Renewable Energy Systems
Traditional, carbon based resources like coal, natural gas and oil are finite. As they get harder to find and extract from the ground the price to use these resources will go up. There will be no change in this trend as more of these resources get used up. And there is another, potentially more serious, cost to using these types of fuels. These fuels are though to be a leading contributor to our current environmental problems like global warming and may leave an uncertain world for future generations. So what other alternatives exist to using these traditional forms of energy generation. This article will cover a few of the alternative energy sources that are being touted as practical solutions both commercially and for the individual homeowner.
The first alternative energy source to be covered is solar energy. It has been around for quite a while now and most people have seen the odd solar panel on a neighbors roof. In fact, mankind has always used the Sun’s energy in one form or another for thousands of years but only in the last 50 years has it really taken off as we know it now.
Currently we use the Sun’s heat and light to get usable energy.
Heat energy provided by the sun is used for many things like heating water, heating a room or cooking food. As the Sun’s heat was tangible, the inspiration for using it as an energy resource was not a great leap of the imagination. Indeed, it was probably used in many ancient civilizations as an energy resource and might explain why so many of these civilizations worshiped it as a god.
Harnessing energy from sunlight is still a relatively new discovery by comparison. The technology developed to do this is called the photovoltaic (PV) cell. The idea was first tested in the late 19th century however it wasn’t produced and sold until the middle to late 20th century.
The principle behind this is that photons in sunlight give the individual atoms in the PV cell enough energy to displace a spare electron. Many cells and more sunlight cause more electrons to flow. This is the principle of direct current (DC). Direct current can be used to power appliances (that run on DC), stored in a battery or converted to alternating current (AC).
Wind power is another source of renewable energy that is becoming popular. I think this is because it is fairly well understood by most people as a concept. It may also be because plenty of wind turbines are popping up all over the countryside.
A wind turbine, much like the windmills of old, uses the wind to turn blades. The kinetic energy is utilized by the generator to create electricity. Countries such as Germany, Denmark and the United States are increasing the number of wind turbines every year. They represent a clean and cheap way to create energy.
Wind turbines can also be built, on a smaller scale, by the individual homeowner. It is quite simple to build a windmill or turbine from scratch or a pre-built variety can be purchased. Before this is done, it is important to ascertain the amount of wind you get and have a clear unobstructed place for the turbine to go. You may also want to notify your neighbors that you are erecting a turbine as it could be an issue with some people.
Other renewable energy systems utilize the kinetic energy of water to create electricity. This is hydro-power and a dam is an obvious example of this process in action. Geothermal energy can also be used to some extent. The principle behind this is that the molten core of the earth can heat up water which can be used as is or to create electricity.
