What Is Alternative Energy

Mar.15, 2008 in Tech

There is numerous energy that we can harness if we only seek to research and develop the technologies needed to do so. We can get away from the fossil fuels and the old electrical grids by turning to alternatives to these energy sources.

One of these alternative energy resources is wind power. Wind turbines remain to be developed that are increasingly more energy efficient and less expensive. “Wind farms” have been arising in many countries, and they have even become more strategically stationed over time so that they are not threatening birds as former wind turbines did.

Another alternative energy resource is the one that is most familiar; solar energy. This involves the manufacturing of solar cells which accumulate and focus the energy given off directly by the sun, and render it into electricity or, in some cases, hot water. As with wind energy, solar energy produces absolutely zero pollution.

Ocean wave energy is seen by authorities and investors as having tremendous energy generating potential. A generator in France has been operating for several years now and is considered to be a great success, and the Irish and Scots are running experimental facilities.

Hydroelectric power has been with us for a while and where it is set up, it is a powerful electricity generator and cleaner than a grid. However, there are certain limitations to the availability of the right locations to set up a large dam. Many run-of-the-river, or small and localized, hydroelectric generators have been set up in recent times due to this limitation.

Geothermal energy is extremely abundant, since it lies directly beneath our feet, just a few miles beneath the earth’s surface. This energy is produced by the heating of water through the actions of earth’s fantastically hot molten core. The water turns to steam, which can be harnessed and used to drive turbine engines which in turn generate electricity. Great amounts of research and development should be assign into geothermal energy tapping.

photo credit: wombat fz50

Waste gas energy, which are essentially methane, reverse the usual energy-pollution relationship by producing energy from waste that lies in the dumps and from some air pollutants. This gas is utilized in fuel cells and can be applied in standard gasoline generators.

Ethanol is a gasoline substitute and is produced from such things as wheat, sugarcane, grapes, strawberries, corn, and even wood chips and wood cellulose. There is argument over this fuel with regards to its ever becoming really economical or practical except in very localized areas, but technologies for its extraction and admixturing are continuously being refined.

Biodiesel energy is produced out of the oils contained in plants. Until now, the commercial stores of biodiesel have been produced using soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower oils. At the time of this writing, biodiesel is commonly produced by entrepreneurial minded individuals or those who want to experiment with alternative energy, but commercial interest from companies is on the rise. It burns much cleaner than oil-based diesel.

Nuclear energy is created in nuclear energy plants using the process of nuclear fission. This energy is extremely efficient and can generate huge amounts of power. There is concern from some people about what to do with the relatively small amount of waste product nuclear energy gives off, since it is radioactive and takes hundreds of years to decay into harmlessness.

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