Energy-Quest (formerly ''The Hydrogen Expedition'') was an

organization An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived f ...

launched in 2005 that sought to educate the public about the risks of an impending

energy crisis An energy crisis or energy shortage is any significant bottleneck in the supply of energy resources to an economy. In literature, it often refers to one of the energy sources used at a certain time and place, in particular, those that supply n ...

due to the current worldwide dependence on

fossil fuels A fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals that is extracted and burned as a fuel. The main fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels ma ...

and the benefits of

energy conservation Energy conservation is the effort to reduce wasteful energy consumption by using fewer energy services. This can be done by using energy more effectively (using less energy for continuous service) or changing one's behavior to use less service (f ...

and the use of

renewable energy sources Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

. It intended to do so through a series of three record-setting ocean voyages: # The

Earthrace MY ''Ady Gil'' (formerly ''Earthrace'') was a , wave-piercing trimaran originally created as part of a project to break the world record for circumnavigating the globe in a powerboat. Powered by biodiesel fuel, the vessel was also capable of ...

# The Aurora Expedition # The Triton Expedition Started and staffed by

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

students, the project was endorsed by several organizations and prominent individuals.

The Earthrace

The Earthrace will be an attempt to break the speed record for circumnavigating the globe in a

powerboat A motorboat, speedboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gea ...

while using only renewable fuels. It is being supported by over 100

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

, and is led by

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

er Pete Bethune. Energy-Quest is providing organizational and fundraising assistance to the Earthrace in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

The Aurora Expedition

The Aurora Expedition will involve an around-the-world voyage in a powerboat which, at 20 ft, will be the smallest vessel of its kind to ever complete such a journey. Due to its limited fuel capacity, the ''Aurora'' will rely on advanced fuel-efficient technologies for propulsion. Energy-Quest thus seeks to incorporate highly clean and efficient

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...

solar cell A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and chemical phenomenon.

s, and

wind turbine A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each yea ...

s into this design. ''Aurora'' will stop at over forty major ports around the world, where she will showcase the cleanest and most efficient energy technologies available at the time, and her crew will promote the widespread use of such technologies. Ultimately, the Aurora Expedition is intended as a stepping stone towards the completion of the organization's final and most important endeavor – the Triton Expedition.

The Triton Expedition

The Triton Expedition will be the first circumnavigation of the world by a boat powered solely by a

hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic ...

fuel cell. ''Triton'' will stop at major destinations around the world, where her crew will meet with local political and industrial leaders to promote the importance of alternative energy development. Through ''Tritons voyage, Energy-Quest hopes to generate international

media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...

attention, and in this way stimulate the development of a renewable energy-based

hydrogen economy The hydrogen economy is using hydrogen to decarbonize economic sectors which are hard to electrify, essentially, the "hard-to-abate" sectors such as cement, steel, long-haul transport etc. In order to phase out fossil fuels and limit climate ch ...

History

The project was started in the summer of 2005 by Joseph F. Sahid, a graduate of the Phillips Exeter Academy and currently a sophomore at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

. He soon was joined by other volunteers, and an official team was rapidly assembled. The Energy Quest program has now been discontinued.

Endorsements

Organisations who officially endorse the Hydrogen Expedition:
Bluewater NetworkNational Hydrogen Association of AustraliaSave the Planet USAEnvironment ColoradoItalian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell AssociationHydrogenBoyz

References

{{Reflist

External links

Earthrace website

References

Renewable energy organizations