Traditional, carbon based resources like coal, natural gas and oil are finite. As it becomes more difficult to detect and extract from the earth, the costs to the consumer are sure to rise. This trend will continue if more resources continue to be used. And there are potentially more telling costs that come with using fossil 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 are the alternatives to these traditional sources of energy. 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.
At this point in time, the Sun's heat and light energy is utilized to make energy for consumption.
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.
Getting energy out of sunlight is still a fairly new development by comparison. The technology developed to do this is called the photovoltaic (PV) cell. The concept was first demonstrated in Victorian times but it was only first produced on a commercial basis in the 1970's.
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 how direct current (DC) electricity works. Direct current can be stored in a battery or used to power appliances that run on DC.
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 is a modern day windmill, it uses the power of the wind to turn blades. The kinetic energy is used to power a generator that creates electricity. Many developed and developing countires are increasing their production of wind turbines each year. They represent a clean and cheap way to create energy.
Wind turbines or mills are an option even in the suburban home and can be constructed quite cheaply. It is quite simple to build a windmill or turbine from scratch or a pre-built variety can be purchased. Before you even think about this however, you need to establish if there is enough wind to make it viable and locate a good spot in your yard for it 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 systems use water as the primary source of energy, utilizing the kinetic energy 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.
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