Is Renewable Energy All Hype?

Renewable energy comes from natural resources, as opposed to non renewable energy which comes from resources that will one day run out. The advantage of natural resources, is that they are typically cleaner to run, making less of an impact on the environment and we do not need to worry about the running out. Renewable energy typically comes from water, wind, the sun and the earth’s natural heat, or geothermal energy.

Still, today, the most common form of renewable energy simply comes from burning things such as wood, which provides light and heat. However, up to 20% of the electricity in the world comes from hydroelectricity. Solar and wind power are also becoming very popular.

Although it is considered by some to be a controversial form of renewable energy, power generated from the wind is becoming increasingly popular, especially in Europe. Unfortunately, the disadvantages of this are that they require a great deal of land which is given over to so called wind farms. These turbines also generate a relatively small amount of power and due to the amount of land they take up, they can severely harm the local environment. There are some cases, however, where there may be placed at sea.

Another form of renewable energy that is the most popular one in the world today, is hydroelectricity. Hydroelectricity is power entirely generated by the forces of water in the forms of waves, tides, water wheels and water mills. Although large hydroelectricity plants generally rely on dams, which are very expensive to build, they also produce a great deal of electricity, currently supplying almost 20 per cent of the world’s electricity.

Solar power is also becoming an increasingly popular form of renewable energy. Solar panels work by way of taking in the sunlight and converting it into electrical power. The only obvious disadvantage to this, is that it relies on a considerable amount of sunlight. Solar power is becoming increasingly popular as a domestic form of electrical supply. Although they are not cheap to buy, any electricity which they generate, which is not used by the household is often then sold back into the grid, making it not only an environmentally friendly option, but it can also save you money.

Biofuel is also becoming more widely used, even in consumer products such as motor cars, some of which are being manufactured to use a dual fuel system. Biofuel comes from recently deceased organic matter, unlike fossil fuels which come from organic matter that has been deceased a long time.

Finally, the others common form of renewable energy is that of geothermal heat, which works by directly tapping into the heat sources which are naturally found under the crust of the planet. Although this is a particularly expensive form, it is very effective, generates a lot of power and of course we do not need to worry about geothermal heat running out.

The industry for renewable energy is rapidly growing these days, as the concern is ever increasing for replacing old fossil fuels which are going to run and very soon and of course they’re not environmentally friendly. Many organizations around the world today are starting to capitalize on environmentally friendly solutions, solar power by has been one of the most popular, as a large number of people wanting to install it in their homes.

It certainly is a bit more settling in is worrying times of environmental destruction and rapidly growing worldwide population that people and governments are at last starting to pay serious attention to the problem.

Want to cheaply create your own electricity and renewable energy? Save thousands per year with the DIY solar / windmill power kit at http://TheEarth4Energy.com

Author: Alexis Jameson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Unix inter-process communication (IPC)

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