9 Responses to “What is the most efficient renewable energy source?”

1. Evil Genius Says:
   June 24th, 2008 at 12:31 am

   This would probably be hydroelectricity. Such plants use the same principles as any other power plant to convert energy of motion into electricity. Solar, is only about 30% efficient, being that it runs on heat only. Wind is unreliable. The river flows ever on…

2. kicking_back Says:
   June 25th, 2008 at 11:45 pm

   The ocean because the tides are constant and the waves are a bonus.

3. sam_umarji Says:
   June 28th, 2008 at 8:51 pm

   sun is most renewable source of energy.
   sun continuous to exist even when earth is destroyed.

4. Kilroy Says:
   June 29th, 2008 at 12:51 pm

   The sun doesn’t run -just- on heat, it runs on light. However, the sun is only there during the day, which is a bummer. The cool thing about it is that it’s free… and no pollution…

   I don’t know, there are several options that are certainly more environmentally friendly than what we are currently using, for instance, water, wind, sun, …

5. crabby_blindguy Says:
   July 1st, 2008 at 11:52 pm

   From the standpint of cost–hydroelectric power. that is, of course, limited–and already utilized to a great extent.

   Of possible alternatives, probably solar–the initial cost is still fairly high–but the operating cost is nil.

   Of alternative “portable” energy sources (i.e., for cars) probably ethanol.

6. SQUACKER Says:
   July 2nd, 2008 at 5:06 am

   Air movement. Easy to harness and inexpensive to implement.
   Also very environment friendly.

7. slew Says:
   July 4th, 2008 at 8:28 pm

   Yes its Hydro electric, but it has been delisted as being environmentally friendly. It kills fish. I think geo-thermal is next up. Wind is third. Solar isn’t worth mentioning. I’m measuring efficiency by cost of developping and maintaining the energy source. Every dollar you put in, you get this many watts. And in response to wind being unpredictable, so is solar. There might be clouds in the sky too. I like wind the best, since Geothermal is severly limited by sites. You could tell which is the most cost effective, by what percent of our energy comes from that pareticular source. By the way, we could also make nuclear plant renewable too. I think we can build feeder plants that continously regenerates transuranium. Its not very environmentally friendly.

8. implosion13 Says:
   July 7th, 2008 at 1:48 pm

   if by efficient you mean the one with the highest power yield to our technological level, its hydro power. there’s more force in moving water than wind, so water can turn very heavy turbines. hydro power can operate at all times of the day whatever the season or weather, which can affect wind and solar a lot.

9. stratoframe Says:
   July 10th, 2008 at 9:50 pm

   Air pressure,established in a water column, harnased with the help of a negative atmosphere.

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