The Main Types Of Renewable Energy We Make Today
As the world reaches its energy crisis we need to reduce our dependence on non-renewable energy sources, and start generating renewable energy on a massive scale. To date there are four main types of renewable energy that we can produce: wind power, solar power, hydro power, and geothermic power.
As the world reaches its energy crisis we need to reduce our
dependence on non-renewable energy sources, and start generating
renewable energy on a massive scale.
To date there are four main types of renewable energy that we can
produce: wind power, solar power, hydro power, and geothermic power.
Wind Power: Wind turbines have been around for
millennia, further back than the birth of Christ. Over the years they
have been used to pump water, drag boats and grind flour. But at the
turn of the industrial revolution, wind turbines were made to produce
electricity.
Although many people envision windmills as those ornate ones in
Holland or the small wind-pumps on farms, they have been developed
tremendously in the past decade. Now wind turbines are able to generate
thousands of megawatts of power, and when used on a small scale at
home, wind power can substitute conventional energy sources, helping
households to get off the grid.
Solar Power: The sun is the most readily available
form of energy there is, so we should be using it to a larger extent.
And as technology advances, households are provided with a number of
ways to harness the power of the sun. These ways include solar
electricity, solar heaters, solar dryers and solar cookers.
With solar electric and heating systems, they are both
cost-effective, good for the environment, they require little
maintenance and help you save on your utility bills. Solar cookers are
very healthy way of cooking food, since they cook the food at a lower
temperature-helping to retain its vitamins and minerals. They are also
very portable, making them ideal for travelers and campers.
Hydro Power: Initially hydro or water power was
used industrially to rivers and waterfalls to power waterwheels that
would then be used to move water for irrigation or grind flour.
Today hydro power is used in dams to produce electricity for
households and businesses. Hydro-electric power is generate on a large
scale where dammed up water is channeled through turbines, which spins
a dynamo as it gushes through. The best example of hydro-electric power
would be the Hoover Dam, which was built to provide electricity to Las
Vegas. In fact hydro-electric power is efficient is popular nowadays
that it accounts for over 90% of the worlds renewable energy.
There have been some social and environmental concerns about
building dams for hydroelectricity since entire village and communities
are flooded by the dam, and the walls prevent certain species of fish
from swimming upstream to spawn.
Geothermal Power: Geothermal power is typically
produced in areas with ongoing volcanic activity, where magma is
relatively close to the surface. One such area is Iceland, where a
large proportion of its power is produced from volcanic geysers.
Here, large power plants are built over the geysers, where hot
fast-moving steam from the geysers drives large turbines to make
electricity. To speed up the process, water is sometimes pumped back
into the geysers to make more steam, which is then used to drive the
turbines once again, thus making it an endless cycle.
Well , this concludes our brief overview of the 4 main types of
renewable energy. You can find out more in-depth information on each
type by reading our other articles or browsing our website in the link
below.
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