Energy Alternatives

Let’s be honest, the way that the world is going we’re going to be running out of oil pretty soon, so there’s no wonder that alternative sources of energy are becoming more and more interesting.  Filling our cars at the gas station is becoming ridiculously expensive, but the problem is that we have become absolutely dependent on oil and its bi-products over the last 100 years or so (well, not us personally, we’re not that old, but you know what I mean).  It’s not only the fact that the oil reserves are running so low which is of concern either, we are slowly and systematically ruining our planet, choking it and destroying it beyond any possibility of recovery. Learn more on how to save the planet.
Fortunately there are alternative sources of energy available, so it’s about time we started to use them more.

Solar Energy

Solar Energy is just about the cleanest source of energy there is, and there’s plenty of it. Well, I know that might be difficult to believe in the middle of winter in some parts of the world, but others do get plenty of year round sunshine and what a pity if all of that free energy goes to waste. Solar panels and solar cells have been experimented with for years in hot countries, and of course, that means progress. You can even get a DIY solar energy kit for your own supply if you’re that way inclined. 

Solar Energy is used in two separate ways – either as photovoltaic power (PV) which converts the energy from the sun into electricity via solar panels, or solar thermal power, when the sun is used for heating homes and water. In some countries it is now a legal requirement for new houses to be built with solar water systems on the roof, and why not if the sun is shining for the majority of the year, I’m surprised they didn’t think of it sooner.

Wind Turbine Power

Wind Farms are appearing on more and more hillsides these days, as well as out to sea. Now then, controversially some people find them an ugly, blot on the landscape, and there’s a lot of the “well I know it’s for the good, and I’m all for it, but not where I can see it thanks” – well, I don’t care admitting it, I love them. I think they look like great flowers gently rotating in the breeze. The thing is that in order to increase the efficiency of these wind turbines, the blades are getting bigger and bigger, with some of them stretching for hundreds of feet. Energy from wind farms is also clean energy, and the wind blows whether we like it or not, so we might as well make use of it. In some countries (Denmark in particular) wind power accounts for around 20% of all of the electricity produced.

Wind turbines can be utilized for individual homes, but although the technology has come a long way it still has much further to go. Fancy having a windmill in your garden? Mmm, yes please.

Wave Power

Wave power (not the sort when you’ve seen a neighbor across the street) crashes across the sea 24 hours per day, whether we like it or not, so why not harness that power and use it to help make energy? Wave power is an increasing source of power, but one problem with it, believe it or not, is that sometimes the waves are just too powerful. Maybe I should just point out that wave power is different from tidal power, that comes next. The first commercial wave farm (grow your own!) was opened in Portugal in 2008.

Tidal Power

Tidal Power utilizes the natural ebb and flow of the sea. Nothing can stop the tide from turning, King Canute learned that lesson a long time ago, so it stands to reason that we should harness it somehow.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Energy is another source which we can use to our own advantage. When you think that only around three miles down into the earth the temperature is 100 degrees celsius, plenty hot enough to boil water and run steam powered powerplants. Unfortunately this isn’t always the easiest thing to do and therefore the capacity for geothermal energy to replace existing power supplies is limited, but there are some geothermal hotspots ((Iceland and Yellowstone National Park spring to mind) where the geothermal hotspots can easily be utilized in the search for alternative energy sources.

Learn more on how to save the planet.