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Different Types of Renewable Energy

By Scott Harker
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The world today is run mostly on oil, but eventually oil will run out. Or, at the least, oil will become too expensive to just burn and will be reserved for use in manufacturing only - petro-chemicals, plastics and the like.

The world is beginning to look in earnest for alternative and renewable energy sources.

What kinds of renewable energies are there?

Solar Energy – Solar power is basically harnessing sunlight. The sun is the single most powerful source of energy that we can access. The sun has been powering life on this planet for over 4 Billion years. Sunlight is free and abundant. Methods of using Solar Energy include:

Photo-voltaic Cells - From tiny panels on calculators to giant panels at solar power plants. Photo voltaic cells convert sunlight direclty into electricity.
Parabolic Mirrors - Parabolic mirrors concentrate rays from the sun into narrow beams of light, like magnefying glass. The beams heat water, creating steam that is used turn turbines and create electricity.
Fiber Optic Light Sources - Cables of fiber optic materials are used to transport sunlight through building and around corners. And thus light up rooms in areas that windows cannot be placed.

Wind Energy – Wind power takes advantage of the movement of air from one place to another. Electricity is produced when the vanes on windmills are turned by the wind. Wind energy is free and clean. It is very efficient in producing power especially at places where the wind blows steadily. Current predictions are that wind power will eventually supply as much as 20% of the nation’s total electric consumption.

Wind farms with large megawatt windmills are beginning to dot the landscape across the country. I suspect that eventually tiny wind turbines will also be placed on houses and other building to producde energy for the electric grid.

Hydroelectric Energy – Hydroelectic power is created by placing dams across rivers and streams. Water is allow to flow through channels in the dams that house turbines. As blades are rotated in the turbines, elecricity is produced. Most geographic areas where dams can be placed have already been developed. New dams Will be expensive and have environmental consequences that may mitigate the additional energy that can be produced.

Ocean Energy – The water movement in the world's oceans and seas hold a tremondous potential to provide for humanity's energy needs. This power is currently being harnessed in the following ways:

Tidal Power - Similar to hydroelectric power - dams, walls or other types of barriers containing turbines are placed across inlets, bays or other parts of shorelines to take advantage of the coming and going of the tides. As the tide moves in and out and through these structures, electricity is produced. Such power plants are expensive to build, have some enviormental risks to marine life and are limited due to geographic scarcity where such "tidal dams" can be built. Improvements to current technology may open this area up.
Wave Energy - Wave Power takes advantage of the up and down movement of ocean water, ie, waves. Buoy, large and small, containing pistons are attached to the ocean floor (near shorlines). As these buoys bob up and down the pistons move, turning an electric generator. Cables connected to the buoys transmit this electricty to the grid.This type of renewable energy has a great, untapped potential. Just imagine if all the buoys now floating in the oceans, seas and bays tapped the Wave Energy!

Biomass – This alternative energy comes from animal waste, agricultural crops, grains, wood, mill residues, forest underbrush and trash. Biomass is transformed into more usuable form as:

Trash Power Plants - Power plants at landfills burn methane produced by biomass decompostion to make electricity. Some of these power plants also burn trash directly including paper and wood products as well as plants such as leaves, grass clippings, etc. Due to contamination from hazardous wastes, there are some limitations and what trash can be burned.
Ethanol - Plant and plant by products can be fermented to produce alcohol usually in the form of ethanol. Some crops, such as corn in the United States and sugar cane in Brazil, are grown just for the purpose of ethanol production. Ethanol is used to power motor vehicles and electric generators.
Biodiesel - Made from vegetable oils and animal fats, biodiesel can be used in diesel engines and oil heaters as well as a lubricate. All the fast food vegetable oils that used to be thrown away can now be turned into a clean burning fuel.

Geothermal Energy - Geothermal power uses the heat found in magma as it flows close to the Earth's surface. Think of the geyser, "Old Faithful" in Yellowstone National Park. The heat that powers the geyser comes from molton rock. Geothermal power plants are located where hot springs can be found and turn steam into electricity.

Hydrogen Energy - Hydrogen is a renewable energy source that is created when electricity is used to seperate oxygen atoms from hydrogen atoms in water. The hydrogen atoms are collected and when burned as a fuel in cars, forexample, produces water as a by-product.

There are many kinds of renewable energies. In the future, humanity will have a reliable, consistent energy base to draw from. The cost of this energy will be stable and not dependent on a limited resource such as oil. Power will be provided through a combination of theSe different types of renewable energies fit to meet the needs particular geographic area and population.

Converting from a limited energy source such as oil to a renewable energy source such as those listed here will make the world a safer place and should be a National Priorty for every country on the planet.

Scott Harker is the publisher of several websites including sch subjects as Hybrid Cars, Charming Bath and Beauty Supplies, Aromatherapy, Yoga, Natural Healing and Taste of the Grape | Wine.


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