Two really short essays

There are two types of energy generation: non-renewable and renewable. Non-renewable energy means that once the source is depleted, there will never be any more. The main example of non-renewable energy is fossil fuels (i.e. oil, natural gas and wood). Renewable energy, on the other hand, means that the source of the energy can be regenerated. Examples of renewable energy include geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind. (Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, n. d.) Dependency on fossil fuels has become enormously problematic for the United States. Approximately 85% of our energy consumption comes from fossil fuels(Renewable Energy Sources, n.d.).

Fossil fuels produce energy at a high cost to the environment and economy fostering an oil-addicted foreign policy. The price of a kilowatt hour for fossil fuel energy consumption is much higher than renewable sources: coal costs between 10 and 14 cents and natural gas costs between 7 and 13 cents. (Renewable Energy Sources, n.d.). Alternative methods of power generation have been available for decades, although the initial investment is quite steep for the amount of power produced. In recent years, better technology and more innovative ideas have led to a reduction in the overall cost of alternative power and a larger return in investment per kilowatt-hour: solar energy is 5.6 cents and wind is 1.4 cents per kilowatt hour.

Globalization is a primary driver of easily obtainable resource depletion. While it has positive and negative benefits, the encouraged persistent growth of industrialized nations has insured that non-renewable energy resources will reach a point of exhaustion, or least a point that extraction is not cost effective. Those that recognize the opportunity to develop alternative renewable energy sources early, will form the core of a rapidly expanding new industry.

The creation of small scale fuel cells is one aspect of alternative energy where research indicates the potential for bacteria to create energy through digestion of cellulose. Currently in the experimental phase, the creation of energy source fuel cells by using bacteria could be viewed as controversial due to the harmful connotations associated to it. “Bacteria, a type of germ, have gotten a bad reputation because from early age people are told to stay healthy, wash their hands and not let bacteria get into their system” (Martinez, 2013). Based on this, the type of bacteria and measures to properly seal harmful contaminants are required (similar to alkaline or lithium batteries) to properly alleviate consumer concerns of safety.

The ultimate intent is to create a small fuel cell that could serve as a device electrical supply, or battery charger. Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC’s) generate power from the oxidation of organic waste by microorganism. MFC’s currently produce small amounts of energy at the current level of development. However, as the technology matures, small devices will be able to be powered using this type of energy. This type of fuel cell would allow a device or group of devices to operate in very remote or inhospitable location for long periods of time on a single fuel-cell assembly. An added benefit of this technology is that it consumes bio-waste as a catalyst for energy generation. “The operational and functional advantages of MFCs are:”

· MFCs use organic waste matter as fuels and readily available microbes as catalysts (Vishwanathan & Siva Sankara Sai, 2009).

· MFCs do not require highly regulated distribution systems like the ones needed for Hydrogen Fuel Cells (Vishwanathan & Siva Sankara Sai, 2009).

· MFCs have high conversion efficiency as compared to Enzymatic Fuel Cells, in harvesting up to 90% of the electrons from the bacterial electron transport system (Vishwanathan & Siva Sankara Sai, 2009)

               The ability to connect the smaller fuel cells together to create larger home fuel cells is preferable to single larger scale fuel cell, at least in this stage of development. “It is also noted that the creation of a bigger battery will require more maintenance, raising concerns that bigger may not necessarily be better; a bigger battery might not be as energy efficient as they are intended to be” (Martinez, 2013). With proper development this type of system could become a perpetual source of energy in an environment that is rich in biomass, such as oceans, waste storage areas, water treatment facilities or any location that has a constant influx of waste material. The potential is only limited by the amount of waste available and the will to develop this technology.

References

Martinez, M. (2013, October 2). Bacteria harnesses for battery power. UNWIRE Text, 1. Retrieved from http://db24.linccweb.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com.db24.linccweb.org/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA344501257&v=2.1&u=lincclin_spjc&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=b04e0bb3fa9e6fe97a89351835546b3c

Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. (n.d.). Introduction to Major Energy Sources. Retrieved from Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/types_of_energy/4568

Renewable Energy Sources. (n.d.). YOUR GUIDE TO RENEWABLE ENERGY. Retrieved from Renewable Energy Sources: http://www.renewable-energysources.com/

Vishwanathan, A. S., & Siva Sankara Sai, S. (2009, December 01). Microbial Fuel Cell - Principles and Applications. Retrieved from AtlEndergyMag: http://altenergymag.com/content.php?post_type=1424