HYBRID ENERGIES Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HYBRID ENERGIES - Research Paper Example The most striking feature is its very low negative impact on the environment, especially of the small hydropower plants (Our Energy, 2010). This is because the large-scale plants, although producing no waste products like gases and fumes, effect the surrounding ecology by disrupting the ecosystem and laying a waste to the soil in terms of agriculture (Our Energy, 2010). Hence, of late, the small-scale power plants, which can be set up on local water supply pipelines and, therefore, not radically shifting the ecosystem, are preferred (Our Energy, 2010). Another near-zero negative impact hybrid energy comes from the solar thermal technology (Solar Thermal Energy, 2008). This is the most favored form of the hybrid energies, and is increasingly becoming cheaper than the conventional fuels to both harness and maintain (Solar Thermal Energy, 2008). The point focus form of this technology is much more efficient than the other forms, almost double the efficiency (Solar Thermal Energy, 2008). This means that to produce the same amount of energy, it will have the least negative balance on the environment. The highest negative balance on the environment comes from the burning of fossil fuels (Postnote, 2006). Even from among these traditional fuels, coal has the highest carbon footprint, reaching to a level of more than 1,000 gCO2eq/kWh (Postnote, 2006).