In general, there are at least five major categories of renewable sources. Generally speaking, these are wind power, solar power, biofuels, geothermal power, and hydropower. Together, they all have quite a range of uses and would act as an excellent direct replacement to non-renewable options in today’s world. This post takes a closer look at these main types of renewable energy.
The first major category is fossil fuels, which are basically carbon-based fuels that are used to generate electricity. One of the primary problems with using fossil fuels is the emissions that are released into the atmosphere. As a result, it has become something of a problem to run vehicles that use fossil fuels on our roads and highways. Unfortunately, this problem will only grow worse as more people begin to drive cars. However, it’s an excellent opportunity for renewable sources such as wind and solar power to enter the picture as an excellent way to help the environment.
With regard to the energy source known as fossil fuels, it is important to recognize that although it is very powerful in and of itself, it is not without its problems. For example, it is currently the leading cause of the greenhouse effect on the planet. Fossil fuels release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when burned, meaning that a large portion of Earth’s atmospheric carbon dioxide is produced through the burning of fossil fuels. However, one of the biggest reasons why renewable sources of energy make sense is because they tend to be much better for the environment overall when compared to fossil fuels.
The second major category of renewable energy sources is the solar sector. There are two good reasons for this. First of all, solar energy can be collected in solar cells, which allows it to be stored for later use. Also, solar panels on a home or other structure absorb photons from the sun that then pass on to an electric generator that causes a current to be produced. This type of renewable energy has very limited environmental impact because no fossil fuels are used in the collection process or generation process.
One other option that is becoming very popular as an alternative to traditional forms of renewable energy is the idea of generating electricity from the heat of the air. Air heat pumps work by using the principles of thermodynamics in order to produce electricity. Air heat pumps take warm outside air and warm it up so that it can be replaced by cold water, which is then used to produce electricity. While air heat pumps have very limited environmental impact, they do have some significant drawbacks.
One major drawback of using air heat pumps to heat your house is that you can expect your annual energy bill to increase for the next several years due to the rising cost of natural gas and petroleum. As more people become aware of this problem, more homes and businesses will install such systems to reduce their reliance on expensive fossil fuels. Another option that has become popular as a way to harness renewable energy is the use of wind turbines. Wind turbines are powered by the force of wind, which requires relatively little maintenance. The wind spins the blades of the wind turbine, which turns the pulley which spins the electrical generator and allows it to produce electricity.
While these two options are certainly viable choices when it comes to harnessing renewable energy, they both have their drawbacks. In the case of the wind energy source, your neighbors may be annoyed with the noise. In the case of the water heating option, you will need to install pumps to bring the water to the house. For many homeowners, one of the biggest disadvantages of these two types of alternative energy sources is that they are not cost effective. Even though they generate free electricity, you will need to pay for the initial cost of purchasing the equipment and then maintain it over the life of the unit.
With residential and small-scale industrial applications, the most cost-effective way to go about harnessing renewable power is through a green project. Green projects are projects that use sustainable and recycled materials to create or produce electricity or other forms of renewable power. One of the best types of green projects is a grid-tied hydroelectric dam. Damming up a river or stream is an inexpensive way to create nonrenewable electricity for commercial and residential uses.