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Green Power: Solar energy, wind energy, other power sources
From WikiVerde
Solar Energy, Wind Energy and Other Power Sources
In an era when the cost of fuel is continuing to increase dramatically, the type of energy that is used in our houses and businesses becomes a larger portion of the weekly and monthly budget for most homeowners and renters alike. Even businesses are feeling the pinch of energy costs that are nearly double those of three years ago. The snowballing effects of energy expenses have already forced some home and business owners into the painful decision of foreclosure or bankruptcy and all indications are that the statistics will continue to become more ugly over the next few months and years. Options that are good for the earth and good for the financial picture of individuals, businesses and governments exist. It's just a matter of choosing those that work best in your own situation.
Individual actions
Use of green power can be accomplished at several different levels. Individual actions are the most immediate but have the disadvantage of being capital intensive at a level that many individuals cannot afford. Although movement in the direction of hybrid cars and off-grid electrical power systems have been identified and are being made available in a variety of settings and geographical locales, not everyone can afford the cost of a new automobile, or of retrofitting solar panels and battery backup systems in the home.
Business actions
Historically, businesses have been placed where they could take advantage of cheap power sources. For example, the water wheel of the flour mill and the use of flumes to the rivers to transport timber from the logging operation site to the sawmill or planer. Steel mills were located not far from the coal mines. Today, though, business not only cannot bear the increasing cost of electrical or fossil fuel power, but they are being required to monitor their disposal of waste and by products which requires additional energy needs.
Government activities
In the name of the national need for energy consumption, battles have been fought and territorial campaigns have been launched. The need for energy fuels has literally changed the face of the globe. As new sources of energy--fossil fuels, mainly--are found and developed, the governments in the areas achieve new importance and relevance to the world community of nations. Laws are being passed that regulate the usage of energy, but there is still not a concerted effort to move to and take advantage of alternative or green energy forms.
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Solar Energy
Photovoltaics: Solar energy is being utilized in more than one way. Probably the most common way is to convert the rays of the sun into electricity through photovoltaics. Essentially, the photovoltaic cells change light from the sun into electrical current. The growth and development of solar photovoltaics made possible the space stations, satellites and power in remote areas where there is no electrical power station. The cost of photovoltaic equipment is becoming more affordable, although the cost is still a negative factor at around $20 per watt.
Solar Heat: Heat concentration and conversion into steam is another way of using the energy from the sun as a power source. Three types of solar heat energy are currently in use. Low temperature collectors are used to heat swimming pools and are generally flat plates. Medium collectors are also flat plates, but are used to heat water for residential and commercial use. High temperature collectors concentrate and focus the heat from the sun to create power through steam driven electrical plants. The cost of a solar electrical plant is due solely to the cost of the capital equipment involved.
Wind Power
Wind energy is another form of renewable energy. It too requires large capital expenditures in order to harness the effects of the wind. The use of a single windmill will produce enough electricity to run a few farm machines, but countries in some parts of the world are erecting dozens or even hundreds of wind turbines known as a wind farm. This can produce enough electricity to run a city or large metro area. The energy produced is clean and renewable and relatively inexpensive. It only requires that there is a fairly steady source of wind at fourteen miles per hour or more.
Hydropower
Hydroelectric power is another way to harness renewable energy sources. Hydropower is the use of moving water to turn huge turbines that generate electricity. Capital outlay is immense to build a hydroelectric plant, and not all parts of the United States have enough water to warrant the cost of building a large electric plant. Dams on the various rivers and water systems in the country supply about ten percent of the nation's electricity at present. Even a small moving stream can help to produce energy for a household or business.
Tidal Energy: Although it is not yet widely used, energy generated from the movement of the rise and fall of water due to tides is more reliable than either wind or solar energy. In Europe, tide mills have been used for hundreds of years and the energy production from the tidal movement has potential for much wider usage around the world. Other forms of energy mostly are derived from the action of the sun on the earth, while tidal energy comes from the sun and the moon's effects on the gravitational fields of the earth.
Geothermal Power
Geothermal power is generated from the higher temperatures deep below the surface of the earth. Geothermal heat can be used for hot water heating of businesses and homes, for steam generation in power plants that require high temperatures in order heat water or produce steam or for heat pump systems that use the difference between air temperature and ground temperature near the surface of the earth. Some geothermal power generation requires drilling deep beneath the surface, while other heat sources are at the earth's surface, such as hot springs and hot lakes.
