Bio-fuels - Extraordinary Possibilities

Bio-fuels: Extraordinary Possibilities

Bio-fuels have been known to be an excellent replacement for traditional gasoline and diesel for years.  Fossil fuel production, especially when obtained through hydraulic fracturing, can cause significant damage to the environment.  Eco-Enthusiasts have gone to great lengths to make their cars compatible with this new fuel.  These people have the will and desire to be completely free of fossil fuels.  Sadly, none of these bio-fuels have actually achieved any real traction.  Most people, especially those with busy schedules, have not gone to such lengths and have instead decided to avoid the hassle and cost of converting their vehicles.  No car company or energy company has come up with a solution to this problem.

newscenter.lbl.gov

 Part of the problem, which is typical of new technologies, is that the cost of purchasing this new equipment is too expensive for the customer.  Furthermore, obtaining bio-fuels in the open market, especially in the United States, is significantly more difficult than obtaining gasoline or diesel.  It is also difficult for the leadership of publicly traded companies to convince their shareholders that making an investment/risk in the bio-fuels market would actually pay off in the near-term.  Shareholders, in most cases, want to do what is in their financial best interest and not necessarily what is in the best interest of energy independence.

bloggingbiofuels.com

Bio-fuels do have a bright future when they can be applied to a market driven economy effectively.  Designs must be highly adaptable and attractive to the end user.  For instance, a successful Eco-friendly vehicle would have a solar panel on the top of the car, a battery plug in on one side of the car, and port for filling bio-fuel on the other side.  By giving the end user a variety of options you make the vehicle more attractive and marketable.  With a mix of wind, solar, hydroelectric, and wave energy, these bio-fuels can allow society to end its dependence on fossil fuels.

civitas.org.uk

The one thing that is lacking in the discussion is a solution that does not put Automotive or Energy Companies in a defensive posture.  Actually, an Energy and Automotive Company partnership would have the greatest chance of successfully designing, building, marketing, and distributing bio-fuel cars to the marketplace.  A partnership like this makes sense because the organizations have a symbiotic relationship with each other.  This partnership would also allow both organizations to reduce the risk inherent in a significantly challenging investment.  Ironically, there are already some groups trying to figure out how to produce bio-fuels out of organic waste.  Mass producing such a concept would help drive the conversion from gasoline/diesel to bio-fuels.

Clean Energy: Why It Is Not Catching On As Fast As It Could and What We Can Do About It

Clean Energy: Why It Is Not Catching On As Fast As It Could and What We Can Do About It

Necessity remains the catalyst of all invention.  The need for clean energy has become greater and greater each passing day.  This need has brought rise to an increase in the use of solar panels, wind turbines, and fuel cells.  All of these technologies allow the user to obtain energy at a fraction of the cost of conventional energy costs.  More importantly, these energy sources are renewable and reduce, or prevent, further damage to the environment.  Surprisingly, these technologies have not become ubiquitous in modern everyday life.

Chinneeb

Usually, the individuals and business that can afford the initial investment of these technologies are the ones who are able to benefit from them.  Conversely, the ones who need the cost savings from such technology, the financially dependent people and the struggling small businesses, are the ones who cannot afford the initial technological investment.  When credit is tight it can be especially difficult to obtain the financing to purchase these technologies.  The willingness to invest in a piece of equipment instead of having a financial safety net can be tough even when an individual, or business, has saved the required capital to purchase these technologies.

Andol

After purchase, the cost of maintenance can also be a challenge.  Also, finding the correct parts and services can be difficult due to the rarity of these products in normal residential and commercial settings.  Though being kind to the environment is appealing the lack of financial attractiveness can derail any plans of utilizing renewable energy.  The cost of insuring these pieces of equipment from natural, and man-made, hazards is rarely mentioned in product literature.  No government entity, or private organization, has been able to implement a comprehensive plan to increase the use of these technologies even with the understanding that there needs to be something done to protect the environment.

R.Dervisoglu

Solving the dearth of renewable energy use will require the proper mix of tools to be affective.  First, power companies need to get into the business of selling this equipment to the public and then making their revenue through maintenance.  Second, when a business or an individual purchases this equipment they should be able to claim that on their tax return.  Finally, when an individual or person has excess energy that is placed on to the grid they should be able to earn tax free income from its use.  Utilizing all three of these concepts together will drive the market into a more environmentally friendly direction.