Dare I even say that the amount of fossil fuels we harvest, refine, ship then combust to generate electricity is ridiculous? The global consumption of hydro electricity is so low it barely made the Global energy consumption chart according to The Christian Science Monitor, 2010. This is reality when in fact hydro energy has been utilized for centuries, even though it may have been on simpler terms.
When planning a sustainable society, one must account for how the community will be provided with the energy it needs to meet the demands of the individuals that reside there. There are various options that can be explored to meet such demands but the chosen methods must be based a variety of factors which will depict what kind of energy generation will suffice. For starters community planners must asses the potential sources of energy in the area. This includes the potential for hydroelectric possibilities, wind/tidal generation or solar arrays in sunny climates. Acknowledging what the main sources of energy consumption will be is also essential to creating a sustainable energy plan. If the community will include large amounts of industry, energy measures must be taken to ensure there is enough power to supply their increased demands. Manufacturing a sustainable energy plan for this kind of community will require very different demands than a community that only holds 2,000 residential single family dwellings. The next measurable deciding factor will include the distribution and generation requirements for the community. For example, if the community is very densely built, the distribution grid will be substantially smaller then that of rural areas where large scale distances can occur between dwellings and infrastructure. In addition, if the demands require extensive energy production and sustainable energy generation techniques are limited by the geography and conditions of the area (little or no hydro/large scale solar/wind/tidal possibilities). Alternative generation methods may have to be utilized or combined with various tactics to supply the demand. For example, technology exits to use biomass as a generating option. These facilities are capable of releasing limited emissions when the appropriate technology is installed. Societies that have access to an ongoing biomass source could utilize this option for generating sustainable energy. In many situations this biomass would have ended up as waste but instead technology exists to use as fuel and it could potentially provide energy for a sustainable society.
When powering a sustainable society, it is important that the buildings, structures, dwellings, commercial shops and household appliances/amenities are efficient and used responsibly. There is no point trying to sustainably produce energy if every office building leaves the lights/computer monitors on during non working hours and shops refuse to turn off their outdoor sign during day light hours etc. What I am trying to explain here is that powering sustainable communities is more than just the sustainable generation of energy; it also incorporates how we use that energy as well.
Installing buildings that meet LEED standards, installing green roofs, capturing the heat emitted from various industrial practices and utilizing it in a closed loop system to maintain comfortable building temperatures, small and large scale solar/wind/tidal/hydro/biogas/biomass and the use of geothermal heating/cooling systems are some of the various methods that can be used to both generate and save energy. Every community, in every geographic region has various options for producing clean sustainable energy. Powering a sustainable society is obtainable but as said previously, it will take commitment, effort and time by society as a whole to achieve such a goal.
VIDEO LINK
Here is a link to a site which has lots of interesting information about current and upcoming sustainable projects including community development and the future of large scale energy generation. LINK
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