Go Greener Tips

Nearly 90% of all electricity generation still comes from polluting sources of energy such as coal. Coal burning power stations are the world’s largest source of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) which some scientists say, leads directly to the phenomenon we know as global warming. Coal power stations have also been linked to the production of pollutants which trigger respiratory diseases such as asthma and also produce fallout from acid-rain and smog.

We are all now confronting the numerous problems caused by such environmentally unsafe sources of power and of course, the cost of this power can no longer be considered cheap either economically or morally. The public debate around global warming has generated a strong up-swell of interest in green energy sources and the ongoing viability of traditional power generation and energy usage around the home or business.

So what is green energy? Green energy is power generated through renewable resources including solar energy from the sun, wind energy and hydroelectric power generated by water. Other renewable energy sources include geo-thermal, wave and biomass. In regard to large scale energy generation, renewable energy sources in the United States nearly tripled in the years 2000 to 2008.

For the average homeowner wishing to reduce the cost of those big power bills, the three main types of green energy power generation are solar, wind and water. The most popular source is solar power which has been used for decades by way of solar water heating. New cheap and efficient technologies have now paved the way for home power generation using photovoltaic solar panels to either replace or augment your existing home or business electricity supply.

Scientists say that wind is the most efficient green energy source. Most of us would have seen windmills in the country where they have been used to pump water from deep underground to the surface. Unlike a windmill which drives a water pump, generating electricity with the wind uses a wind turbine in place of the water pump. The only drawback to wind generation is that you must live in an area which has sufficient wind on a regular basis to provide the energy to drive the wind generator.

Another method of green energy production is using water. Water is only a real option if you live in an area which has access to a good supply of flowing water. So, these are the main methods, now what do you do with this knowledge? Both commercially produced and DIY solar and wind generators are freely available on the internet and elsewhere and both offer advantages in their own right. Obviously the DIY energy route will save more by way of upfront cost but albeit with some handyman skills required to implement. Either way, you WILL reduce your energy bills and in a small way, help save the world.

Copyright Colin Herbertson 2009
My name is Col Herbertson and I am an electronics technician working in the field of Exploration Geophysics. I believe that the solution to this problem is that we can all take small steps to become energy efficient. To find out more about renewable energy systems for your home, see here Renewable Green Energy

Author: Colin Herbertson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: PCB Prototype & Manufacturing