natural gas, it becomes possible to distribute the gas to the mass market via the existing gas grid.

Geothermal energy

Krafla Geothermal Station in northeast Iceland

Geothermal energy is energy obtained by tapping the heat of the earth itself, both from kilometers deep into the Earth’s crust in some places of the globe or from some meters in geothermal heat pump in all the places of the planet . It is expensive to build a power station but operating costs are low resulting in low energy costs for suitable sites. Ultimately, this energy derives from heat in the Earth’s core.

Three types of power plants are used to generate power from geothermal energy: dry steam, flash, and binary. Dry steam plants take steam out of fractures in the ground and use it to directly drive a turbine that spins a generator. Flash plants take hot water, usually at temperatures over 200C, out of the ground, and allows it to boil as it rises to the surface then separates the steam phase in steam/water separators and then runs the steam through a turbine. In binary plants, the hot water flows through heat exchangers, boiling an organic fluid that spins the turbine. The condensed steam and remaining geothermal fluid from all three types of plants are injected back into the hot rock to pick up more heat.

The geothermal energy from the core of the Earth is closer to the surface in some areas than in others. Where hot underground steam or water can be tapped and brought to the surface it may be used to generate electricity. Such geothermal power sources exist in certain geologically unstable parts of the world such as Chile, Iceland, New Zealand, United States, the Philippines and Italy. The two most prominent areas for this in the United States are in the Yellowstone basin and in northern California. Iceland produced 170 MW geothermal power and heated 86% of all houses in the year 2000 through geothermal energy. Some 8000 MW of capacity is operational in total.

There is also the potential to generate geothermal energy from hot dry rocks. Holes at least 3km deep are drilled into the earth. Some of these holes pump water into the earth, while other holes pump hot water out. The heat resource consists of hot underground radiogenic granite rocks, which heat up when there is enough sediment between the rock and the earths surface. Several companies in Australia are exploring this technology.

Currently, government policies and renewable energy legislation play a vital role in the development of renewable energy sources. Countries in the South American region are aware of this and have enacted favorable policies to encourage investment in non-conventional energy sources such as wind, solar and biomass. Of the top five countries discussed in this report, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia have formulated legislation to promote renewable energy development. Argentina and Chile have set Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) targets for the implementation of renewable energy sources. In addition to this, a number of governments also provide indirect subsidies and tax credits to promote renewable energy. These policies and support will help the South American countries to achieve rapid growth in renewable energy, as the existing programs and legislations bring significant installed capacity to the market.

According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), countries in this region would require an investment of $572 billion in the electricity sector between 2007 and 2030 to meet the energy demand. According to the United Nations Framework for Climate Change (UNFCC), more than 85% of the energy investment in this region will come from the private sector.

For more information, please click or add the below link to your browser:

http://gbiresearch.com/Report.aspx?ID=South-American-Renewable-Energy-Markets-to-2020-Favorable-Policies-and-Regulations-To-Drive-Growth-in-The-Region&ReportType=Industry_Report&coreindustry=ALL&Title=Power_~_Alternative_Energy

International banks including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) are financing various power generation projects in this region. Since 2000, the IDB has financed more than $2.1 billion in renewable energy projects in the region, including hydro, wind and geothermal projects. The focus is to develop sustainable energy for the longer term through renewable energy sources. The banks also provide financial support for technical assistance programs for sustainable energy and energy efficiency.

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol allowing developed countries to invest in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. The mechanism, which became operational in 2006, has been one of the key reasons for renewable energy investment in the South American region. Of the total 2,127 projects that were registered up to April 2010, 461 of them were registered for development in the Latin American region. More than 60% of the total projects relate to the energy segment, especially renewable energy sources. A combination of small hydro, solar, wind and biomass contributes to the majority of this investment. These projects are expected to increase the renewable energy investment in the region.

GBI Research has released its research, “South American Renewable Energy Market to 2020 – Favorable Policies and Regulations Drive Growth in The Region”, that provides key data, information and analysis on the market opportunities in the South American renewable energy market. The report provides a detailed assessment of installed capacity and growth opportunities arising from the South American renewable energy market. At the outset, the report analyses the renewable energy market of top five countries of the South American region. The report’s coverage of the South American renewable energy market is comprehensive, with dedicated sections on regulatory frameworks and the key market drivers and restraints in top five countries of the region.

Visit our report store: www.gbiresearch.com

Renewable Energy – Solar Power – Alternative Energy

Making your own solar and wind power for less than $200

Solar energy solutions: Solar electricity, Renewable energy, going green is becoming very popular with do it yourself enthusiast to use an alternative energy than using fossil fuel power.

The sun’s energy is the most abundant and the cheapest source of energy available on earth. Solar energy potential in these times of depleting resources and increasing prices proves to be the most beneficial and the most economical power solution to operate all your home electrical appliances.

Changing your home from grid power to renewable solar electricity is easier than most home owners believe once the basics secrets for making solar panels or building a home wind power generator, when following the guides that are available on the internet.

DIY Home solar power panel system is a cost effective way to power your home than the expensive installations from the commercial sector. The aim of home owners is to construct a solar power system that will handle the total power load of the home at peak times.

The other important part of the home solar power system is working out the homes total power usage during peak load. First you can install solar panels that will reduce some of the electricity and later as money and time allows make more diy solar panels and finally end with a solar power system that will produce enough electricity to go off the grid and then you will be in line for power rebates from the power company.

Peak load time for the home is between 4 pm to 7 pm at night.

Create Solar Electricity – Reduce Power – Save Money.

You build your DIY home solar power system to equal the power demand for the home at peak times and then after peak load the power system starts to create more solar electricity than you are using and this excess solar electricity is feed back into the power grid.

Two methods used in designing a diy home solar power panel system is the use of batteries to store the excess solar electricity and use this free electricity at night or on cloudy condition days and you call this being completely off the grid. The second method uses the power from the grid at night. This system does not use batteries.

Remember electricity cannot be store in its raw state. There’s no limit to what you can generate in the way of renewable solar energy electricity.

Making your own solar and wind power for less than $200

The position of your solar power system is critical and requires full sunshine for as long as possible during the day to operate at peak performance generating un-interrupted power.

5 Reasons to create your Own Solar electricity for Home.

1 Save hundreds of dollars every month on your power bill.
2 Low cost evolved to make your DIY home solar power system.
3 Generate free solar electricity.
4 Great value for our environment – no waste – no noise – pollution free.
5 Increase the value of your house – good investment for the future.

DIY home solar power systems use different terms or names. All these names refer to are the same.

1 solar generator
2 solar panels
3 solar array
4 solar power panels.

All the units convert solar energy into free home solar electricity using photovoltaic cells.

Imagine running the home electrical appliances without worrying about paying for any electricity!

The secret is with all this information and technical data you are not required to know a lot just follow the steps in the guide of your choice. Beware some guides promise the world but deliver rubbish.

Making your own solar and wind power for less than $200