Alternative Energy Sources

Our natural resources are depleting at an alarming rate and this includes fossil fuels, one of the primary sources of energy. With the unprecedented high fuel prices that continue to soar each year, it is necessary to find ways to lower energy costs. Apart from increasing costs and diminishing supplies, environmental pollution and global warming have caused catastrophic results on the planet. This has led to the use of alternative energy resources to power our businesses and homes. To help conserve the non renewable sources of fuel and understand how alternative energy sources can help in protecting the ecological balance, we must focus on the existing energy sources that can be tapped. The most popular alternative energy resources are:

Solar Power: Solar energy is used to provide heat, light, and electricity for homes and businesses. With the development of new solar technologies, solar energy is expected to supply a greater percentage of the energy needs. Solar panel installations have diversified due to incentive programs offered by government agencies.

Hydropower: Water is used for generation of electricity, and is the most common renewable source of energy today. Hydroelectricity is produced in power plants that use water flowing through a turbine to spin a generator that produces electricity. About seven percent of the nation's electricity is produced by hydropower, especially in far-flung remote areas where other power sources are not viable.

Wind Power:Wind energy was used to pump water and grind grain since hundreds of years. Wind energy is the world's fastest growing energy technology. Electricity is generated using large wind turbines that have two or three blades.

Geothermal Energy: Natural resource of heat under the earth is used to generate heat or electricity in geothermal power plants.

Biomass Energy: Power obtained from energy in plants and plant-derived materials is biomass energy. Plants, grassy plants, agricultural residues, etc. are used to produce biomass energy.