Alternative Energy, What Is it?
Home Improvement September 10th, 2008There are a lot of energy resources which are going largely untapped. If we could develop the necessary technologies to take advantage of these resources, we could begin to move away from fossil fuels and indeed, the existing electrical grid by using these alternative sources of energy.
One such source is wind power. This is an old idea, but one which has developed to the point where it is a cost effective energy source. Some countries have begun building “wind farms” to harness this energy - out of the paths of migratory birds; which has been a problem in the past.
One of the better known alternative energy sources is solar energy. Solar energy involves using solar cells which can store the energy received from the sun and transform this into electricity (or sometimes, the heat is used to heat water for homes). Solar energy, like wind power, creates no pollution.
Governments and investors are looking into the possibilities of ocean wave energy. Already successfully in use in France and in the experimental phase in Ireland and the U.K., this may prove to be a growing source of energy in the future.
Hydroelectric power has been around for some time. This is a clean and efficient way to generate electricity; bu8t does have the limitation that not every place has a large dam for the purpose of hydroelectric power generation. Small regional hydroelectric stations have been built - and you can expect this alternative energy source to be part of the overall energy production strategy for the foreseeable future.
Geothermal energy has a lot of potential. This is an energy source which lies largely untapped right under our feet - the heat of the Earth’s core turns water into steam, which can drive turbines to produce electrical power. More research and development must be done on geothermal power, but there is great promise here.
Waste gas energy, mostly from methane is unique in that it turns what is normally seen as a waste product into energy. Methane can be used in fuel cells and even in gasoline powered generators to produce energy.
Ethanol, a gasoline substitute made from vegetable matter including corn, sugarcane and even wood chips is somewhat controversial - many doubt that it can really become a serious replacement for petroleum based fuels since it requires a large amount of raw materials which would otherwise generally be a food source; however, ethanol extraction is in a continual state of improvement and may become more viable in the future.
Biodiesel is a much cleaner burning alternative to petroleum based fuels and is created from plant oils such as rapeseed, soybean and sunflower oils. This is not yet produced on a large scale, but some corporations with the facilities to do so are taking notice of this relatively new technology.
Atomic energy is created through nuclear fission. This is an efficient and cost effective means of energy production; but there is some concern about the waste product, which is toxic and radio active and takes hundreds of years to become inert.
