Generally speaking, there are at least five different kinds of renewable sources available for you to use. While each one of them can be used directly as an alternative to traditional sources of energy, none can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels. However, this is not really such a big deal because you can just imagine how much we would save just by using these alternative energy sources instead of using fossil fuels. In fact, it would be such a good thing to make such an investment because after all, the world needs energy, just like the rest of the living things in it. So, this article looks at the main types of renewable energy as well as how anyone can make use of them for their own home.
One of the first kinds of renewable electricity is basically what you can imagine – wind. Windmills can be seen everywhere and they are actually quite popular already. If you live in an area that gets a lot of wind, you might even be able to get a windmill as a back up to your regular power supply. This is mainly because wind power can not only save you money when it comes to producing electricity, but also it does not cost much to set up. Additionally, it is kind of environmentally friendly since wind energy produces no greenhouse gases.
Next is solar energy. In case you did not know, solar energy actually uses the sun’s power to convert into other types of energy. Now, most solar power systems do not actually create electricity directly from the sun’s rays. Instead, the rays themselves are converted into heat which can then be converted into the electricity that you need. So, this is one of the most efficient and the most effective forms of alternative energy that you can actually use.
Hydroelectric power on the other hand, is a type of method that uses water. This is usually created through dams which have huge amounts of water stored up there. Basically, the sun’s rays are converted into a form that can be used to produce electricity. However, this is a more expensive method since large dams need to be constructed in order for hydroelectric plants to be built.
You may also wonder what about moving water. Well, moving water is basically the waste product of chemical processes. And while the process itself is not really very complex, electricity can still be generated from it since it contains a lot of potential energy (that is, energy that has been concentrated to a low amount).
Another form of alternative energy that you may not have heard much about is ocean wave power. Ocean wave power basically sends out waves into the atmosphere, which travel along the surface of the earth. These waves then convert into electricity. Although this is not a new concept, it only came to the attention of the world market just recently because of the advancement of technology.
The other types of renewable sources that people tend to forget are geothermal energy and wind power. Yes, both of these are actually effective ways of generating electricity. Geothermal energy utilizes the natural heat emanating from the earth, while wind power utilizes the force of the wind to generate electricity. And with the advancement of technology, we are now able to harness the power of the sun and the wind more efficiently than ever before. This means that we can actually get away with utilizing less energy for the same amount of money. Now that is something that everybody can appreciate.
All renewable energy production methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, as they say. For solar power, one big disadvantage is that it can only be efficient for a few hours per day. But for some applications, it may prove to be very useful such as providing energy for your entire home during night time or for when the sun sets. It also has its disadvantages such as having to deal with the rising temperature of the sun during night time. Also, the cost of materials that you will need in order to set up a solar panel or wind turbine can be very costly, which is why most people tend to opt for dam construction instead.