Friday, September 7, 2012

The many forms of alternative energy


There are indeed many forms of alternative energy, and with the effects of pollution and global warming increasingly clear and widespread, we need to look at these alternative forms of energy as a way to ease the threat of pollution and global warming.

We do a better job of harnessing alternative energy sources such as more Governments worldwide introduction of legislation and financial measures to help increase the implementation of these sources. But, there is still a lot of work to do, as so much more energy goes to waste than we are able to rest.
Take a look at the various forms of alternative energy and the benefits that they bring us.

Solar-energy
The Sun delivers more energy in one day than by the whole planet is used in a year. So, despite the fact that we begin to see solar energy is harvested more, there's a lot more energy available to us. Solar energy can be used in different ways. We will explore the most common.

-Photovoltaic Technology uses small amounts of Silicon that respond with light from the Sun to generate a small electrical charge. Solar panels are composed of cells that are composed of silicon and semiconductors.
-Solar thermal energy makes use of solar panels to heat water or air, which is then passed through a conductor such as pipes for the supply of heat to the required destination, such as a swimming pool.
-Passive solar energy can be as simple as opening curtains to the Sun's energy to heat a room, or as complicated as the design of a whole building heat to take thermal mass to facilitate storage and distribution.
-Parabolic mirrors are used for the production of steam, which in turn provides thermal heat.
The pros of solar-energy that the Sun abundant light and heat, all free offers; no pollutants are produced; There are few or no moving parts, so that these systems are virtually maintenance free.
The disadvantages are that the Sun is not always available; Some of the technology is expensive; a lack of knowledge of solar technology is preventing more rapid and widespread acceptance.

Wind Energy
The wind is deployed using wind towers. The wind turns the blades on the Tower, which, in turn, power machines (in the case of a wind mill) or an electric generator. Wind farms can be a lot of a Community electric needs.

The pros of wind power are that the wind is free to use; no pollutants are produced.
The disadvantages are that the availability of wind is unpredictable; mechanical failure is a possibility, wind towers are a thorn in the eye, such as wind parks.

Geothermal
Heat is produced from the rocks beneath the Earth heat water. Holes are drilled into these areas, that releasing steam jets used to drive turbines that produce electricity from generators.
The pros are that the plants can soon self-sufficient and small enough to have little or no effect on their environment; If carefully managed, no pollutants are produced.

The disadvantages are that pollutants as the geothermal energy is not checked can be produced; poor drilling can lead to toxic gases are released; energy supply to run dry.

Hydro-electricity
Hydro-electricity is produced from water pressure to power wheels or turbines that run generators to provide electricity is released. Dams are the clearest example of this, although the power of the tides, also known as tidal energy, is also used to generate electricity.

The pros of hydro-electricity are that the amount of power generated can be checked; water is reusable; It is pollutant-free; as long as water produce available is sufficient pressure, continuous power can be generated.
The disadvantages are that checkers large and expensive projects; As the water dries up, so the power; a shortage of suitable locations.

As the above shows, there are many forms of alternative energy, but these are probably the most common. The good thing is that we begin to more advantage of this as we work to reduce our dependence on the quickly dwindling supply of fossil fuels.

If these technologies are improved, they will be cheaper to install, making them more readily available to more people. And we have barely scratched the surface of what is possible with the future is only limited by our imagination. There is a huge amount of free energy out there waiting to be tapped; We just need to figure out the best ways of tapping.