Alternate Sources of Energy Which Produce Electricity

Ever since the latter half of the 20th century, we have been told about the importance of preserving our environment. It is no secret that fossil fuels are not only expensive, but are also negatively affecting the planet. Luckily, scientists all over the world have discovered alternate sources of energy that, if put into practice, may one day eliminate our need for oil.

Solar Energy

• According to the Pembina Institute, "Every year, the sun irradiates the land masses on earth with the equivalent of 19,000 billion tons of oil equivalent (toe)." What is even more surprising, however, is that we only need 9 billion toe to provide energy for the entire world. In other words, 20 minutes of solar energy has the potential to power the whole planet for a year. It is harnessed in three ways. The first is called passive solar, which involves using special windows and special designs to trap more heat. Doing this can cut your heating bill in half. The second method is solar heat collectors. This is specifically used to harness large amounts of solar power to generate energy for heating and cooling. The final form of using solar energy is called photovoltaic, or PV for short. Using large solar panels to trap the sun's energy, it transforms this power into electricity to be used on a daily basis. At first, only satellites used them, but today, they can be purchased for large scale or home use.

Wind Energy

• Wind energy is a form of solar energy, because wind is generated by the sun's uneven heating of the atmosphere. Like solar energy, wind energy can be used to power things like businesses, homes and schools. It is collected by devices called wind turbines. The propeller is much like that of an aircraft, spinning and then transferring that motion to a generator, which in turn creates electricity; however, there are disadvantages. First, it is initially quite expensive to build the towers. Second, while they do not pollute like power plants, they sometimes can cause noise that affects animals. Third, wind energy is not easy to transport and cannot be stored, which means that if there is no wind on any given day, then there is no power. Regardless, the benefits are significant, reducing 2.5 billion pounds of carbon monoxide and 15 million pounds of other pollutants per year.

Hydroelectric Energy

• Hydroelectric energy involves harnessing moving water to turn it into electricity. It is extremely efficient and is even used to power whole cities. Dams are constructed, and the force of the falling water hits a turbine that powers a generator. In terms of production, its efficiency rate is 90 percent. This means 90 percent of the potential energy caused by moving water is collected and used. Compare this to the 50 percent efficiency rate of fossil fuel plants and you can see how useful it is.

  Hydroelectric is also responsible for generating 97 percent of the world's alternate energy. The U.S. uses it as 81 percent of all renewable energy sources. It reduces the need for oil by 22 billion gallons of oil, and the need for coal by 120 million tons every year. Unfortunately, dams have an impact on the environment, as they prevent the water from moving silt and other natural substances that help feed nutrients to the rivers and surrounding land. They also can be unpleasant to the eye. Nevertheless, its impact is significantly less than fossil fuels, making it an excellent source of alternative energy.

Hydrogen Energy

• Every year, the United States produces 100 billion cubic feet of hydrogen to be applied for industrial reasons. The U.S. itself uses about 50 million pounds of it. Hydrogen's power can be harnessed on its own or made into fuel cells for generators and cars. The best part is that unlike fossil fuels that pollute the air, hydrogen's only emission is water. As a result, hydrogen actually cleans the air. Unlike solar, wind and hydroelectric power, hydrogen fuel cells use no moving parts. Instead, they rely on a complex chemical reaction. The biggest concern with hydrogen is its tendency to be quite explosive, but even with that in mind, the benefits still outweigh the costs.