This page was created by:  Rey Medina & Leah Richter

Cost Analysis

Appropriate Technology

 

For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction according to Newton.  Renewable technology does not come without a price and its effects on the environment.  We find that for wind and biomass processing the specific environmental problems are the noise that those processes possess and the consumption of the land that those technologies need in order for them to thrive.  Another problem with these technologies is that both possess, is the social impact to the communities that surround such technologies. [2]

 

We find that most renewable technologies are not self sufficient but require maintenance and an educated people to govern such technologies.  There are tradeoffs however as in all engineering related applications, some of these technologies reacquire less maintenance than other but the price per kilowatt is higher than one that requires a lot of management.

 

           To understand the economic disadvantages of renewable technology see the disadvantage link.  Keep in mind as these technologies continue to develop the advantages of the technologies become more appealing from the modern technologically advanced countries down to the developing countries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure A: Renewable technology comparisons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[5]

 

Figure B:Cost Specs

 

 

 

 

           It would seem that wind energy is starting to almost compete with our current ways of producing electricity but of making and distributing windmills in a manageable fashion is not practical.

 

 

           The estimated costs of the upper bound technologies we find that the only noticeable difference between each renewable technology, with the exception of solar water heating is only a few cents.

 

 

            This means that with more research and as the current level of fossil fuels deplete I believe that eventually these technologies will balance each other out and after some time the renewable technologies will surpass our currently based systems of power.