alternative energy sources

By: Adrian Fletcher

Fossil fuels, particularly coal, oil and gas are a dwindling resource. This is reflected in the price that consumers pay for their energy needs. It rises above average inflation each year and will continue to do this. Using these fuels also contributes to the environmental problems that the planet is experiencing such as acid rains and global warming. So are there any other options. Certainly there are many options, some more feasible than others. this article will detail some of the more popular alternative forms of energy.

Probably the most common alternative to fossil fuels is solar energy. The sun has been used as a source of energy since earliest times. Although we have come a long way from those times and now use it to power all sorts of appliances.

There are two ways that the sun gives us energy. These are heat energy and light energy.

Heat energy provided by the sun is used for many things like heating water or cooking food. It is the most obvious application of the sun's energy because people can feel the heat supplied by the sun. It has been used by earliest civilizations and probably even before them.

The use of light energy is a relatively new innovation. The technology developed to do this is called the photovoltaic (PV) cell. When sunlight or the photons in sunlight hit the PV cell a reaction takes place that causes an electron to flow through the cell. Many cells and more sunlight cause more electrons to flow. This is the basis of direct current. Direct current can be used as is, stored in batteries for later use or converted to alternating current for use in homes.

Wind power is also getting a bit of attention, mainly because of the wind turbines that are popping up all over the countryside. Depending on your perspective (and possibly your location in relation to them) they are intriguing structures or horrid eyesores.

A wind turbine is a towering structure that uses the power of the wind to turn a number blades. The kinetic energy is used to power a generator that creates electricity. Countries such as Germany, Denmark and the United States are increasing the number of wind turbines every year. They represent a clean and cheap way to create energy.

Water can be used in two ways to create electricity. The familiar hydroelectric power is usually created by damming up a river and using the force of the water to turn electrical power generators. Of course this is limited to having a large river. And there are environmental consequences to doing this for the surrounding area and the river itself.

Wave energy has received some press recently however it is not really used in any commercial capacity. The principle of wave energy is to take advantage of the force of the wave to turn a generator. This can be done directly by the movement of the water. Or the wave can increase the air pressure in a housing that contains the generator. This increase in pressure drives the generator and produces electricity.

Geothermal energy is another useful alternative to fossil fuels but it is location specific. Geothermal energy is the use of heat from the Earth's core. The earth is still cooling down and it gets hotter the closer to the center you get. Areas that are volcanic have faults lines that release the heat. This can be used to heat water. The water can be used itself or transformed to steam that can power a generator for electricity.