Alternative Electric Sources – A Foil To Fossil Fuels

Education of the masses with regards to alternative electricity sources is the primary goal of advocates keen for renewable energy to be used more throughout the world. Most energy is produced by burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas, over 75%. Estimates suggest that nuclear power accounts for about 20% of electricity and the rest is created from renewable energy sources. It is possible to produce electricity from biomass, geothermal power, wind power and solar energy and this has far more wide ranging benefits for the environment.

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The principle behind electricity production is to keep the movement of a magnet around a conductor. This can be achieved by having two conductors in salt water, shining a light on the conductors or by touching the conductors together. The energy produced to keep the electricity moving comes from absorbing energy or energy collected for burning fuels. This energy is needed to keep the copper wire found between two magnets spinning as this is the most common form of electricity generation and delivery.

Wind power is one of the best forms of renewable energy but one of the least utilized. This is unfortunate as much of the electricity needed by the United States could be supplied by wind power, but knowledge of it's effectiveness if growing. Wind power is probably the most environmentally friendly source of electricity and also one of the more efficient as it produces more electricity than many other renewable resource for a small amount of wind power.

Solar power is about converting solar light into electricity. This is a much documented source of electricity that has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years. Home solar systems and even commercial units are gaining in popularity as the prices come down and the incentives go up.

Converting your home to solar energy either on a piece meal basis or completely is an option form many homeowners and after the initial up front costs the benefits of reduced or even no electricity bills will be worth the effort. The initial installation costs can be out of reach of many people but as more tax breaks and other incentives are introduced by governing bodies this becomes less of an issue.

Hydropower generates electricity from the kinetic energy stored in moving water, so whenever you venture past a dam you will also notice an electricity generator or station nearby. Falling water that passes through a turbine created mechanical energy that can be transformed to electricity. The classic instance of this ocurring was in Niagara Falls when a mouse caused a large black out by chewing through a wire. You can also get a hydro electric generator to make electricity form a running source of water that may be on your land.

Biodiesel is increasingly being used to substitue for petroleum and more heavy gas guzzlers like long haul truckers are converting to biodiesel. Biodiesel is produced from animal fats and vegetable oils and was first used in 1895. Almost any vehicle that uses a combustion enegine for power can be converted to use biodiesel, though if you go down this road you may find your car smelling like French fries if you use straight vegetable oil!

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Renewable Energy Sources

Traditional, fossil fuels like oil, coal and natural gas are a limited resource. With time, it will become harder to find and remove these resources out of the ground and this cost will be passed onto the consumers. There will be no change in this trend as more of these resources get used up. And this is not the only cost of using fossil fuels. Many people feel that they have caused many of the environmental problems that we are beginning to witness today and ultimately will be paid for by 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. Many people are quite familiar with solar power and it is not uncommon to see many a neighbors house with a solar panel on the roof. To this extent, mankind has always known about the Sun’s energy and used it is one way or another since the first civilizations where established, however it is only fairly recently that it has advanced to the stage that we are at 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.

Using light energy is still a fairly new innovation by comparison. The photo voltaic cell (PV cell) is the technology that makes this happen. 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 it is that photons in sunlight hit the PV cell causing an electron to be displaced from the atom. 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).

Another popular renewable energy option is wind power. 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 towering structure that uses the power of the wind to turn a number blades. The kinetic energy is utilized by the generator to create electricity. Many developed and developing countires are increasing their production of wind turbines each year. They promise to deliver clean and cheaper ways 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 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 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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