Alternative Renewable Energies

The world's dependence upon fossil fuels is stronger than it has ever been. This combined with growing energy demands, environmental concerns, and limited resources creates a very critical problem. Luckily, there are glimmers of light down the road, mostly through the means of renewable energy.

Solar Power

• Solar energy is one of the leaders of the "green" energy movement. For decades, solar energy has been available due to its unique ability to harness sunlight, converting it into usable electricity. Solar technology consists of a photovoltaic cell which captures the light and converts it into electricity, as well as an energy storage system, which holds converted electricity for later use.

  The obvious issue with solar power is lack of sunlight at night and often times, minimal sunlight at best, during the days depending on the location. This means solar panels must convert electricity extremely efficiently. Solar outdoor lights can be cut by as much as 50 percent in effectiveness during the winter months according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Wind Power

• Another resource is wind power. Windmills --- the instrument behind wind power --- consist of a large propeller and a turbine. The wind turns the propeller, which powers the turbine, generating electricity. Large wind-farms are built to create enough electricity to be useful in today's energy-hungry environment.

  One of the central problems with windmills is their reliability on consistent wind. Although relatively quiet, they also pose an aesthetic-nuisance to some local residents. An alternative option is wind-farms built at sea, well outside of human residences; these farms can also generate more electricity due to higher winds at sea.

BioMass

• Although renewable, "biomass" operates at a slower pace than wind and solar energy. Biomass utilizes organic material --- mainly plant matter --- to create electricity. The methodology behind biomass is burning the natural matter, creating steam to power turbines, ultimately supplying electricity.

  Plants are also used to make "cleaner" energy sources, such as bio-diesel and bio-ethanol. By processing the natural oils in organic material, plants can be combined to today's non-renewable energy sources to at least shift in the more "environmentally-friendly" direction regarding the release of harmful chemicals.

Hydrogen Power

• According to Popular Mechanics, "Pound for pound, hydrogen contains almost three times as much energy as natural gas." Although commonly thought of as a renewable energy source due to the abundance of hydrogen in the universe, hydrogen power is a bit of a misnomer. Efforts to shift towards hydrogen power over recent decades have failed because of the difficulties in creating hydrogen suitable for energy consumption. Hydrogen either needs to be split from water through electricity or derived from fossil fuels, both options not providing the results that will be necessary for tomorrow's leading energy source.