Wind power, solar power, solar panels, solar energy, and alternative energy- over the years, these terms that have been bounced around on the news and as topics promoting ways to save money. But do you really know what each of these individual terms mean and how they can help save you money?
All About Wind Power, Solar Panels and Alternative Energy
For those of you who have seen the film "An Inconvenient Truth" - it was only when that documentary was released that the outcry for actually doing something to help save the environment increased. Why? Despite the existence of environmentalists, Greenpeace advocates and other organizations - the film opened many eyes to man's environmental dilemma to a worldwide audience.
This is actually a good thing, because now, almost all governments are rewarding its citizens with rebates and incentives when they use alternative energy sources to power their homes.
In essence, alternative energy comes from renewable sources of energy where the power of nature is harnessed so that the non-renewable fuel resources will not be depleted. Examples of alternative energy sources include:
o Solar energy
o Wind energy
o Geothermal energy
o Biomass
The good thing about these types of energy sources is that they are "clean" and renewable sources of energy.
Let's take wind energy as an example. A typical wind power system is one of those mini-windmills that we see - which comprise of a tower and five blades. What the system does is harness the power of the wind and turn it into useful electrical energy. Another example are solar panels. This is a structure which contains solar cells that collect rays of the sun and convert it into electric currents.
Today, you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on expensive solar panels - there are more cost-effective solar power generators available. Those who are looking for ways to generate wind power, use solar panels and learn more about alternative energy will be delighted to know that such a system already exists.