Portal talk:Energy/Explore

Geothermal rubric problems

Within the main banner of Renewable energy there is a heading Geothermal power illustrated with a cut-out of the Earth showing the centre of the Earth. Underneath is a link to the hot dry rock article which is entirely appropriate as the heat source is the centre of the earth.

However, under this same heading are listed articles on Earth Warming Tubes and "Geothermal Heat Pumps". This is entirely inappropriate because none of the energy for either of these comes from the centre of the Earth - all of the energy comes from the heat of the sun stored in the surface layer of the Earth. Although the term "Geothermal heat pump" is used for marketing purposes, instead of the more accurate term "ground source heat pump", this confusion should not be perpetrated in an Encyclopedia by listing a ground source heat pump under a totally misleading heading.

A more appropriate heading for both "Earth tubes" and "GSHP" would be "Ground source energy". To be strictly accurate the logical heading for these is one that already exists: "Solar power".

--Spitfired (talk) 10:07, 28 December 2008 (UTC)[reply]

solar power satellite (and others) missing

Currently a good bit of power is being generated using sunlight and used to run the various satellites in orbit. In prospect is a substantially increased use of this source in the form of solar power satellites. Articles on these topics should be added to this category. Since I haven't mastered the machinery behind the scenes, I'll leave this to others. ww (talk) 02:45, 11 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Suggestion

The Environmental Impacts section seems to be under the Fossil Fuels section. This seems to me to be somewhat misleading. Dams used for hydro-power can change the course of rivers or other water sources and negatively affect the nearby environment, and places downstream. Making bio-fuels requires cutting down plants, which would otherwise have helped with reducing carbon levels. Windmills can hurt many birds that fly though the area they are in. And these are just some environmental impacts with renewable power sources that I can think of off the top of my head. I am definitely pro-renewable power, but I still think that placing environmental impacts right beneath fossil fuels only is misleading. I wanted to say this in case someone has any objections, and also because I'm not really good with behind-the-scenes stuff. :) JonathanHopeThisIsUnique (talk) 19:44, 23 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]