Overview of Other Alternative Energies – Solar Power and Beyond
As the world moves further into the 21st century, the need to develop alternate energies is growing in seriousness. Scientists and most governments have realized that we cannot go on burning fossil fuels or using nuclear energy as our main source of electrical power or other energy, at the risk of seriously harming the planet. Fortunately, there are a number of alternative energy types that go beyond the commonly used solar power. While solar energy is one of the easiest to use, it is not the only option. The best method is to find a way to utilize all of the available renewable energy types.
Wind power is one of the other top alternative energies that mankind has at its disposal at the moment, and has been used throughout history. This is achieved with the simple windmill, which has fins that rotate. As the wind crosses these fins and blades of the windmill, the rotation creates a force that can cause electricity. The downside to this, although it is completely sustainable and natural, is that just like with solar power, wind power can be completely dependent on the weather to produce a useful amount of energy for a household or business.
Geothermal systems are another type of alternative energies, that can be quite powerful but hard to harness. In this type of system, the natural heat created by the core of the earth is used to generate steam, which runs a steam turbine that is strong and fast enough to create electricity. By only drilling down into the earth’s crust approximately three miles in, the heat is already 100 degrees Celsius, which is more than enough to provide the heat to run a steam-run power plant. These can then provide energy for a household, business, or town, but first you must drill down three miles into the earth, which can be costly and time-consuming.
Fortunately, there are geothermal hotspots such as active volcanoes, where the earth’s heat is that where drilling is unnecessary. While this is all helpful, it doesn’t provide enough energy for everyone. That is why it’s important to learn about all the different types of alternative energy, in order to figure out the best combination of sources that are at your disposal. For example, a household could combine solar panels with a backyard windmill, which would provide more than enough energy to power the needs of the house, no matter what type of weather was involved.