Introduction
Essential devices for generating electricity in a pinch, electric generators serve in a variety of situations, from keeping the lights on when there’s a power outage to supplying power for outdoor excursions and industrial operations. But not all of these life-giving generators are created equal. Some are “greener” than others. A solar panel, for one, can be just about as eco-friendly as it gets, until we figure out how to draw power from the Danube without resorting to evil witchcraft. But what of the more portable variety? There is, by now, a small selection of gas-guzzling “green” electric generators on the market competing against your more standard, gas-guzzling generators. Don’t power up your wind turbine and prepare to draft a lofty think piece for Greenpeace just yet. Both are engines for the generation of electricity, and both engines burn fossil fuels in order to accomplish this task. That isn’t good for the environment, no matter how clean you might think your diesel engine is.
Environmental Impact
Eco-friendly and conventional electric generators differ most significantly in terms of the environmental effects they generate. Fossil fuel generators, which are the kitchen-sink energy system of last resort, have rapid air pollution and climate change payoff. Producing electricity from natural gas certainly isn’t “clean,” and burning it in distributed systems is at best a stopgap toward a surely calamitous future. And that’s not even counting oil shale and tar sands, the products of a coming oil war.
In contrast, fuel cells, solar power generators, and any other kind of electricity generator based on renewable resources produce no pollution at all during use, which makes them by far the most sustainable and renewables-friendly choice.
Fuel Sources
The old kind of generator always needs a flow of fossil fuels. This supply is liable to be intermittent and, by most figures, costly—though in our time, as at any other, the price is mainly set by the oil and gas industry, which operates at a safe distance from the traditional generators it powers. Then too, the “extraction and transport costs associated with these fuels” (to quote one respected quantity) “are not environmentally benign”—the mild phrase used by a panel of experts in an Atlantic Council report issued in 2009.
Cost-Effectiveness
Although they may appear to be a bit more expensive at first, eco-friendly generators certainly make up for this with their long-term cost-effectiveness. A conventional generator, for instance, relies on routine fuel purchases; these add up over time. Meanwhile, the complex engines and moving parts in traditional generators make for higher-than-average maintenance costs. The few fuel “ingredients” needed for an eco-friendly generator are available for free or the price of energy needed to collect it. Also, many of today’s devices use native energy forms. Plus, “sabre rattlers” who say wind and solar power would be bad for the environment often forget that traditional generators are more friendly to the Earth in only one regard — the way they burn up fuel.
Noise and Convenience
Generators that use traditional methods can be noisy, and this is especially the case in situations where people are residing or having activities outdoors. For instance, when people go camping, they like to have generators as a backup power supply, but the noise pollution generated by those machines can take out the fun and excitement of being in such a place. Eco-friendly generators, by contrast, hardly make any noise and some may not make any noise at all. For example, a generator that operates using solar panels or wind power resources often generates only a slight hum.
Conclusion
The decision might seem obvious when you consider the choice between “green” (or eco-friendly) and traditional power, but it’s one that individuals and businesses must make on a regular basis. Eco-friendly generators now offer a sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible solution to power generation.
They’ve actually made the decision an easy one. Even very serious power production now can be achieved without using any carbon-based fuels and without releasing any sort of noxious greenhouse gasses into the air. The tech has advanced to the point where eco-friendly power can serve as the base for just about any part of the power grid and in just about size power demand situations you could dream up.
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