RENEWABLE ENERGY

Wind power
Wind has been used for centuries to power equipment. Wind is unfortunately not constant. If you put a wind turbine in an area that is flat like the Midwest, you will not get as much energy from the turbines as you would from a turbine in an area near offshore or high altitude sites. Wind energy is wonderful because it produces no greenhouse gases.

Water power
The energy in water is a kinetic energy, with temperature differences or salinity gradients. Water is about 800 times thicker then water even small movements create substantial amounts of energy. Hydroelectric energy is produced by dams across the country, such as the Grand Coulee Dam. In the Solomon Islands they use micro hydro systems to produce power. There are also damless hydro systems for places that do not have dams. Ocean energy uses energy from tides. With the water level in the basin changing it moves the turbine up and down or from side to side to produce energy. Since the ocean is ever-changing and moving, it is a great source for energy.

Solar power
From heating buildings to converting the power for electricity, solar power is a powerful energy source. When you have solar panels attached to your house or building you can convert the energy generated by the sun into electricity. Solar power has been used since the beginning of time. Using solar power we can heat food through solar ovens, heat and cool buildings through solar chimneys, and heat and cool water through solar-thermal panels. With technology growing everyday, we are only beginning to tap the use of solar power.

Geothermal energy
Miles deep in the earth’s crust there are pockets of heat. There are three types of power plants that generate power from geothermal energy: dry steam, flash, and binary. Dry steam plants get energy from steam coming out of fractures in the ground and putting it through generator that spins because of a direct drive turbine. Flash plants takes underground water with the temperature usually over 390 degrees Fahrenheit, and puts the steam through the turbines to generate power. In binary plants the boiling underground water flows through turbines that spin. With all these systems the water that is not used is injected back into the earth to pick up more heat and repeat the process.

LIVE GREENER EVERYDAY

Working together, we can make renewable energy more mainstream. One of the best things about renewable energy is that it is generated from natural resources. Sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat are all renewable and naturally replenished. Each year more and more companies become green companies and use more renewable energy. Wind power alone has grown in the energy technology market 30% every year. With climate and economic change concerns, renewable energy is readily becoming a solid investment to diminish our oil and other fuel and energy dependency. With all renewable energy it is easy to see the beneÿts of using a source that can be used over and over again.