Alternative Electricity Resources
People don’t really think about where it comes from unless it is gone. When you try to flick on the light switch that is no longer functional, is when you really start missing it. We are referring to electricity resources, the ever-pervasive source of energy that we relate as a necessity for “modern day” living.
Many people think that electricity comes from a power plant. Which it does; however the power or specific electricity resources are generated from various activities. In the most simplistic progression, coal is burned to produce heat. This heats water, creating steam. The steam spins a turbine, creating an electrical current inside the generator. The electrical current inside the generators are “supercharged” by transformers that increase the voltage in order to carry them across power lines to their destination of usage.
Not all power plants are “coal fired”. But most burn some type of fossil fuel to create the steam. At present, oil, coal, and natural gas provide most of our electricity resources. Burning fossil fuels are known to have extreme negative effects on our environment. We are all privy to the information about the ill effects of the emissions coming from the consumption of fossil fuels.
There is much written on the dangers of fossil fuel emissions, but perhaps the more direct concern is that we are in danger of running out of these non-renewable resources. We have already consumed 50% of the available fossil fuels around the world. With our ever-increasing demand for electricity resources, it is anticipated that in less than 30 years we will exhaust the rest of the fossil fuels on this planet.
Some alternative resources to the burning of fossil fuels are already in use. Across the country, nuclear power plants continue to provide steam to create electricity. It is a sad fact that nuclear power plants generate nuclear waste too that at present time is difficult to dispose of.
There are several other options of renewable sources of energy that have fewer adverse effects on the environment than fossil fuels. Wind, hydro and solar energy are three such electricity resources.
Wind energy solutions generate electricity by capturing the power of the wind via windmills and wind turbines. Instead of steam, the blades of the wind turbine harness the wind to turn the generator. A wind farm, one tenth of the size of the State of Nevada can easily meet the energy demands of the entire United States.
Hydro energy is gathered by building a dam on a river that is a major source of water. The force of the flowing water turns the generator that in turn generates electricity. Hydroelectricity covers more than 6% of our current electricity resources. Depending on that water source, building a dam on a major water way can play havoc with ecological balance. A detailed study prior to the building of any damn is essential to lowering the impact.
The sun or solar energy is an abundant and readily available source of energy on this planet. Solar energy systems do not power a generator like the other electricity resources mentioned. Solar energy systems instead charge electrons via sunlight and then store them in batteries inside the system. There is indeed a lot you can do instead of merely worrying about using fossil fuels to generate electricity.
Wind and solar powered systems are those electricity resources that are readily available to private individuals for use. These systems are fairly easy to install and maintain. As technology continues to advance and become more common in use, these systems will become increasingly affordable to everyday-folks. Once your initial investment is taken care of, you will realize that you save a great deal of money. You should start thinking of doing something constructive to reduce global warming and stop using fossil fuels as electricity resources.